BON DIA...WE WERE OUT EARLY TO CATCH OUR 2113 ONIBUS TO UCRA AND A CABLE CAR TO THE TOP OF PAO DE ACUCAR (SUGAR LOAF) THE 1,312 FT/400 M HIGH GRANITE AND QUARTZ MONOLITH THAT SITS AT THE MOUTH OF GUANABARA BAY
ON OUR WAY UP WE SAW STATUES, CLIMBERS, ALL THE BEACHES AND CRISTO...A SPECTACULAR VIEW ACROSS RIO DE JANERIO AND THE BAY
ACROSS THE VALLEY IN THE DISTANCE IS CRISTO REDENTOR FROM THE FIRST STOP...MORRO DA URCA
192,000,000 PEOPLE LIVE IN BRAZIL...6,000,000 IN RIO
WELL CAMOUFLAGED THIS TUFTED-EARED MARMOSET JUST SAT LOOKING AT US WONDERING WHY WE WERE SPEAKING ENGLISH TO HIM I GUESS!
CABLE CAR HOLDS ABOUT 50 PEOPLE, BUT WE WERE THERE EARLY ENOUGH SO THAT IT WAS NOT CROWDED EVEN THOUGH IT WAS A SUNDAY
WE ARE DOING A GREAT JOB REMEMBERING OUR GUEST SERVICES TECHNIQUES, WE TAKE OTHER PEOPLE'S PIX AND THEY RETURN THE FAVOUR!
DON'T KNOW IF YOU CAN SEE THEM BUT THERE WERE CLIMBERS SCALING UP THE FACE TO THE SUMMIT
WE WERE SO LUCKY WITH THE WEATHER TODAY, SO OFTEN IN RIO THERE IS MIST AND FOG...THESE ARE PRAIA DE BOTAFOGO AND PRAIA DO FLAMENGO (BRAZILIAN FOOTBALL TEAMS ARE NAMED AFTER THEIR RESPECTIVE NEIGHBOURHOODS...RUDY, OUR DRIVER, HIS TEAM IS "FLAMENGO". THEY HAVE ONE PLAYER CHOSEN FOR THE WORLD CUP TEAM. THE SAIL BOATS YOU SEE ARE IN FRONT OF THE RIO YACHT CLUB AT THE BASE OF THE MOUNTAINS
JIM WAS DEFINITELY NOT HAPPY BEING SO CLOSE TO THE EDGE!
SAME VIEW, FROM THE SUMMIT OF PAO DE ACUCAR, OF BEACHES, RIO AND CRISTO REDENTOR IN THE DISTANCE
DO NOT KNOW WHAT THESE TREES ARE...BUT THEY HAVE BIG, HARD, SPIKY THORNS ON THEM, OBVIOUSLY NATURE'S WAY OF PROTECTING THE TREE...VIEW OF THE BAY TO THE NORTH OF RIO DE JANERIO
PRAIA DE COPACABANA WITH PRAIA DE IPANEMA AROUND THE CORNER WHERE WE ARE HEADED NEXT TO THE SUNDAY OPEN AIR MARKET
HUGE SUNDAY MARKET WITH COLOURFUL TAPESTRIES, LEATHER PRODUCTS, JEWELRY, CLOTHING, POTTERY, PAINTINGS AND PEOPLE! WE SPENT A COUPLE OF HOURS THERE AND SPENT R5. WHICH IS ABOUT $2.75 ON A NECKLACE
IN THE EARLY 1960'S TWO FRIENDS, THE POET VINICIUS DE MORAES AND COMPOSER ANTONIO CARLOS JOBIM MET REGULARLY AT THIS LITTLE BAR. INSPIRED BY A BEAUTIFUL GIRL WHO USED TO WALK BY, ON HER WAY TO THE BEACH, THE DUO WROTE THE SONG "GAROTA DE IPANEMA" TRANSLATED INTO ENGLISH THE BOSSA NOVA STYLE OF MUSIC BECAME POPULAR! WE ATE LUNCH HERE AND IT WAS ONE OF OUR LESS SUCCESSFUL TRANSLATIONS OF THE MENU...JIM GOT A PLATE OF SLICED SAUSAGE...I HAD PORTUGUESE SOUP (POTATO AND SAUSAGE) WHICH I THINK IS ALWAYS A SAFE CHOICE! IT WAS DELICIOUS!
THIS BOTEGA ACROSS THE STREET IS NAMED AFTER THE SONG!
WALKED A COUPLE OF KILOMETRES ALONG PRAIA DE IPANEMA MARVELING AT ALL THE HAPPY PEOPLE ENJOYING THEIR SUNDAY!
