The Cidade Maravilhosa

After a ten hour flight that lasted for what seemed like a month, we arrived in the marvelous city around 10am. Even though ours was the only international flight arriving at the time, it still took a couple hours to get our bags, clear customs, and head out. The drive from the airport, which looks like it was designed by communists in the 1970s, to Zona Sul, the tourist zone along the beach, is very interesting. You go through quite a few rough neighborhoods and pass by several favelas. Everywhere you go in the city you are reminded of the disparity between the rich and poor. Plus, Cariocas (what the people of Rio like to refer to themselves as) drive like they have a death wish. It is almost as though everyone is having a contest to see how many times you can change lanes in a minute, while driving very fast, and dodging both the guys selling bottles of water and food in the middle of the interstate and the motorcycles, scooters, and mopeds that drive between lanes.

When we checked into the hotel and decided to take a nap. Neither one of us slept on the plane and we were pooped. When we woke up we met our private tour guide Martha and her driver to show us around the city. We first stopped at a kilo restaurant and had lunch. These are everywhere in Rio and are apparently the most popular way to eat lunch.

We then drove down Avenue Atlantica to see all of Copacabana Beach, our home for our stay, and then to Ipanema for some swim suit shopping, because what else would you do when you get to a city other than shop. Martha helped Lelaine go through several stores - including bumbum, the first ever bikini store - and then pick out a lovely number from Blue Man. Meanwhile Chris walked around the block 14 times and fended off Martha's suggestion to buy a mankini for himself ("Why not? They are so beautiful.")



After Ipanema we drove to Sugar Loaf and took both cable cars to the top. This really made Chris happy as he was afraid that Lelaine's fear of heights would prohibit her from going to the top. She probably wouldn't have gone but Martha talked her into it.



The views from the top were amazing.



After enjoying the views we went back down for a traditional Brazilian afternoon activity: snacks and drinks. Martha took us to a restaurant in Copacabana and we had what could best be described as beef and crab turnovers. We washed them down with the first of many caipirinhas and a couple of beers. Having his priorities straight, Chris managed to learn two words (he only learned one or two others the entire trip) in Portuguese before they left: chopp and cerveja, which are draft and bottled beer respectively. Martha told him of a great dark creamy pilsner, which he didn't even know existed.










Martha was a great guide. She was very helpful and even gave us a few laughs when she asked what it meant when Chris said that Lelaine was grouchy and that something else was neat.

After filling up we walked through the Copacabana market and headed for the hotel. Even though it was only 8pm or so, we decided to call it a night and go to sleep.

By the by, we will soon post a link to Flickr with more pics.

Fun Rio facts: the city is named after the January River. In 1808 Portuguese Emperor Joao VI fled Napoleon in Portugal and went to Rio, making it the capital of the Portuguese Empire. It was the official capital of Brazil for over 100 years. In 1960, then-President Kubitschek (doesn't sound too Brazilian to me) moved the capital to Brasilia in an effort to spur population growth in the interior of the country.