Lazy Sunday

Saturday I met up with Frederico 'Freggie' and we went to Arpoador, another beach by my house with a lot of rocks where Copacabana and Ipanema beaches meet. There are stairs that walk you through the rocks and benches to sit and watch surfers. After, we walked all the way around the lake (7 km around) to get to the botanic gardens. The gardens are beautiful but we couldn't stay long since it took all day to get there walking. My mouth was so tired from talking in portuguese, it's a lot of work for an English speaking tongue! I like who people in rio always say 'olha só' (just look) or 'o negócio é seguinte' (the business is the following...) at the beginning of most sentences.

On Sunday I went to Arpoador again by myself and listened to some live music and watched body builders working out at the outdoor gym. I also realized that you can hike up this foresty hill where at the top they have a skatepark with my favorite view of the city so far. Sundays here are amazing because they close the entire street by the beach to traffic and it fills up with rollerskaters and little kids learning to ride bikes. Walking back from the beach I met this guy who is a 'personal dancer' that takes old women out to dance samba and forro by night and works in a cellphone store by day.

Also last night I went to the Sambódroma, the stadium where Carnaval happens in February, to see a free show of the performers at rehearsal. The place was packed and we couldn't get in or see anything but we followed some people to this freeway overpass that was high enough to see into the stadium and sat there for awhile. I can't imagine what the real deal must be like if the other day was just a rehearsal.

The other day it was 48 degrees CELCIUS, about 118 F?!