Rio de Janeiro, Day 2

The second day in Rio we started at 6:00 AM again. After breakfast we met with our group and proceeded outside to meet our guide. He came to meet us at 8:30 and this time he had a big bus. There were plenty of room for everybody and huge trunk space for the wheelchair. The to go weather promised to be very good. No rain and the temperature again around 80F.

Our first stop was Sugar Loaf.

SUGAR LOAF: An iconic spot in Rio, places right on the other side of the bay, this huge landmark lies on the edge with  the gorgeous Vermelha Beach, surrounded by the Mata Atlantica Forest. 
To get to the top of the mountain we had to take two cable cars. The attraction is fully wheelchair accessible. The view from the top was magnificent. You could see the whole city. We spent at least two hours on top of the Sugar Loaf. There are numerous observation levels and every one of them present different view of the city.

Our second stop was lunch. Out tour guide thought that local food is very important part of the tour and also he told us he loves the restaurant we stopped to eat. It is a buffet. You take a plate, pile up the food, then they weigh it, give you a check and after you finish the food you pay. It was pretty good.
In Brazil everyday meal has rice and beans. The Portuguese brought the rice from Asia and the beans always have been popular in Africa. Brazil has a strong root and influence with Portugal and Africa. So that was a very local and traditional restaurant. They call it "kilo restaurant".

After lunch we went to SELARON STAIRS It is one of the symbols of the city, The artist Jorge Selaron came to Brazil 30 years ago as a political refugee from Chili
during Pinochet regime. He first got a little room there and in that abandoned stairways he started placing red tiles everywhere. people loved his work so much that he received tiles from different countries in the World and he always found a space to place in the walls those colorful tiles and suddenly it became a tradition. This work continued for26 years and the stairs became one of the symbolic spots of Rio. When he died, the tradition stopped.
 But the city do not take good care of the place...it is packed with homeless and drug addicts.

SAO BENTO MONASTERY - Our last place before going to the port was one spot that most of Rio's visitors never go because they simply do not know that this place exists. When people come to Rio they always think about beach, Carnival, the Christ and the Sugar Loaf. People hardly come to Rio seeking for culture and have no idea that we have a small trace with other European Cultures. It is the oldest constructions in Brazil, a baroque Church very Portuguese, one Monastery, a Benedict Monastery, and the Baroque Architecture are typically simple from the outside and very ornate and luxurious inside. The church was built in 1596.

The abbey was founded by Benedictine monks who came from the state of Bahia in 1590. It is still operational today, along with the Colégio de São Bento (St. Benedict College) nearby. The college, established in 1858, is one of the most important traditional educational establishments in Brazil and claims many famous alumni. The abbey includes the St. Benedict Seminary, with courses in theology and philosophy that are recognized by the Ministry of Education.
It is very simple outside, but incredibly beautiful inside. All with wooden carvings that covered with gold.

That was our last stop in Rio. Now back to the ship.

Next two days are sea days.
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