Rio de Janerio. Love it. Temperatures between 34 and 40 degrees ahhhh. This is the beach we're staying at, Ipanema beach and we're one block back from it, swimming until 7pm at night, quite lovely.
We're absolutely loving Brazil. Pity about the Portugese, just when we were getting confident with Spanish...
We found Jesus as you can see in the photo's. Apparently he's been here for quite a while, the last hundred years or so...fancy that. From the top of Christ the Redeemer we could see the whole of Rio stretched before us, breathtaking.
On the beach, you rent an umbrella and chairs, then get served with ice cold beers, cocktails and coconuts... luxury.
Yesterday we went to a football game at Maracana stadium with about 95 thousand others. It was electric, we've never seen such passion in our lives. They crowd sung constantly throughout the game and everyone knew every word and every action to the songs in synch. It was absolutely amazing. The guys in front of us got so angry at times they'd turn around and punch and hit their seats!
Today we took a tour through a favella (slum) in Rio. 20 percent of Rio's population live in slums (1.5 million ppl) and this is the biggest in Brazil, 85 to 100 thousand people. Because there is no welfare system and inadequate housing in Brazil, people resort to building their own houses out of whatever materials they have, on top of each others etc.
They're run by the drug lords, who die before they're 24.
The most amazing thing was the contrast between abundance and poverty. Brazil has one of the biggest gaps between the rich and poor and is the country with the closest proximity between the two. Right opposite the favela we went to was the richest private school in Rio, with imported SUV's and private drivers waiting to pick the children up. This is where the police helicopter was shot down about 3 weeks ago. Police don't enter the favelas.
Just so bizarre to be right in the middle of so much wealth yet so much poverty. Our guide was quick to tell us that it is poverty but not misery.
Loving the multicultural-ness of Rio, so many colours, so fascinating, not to mention the swimwear.... Lots of men in speedos riding bicycles for some reason. Steve keeps taking photos of them is that normal
