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Staring out at the pristine beaches stretching down the Atlantic coast, I turned back to find myself looking up at massive city buildings; backed by the beautiful peaks of the mountains. Rio de Janeiro (January River) is thought by many to occupy one of the most spectacular settings on earth; aside from the Duck Pond in Fountain City of course. It is not the capital (which is Brasilia), but surely is the cultural center to South America's giant; Brasil (and yes, this is the correct spelling). The diversity of this urban metropolis is like no other. Some of the worlds most beautiful beaches combine with the charged atmosphere of the city, to make for one amazing getaway. A giant statue of Christ (Cristo Redentor) with arms outstretched, gazes over Rio and the countries colors (Green, Yellow, and Blue) fill the streets. Sitting at one of many open-air restaurants near the beach, one can enjoy the cool breeze of the ocean while the vibrant beats of the samba drums set the mood. It is a place you can visit only once and never ever forget!

A Little Taste of the Rio

Jeremy Curl
2006-08-28 11:23:02

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Staring out at the pristine beaches stretching down the Atlantic coast, I turned back to find myself looking up at massive city buildings; backed by the beautiful peaks of the mountains. Rio de Janeiro (January River) is thought by many to occupy one of the most spectacular settings on earth; aside from the Duck Pond in Fountain City of course. It is not the capital (which is Brasilia), but surely is the cultural center to South America's giant; Brasil (and yes, this is the correct spelling). The diversity of this urban metropolis is like no other. Some of the worlds most beautiful beaches combine with the charged atmosphere of the city, to make for one amazing getaway. A giant statue of Christ (Cristo Redentor) with arms outstretched, gazes over Rio and the countries colors (Green, Yellow, and Blue) fill the streets. Sitting at one of many open-air restaurants near the beach, one can enjoy the cool breeze of the ocean while the vibrant beats of the samba drums set the mood. It is a place you can visit only once and never ever forget!

The last I left you I was crossing the border into Brasil (Foz do Iguacu) and Sandra, myself, Angi, and Alexhad booked passage to Rio. Before leaving, I ran into a group (around 20) of American Law students from West Virginia University that were in Brasil for two weeks studying the local law and sightseeing. To my surprise, one of the guys (Joe) just happened to be from Maryville, TN and actually attended The University of Tennessee during the same time period as me. Wow, this was the first Tennessean I had seen my entire trip and one of few southerners. After talking with Joe and some of his classmates for a bit, I was invited by Joe and his professor to accompany the group to a free buffet dinner. The meal was great (I even tried the chicken heart - not an after-taste my pallet cares to frequent) and the conversation was even better. It sure was nice to talk with people from my neck of the woods. The following day, ...