Instituto Moreira Salles - Rio de Janeiro

This museum had a wonderful photography collection of old Rio. I especially enjoyed the gardens. 

Copacabana and Rio

We spent most of the day in Rio de Janeiro. Walked along the famous Copacabana beach and lunched at the Fort of Copacabana. After lunch we toured the fort and museum.

Brazil Way Ahead

I suppose it's natural for me to compare and contrast India with Brazil. My first impression as we disembarked from a TAM airlines plane into Galeao, Rio's international airport, and drove the 25 km to Niteroi a suburb of Rio, was wow! And Brazil deserves the "wow". Traffic flowed through well-designed and well-maintained systems of roadways and bridges, following traffic rules. No honking. No garbage swept against street curbs or piled up in corners. No beggars. No men relieving themselves in public.

It feels like India. Think Goa.  Think Poona forty years ago. Before it had to contend with an exploding population, a growing middle class that could afford cars but had no place to park them.

Chef team: grandpa and grandson

Looks like shrimp is on the menu...

Mealtime again

Seems like anytime is eating time when you're on vacation.

Pita bread, tahini with sauteed peppers and onions.

Drizzles and coconuts

Shopped at Horti Fruti this morning--an upscale grocery store. Everything, and more, seemed to be available. Was especially heart warming to find custard apples on their shelves.

Last night the skies lit up with lightening and we had a little rain, that continued off and on into this morning. Temperatures have cooled considerably as a result.

Hammock time

I shall be spending a lot of time right here.

Lunch

I sauteed some brinjal and garlic in olive oil and will add fresh basil from the garden before we eat. Also boiled something that tastes like a cross between sweet potato and tapioca-- not really sweet in taste and a little starchy like tapioca.

Rio -Day 1

Arturo met us at the airport.

Gingapa and Artturo in the pool. Pretty hot day.

At the beach in the evening. We walked the entire length of the beach.

Hello Brazil

The temperature outside is 36 C. Waiting for our pickup at the airport. The flight was 8 hours and 10 minutes. I got to watch "the theory of everything" and slept a little. I had to go back and ask for dinner when I realized everyone but me seemed to have been served. The meal? Nothing to rave about.