Day 7 - Landed @ 11 am. Thanfully used ankle twist (during last 3 miles out of Grand Canyon) to get a wheel chair and breeze out of the airport...Took 1.5 hours to get to Ipanema beach and Mango Tree hotel...traffic is miserable in Rio! After getting settled and showered, went for a leisure stroll down Ipanema beach and took millions of scenic sunset pics :)
Day 8 -
*Left hostel early at 9 to get to Corcovado....The whole trip took 1.5 hours each way including the mini-train up the hill (Trem de Corcovado), spent 45 mins looking at the Christ Redeemer statue and views of Rio and then back to the hostel....
*Then went for a hang gliding trip...again the flight time was 8-12 minutes but getting to Pedro Bonita peak in Tijuca National Park, setting up and packing up gear took hours and hours! Hang Gliding in Rio was pretty with views over Tijuca National Park, freeways, Rio's biggest favela (name?) and Sao Conrado, Leblon, Ipanema beaches :)Start point: Pedro Bonita, Tijuca National Park. Elevation: 500 m above sea level.
End point: Sao Conrado Beach
Video:
Note: Ride was very smooth, felt no adrenalin rush at all!
Cost: 230 Reals for gliding, 150 Real for pictures + video
*Evening stroll down Ipanema streets ended up being an eat/drink session with no idea what I was eating.....Had a mate and 3 tres pao de queijo for 2 real @ supermate. After the fact google search revealed this about mate http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mate_(beverage)
Also had a picanha beach sandwich for reals 4.6 at beach surfs!
*Late night Samba street party at Lapa! and then some more Samba dancing at a club.....my feet are really tired!
Sad facts of the day:
1. Lost 1 earring somewhere, it was in my purse for safekeeping!!! I was better off wearing it :-)
2. 1 USD=2.05 Reals as of Oct 3, ouch I exchanged at 1.8 on oct 2 :(
All Photos: To Be posted soon...
