So, I am off to Brazil. Half an hour to get to Woking station, an hour on the bus to Heathrow Terminal 5, 20 minutes to get a shuttle bus to terminal 4, 45 minutes to check in and go through security and over two hours to wonder why British Airways make you check in three hours before the flight.

The flight started on time at 21.45 British time and 11 mind-numbing hours later we were over São Paulo. We could not see much as Guarulhos Airport was closed due to fog. 90 minutes later it was clear enough to land. Customs and Immigration was a breeze and my case came out in record time and I was back on schedule to catch my connecting flight to Vitória.

Check-in was easy and there was no problem with my vast amount of luggage and duty free shopping. Unfortunately there was a problem with the flight. Ten minutes after departure time they announced a four hour delay.The regulars reckoned that it was because there were not enough bookings and that they were merging two flights. Nobody bothered to tell me that the new flight was from Congonhas Airport an hour away by bus.

Looking up from my crossword I noticed the passengers drifiting away. I asked what was going on and was told to collect my baggage and go to the coach to Congonhas. This was an interesting ride as it was my first sight of Brazil and I was in Brazil´s biggest city. Greater São Paulo has a population of nearly 20 million and is the third biggest Metropolitan area in the Americas (after Mexico City and New York).

My first impressions were that it looked quite prosperous, the driving was disciplined (apart from the motor bikes), crash helmets are worn by all motor cyclists, the roads were good, there were no dangerous looking wrecks on the road. In fact if I had been told that I was back in Spain I would not have been surprised.

So another check-in and the fight was on time – well that is what they told me. Ten minutes after departure time they announced a one hour delay which, in fact was 90 minutes. I spent the time trying to invent a better Acronym for the TAM airline. Twist and manipulate. Terrifying Accident M?? Travellers are martyrs. TAM are misanthropes. I settled for Take-off a miracle. Seriously, the flight was OK, the food dreadful and my main concern was the very poor communications with the passengers.

28 hours after setting out I arrived in Vitória where Flavia was waiting at the airport. She had had the same difficuties tryng to find out what was happening. Ten minutes after I left the plane we went to the car park. I like small airports.

4PM local time and I had to stay awake as long as possible to reduce jet lag. Not hard to do with Flavia, we went shopping.