Salvador: Opportunities gained, Opportunities missed

Belo Horizonte was hot, Rio was hotter, but heading North to Salvador felt more like tropical Brazilian climate.  I ended up spending 5 nights in the state capital of Bahia, visiting the old town of Pelourinho, watching the scintillating World Cup quarter final ties and trying to soak up some sun.  My visit didn’t go exactly to plan but I will describe my changing fortunes…

The Highs and Lows of Rio

‘Cidade Maravilhosa’ (Marvellous City) is an accurate nickname for Rio de Janeiro, home to towering mountains, lush rainforest, sandy beaches and blue seas, as well as buzzing nightlife in its many lively neighbourhoods.  I have had the fortune of living in the spectacular lakeside town of Queenstown, New Zealand, in the gorgeous harbour city of Sydney, Australia, and I am even fond of commuting to and from work back home in London, seeing Big Ben through the London Eye and glimpsing Tower Bridge beautifully lit up at night.  Rio would be another city I would be grateful to call my home, but in just four and a half days I merely scratched the surface.  I also came at a time when World Cup tourists created a different (yet still amazing) atmosphere, so Rio is firmly etched in my list of places I must visit again.  I will take you through my journey of views from the tops of spectacular outlooks to lying face down on sandy beaches; identifying the highs of World Cup fever to the lows of harsh Rio hangovers!