Rio is a legendary place. Just saying the name Copacabana relaxes me and fills my mind with images of beach cabanas, samba music and cocktails. It met all my expectations. Our hotel, Rio Majestic Palace, is between the beach and a steep mountain rock cliff. It’s very nice and there’s a pool on the roof with a great view. We arrived on New Years Eve to clear skies and a mass migration of people in white clothes (to symbolize renewal) walking towards Copacabana. We followed suit with our cachaça (Brazilian fermented sugar cane) and coke in hand. Venders were selling all kinds of food, flowers and hats in the street. There are a few traditions we learned about. One is buying flowers, usually white, and throwing them into the ocean for good luck and to pay
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