We`re still in Rio and will probably leave on Saturday. This city is great, at least all the tourist stuff is quite entertaining. Yesterday, we went to see Christ the Redeemer (a ginormous statue of Jesus that overlooks Rio). We were up for sunset, which literally takes two minutes. The view is spectacular, and you can see tremendous panoramic views from the observation decks.
Last night after Christo, we walked through one of the neighborhoods called Leblon. It's a little upscale and we couldn't find the right combination of price and tastiness to satisfy us, so we hopped back on the bus toward CopaCabana, where we are staying.
Right along the waterfront we found an all-you-can eat Pizza place. Around here, the All-you-can eat model is quite popular. Anyhow, the Pizza place was just like Fogo de Chao in Chicago, except instead of gauchos bringing around meat on a sword, waiters brought around pizza on a big pie-pan. The pizza is quite thin and they use two knives like chopsticks to cut the pizza and then serve it. We tried all kinds of pizza, and then they brought out the dessert pizzas. I had one with small balls of white chocolate and strawberries, and then one with milk chocolate and strawberries and whipped cream. I also had a slice and a half of a very sweet banana topped pizza.
Incidentally, the food here is quite diverse and tasty. Almost every meal includes brightly colored fruits and vegetables. I've been taking photos of pretty much everything we eat, and I'll make a photo album called the food of Brazil or something like that.
Today, Wyatt and I went on a tour of a Favella. A favella is a slum that is run by drug gangs. The living conditions range from poor to atrocious, but there are some redeeming things about them. Our tour was run by an organization working to improve the Favella, so they stressed a lot of the positives. The Lads (the four Irish chaps who are sharing a room with us at the hostel) went on a different, more worldly tour that purported to show a more realistic side of the Favella and included guns and weed. I'm sure reality is somewhere in the middle, but you'll have to wait for the accompanying photos to get a good explanation.
After the tour, Wyatt and I took it easy on the beach at Copa Cabana. Hit up an internet cafe, got a disappointing dinner, and did a little shopping. I`ve got to go as my computer time at the hostel is up, but I'll say more later.
Chao
Byron
