I have seen many facets of Brazilian life. In fact, Brazil appears to me as many countries depending on the perspective you have at a given moment in time. This country is fascinating and as diverse as the races that inhabit it, that is not to say it is not rascist, as some people will have you believe: generally, the whites have the money, the blacks don't, 'social' division runs deep, and wealth nestles alongside poverty everywhere.Ponta Negra...

I prepare to depart Natal after more than 2 weeks here, getting the the essentials done, like sorting the bike out, resting, catching up on e-mails and burning myself to a crisp. Tomorrow I head West towards Fortalezea, Sao Luis and the Amazon where I will catch the boat towards Venezuela at Belem.

I have seen many facets of Brazilian life. In fact, Brazil appears to me as many countries depending on the perspective you have at a given moment in time. This country is fascinating and as diverse as the races that inhabit it, that is not to say it is not rascist, as some people will have you believe: generally, the whites have the money, the blacks don't, 'social' division runs deep, and wealth nestles alongside poverty everywhere. In my opinion, this is a deeply sexist society too, as the large numbers of North European males here, will happily testify to.

Certainly, from a motorcyclist's perspective, this is a dangerous country, and it seems almost that way by design, notwithstanding the nation's penchant for reproducing photographs of laryngectomy patients on the back of ciggy packets. Smoking won't do anything to me that Brazilian motorists haven't tried to do already. In fact drivers in Brazil are BAD, and what they lack in skill, they make up for in agression.

Having said all this, for thousands of kilometres, I have encountered nothing but smiling, curious faces, and apart from whilst riding, never felt threatened. At times, the unconditional generosity and will-to-help have overwhelmed me, and caused me to retreat, mobbed as eager hands compete to tighten a drive chain or bolt-on loose parts.

In Natal, I have been made welcome by B-17 Motoclube, and in particular by exiled Glaswegian, George (Escosses) McMillan, and Marcio (The Bat) Antunes, who expertly worked on my bike, above and beyond the call of duty. Due to their hospitality I have been lucky enough to celebrate New Year, paddling in the sea at Buzios and enjoy necking Oysters in a bar overlooking the exquiste Pipa Beach and coastline south of Natal.

Bringing in the catch - VERY early on the beach at Macarajui -

Still wriggling, some looked a little small to me...