I think I mentioned that the weather was a little chaotic, didn't I?
Cecilia's sister Celia (you thought I was kidding about the 'C' thing didn't you?) and her husband, Gerson, offered to take us on a driving tour of some of the sites. Some of these things are in Niteroi, some are in Rio and some elsewhere. The main point to this is that Gerson probably drove the equivalent of a couple of laps around the world (or 5 kilometers - whichever is larger) and I am forever in his debt. Not every picture I took has made it into this web site, but I think it's a good representation anyway.
Favelas (Shantytowns)
In Brazil, it works the
opposite of the way it does in the U.S. Here, the rich live on top of hills
and the poor live down below. In Brazil, the rich are at the bottom of
the hill and the poor build Favelas up the sides of the hill. Favelas are
said to be very bad areas and are not advised for tourists, etc. The favela
pictured here, Rocinha, is reputed to be the most notorious of the favelas
in Rio (ala Cabrini Green in Chicago).
Rocinha
- 1
Rocinha
- 2
The Beach
I think this was is Barra
de Tijuca. I'm not sure.
Beach
- 1
Beach
- 2
The Hard Rock Cafe &
the mall it was in
Of course, any good American
tourist is required to seek out a Hard Rock whenever he leaves the country.
I was sent on a mission to get a t-shirt for a family friend. I went in,
got the shirt and a couple of souvenirs, and left.
Hard
Rock Cafe - 1
Hard
Rock Cafe - 2
The
Mall - 1
The
Mall - 2
Now imagine that it's about
80 degrees out and HUMID. Your job is to wear a FULL Santa suit and look
happy.
Brazilian
Santa (pictured with Cecilia's nephew, Matteus)
