Jardim Botanico--A must see!

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This morning, we had some breakfast foods at our flat, which we had purchased at the little market downstairs. At around 10am, we got bus #511 to the Botanical Gardens. The ride was about 30-40 minutes. It is a 6 Reais entry fee. It was not crowded at all and we barely ever saw people in there until near the end. We stayed there for a few hours, but first went to eat. Food choices in there are slim, but we did find a little place, where we had some sandwiches. I had a Kuat to drink. I sure do love the guarana sodas! We really liked the gardens and I highly recommend them as a "do not miss" thing to do in Rio. The pathways are easy to stroll, and we saw a good amount of bird species in there. I really liked the waterfalls and fountains the most.

It felt late, so we headed for the exit. Once out, I saw a sun dial and it said that it was only 2:15. We went to get a bus to Ipanema Beach. Once there, we just walked down the beachfront for several blocks. We stopped at a little food stand and had some fresh coconut water. I can live on coconut, so I was happy. It was so refreshing, and was also the first of many on this trip. They chill the coconuts and then chop the top off and put a straw in and you drink up! When it started to get dark, we rode the bus back to Rio Sul mall and found a place to eat. It was called Rio Tropical, and it was ok. The girls meals looked better, so I think I just ordered the wrong thing. I had a maté to drink. After dinner, we walked around the mall for a bit and then went back to the flat to go to sleep.

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