Rio de Janeiro Part 2: unexpected market, more food, and oh the views!

Allie and Nelson overlooking Copacabana from Sugar Loaf Mountain

As we continue our journey through Rio, we find more and more we appreciate. Their Brazilian culture is prominent in some of the surrounding areas more so than the tourist traps of Copacabana and Ipanema. We explored some new neighborhoods (Santa Teresa, Botafogo, Flamengo) and visited the Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer). Enjoy our pictures! To come next... Sugar Loaf Mountain and the Botanical Gardens.

Neighborhood of Santa Teresa

Old building in Santa Teresa

Beautiful cobblestone streets

Perfectly manicured house in Santa Teresa

Casa dorada, the tile work is impressive

Allie at Parque das Ruinas, Ruins Park

Nelson with a view from Ruins Park

We stumbled upon this Ruins Park in Santa Teresa, someone restored ruins to a museum and open to the public park

Beautiful Spanish/Portugese architecture

Clouds coming over the mountains 

Exotic flowers

Exotic flowers 

Brazilian yellow

Santa Teresa is a very nice neighborhood on a high hill. Therefore the use of street cars are very prominent as you would see in somewhere like San Francisco. Unfortunately the day we visited was a National holiday and there weren't any cars running. This is a big station stop.

More beautiful architecture 

Amazing street art, join the band!

You can find Germans in Rio at Mike's haus! 

Brazilians love their futbol! Is that Strahan on the motorcycle? 

Corn on the cob from a street vendor. The street vendor tried to purposely short change us but Nelson had the upper hand.

You think you've had a egg, ham and cheese before? Not until you've tried a triple decker egg, ham, and cheese!

The churrascaria- basically Brazilian BBQ. You sit at a long bar like this one. (Notice the man behind Allie, yes there are plenty of iPhones here!) 

They cook your food in front of you on a coal grill. Our food is to the left of all the chickens!

This is the definition of Brazilian men: Glued to the tv when futbol is on!

Filet Mignon, rice with peppers, carrots, ham, peas, and raisins. Very good!

We step out of our apartment one morning, like any other morning, and find an enormous market that seemed to appear overnight on our street! It was incredible and came from nowhere! Fresh food anyone?

Talk about fresh!

Any kind of pepper you could want! 

Fresh vegetables

Corn!

View of the packed market

Interesting?

Just what I was looking for! Fresh mini Shark! 

Somethings definitely fishy here.

Beautiful exotic flowers for sale 

More fruit

Free samples are key

These men play cards on this crate almost everyday

Tamales and tapioca, both popular here 

Freshly shredded coconut 

Nelson: I want that. Allie: What is it? Nelson: I don't know.



 Turns out its fried potato, cheese and ham goodness. Now we know!

Garlic

Cristo

Allie with Christ the Redeemer

Nelson with Christ the Redeemer

Christ the Redeemer, built 100 years ago, mainly funded by donations of Catholic citizens. About 90% of Brazilians are Catholic.

Nelson and Allie with the Christ statue

View from the mountain looking over Rio and Sugar Loaf Mountain.

Do you see what I see?

Christ

Anne and Frank. Allie's parents names!

Young Brazilian love

Getting ready for Natale!

Monkey see, monkey do...

Allie and Nelson at Piedra Bonita, another beautiful look out point over Rio.

Beautiful green and blue birds!

The view of Rio and the Atlantic from Piedra Bonita

Another one.

Beautiful look out over the ocean

Acai. A must try in Brazil. Nelson wishes he learned about this sooner! Its a berry like ice cream. 

More caiprinhas!