Rainy Rio

Today is Saturday and we have officially been in Brazil for over a week. We had thought about going to Sugarloaf today, but as it was overcast and drizzle, we decided to do indoor-type items on our bucket list.

After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, we walked down Copacabana and admired the various sandcastles. We ended up at Copacabana Palace Hotel - the premiere hotel in Rio and where Barry Manilow was at and inspired to write the song about a nightclub named Copacabana in NY. The hotel was luxurious and smelled super fancy. I had been eyeing Jetsetter deals, but they did not have dates that worked for us. It would have been fun to enjoy at least a night at this hotel, but oh well.

Afterwards, we made our way to the Metro Cardeal Arcoverde and took it to Cinelândia which is near downtown or Centro. We walked over to the Museu de Arte Moderna (MAM) where Allison's colleague suggested we visit. It was filled with contemporary artwork and was interesting.

It continued to drizzle and was cloudy throughout the day, so we decided to walk to Santa Theresa. On the way, there are famous steps made by a Chilean artist, Selarón, who put tiles from all over the world all over these steps. It appears he was a cliché artist as he wanted to die by his art and committed suicide on the steps. The funky steps straddle the neighborhoods of Lapa, known for its nightlife and Santa Theresa which is on the hilltop.

After the walk up the steep and cobblestone hill after the steps, we went to a restaurant recommended by Alex called Espirito Santa. It too had a funky theme and had Amazonian type food. We had tambaqui which is an Amazonian fish with pineapple, grilled namorado fish, and a Brazilian rice dish with assorted meats. For dessert, we had chocolate mousse balls. They had piranha soup too, but we didn't order it.

Allison looking at paintings of Rio

In Santa Theresa, there is a Museum called Chácara do Céu, a Frank Lloyd Wright looking house lived by and then donated by a man named Castro Mayo. He collected art from around the world and then donated everything to the city of Rio. He was also instrumental in the preservation of the Tijuca Forest in Rio. We noticed there were combat type security guards - not your normal museum guards. When we asked about it, they explained that paintings like a Picasso, Dali, Matisse, and Monet were stolen at gun point in 2006. In reading Wikipedia, it appears it was during Carnavale. Oh Rio, you're so cliché.

Next to the museum was also Ruin Park where we followed school children up to the top of a open building to see a view of the city. Again, it was a bit cloudy, but was a fun adventure.

We then walked down the hill and caught the metro back to the closest stop to our hotel. The subway car we were in was designated for women only during rush hours. It was interesting in why they needed it and we agreed that more cities probably need something like it. After leaving the station, we also tried an Açai Berry juice drink. Juice shops are practically on every corner! After some light shopping, we walked back to the hotel.

After some rest, we headed back out to Lapa to check out the famous Rio Scenarium. We had dinner across the street after an interesting cab ride. The taxi driver may have asked if I was Japanese, pulled the corner of his eyes, and told me he loved Gangnam Style. He also may have said he liked Obama, Bush was a crazy cowboy, and Clinton is sex. He may have...

So we are currently standing in a massive line for Rio Scenarium that was recommended by my friends Eduardo from São Paulo and Marcela who we are planning to meet tomorrow. Also, Alex, our hiking guide said we had to go out in Lapa, so we shall see!