Day 12 in Brazil = Rio de Janiero!

January 24, 2021

Day 12 in Brazil was December 7th.

Here are some things from my journal that I bought at the airport. I didn't bring. book to write in, and I really should have. Every day was a sensory overload. Being able to also go to Rio was just that much more spectacular. I feel deeply blessed. We got an escort from check in to the waiting area, then onto the plane. I guess the idea is that we were special needs, not being able to communicate very well. The special treatment was kind of nice, we boarded first. Our disability was being able to only speak English.

Wearing a mask all the time feels like a disability too. It feels like we are running and hiding from a virus. From a ghost of sorts. You can't see it, you can't tell if someone is possessed by it or not, but it has evil intent, it kills people. It keeps us from being able to see each other's faces, keeps us separated. Humans are all about their herd, we are the sum of the connections that we make.

The majority of us are being governed by the smallest minority: stay apart, stay faceless. My face is a big part of my identity, and I really hate having to wear one all day long outside. I look at all of the masked people swarming around in the city, in the airports, and it feels like a bad movie.

Back to the good stuff, the wild stuff.

The airport is almost and island. The airstrip starts a few feet from the edge of the water, and ends with a splash if the plane doesn't land hard. Which I found out afterwards. I think it's better that way. I'm glad my husband was a pilot in his youth. Him laughing about it and explaining how the plane had to land hard really helped my nerves. It was a loud and unexpected slam onto the ground. It jarred my back a little. The ride from the airport made up for it. Rio is so scenic!

We settled at the hotel and walked a few blocks, finding a place to eat dinner. It was perfect. There was a light rain that produced a parade of umbrellas. We ate on the sidewalk (covered) of a narrow one way street. Slow moving traffic was just a few feet behind Ron's chair. The waiter suggested something we couldn't understand and we were very pleasantly surprised. It was batter fried fish, a gorgeous white rice with bits of fried garlic throughout, and pretty green cilantro. It was so delicious even if the garlic haunted me all night long. There was also some kind of orange sauce of vegetables. All for $15 and we took half of it back to the room with us.

It was a surreal day. The buildings are fascinating. I was incredibly happy.

The next day we packed in a lot of walking: 21,303 steps according to my app. I have been friends with someone online for a few years, and we finally met in person. There is nothing like being shown around by a friend. It was a day of incredible memories and remarkable sights. We went to the beach at Copa Cabana, we drank from coconuts at a little place before my friend had to leave. It wasn't all that warm, we dipped our feet in the water before heading back to the hotel. The beach is always great too, because no one wears masks there.

I adore Rio. I could write another blog just about the sweetness of my friendship with my lovely friend, but I am trying to get in all the other highlights before my next trip next week. (and there is another trip to Mexico between Brazil and this next trip!) Meeting this darling friend was like meeting my favorite character from my favorite book. Such fun!

And yes, my legs were aching when we finally dragged ourselves back to the hotel, and I had a very unfun sunburn. I found something to help with the pain though, and my legs recuperated quickly.

The view as we are ready to land.

Rough landing. Now a part of the overall adventure. (By the end of the year this ended up not being the worst plane experience of the year!)

A mirrored elevator at the hotel. Now my hair is lavender and represents the colorful trip.

So many pictures. How do I choose just a few? This is a view from another quiet coffee shop. If you are looking at this straight on, and you turn your head to the right, there is an ancient looking building that is a big police station. It looks more like a castle.

Oh the food!

This picture does no justice to the vibrant red color all over, and the full extent of the length of the stairs that just keep going. Thanks to the pandemic we were not crowded out.

Rio does not have as many buildings as Sao Paulo, but they are dramatic and fabulous.

Maybe I was an architect in a past life, I was so enamored with everything. If I had the time, I would do yet another blog just on my favorite buildings and all the pictures I took.