Rio de Janeiro by day and night

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Today, we had a day of leisure and decided to catch up with the washing, but make time to check out Copacabana Beach which was in walking distance of the hotel.  We were told it was quite unsafe to walk on Copacabana Beach at any time and take upmost care and watch out for pickpockets.

Well, I dressed down but Barb wore her Akubra hat and a T-shirt with kangaroos and koalas across the front so I guess they would have known we were a couple of Aussies.  I felt a bit uneasy walking around Copacabana but you just have to go to the famous Copacabana Beach when in Rio.  The beach is hugh but there wasn't a lot of people there when we were there.

Copacabana Beach and then the Brazilian Samba and Folklore variety show

Mountains in Rio de Janerio
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When you are sitting on the beach, people come up to you to try to sell you things.  Barb wanted to go for a walk on the beach so off she went and I could spot her as far as she went with her Akubra hat on.  I would think 'there she is'.  When Barb came back, she then wanted to try one of those drinks out of a coconut  which she reckoned was pretty good.

We then decided to do a bit of shopping and my uneasy feelings were confirmed when a couple of other Aussies spotted us and told us to be careful because they had just been to the Police after being robbed.

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We did a bit more window shopping, then got a couple of postcards and then Barb wanted to send a couple of postcards back to her workmates which was a bit of a challenge for her and me with the language barrier at the Post Office.  We somehow managed and then it was time to go back to our hotel to get ready to go to a barbeque dinner at a typical churrascaria (barbeque house) and then to a Brazilian Samba and a famous Folklore variety show at Plataforma.

There was plenty to eat at dinner but I must have had too many drinks getting ready to go out cause I fell asleep in the bus between dinner and the show and Barb couldn't wake me up.

Folklore show at Plataforma, Rio de Janeiro
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She tried to tell the bus driver who didn't speak English, that 'when I woke up to tell me where the show was'.  Well, I woke up after a little while and wondered where I was.  I went to the front of the bus and saw the bus driver who must have understood Barb after all, as he pointed to the building where the show was.  Luckily, I wasn't asleep for too long and I didn't miss to much of the show.

In the show was a parade of costumes with large head dresses demonstrating personalities which was influenced by the culture of that country (ie Africa) as the history of Brazil.  There was also percussion instruments and spectacular folklore dancing which I imagine would be part of the Rio de Janeiro Carnival held annually, two weeks before the traditional Christian fasting of Lent during February or March.

Folklore show at Plataforma, Rio de Janeiro
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Next Flight: Virag- RG 2162 (Rio de Janerio 1130 Iguassu Falls 1340) Duration 2:10