Hockin' it in Heeo

We’ve spent a week so far in Rio de Janeiro (pronounced Heeo by the locals) and have both really enjoyed our time here.  The helpful tourist information desk at the intercity bus terminal put us in touch with Maria, who manages apartments in Copacabana Beach - so for about the same price (or even a little less) than a double room at a hostel we have been enjoying a spacious 1 bedroom apartment about one block back from Copacabana beach. 

Hola from South America

About a week ago now we flew into Buenos Aires to begin a 3 month trip around South America.  Our approach has been very laissez faire, with a false sense of confidence having survived ~4 months in Africa, we figured we would make it up as we went along and enjoy the freedom of a fully flexible itinerary.  To date, this approach has treated us fairly well - although does lead to spirited discussion about what to do and where to go next and, perhaps inevitable for independent travel, requires a lot of time spent planning while we are in each location.