Praia do Leme

We sadly said goodbye to dear daughter, who is staying another day in Sao Paulo to see friends, and hopped on a short flight to Rio. At the airport, a group of about 5 was obviously talking about me, and 2 took my picture. I guess this is as close to famous as I will ever be — my son told me I should put on a Brazil selection shirt or jacket and then see how I get the royal treatment. :-)

Uber has flooded the Rio airport. There are special signs pointing you down the Uber path, and a meeting point with about 20 parking spots. Three Uber employees direct traffic, announce arrivals of drivers, and call for passengers. The fare into town was about $10, compared to $50 in a cab. As you might imagine, there was nothing going on at the taxi stands.

Our hotel is right on the beach named Leme, the so-called “quiet family zone.” We’re on the 15th floor with a pretty decent side view (I guess you pay more for a beach-facing view, but at least we are not in the back!). We have eaten, walked, and worked out (LifeFitness elliptical, woo hoo!), and it is night. The roof-top pool has a restaurant with great views. I assume the food is bad and overpriced, but we may just go ahead and splurge tonight.

Since we have lost our tour guide, we will have to start reading up on the sights and planning a few days’ worth of activities. The one thing I was sure to do was book a feijoada in the Copacabana Palace for Saturday. Feijoada on Saturday is a Brazilian tradition and the one we had there 30 years ago was pretty good!Read more