At 3 in the morning Manaus airport is fully open for business; bookshop, souvenir shop, bar and obviously this internet service. I suppose there must be some good technical reason for night flying but it's not much fun for the passenger. I've another hour and a bit to wait for my connecting flight to Santarem and I'm dead tired.

Tuesday in Rio could have been a feverish tourist hell but I tried not to fit too much in. I spent quite a while relaxing by Copacabana beach. That looks exactly as it does in tourist brochures and lots of jogging and volley ball was helping the cariocas keep healthy.

In the centre of town where I was later some street theatre was going on to persuade the unhealthy that they should improve themselves - no mention of beach volleyball though. Just as well there was street theatre because the said to be magnificent Theatro Municipal which I had gone to see was under wraps for refurbishment.

But I did see the magnificent Sugar Loaf and the truly stunning views from its top.