Tuesday, October 17, 2023

Rio was much more beautiful than I imagined. From the heights of the numerous hills one could see sparkling azure blue waters with waves lapping the white sand shores. And those mountainous hills that framed every view and dotted the ocean for miles–captivating! The jungle was evident on most drives in the city. It stretched beyond with a canopy of old growth and flowering trees. We felt blessed to be in this atmosphere.

We were struck with the formality we encountered. Rio has this Carnival reputation and I am sure it is well deserved; however, it has another side. We found formal greetings; formal service; formal instructions; formal dress (except along the beach). First class in most every way. Our hotel is located on Copacabana Beach and the surrounding area is appealing. One can walk from Copacabana Beach to Ipanema Beach (“Tall and tanned, and young and lovely–The girl from Ipanema goes walking and when she passes, each one she passes goes: Ah!”) along a tiled promenade. I surmised that a number of young ladies were going for the Ipanema look!

Our flight was uneventful and ten hours in length. We were tired upon arrival and our hotel was ready for us and gave us our room at 10 AM–quick nap and then exploration and meal. We are very impressed with the meals we have eaten thus far…lots of luscious fruit.

After a wonderful and long night of sleep, we arose excited for a wonderful day. We were not disappointed. Christ the Redeemer, towering over the city, and Rio’s landmark was inspirational and beautiful. Our small tour bus wound around the hills and through the jungle to the top of the mountain where we took several escalators to reach the statue. I can see why it is one of the world’s modern seven wonders. Not only is the statue of Jesus imposing, the views from the top are incredible. The city spread out below us and the deep blue waters stretched out over the horizon. Sugar Loaf Mountain near the yacht harbor was particularly handsome from this vantage point.

Back in the city, Maracana Stadium is huge (175,000 paid fans) and is one of the sport world’s sacred grounds having hosted two World Cups and home to the Brazilian Soccer Team–they still smart from their loss to Germany several years ago. The new cathedral in Rio is very modern with towering stained glass reaching ever upward. The Selaron Staircase is both amusingly colorful and energetic. The artist who created the multilevel stairs used tiles procured from around the world and the entire area is alive with activity. It was a grand day!