The day started out semi-cloudy and it looked like it kept wanting to rain all day, so thinking we’d not be going to the beach we decided to head out 
to Pão de Açucar and Corcovado. The shot above is of Pão de Açúcar from atop Corcovado. The shot to the right is from atop Pão de Açúcar looking toward Corcovado across Botafogo Bay.
Needless to say, both are stunning places to visit because of their incomparable views of the most beautiful urban setting in the world. We took the roller coaster (bus #512) from Copacabana to Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain). Once we got there, we unwittingly became part of the background on a Discovery Channel production about gastronomy in Brazil, which made a stop in Rio and had the hosts providing commentary on the cable ride up and on the mountaintop.
Once back at Sea Level, we walked the 6-blocks back to Botafogo to catch another roller coaster (bus #583) to get to Cosme Velho to catch the cog railway to Corcovado. Along the way, we passed the old buildings of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and saw a cacao tree with pods on it. We also passed the Rio Yacht Club and it’s inlaid azulejo tiles in its outer wall, which provide a visual cue that this country was colonized by Iberians.
We were able to take pictures of Corcovado and I showed the kids 
points of interest, such as where my mom (their vóvó) grew up, the largest stadium in the world (Maracanã), and of course
Copacabana, Ipanema and Gávea/Jardim Botânico. It always amazes me that Maracanã stadium has a capacity of 200,000 and there is not a single parking lot attached to that facility. Not one – it’s a fact. There are numerous private parking lots that have popped up as a result,
but there is no “official” parking lot for that stadium, which was built for the 1950 World Cup games.
Once again at sea level, we strolled through Cosme Velho and Laranjeiras to take in the beautiful architecture before catching the rollercoaster back to Copacabana 
(bus #584). We made a stop at the Pirate Candy store (aargh, matey!), picked up our laundry and then had dinner at the little Italian restaurant acorss the street (Trattoria Donanna) for Italian food.
After dinner, we decided to take a stroll up Avenida Copacabana to the Lido area adjacent to the Copacabana Palace Hotel, where there are a ton of souvenir shops.
A Brazilian Joke about Brazilians
Sometimes when I reach the top of Corcovado, the vista of blue ocean and lush green hills
as far as the eye can see reminds me of one of my favorite jokes in Portuguese that Brazilians tell about themselves (paraphrased into English), and it goes like this:
According to the Bible, God made the world in seven days. What is not recorded (but well known among Brazilians) is that on the seventh day, God peered down at the earth to survey his handiwork and St. Peter came alongside God and said, "My Lord – I have a question for you. You’ve bestowed great beauty, plentiful food, fresh air and many resources on each land, but every place has a drawback. The Pacific Rim has terrible earthquakes, the Atlantic Basin has fierce hurricanes, harsh blizzards plague the polar regions, even Hawaii has volcanoes. But this area here (pointing to Brazil) is not plagued by any of those natural disasters – was that an oversight? How can you have a land with such a mild climate, bountiful food and stunning beauty that it’s almost paradise?" God put a hand on St. Peter’s shoulder and said, “My son, wait until you see the people I put there.”
to Pão de Açucar and Corcovado. The shot above is of Pão de Açúcar from atop Corcovado. The shot to the right is from atop Pão de Açúcar looking toward Corcovado across Botafogo Bay.Needless to say, both are stunning places to visit because of their incomparable views of the most beautiful urban setting in the world. We took the roller coaster (bus #512) from Copacabana to Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain). Once we got there, we unwittingly became part of the background on a Discovery Channel production about gastronomy in Brazil, which made a stop in Rio and had the hosts providing commentary on the cable ride up and on the mountaintop.
Once back at Sea Level, we walked the 6-blocks back to Botafogo to catch another roller coaster (bus #583) to get to Cosme Velho to catch the cog railway to Corcovado. Along the way, we passed the old buildings of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and saw a cacao tree with pods on it. We also passed the Rio Yacht Club and it’s inlaid azulejo tiles in its outer wall, which provide a visual cue that this country was colonized by Iberians.
We were able to take pictures of Corcovado and I showed the kids 
points of interest, such as where my mom (their vóvó) grew up, the largest stadium in the world (Maracanã), and of courseCopacabana, Ipanema and Gávea/Jardim Botânico. It always amazes me that Maracanã stadium has a capacity of 200,000 and there is not a single parking lot attached to that facility. Not one – it’s a fact. There are numerous private parking lots that have popped up as a result,
but there is no “official” parking lot for that stadium, which was built for the 1950 World Cup games.
Once again at sea level, we strolled through Cosme Velho and Laranjeiras to take in the beautiful architecture before catching the rollercoaster back to Copacabana 
(bus #584). We made a stop at the Pirate Candy store (aargh, matey!), picked up our laundry and then had dinner at the little Italian restaurant acorss the street (Trattoria Donanna) for Italian food.After dinner, we decided to take a stroll up Avenida Copacabana to the Lido area adjacent to the Copacabana Palace Hotel, where there are a ton of souvenir shops.
A Brazilian Joke about Brazilians
Sometimes when I reach the top of Corcovado, the vista of blue ocean and lush green hills
as far as the eye can see reminds me of one of my favorite jokes in Portuguese that Brazilians tell about themselves (paraphrased into English), and it goes like this: According to the Bible, God made the world in seven days. What is not recorded (but well known among Brazilians) is that on the seventh day, God peered down at the earth to survey his handiwork and St. Peter came alongside God and said, "My Lord – I have a question for you. You’ve bestowed great beauty, plentiful food, fresh air and many resources on each land, but every place has a drawback. The Pacific Rim has terrible earthquakes, the Atlantic Basin has fierce hurricanes, harsh blizzards plague the polar regions, even Hawaii has volcanoes. But this area here (pointing to Brazil) is not plagued by any of those natural disasters – was that an oversight? How can you have a land with such a mild climate, bountiful food and stunning beauty that it’s almost paradise?" God put a hand on St. Peter’s shoulder and said, “My son, wait until you see the people I put there.”
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That picture above was not taken by me, but I like the way it shows the setting of Corcovado, my favorite place on earth.
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