We've had two days in Rio de Janeiro. The first day we stepped off the ship and
just walked along the pier. The area
where we are docked is just a shipping port, so it isn't very walker
friendly. Since we've been warned a
number of times about crime in Rio, especially during
Carnaval, we decided to just stay on board the ship. There were parades scheduled for later that
night, but we saw no evidence of any of it from the ship.
The following day, which was Sunday, we figured would be
quieter, especially in the morning, so we ventured out again. It turns out we were docked closer to the
city center than we realized. We took a
walk through the city and found the aftermath of the previous night's
celebration. There were piles of trash
everywhere, and we even found a number of the floats parked on a side
street.
There are some very beautiful old buildings, as well as a
few lovely modern ones.
But just outside the downtown area, on the surrounding
hills, are the favelas, the slums of Rio.
Alongside the ship there have been several groups of dancers and musicians parading by. The women's costumes are amazing. David was coaxed to pose with one of them. Does he look nervous?
We've learned from the captain that there are 39 countries
represented among the 3100 passengers.
Of those, about 1300 are Americans.
Around 400 are English and 400 are Aussies, although they are so
boisterous it seems like at least three times that many. There are also several hundred Canadians and
Spaniards.
We sailed at 7:00
for Ilhabela, Brazil,
the next day.
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