'Thumbs-Up!' (by Joe)

Neither Laura nor I speak much Portuguese, but we've muddled by easily, not least because Brazilians are extremely enthusiastic sign-language communicators.

All the key signals that a traveler needs - 'Here', 'there', 'drink please', 'bill please' - are readily understood . But the sign of all signs, the one we love, is the big broad Brazilian 'Thumbs-Up!'.

From the first Brazilian we encountered (a conductor taking us on the bus from the border) we have seen the 'Thumbs-Up!' time and again everywhere we have gone.

Totally wholehearted, the 'Thumbs-Up!' is almost invariably accompanied by an enormous and full-on grin. And Brazilians seem to respond to it as well as they give it, so that, at the lift of a thumb, an otherwise stern or even threatening face can be turned immediately into a warm friendly one.

It's a kind of 'I'm OK - you're OK' thing which warms your heart every time.

Indeed the 'Thumbs-Up!' has become something of a symbol for us of one of the things we like so much about Brazil: the genuine wholehearted warmth and communicativeness of the people (which comes through loud and clear despite the language barrier).

And, just once or twice on our trip so far, our spirits have soared as we have experienced the warmest greeting of all: the full-on 'Double Thumbs-Up!!'

Joe