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Brasil 4 - Rio De Janeiro |
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Casapagina |
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We arrived in Rio De Janeiro from Ilha Grande slightly wet but expecting a wild week. We�d heard so much about the beauty, vibrance and unfortunately the criminality of the city and even looking at a map, the neighbourhoods resound; Flamengo, Gloria, Lapa, Carioca, Cinelandia, Urca, Botafogo, and of course Ipanema and Copacabana. We were to be staying at the office of Darryl�s client�s business partner in Rio. Very confusing, yes, but we knew his name was Faro, we had contacted him through email and had his cell phone number. He�d told us he would pick us up at the bus terminal and with little more than a slight hiccup he and his wife, Claudia, arrived and wisked us through the streets and tunnels of Rio to �The Office�. The Office consisted of a large, mostly empty room on the 3rd floor of a building in Botafogo, our gracious hosts had provided us with sleeping mats, towels, soap and incredibly, a Cell phone. In a word it was perfect.
After an early night that first night we started touring Rio the next day, it was up Sugar Loaf, then a tour of Ipanema, and Copacabana, and later climbed Corcovado to hang with J.C. (and about 10,000 other tourists). As Carnival began the nights got longer and longer and the days were filled with Blocos and beaches, we even managed a football match at Maracana stadium. We hit the Sambodromo for the Samba School parades one night and as the tally of Skols mounted Darryl nominated Rio as his favourite city in the entire world, of course considering the other hopefuls are the bustling metropolises of Port Carling and Stratford Ontario you can see why Rio would a favourite. Rio also has something these fine munipalities do not - Trannies. Transvestites seem to flock to Rio, in fact, one of final Carnaval Blocos in Ipanema is a showcase for their innumerable talents.
Rio left a strong impression on us both, not just for it�s striking appearance and Carnaval�s hedonistic partying but in spite of the various dire warnings of thieves lurking in the streets and pickpockets working the crowds we never once felt threatened or in danger. This is not to say that it�s completely safe and we did take many precautions, our Digital Cameras only left The Office to take pictures of the well trodden tourist hubs of Corcavado and Sugar Loaf, the rest were taken on a disposable. As one kind little old lady cautioned me on the metro �The bible says �He who tempts is as guilty as he who is tempted�� sage advice. The only annecdotal evidence we heard of anything nasty happening was a Belgian fellow who went to take a whizz at a Bloco and while he was relieving himself a little boy relieved him of all he had in his pockets.
Rio had everything we hoped and while unfortunately all our Carnaval adventures were caught on the disposable I can share a few pics from Sugar Loaf and Corcavado that give you an idea of the splendor of Rio....
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The Classic shot from Sugar Loaf looking South West toward Copacabana beach. |
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Looking up Sugar Loaf at the 2nd cable car station. |
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Clouds were rolling up the mountain that day so the 310m peak was sometimes enveloped. |
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The view toward Cristo Redentor, Botafogo, where The Office was is the neighbourhood you can see.
Rio has an inordinate number of helicopters flying about. I had no idea the Cariocas where such prodigious aviators. |
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Cristo Redentor - We�re down with JC! |
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You can also climb up Corcavado to Cristo Redentor, this is the view from the road up the hill. |
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The view of Sugar Loaf from the top of Cristo Redentor (735m). That�s Guanabara Bay on the left, Botafogo in the foreground, Copacabana on the right. |
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There were a couple of other Gringos up there the day we went. |
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Apparently, when he�s not busy coverying Central Park in orange gates, Cristo is the largest art deco statue in the world. |
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The Office, was just over the left side of my head, about 3 buildings over from my recedo. |
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Our Cubicles, almost makes me miss work. |
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No matter where you go in Rio, you can�t get out from under Cristo�s shadow, this was the view from our front step. |
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Flying to Bolivia... |
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Let�s See Brasil 3 Again |
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Back to the Casapagina |
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