LAB: She's pretty, but don't trust her

"I've had the highest mountains

I've had the deepest rivers

You can have it all but not til you move it

Now take it in but don't look down

'Cause I'm on top of the world, 'ey

I'm on top of the world, 'ey

Waiting on this for a while now

Paying my dues to the dirt

I've been waiting to smile, 'ey

Been holding it in for a while, 'ey

Take it with me if I can

Been dreaming of this since a child

I'm on top of the world"

- Imagine Dragons 

North Side
Rio de Janeiro is a city of about 7 million people and is split into north and south regions. The northern area has neighborhoods called "favelas," which basically means slums or poor areas. Every country in Latin America has areas like these, but with varying names. In Argentina they are called "villas."

"Septuacentennial Cupcake in a Cup"

I thought this water in a cup was unique. They also package milk and other drinks in the same way (they have "normal'" water bottles too 😉)

Hotel Lobby
A place where I spend more time than I thought I would.

Praia de Copacabana

She's pretty, but don't trust her...

Our first night on the beach, our group experienced two attempted robberies (by children 😔). I had been warned ahead of time by my Aunt Bev, so thankfully I was only carrying my hotel keycard. Despite the troubles, it's a beautiful beach. 

We arrived on the winter solstice, but the water is plenty warm. We were out swimming in the waves and someone in our group said, "yo guys, we're swimming in RIO!" That's when I remembered I was halfway around the world.

South Side

There's a lagoon, horse racing track, and cemetery. The cemetery isn't in this photo, but there are around 70,000 people buried there. There are several beaches, hundreds of apartment complexes, and lots of skyscrapers.

Corcovado Viewpoint

I met some fellow members of my church and talked with them for a minute. They said my Portuguese sounds great. Of course, I only used what limited vocabulary I have. Nevertheless, I do feel the Portuguese is coming along and hopefully I'll be somewhat fluent by the end of my time in Brazil. It's incredible how a change in culture can start to change your actions, thoughts, and beliefs so quickly.

Cristo Redentor

The statue was crafted in France and took 9 years to build (I guess the French like to build statues for other countries). It's the number one tourist attraction in Brazil. 

On Top Of The World

I really did feel like I was on top of the world for a moment. I don't think it will be the last time I feel that way :)

Aguante River Plate

The River Plate jersey took me back to my time in Argentina, when I rooted for the team; even though I never saw a single one of their games :( 

Estádio Jornalista Mário Filho - Maracanã

The Maracanã stadium is truly an icon in the futbol world. It once seated over 200,000 people, but has been remodeled several times which reduced the available seating. It didn't feel as intimidating as I thought it would, but then again I didn't have 80,000 fans yelling at me... They have two main entrances-- only people wearing the correct team's colors are allowed on each side in order to keep the fans separated (I guess there have been some conflicts in the past...🤔😅).

Underdressed

The café was much nicer than I had expected. It's basically a sit-down restaurant. 

Confeitaria Colombo - 1894

The Confeitaria Colombo is the oldest café in Rio de Janeiro. The building's decoration and design are stunning, but the cheeseburgers still taste like hot dogs. Some things in Latin America never change...

Prestigio

It was a pretty good cake. My mom could probably make it better though 💁‍♂️

O Real Gabinete Português de Leitura

A library collection of Portuguese literature. Unfortunetly, I do not know any Portuguese literature.

"The Great Madness" - Escadaria Selerón

You might recognize these steps from one of several media appearances. They started to be covered in tiles by artist Jorge Selarón, who spent his spare time and money to paint and place the tiles. Eventually, an international effort came forth to finish covering the 215 stairs with tiles from all over the world. These stairs have appeared in several seasons of The Amazing Race, music videos by Snoop Dogg and U2, and many magazines.

Sunset on a river

How to use a urinal - GIG
(The reflection sort of looks like a white shirt and blue tie, or maybe a lab coat 🧐)