Blogs from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, South America - page 7

Each time I reached for my wallet the guy pointing the gun at my head would start yelling. Why didn't he want my money? I put my hands back in the air and repeated, "No falo Portuguese!" To my relief, he lowered the gun. But relief was brief. He only lowered the gun to pull the hammer back. Now I was looking down the barrel again. I was certain he was about to pull the trigger. Oddly, I wasn't afraid. I found myself wondering what it would sound like. Would I have time to hear the bang? What would it feel like when the bullet hit me? Would I have time to feel pain? Unlike the townships of Johannesburg and Harare, the favelas of Rio are not on the outskirts of the city. Instead they are ... read more

This is day-2 of Rio. It was our last overnight in-port for this cruise. It was a nice smooth night without the ship rocking or anything. As explained yesterday, Janet did not have a tour today, but David still had to report to the Fusion Lounge at 7:00. He got up early and had a light breakfast in the Horizon Court and then brought a breakfast sandwich, chocolate donut, and a cup of tea back to the cabin for Janet. She has her sandwich and then followed doctor’s orders and went back to bed. She got a good restful morning and by the time David got back she was feeling much better. Maybe it was partly due to the sage advice she’s received from Stephanie about following doctor’s orders and you would recover more quickly. David’s ... read more

Manaus is a little bit dull but it has several million inhabitants, a very nice Opera house and science institution with giant otters and mantee, unfortunately for us it was closed, so we decided to move on to Rio early Christmas morning. Rio is like a beautiful woman it just takes your breath away, the forests, mountains, beaches and just the vibe of the inhabitants is intoxicating even for someone like me who thinks they have seen it all. We took the cable car to the top of the Sugar loaf discovered a troop of cotton top tamarins and just marvelled at the wonderful panoramas. Next we visited Copacabana perhaps my favourite beach to feel and experience the beach culture that is clearly the passion of this city. Ensconced in one of the many beachside bars ... read more

Day 15 is over here in Rio and tomorrow will be the final day of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games. Looking back its hard to believe we visited the Olympic Park for the very last time. Hard to believe there won't be Beach Volleyball on tonight and into the wee hours of the morning at Copacabana Beach. Hard to believe the thousands of athletes that have poured their heart and soul into the past 4 years leading up to these Games will finish up tomorrow and head home to re-evaluate and re-charge. For us, the Games here in Rio have been nothing short of incredible. Our experience here in Rio has been first-rate. We've learned so much about this South American country, its people and the beautiful City that has played host to the world for ... read more

Day 14 is in the books here in Rio and its hard to believe we are only two short days away from the Closing Ceremonies of the 2016 Summer Olympic Games! While the time goes fast for us, it clearly moving even faster for Usain Bolt. It seem unfair to starting talking about this day without mentioning his super-human achievements over that past 12 years. To think that one man has won the 100m, 200m and 4x100m Relay in three straight Olympics simply defies logic. Its hard to imagine anyone in the future surpassing this truly epic Olympic resume. We started our day back at the Olympic Park and had our first chance to watch some diving at the Maria Lenk Aquatic Centre. This venue was the only building on site at what is now Olympic ... read more