Ipanema

We started our day with a wonderful breakfast at our hotel, the Miramar on Copacabana Beach.  This is a beautiful hotel with a 12th floor pool that overlooks Copacabana Beach and the harbor.

We walked miles from Copacabana to Ipanema, shopping and enjoying the scenery.  What a difference from Antarctica.  We left a cold, unpopulated, pure and serene continent and arrived in a hot, densely populated city.  Temperatures in Antarctica hovered around 0 degrees Celsius (32 F) while Rio temperatures hovered around 35 degrees Celsius (95 F).  It was quite a contrast!

We would like to share some of our observations about Rio de Janeiro:

• The heat – we were a bit unprepared for how hot it was in Rio – especially after coming   from Antarctica and Ushuaia. 
• Masses – there are so many people and since this is their summer, and it is a weekend, they are all on the beach enjoying life.  They stay all day – people were still leaving the beach at 11:00 p.m.
• Dress Code – On Sundays the street down Copacabana is closed one-way for pedestrians.  People walk the streets in thongs and speedos, with no cover-ups.

Banco Santander sponsored mini gyms along Copacabana on the beach and men would use them to do pull-ups, push-ups, etc.



Security Bars – We were surprised by the security bars surrounding all apartment Buildings.  Crime in the city is clearly an issue, yet, we felt totally safe.

Locked Stores – Some stores were locked and only let you in if you tried the door or knocked.

We had dinner at Guiseppe Grill in Lablon.  The steak was wonderful and made up for the rushed service and mediocre side dishes.