... And that was exactly how we started our first evening in Rio de Janeiro. After another hearty barbecued meat dinner, we headed to specially for tourist show. D commented that this adds to our experience in Hawaii where we experienced the Pacific Islands culture, in Australia for life in the outback, and closer home of course the highly entertaining Tiffany show in Thailand. The Brazilian show featured capoeira! their unique form of acrobatic martial arts that worked really well with the frenetic, hypnotic beats of drums.
In Rio, however, one must do what Rioans do, and that's to walk along the beach. Yesterday was Sunday and the streets were closed for pedestrians and we walked 5kms from Copacabana to Ipanema and to the Sunday Hippie Market where D got her usual collection of local handmade accessories, for herself and her daughter.
On the way back, we stopped for drinks and acoustic smooth songs of a Brazilian guitarist. I lamented the lack of bikini babes (the cool, or in D's estimation cold!, and sunless weather probably accounted for that) but we got to see many other, perhaps more important aspects of Rio's attractions: from surfers to sands sculpture against the backdrop of undeniable beauty of the bay and it's surrounding rock promontories.
I've mentioned before that all history is geography... How settlements, in days of old, are always around water sources and cities grew from there. How sediments in the ground turn to precious minerals that enriches the place and to a large extent heightens its attractions to predator countries and more sadly, enfeebles it's people. Here in Rio, where the ground is fertile, the scenery is nice and the weather is clement, Rioans become life loving, laid back denizens. Is this a good thing or could this become too much of a good thing? We talked about drive, pride and purpose but if Mother Nature has provided all, what else is there to strive for?
Good questions to ponder as we head out to see one of the newly selected manmade wonder of the world: Christo Redentor, or Christ the Redeemer.
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