Having the beaches at the very front of the city means that office workers, residents, everyone simply goes to the beach...all the time. Wide paths cross the roads and parks and lead to the beach. Is it true that geography molds personality? I think people from the American mid-west and Rockies region are more open than East Coasters simply because there is more room. The Cariocas (Rio citizens) seem open, relaxed and friendly to me. Who wouldn't be with a beach for your front yard and massive gorgeous rock formations behind you?
The first thing we did in Rio was to go right to the top of Corcovado Mountain, where the towering Christ the Redeemer statue blesses the city below. This statue was a gift to the people of Brazil from the people of France (which I did not know). I remember seeing this picture in my 4th-grade geography book, and wanting to go to it some day. One more item checked off the bucket list! The view of the city and harbor below is truly spectacular. Well worth the climb, which ain't easy. Somehow I missed the fact that there are actually escalators to bring people up!
The second thing we did was to go over the harbor bridge to another city (which is still part of the state of Rio). People who live on this side of the harbor actually have a shorter commute to downtown Rio via ferry than do city dwellers who must contend with traffic. The Museum of Contemporary Art is on this side of the harbor. Designed by the architect who designed most of Brasilia, this museum looks like a spaceship. I loved it. Like the Guggenheim in Bilbao, it has raised the level of design in adjoining buildings, so that even the apartment buildings are design statements.
The third thing(s) we did was: John went to Ipanema Beach to check out the famous Brazilian buttocks displayed in the national bathing suit, the Thong. What I like about the Brazilian women is that they ALL think they are beautiful, and they are. Fat, skinny, old, young, wrinkled, smooth......they all wear thongs. I went to Pao de Acucar (Sugar Loaf mountain), where I had a view of the famous Copacabana and Ipanema beaches in the distance. It was too hot for the climbers to be out, but apparently this is one of the big climbing walls and usually dotted with climbers.
