First impression of Rio? Hot and humid! Second? I didn't realize it was so big. The cab ride from the bus station takes about 30 mins to get to the place where we'll be staying. The sights along the way are great; we see the Christ in the distance; a large lake in the middle of the city; and lots of muscle bound men walking around with no shirts. I think I'm gonna like it here :) For the avoidance of doubt, Alicia is the author of this section.
We wait for Aldri in the foyer of his apartment building and are pleased when we are approached by a young, good looking, smiling guy, who speaks english. We all introduce ourselves and head up to the flat. It's a really nice one bedroom flat, with large windows that overlook a courtyard in front of the building. This is much nicer then any hostel we could've stayed at and the location is perfect; one block back from Copacabana beach and a 10 min. walk to Ipanema beach. So far we've been extremely lucky since getting on the plane to Brazil. Also Aldri is a really cool guy. His English is almost perfect and he says he'll take us around to see some sights.
After we settle in, we walk around the beaches and find a place to eat near Ipanema. Good food, good music and my first true Brazilian Caipirinha. Good Night!
