Rio de Janeiro

After partying for three solid nights over New Years, we emerged from the darkness to take a look at what Brazil had to offer. We started in Rio. Click on the pictures outlined in blue to enlarge.

We greet the new century in mist and rain.
This is Copacabana beach on January 2, 2000.

Though Rio is known primarily for its beaches, there's some very nice architecture in its downtown core.  Here we see the Art Gallery and Municipal Theatre.

  

    Mmmm!      Guaraná!

A pop native to Brazil.  We fell in love with the stuff!

< Of course, if that doesn't suit your fancy there is always coconut water from a street vendor as being enjoyed by Allan (left) and Mike (right). One Real is about 80 cents Canadian.
 

 

Ahh, Pão de Açúcar...Sugar Loaf Mountain.  A tourism must see.  Also a day we all got quite sun burnt.  The sun is a lot stronger at the equator we found out!

< Copacabana beach from up high.

And what do Mike and Allan do while up there but eat again >

An amazing landscape composite photo showing the view from atop Sugar Loaf
V

^
From Sugar Loaf we headed for Cristo Redentor, Christ on the Hill.  Mark continued to act as the official videographer for the trip.

^
On the way we could look back to where we had been.

^
And look forward to where we would be. 


Allan shows us his impression of the monument.

Mark shows us his impression of a tourist feeling rain fall from the sky again.  Did we tell you that Brasil experienced torrential rains that in 6 days exceeded six times the January average rainfall?

Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas (the lagoon) and Ipanema Beach (facing the ocean) from high up.

You can take the party boys 
to the mountain but you can't make 
them keep their shirts on!

 200001041650MarkMikeAtRioCristoRedentor.jpg (79130 bytes)

São Paulo

After Rio we headed back to the São Paulo area for the rest of our visit.  There we experienced a densely built city of 16 million people.

Take a look at this town!  It's HUGE.  This postcard shows the view we saw from the air - and it goes on for MILES.

       

^
 Sao Paulo has a riot of architectural styles, walking streets, churches and parks.
We walked our feet off and still didn't see a small fraction of the city!
It is on this auspicious day, January 6, that Mike turned 40! Here he stands inside a fabulous art deco Banco de São Paulo Building...feeling as old as the building.  HAHAHAHA!
An example of Xmas decorations south of the equator.

CHEERS!! Here we are toasting Mike's entry into middle age!  Happy 40th, Mike...and many more!  With wonderful champagne and lucious chocolate truffle cake as rich and heavy as one can find.

Guarujá

South of São Paulo is the resort town of Guarujá.  There we spent an amazing day on the beach once again drinking our now official drink of the trip, champagne. > V

Campinas

Our last day in Brazil was spent at the Brasilian Military Country Club in Campinas.

Campinas is a city of about 1 million north north west of São Paulo.  Ahhh, what a way to relax!