Day 123 - Down at the Copa-Copacabana

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Today was our last day in Rio, indeed our last day in South America. We had hoped to spend more time in Rio, as well as some other beach towns, but lack of funds forced us to bring our flights forward by two weeks. We wouldn’t have survived long in Rio anyway, with a double room (in a less than average hostel) costing £50 per night versus the £7-£16 we had paid in every other country! Desperate to catch a few more hours of sun (having left the English winter to arrive in the South American winter, and then not seen as much sun as I would’ve hoped) we got up at 6:30am and headed for Copacabana beach! The weather was gorgeous, and we were so grateful for it as it had been raining in Rio for the two weeks prior to our arrival.

Our flight was at 7pm, and we got there with sufficient time to peruse the duty free for the Brazilian national liquor Cachaça (fermented sugarcane), which makes the Caipirinha cocktails I had been indulging in most days in Brazil! At the check-out we were told we could not buy the bottle as we had a connecting flight in Madrid. How bloody ridiculous, I thought! We’re going to sit in a transit lounge with a sealed, unopened bottle complete with receipt, which we are allowed to take on one plane but not the next! I was grateful to be warned though, as we saw a few people having alcohol confiscated in Madrid! On the subject of Rio airport, it is SHOCKING! Absoutely zero facilities save a couple of understocked cafes, a jewellery shop and the duty free. No restaurants, bars, shops, nada! Thank God we were not delayed.

We boarded the plane with obvious reluctance, now our 4 month trip had come to an end, but with equal levels of excitement to be seeing friends and family as well as returning to civilization; where hospitals were a stone’s throw away and we spoke the same language as everyone else!

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