JW Marriott Hotel Rio de Janeiro

... Ill let one soak in and move on.
We went out to some local bars, watched a Brazil vs Chile game on tv, and drank the local beer/drinks. They are known for their Capirihina (pulpy fruit juice, ice, and of course, very strong grain alcohol made from sugar cane). We were all very tired and got home early after checking out some other local hot spots. The taxi cost us US$3.50 total to get back to our apartment.
We woke up this morning and made egg, bacon, and ...

... a time, revealing the amazing panorama of Rio. I spent a good while orientating myself with the map (my father's daughter) and Fred pointed out the places of interest. I had felt slightly frustrated that I hadn't researched my trip at all and hadn't even brought a guidebook, but looking over Rio and seeing the real thing was the best way to learn. I kept thinking how much Tata would enjoy himself here as whenever we explore new cities, he adores climbing up the ...

... to a sushi meal, which was relatively affordable and quite delicious at the time.

Unfortunately, I paid a price for this fish meal the next day; the second consecutive day of suffering the consequences of the previous night's activities! My sore stomach, Mary and me made our way via bus to the town of Paraty, on the picturesque Costa Verde. We would spend the next chunk of our time in Brasil on this wonderful coast before returning to Rio.

... I return today and with love in my heart to see you all again soon. My worlds move closer every time I come and ´gracious au deus´I will be able to introduce my friends from here to you all soon. Ujamha, Berenice, Wendell, Jorge and Anderson - much love to you all. I will send a post script but for now, signing off as your devoted friend, sister, teacher, daughter, seeker, adventurer and love... Your Soooz

... among the tables with huge skewers of different meats and carve it straight onto your plate. They give you a little sign to keep on your table - it has a green side to signal that you're ready for more, and a red side to show you want to take a break. We kept our signs green for as long as we could, then had to start flipping them over and over as we slowed down. Trung was more adventurous than I was (he's Vietnamese so he's used to eating weird ...

... Cathedral and finally the headline feature, one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World: Christ the Redeemer.  Dominating the skyline over Rio for the past week, it would be a crime not to visit the city and not get a closer inspection.  Firstly, this particular statue sits on an impressively high mountain in the middle of a city the size of London, no small drama there.  Then, when we eventually made it to the top to see our much-anticipated ...

... little to wet our tastebuds or wallets on this Monday night.  Though we found ourselves content to drink pleasant, local 'cervezas' [ser-veh-zhas] (beers) alongside the many kiosks adorning the respective promenades of Copacabana and Ipanema.  Much fun was had simply enjoying the setting and the atmosphere it brought, until dawn broke and reminded us that even the remaining princes of these 'playas' [plah-zhas] (beaches) must sleep. After a few days of sleeping and nights of ...

... We enjoyed a really cool ride through Rio with the sun coming up, but unfortunately there was some low cloud cover around so we couldn't see the 'big dude on the hill who looks like a chick'.

That big cloud is pretty much exactly covering Christ the Redeemer, how ...

... and have
noticed a million and one things. a few standouts: they love shox (the
shoes) here. everyone who´s anyone has them. Boys only really wear board
shorts, girls never wear shorts. Long beads around your neck are totally
in. :) You can pay off the police, no problemo. Most of the street artists
speak english! ive witnessed two pairs of brazilians catching pigeons (both
times, a white one) and putting them into boxes and then walking on their
merry way as if ...