BRAZIL

Home of the Samba

Brazil is huge. We decided, as this was really an initial look-see at South America, we wouldn't try to see much of Brazil at all this time. Therefore we only stopped in Rio de Janeiro for a few days on our journey back to Australia.

We stayed in a hotel on the beach at Copacobana. Our first impressions weren't particularly good. The sky was overcast and low clouds covered much of the scenic beauty of the city. Copacobana beach itself is lovely - wide, white sands, lots of beach volley ball facilities, even a soccer field on the beach. Here you can sunbake, walk along the promenade, play games, or buy anything you want from the many hawkers. The hotels in this area are getting old and run down. They're in need of a knock-down and rebuild. Instead they just get a fresh paint job every second year.

We took a bus trip around the city and up to Sugarloaf Mountain. This was a waste of time as the place was shrouded in clouds. However, it was quite impressive to see the statue of Christ rising from the clouds on Corcovado Mountain - along with all the TV towers, which made it a waste of a photo opportunity.

The following day we took a trip to see the 32 foot statue of Christ on Corcovado Mountain. This was impressive.

A must in Rio is a Brazilian bbq and Samba night. The many different cuts of meat are served on swords, sliced to your requirements at your table. The Samba shows give you an idea of the costumes and dancing that take place during Carnival time.