Rio de Janeiro
With Dad as our guide we visited several of Rio's most famous tourist attractions as well as Dad's own favorite spots: his club, his favorite coffee shop and restaurants, his market...in fact we began our first day in Brazil by stopping for a cafezinho (coffee). Then we drove through the Floresta da Tijuca, a mountainous rainforest and the world's largest urban forest, stopping for some incredible views of Rio de Janeiro.
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In Dad's neighborhood (above); View from Floresta da Tijuca (right).
We visited a spot where hang gliders gather and saw them take off. Driving to Leblon Beach, we watched the hang gliders land and then enjoyed a refreshing agua de coco (coconut water). The vendor hacked off the top of the coconut with a knife, put a straw in it, and we drank it fresh. |
The following day we visited Dad's club, Clube 17, and relaxed around the pool. We even saw monkeys playing in the palm trees. That evening we enjoyed a churrascaria dinner at Porcão, where delicious cuts of barbecued meats are brought to the table and carved individually. After dinner we ended our day with a stop at Lia's favorite juice bar and of course tried a yummy drink.
On our final day in Rio we visited Pão de Açúcar, Sugar Loaf Mountain, and took a cable car to the top. Reaching the top is done in two stages. The first car ascends over 700 feet to Morro da Urca, with views of Corcovado Mountain and Guanabara Bay. Transferring to a second cable car took us an additional 1300 feet to the top of Pão de Açúcar.
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After a delicious lunch at a sidewalk restaurant on Copacabana Beach, we walked along the beach. We also couldn't resist another fresh agua de coco!
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Each of Rio's beaches have sidewalks with a distinctive mosaic pattern made up of black and white stone tiles. Those along Copacabana Beach have a swirling design.
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A trip to Rio de Janeiro wouldn't be complete with a visit to the iconic Cristo Redentor, the Christ the Redeemer statue that overlooks the city. It is considered the largest Art Deco statue in the world and its construction took nine years, from 1922 to 1931. A train ride climbs nearly to the top of Corcovado Mountain, then an escalator typically goes the rest of the way. However, the escalator wasn't working and we walked the 220 steps to the top to see the statue. The impressive statue stands 130 feet tall and 98 feet across. In the evening it is lit up and can be seen from all over the city.
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Treasured family moments are what made our visit to Rio de Janeiro so special!