Eight pm, high humidity and 34 degrees...

Hot, hot day, melting even with all doors and windows open and the fan on. Copacabana is seething, beach, shops, roads and pavements overflowing, but it's a happy atmosphere. Still had to collect a few things from shops, so braced myself for queues - conversations with strangers helped to pass the time.

In search of a better blip, headed for the beach around 7.30 pm. Crowds of people heading home but many still there. Rested the camera on a pile of chairs and wound up chatting for ages with the men who had set up their stand to rent out the chairs and sell beer - two locals, one from Fortaleza, in the northeast and another from the southeast (discovered he used to look after a friend's dogs. Small world).

Flurries of rain, which didn't come to much (or cool things down to any extent), in spite of thunder and lighting. Back home to make gluten-free mince pies and get a few things ready for Reveillon. It's hot.