Our visits to Rio straddled the greatest games on the planet, the Olympics and the Paralympics and the place was abound with police armed with rifles, riot gear and a huge presence, but also with the vendors selling their wares alomg the beach front areas, especially Copacabana.

The one thing you can say for sure is that you don’t have to venture far to see great views in and around Rio. Up and down the boardwalk area you will see plenty of people running, cycling and skateboarding all day long and not to be left out I managed a few runs down the marathon finishing straight, clocking in the final kilometre in my record time, for Rio that is.

Lazing on Ipanema Beach I was suddenly awoken by people chasing a robber through the crowds and the police descending swiftly on the crook as he made it as far as the beach road. It’s a case of sleeping on your bag and keeping your wits about you, as in this instance this was locals on locals.

Rio has lots to offer from the majestic Sugar Loaf Mountain and the supreme Christ the Redeemer statue, to the fab beaches, the bustling markets and lively nightlife. Getting around is pretty easy by metro or VLT and the buses run regularly and are relatively easy to figure out.