April 13, 2007
Day 562
Today was a clear day so I decided to go to Pao de Acucar, or Sugar Loaf Mountain, the famous 395-meter mountain that sits in Guanabara Bay and overlooks the southern half of the city. I rode the city bus once again through… Read More »
April 12, 2007
Day 561
It was time to go back to the mainland. We had a great time on the big island, a tropical paradise full of amazing beaches, but my parents had to catch their flight back to the US today. The first step was to take the ferry back to Angra… Read More »
April 11, 2007
Day 560
Today I made the long walk to the other side of the island on the only road I've seen so far. There are no regular vehicles allowed on the island, so the only people who use it are park rangers and police. The town on the other side was… Read More »
April 10, 2007
Day 559
Today I walked over to Praia de Palmas, another beautiful beach on the island. The walk was pretty easy, but it went up a hill for the first half, so there was a good lookout point on top. There was a tiny village… Read More »
April 9, 2007
Day 558
This morning I walked with my parents past the town of Abraao and over to Praia Preta, the black beach. Next to the beach were the ruins of the Lazareto Prison, which was originally a shelter for travelers and immigrants in quarantine from 1871 until 1910.… Read More »
April 8, 2007
Day 557
The Portuguese Godfather was at it again today. He loomed over me as I ate, just waiting for me to make a mistake. This time I was too freaked out to ask him for anything extra. After breakfast, we packed everything up and checked out. When I paid the… Read More »
April 7, 2007
Day 556
As is normally the case in Brazil, breakfast was included today at our hotel. However, instead of the normal potpourri of fruits, pastries, and fresh juices, here we just got some bread, crackers, and a cup of coffee. All of the tables already had the food set up for… Read More »
April 6, 2007
Day 555
It took a long time to get to Rio de Janeiro. The taxi showed up early and the driver was eagerly waiting for us. That wasn't a surprise; he slyly set the meter to "2," the higher rate that's used during nights and weekends. We got to the airport… Read More »
April 5, 2007
Day 554
Today it was time to see the Brazilian side of Iguacu Falls. At the entrance was a museum explaining the history of the falls and the ongoing effort to protect the area's phenomenal nature. It was a nice introduction to the falls and everything was written in Portuguese, English,… Read More »
April 4, 2007
Day 553
It was already time to leave Argentina, so we decided to do a bit of shopping early this morning. My mom wanted to get some mate (the tea made from yerba leaves that Argentines are always drinking), and she was overwhelmed by the number of choices. They really take… Read More »
