Regarding my trip to Rio, there are a ton of things I can report back. It was a fascinating, scary, beautiful, and poor place all at the same time.
The food was outstanding and I could go on and on about that. The countryside is very unusual and has beauty in itself, but it can be a dangerous place to travel so extreme care is required.
I stayed in Copacabana Beach which is the largest tourist spot in Rio. It is a 5 mile long collection of hotels, bars, restaurants, and condos. The entire 5 mile span has a hand-laid stone sidewalk that must be 30 feet wide. It is quite a spectacle, as you can see in the picture below.
I met a couple who lives there, Eddie and Lessie (I guess that is how you spell it) who took me around and showed me the ropes. Had a great time with them. They have a lovely condo that it 3 stories tall, but not real wide. They have a spiral staircase going up the middle of the place from one floor to the next. On the roof is a big patio where she has lots of plants growing. It is a wonderful place to have a drink, overlooking the South Atlantic. You could do worse!
As we sat there chatting I noticed a mold issue. They told me it can get very damp and humid in Rio and mold problems are a common occurrence. I know the owner of a mold remediation and removal company in Richmond, Va., who I called for advice. He gave me a few suggestions for killing it and suggested we keep an eye on it and call a removal company if it keeps coming back.
Anyway Eddie really enjoys his beers and Lessie is a great cook so we had a wonderful time together. We went for some walks along the beach and they showed me an old fort at one end of the beach. The beach that adjoins Copacabana is called Iponema. There is a song about that one. Iponema is a wonderful place that harkens back to the 60’s. There are arts fairs and music and crafts everywhere. If I go back to Rio, I would definitely stay here. It is quieter than Copacabana but still has lots of bars and restaurants and character.
This is a picture of Iponema beach.