Christoph & Sonja
We wondered when we’d run into another touring cyclist on the road, and it turned out to be a little sooner than we’d expected. The glowing individuals either side of Ruth in this picture, which was taken on the main road close to Picinguaba in Brazil, are Sonja and Christoph, a charming couple who left...
The road
So many locals had warned us against leaving Rio by bike that it almost came as a disappointment to find the route we chose was absolutely fine. We’re used to riding in cities, which helped; as, too, did our decision to head out early on a Sunday morning, when the traffic is much reduced from...
So good they named it twice
The room’s not much: just a thin storefront with strip lighting, a dozen seats around a couple of tables, photographs on the wall and fridges at the back. Show up too early – 8.30pm, say – and you might find it empty. If anyone’s here, they’re either deep in conversation at the table to the...
Looking up
Rio is an assault on the senses, but not necessarily for the reasons we were expecting. It’s not the crowds or the streetlife, which are of a piece with busier European cities; it’s not the noise, which goes on into the night – music, conversation, particularly dogs – but isn’t really oppressive; and it’s not...
