Brazilliant!

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Geo: -22.9035, -43.2096

Day 15 – November 5

We had breakfast on top overlooking Ipanema again. What a life!

We boarded our bus and head off for a two-hour boat ride aboard a schooner in Guanabara Bay. We darted in and out of the jutting hills/mountains, and took in many sights we hadn't seen from land, including a spaceship-shaped building designed by Oscar Niemeyer: the Contemporary Art Museum. We passed old fortresses, ancient chapels, and other landmarks. All the while, frigate birds soared overhead. It was a lovely morning.

We had a buffet lunch at ZoZo, a so-so restaurant located at the base of Sugar Loaf Mountain. Location, location, location.

After lunch, we headed up the Sugar Loaf Cable Car, one of the oldest in the world and the first one in Brazil. Launched in 1912, the cable system travels through three stations interconnected by four cable cars. The view from the top is incredible. At a middle level are old cable cars -- the original and a mid-century model from which 007 hung in the movie "Moonraker".

On our way back, we learned a little about the plastic surgery business …BIG business in Rio. As we turned into the hotels, we spotted beach volleyballers, playing the game without their hands … heads, knees, etc. but no hands.

We were also told that almost all Brazilians work and most take their vacation in July. A HUGE percentage head to DisneyWorld for a week because there is package pricing.

Did I mention how clean Rio is? It's like being at DisneyWorld with people cleaning all the time. As we changed cable cars, someone got on to clean the windows. You don't see that often.

Our farewell dinner was at a typically Brazilian churrascaria called “Fogo de Chao”, fire in the earth. It's so popular that it is now franchised in the US. There was an amazing display of salads and appetizers (I had bean soup again). Once you settled in, waiter after waiter came by with meat on spits – MANY kinds of beef, pork, chicken, lamb … each one tastier than the next. More protein than you would normally eat in a week. Tasty choice of three desserts and a farewell Brazilian coffee.

We bid farewell to Murray and others and headed to dreamland.

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Photos

Boat tour of Baia de Guanabara
Patrick,Anne, Barcy

Downtown airport and Sugar Loaf Mountain inRio

Comments

[Suzanne Kennedy]

What a great trip!! Loved participating through blogs and pictures! Thank you, Tommye!!!!!!!!!Safe travels home.

[Marie Fitzgerald (NY)]

Tommye! Thank you so much for allowing me to read and enjoy the marvelous photos! You write beautifully, with whit and an easy style . I now plan to put the ABCs on my bucket list. Safe home.

[Sandy Hughes]

That is plumeria. Also found in Hawaii

[Susie D]

Nice looking' couple!

[Blanche Fraser]

I bought two of these from the same young man!