Rio was the opposite of Lima and Manaus . . . absolutely enchanting. The locals have a zest for life and love their city. Some told me that they couldn't imagine living anywhere else.
I'm definitely going back, for a much longer stay. I only had 2 days there.
I started by walking along Ipanema Beach, seen at right. That afternoon I strolled along Copacabana Beach. Ipanema was more pleasing to the eye -- from the cleanliness of the beach, the adjacent neighborhood and accommodations, to the appearance of its visitors.
Left: One of several cool sand castles on Copacabana Beach. Others were more impressive, but their builders wanted donations for photographs. I snuck this one for free.
Hang-gliding with Ruy (pronounced "Huy") Marra, owner of Rio Superfly. Ruy was one of Microsoft's first attorneys in Brazil, but segued into commercial hang-gliding and is one of the world's pioneers of tandem gliding (he holds the world record). He has obtained a PhD in neuropsych (based on research of consenting hang-gliding clients), is a best-selling author based on this research ("Taking Off to Happiness"), and is one of the most inspirational people I've ever met.
Hang-gliding itself was one of the coolest experiences I've ever had . . . . You start hooked up in tandem with instructions to run as fast as you can to the edge of the launch point . . . and to keep running into the air. This ensures that you keep your momentum moving forward. If you hesitate at the edge, your guide is forced to maintain enough forward momentum for both of you to prevent you from plummeting once you step off into space.
Ruy has found that, even despite his explanation of all this, some people will hesitate at the last moment, because their fear overcomes their rational mind.
After some practice runs and confirming favorable wind conditions, we sprinted off the edge and into the sky. It's the closest I've felt to actually flying. While he maintained control, it seemed effortless. It was quiet and the air was fairly still while the life of one of Brazil's largest cities hurried about beneath us. It felt like we were floating, but we gradually descended from one of the mountaintops overlooking the city, then out passed the beach and over the surf, and then back in to land on the beach. It lasted over 15 minutes but felt like less than 5.
To me, Ruy personifies how living the life you love is one of the best ways to contribute to others' happiness.
He's also a heckuva a nice guy.
The next day, I took a tour of the city, which culminated at the Christ the Redeemer statue, on a hilltop at sunset. In the pic below, the monolith just to the right of the bird is Sugar Loaf mountain (Pan du Azucar in Portuguese). Just beyond Sugar Loaf is the entrance to Rio's large bay. The Portuguese believed that it was the mouth of a river. They discovered it in January, so they named the site "Rio de Janeiro". A huge cemetery is located at the gray area without tall buildings, just to the left and at the base of the two green hills on the right side of the pic.
Below: A series of pics I took from the top of Sugar Loaf my first night in Rio. I walked Ipanema Beach to Copacabana Beach, then took a short taxi ride to Sugar Loaf's base and rode the cable car to the top. Catching sunset from this spot is one of Rio's highlights. The sailboats in Rio's harbor are visible on the right side of each pic. I hang-glided from the second or third peak from the left on the far horizon.
And here's a close-up of Christ the Redeemer from Sugar Loaf, barely discernible with my pathetic zoom lens.
