Since we had a short time in the city, the next morning we had scheduled a Rio Landmarks tour. The van picked up 8 others, including two women from Philadelphia. They were here for the games. There were also six Danes.
One guy sat next to us and chatted – he was a private in the army, but had been saving up for a long time for this trip. He was in Brazil for a time, then was traveling to Guatemala to travel to hostels and other places where he could work for room and board. I think he planned to stay a couple of months at least. We talked about some of our travels and he asked where we had met. When we said in college, and the year we graduated, he laughed and said you guys are old! Wow!
Anyway, the tour consisted of driving to a famous Rio site, jumping out, taking pictures, jumping back in the van and driving to the next site. It was efficient, but unsatisfactory.
Landmark #1: Statue of Christ the Redeemer
Okay – this one we had to walk up to, along with plenty of other people. (The tour operator tried to get there early, but the van got stuck in traffic so we were about an hour late, and around more crowds. Rio traffic is awful.)
Landmark #2: Praia de Sao Conrado
One of the many beaches in Rio. This one was where hang gliders that launched from Pedra Bonita land. (A tourist activity that we decided to skip.)
Landmark #3: Parque Nacional da Tijuca
We drove into the park to see the waterfall and look for wildlife. (We had seen Capuchin monkeys at the Christ statue.) I did see a Couti (a sort of raccoon) but didn’t get a photo. We stopped at the waterfall, which Sheila pronounced “perfectly adequate.”
I actually think it would be nice to walk around – there were several hiking paths, but there was no time – on to the next landmark!
Landmark #4: Estadio Mario Filho (Maracanã) stadium
Largest stadium in Brazil.
Landmark #5: Samba Stadium
I don’t remember the name – during Carnival, teams dance from one end to the other. (YouTube has some great videos.)
Landmark #6: The Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian
Sheila and I had noticed this building the day before from our city overlook, since it stood out between normal office buildings.
Landmark #7: Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro
Landmark #8: Escadaria Selaron
From Wikipedia: In 1990, Selarón began renovating dilapidated steps that ran along the front of his house. At first, neighbors mocked him for his choice of colours as he covered the steps in fragments of blue, green and yellow tiles – the colors of the Brazilian flag. It started out as a side-project to his main passion, painting, but soon became an obsession.
The last landmark was Sugarloaf Mountain – you could take a cable car to the top and get a view of the city. But there was a haze over everything, and the winds had picked up, so the tour operator dropped us off at Copacabana beach.
We picked that location because it had a medical clinic where they spoke English. I wanted to ask someone about the pain in my calf – it wasn’t getting less painful and I was getting worried. We found the clinic, but, unfortunately, they wouldn’t see me without some ID, and I had not brought my passport or driver’s license on the tour.
So, we walked on the beach a little – Sheila stuck her foot in the ocean — then went back to the hotel.
