Here I am now in Belem after a 5500kms ride along the coastline of Brazil. It is hot and humid (well, what did I expect??), but it feels good to be here.
The last two days on the road were tough due to the mud, I did point out that the wet season was officially supposed to have ended three weeks ago but no-one took any notice of me.
There were also incredible potholes - actually that's a misnomer, they were craters with a fine network of crumbling tarmac between them. At times it was like being on a tightrope, trying to balance Thelma on these 6 inch wide tracks with a deep muddy abyss on either side - oh well at least it provided entertainment for the truckers - virtually the only other traffic up here.

From here the road ends and I take to a boat, five days up the Amazon, complete with hammock swaying in the breeze. Though the reality will probably be a seething mass of humanity crowded onto a leaky tub.