Rio de Janiero hotel

I made it! I was able to sleep on the flight some of the time, so I wasn't completely spacy when I arrived. Patricia picked me up at the airport and we came directly to the hotel in Copacabana. It's actually an efficiency apartment, with two rooms, a bathroom and kitchenette. Patricia's is similar, on the next floor up. So far we've eaten out, but we just talked about going to the grocery store so we can make a few of our own meals. 

The hotel is on a quiet street. Here's the view onto a little park out my window:

I took this early this morning, so nobody was out playing yet. 

And here's the first room:

To have electricity in the room, I have to put the key in a special port. Very smart--nobody leaves lights on in this place! The kitchen is to the left.

And the second room:

The bathroom is to the right. Yesterday I watched a little TV in Portuguese and then found the movie The Eighth Day in French. Soon I'll get back to work on some projects I brought with me, but it was nice to have a little break. 

It has been a little rainy today, pleasantly cool. Yesterday after I had a nap and a shower, we went out. Brazil has many small buffet restaurants where one pays by the kilo--that's what we did for lunch. We also had fresh-squeezed orange juice. Then we went to Copacabana and Ipanema beaches (not swimming, just walking). At Ipanema we had fresh coconut juice, then scooped out the insides. Yum! The water was incredibly blue green and despite it being a bit chilly, there were plenty of surfers to watch. Then back to the hotel for another nap (we walked--and talked--a lot) before heading out for a supper of pizza. We walked a little more, to an ice cream shop, where Patricia wisely chose the pineapple-mint frozen yogurt. Why do I think I might be writing a lot about food on this trip?! 

Next up, the botanical gardens.