Oh, Oh, Oh, Rio

Written By: Dan
















We left Sao Paulo with less than average impressions of Brazil. That changed quickly in Rio. Right from the start you are hit with a beautiful landscape. The plane flies into the city between massive, odd looking Mountains. Then, the whole aircraft banks sharply down and to the left. Until the last minute passengers are left with the impression they are landing on the water. At the last minute, a runway appears. I was able to see plans land from a different angle later in the day; it is a site to see.

After the landscape, you are next hit with the culture. We are staying in Casablanca, a part of Rio on the beach. This is a beach town at its best. People stay in bathing suits until the wee hours of the morning. Cafes line the beach, even a McDonalds! I am sure people come to Rio and never leave the beach.

We did, however, leave the beach. We did site seeing at its best. First, we went to Sugar Loaf. It is one of the odd shaped mountains I spoke about when flying in. To reach the top you had to take two cable cars. For more on my opinion of Cable cars, see the Santorini post from August. Once on top, the view of the city is wonderful. Almost worth taking a cable car ride.
















next we visited Jesus Christo's statue. It is seen quite famous - you may have seen it in many pictures. While the locals say it is one of the 7 wonders of the world, I've found out is is called "a wonder of the world." Anyway, it is wonderful. To get there you need to take a train, hike up a little ways, and cover a lot of ground walking. It is worth it though.

After a long day, we decided to try out a Brazilian BBQ. This is honestly one of the most amazing experiences of my life. It is a buffet style meal, except for the meat. While you are eating, they bring a myriad of meats to you on two large sticks. If asked, they will cut a piece of the meat off onto your plate. I ate so many different types of meats: Prime Rib, Filet, ribs, sausage, chicken, pork, etc..... And they keep coming. You eventually have to tell them to leave you alone. My kind of place.

So, all in all, after the disappointment of Sao Paulo, Rio has been a blast. The landscape, culture, and food are top notch. This has been my favorite place on this trip. I hope to come back soon, and bring Annie. Maybe the 2016 Olympics.