Visited a sugar production plant today, that takes raw sugar cane and produces both ethanol - popularly used to fuel cars here - and sugar for the supermarkets.

It was a surprisingly big operation, and not as clean as you may think. Wearing beige trousers and white shirts was a big mistake.

Interesting fact for you: the supermarkets' quality control processes selected the whitest sugar, which is in fact the least nutritious.

Raph lost his phone - muppet - and so is incommunicado. Nothing new about that, but do not expect any messages from him until we're back in the UK.

We're back in Araruama after an overnight trip to Buzios. The visit was a welcome change of pace after our previous few hectic days. We got to enjoy the beach a little, and to sample the most excellent sea-food and BBQ. It wasn't all rest though, pulses quickened when the kite plummetted into the water, and had to be rescued in a daring operation - photos coming