Dance Tonight-Paul McCartney

We woke up early Wednesday to catch a cab for our 8:30 tickets up Corcovado Mountain to see Christ the Redeemer.  It was finally supposed to be sunny and we hoped to enjoy some good views as the weather cleared.  You can take a taxi and van up the mountain, but most people ride the cog train through the rainforest.  We rode up and enjoyed amazing views of lush greenery contrasting with city-scape and seashore.  At the top you come around a bend and all of a sudden Christ the Redeemer is looming high above.  It was an amazing view anyway you looked, whether up at the statue, or down at the city.  We spent over an hour taking in the views and doing our best to capture the sights with our cameras and iphones.  As we headed back down on the train, a samba band hopped on to provide some entertainment.  Liza fell in love with one of the musicians and was more than thrilled as he puller her up to dance in the aisles. 

 

Rocinha favela is on the right of the mountain as we headed up the cog train 

at the top

Rio

Sugarloaf

 

The Redeemer

Ipanema Beach from the cog train

Liza's boyfriend

Once back at the hotel we decided to hit the beach since it was finally a little bit sunny.  Of course, the weather once again tricked us and by the time we were changed the clouds had started to set in.  We tried to brave the weather as long as we could, but it wasn’t long before we were huddled under clothes and sarongs trying to stay warm.  Oh well…we did get to enjoy some barbequed cheese on the beach which had been recommended by Tami’s Portuguese teacher, it was good!  We finally gave up on the sun and headed around to buy souvenirs since, sadly it was already our last full day in Rio.

 

Liza hoping for some sunshine 

Trying to stay warm

Chilly but not wanting to leave the beach

BBQ Cheese-yum!

Brazilian beverages

my order card

That evening we headed out for a night on the town at Rio Scenarium, a well known local samba club in the Lapa neighborhood.  The area where Rio Scenarium is located is full of fun little bars and restaurants with live Brazilian music.  We arrived early (way early by Brazilian standards!) but were able to get a great table right by the band and dance floor.  Our friends from the U.K. who we met in Iguazu arrived in Rio the night before and they met us out for a night of dinner, capirinhas and dancing.  We learned a little samba, enjoyed watching some great dancers, appreciated some Brazilian music, and had a great time with new friends.  One thing that is fun and interesting in Brazil is ordering and paying for food.  In many places in Brazil they waiters write down whatever you order on little pieces of paper or in a little notebook.  At the end of the night they tally up all of your orders and total your bill.  It seems like a little thing but there’s something really trustworthy about little written orders to me.  Rio Scenarium takes this idea to a whole new level as you get a tally card at the beginning of the night and each time you order, they just add a little tally mark.  At the end of the night you take your card to the cashier to close out your card.  We closed out when the place closed at 1:30 and headed home, exhausted from another full day of Rio events.