A few thoughts on Rio

We are waiting for our departure to Buenos Aires, and I thought I would sketch out a few observations from our time here in Rio de Janeiro. By the way, you can wear your shoes through the metal detectors and don't get felt up here. The airport has been effortless.

First, Brazil (or at least Rio) is more advanced when it comes to energy conservation. Lights tended to have timers and the timers tended to run down quickly with an empty room. Escalators are activated by a platform in the floor, and napkins are just the right size. Windows and fans ran instead of air conditioning units. They just get this right.

Police were interesting to observe. We encountered them a few times, and they almost always had guns drawn and almost always had their finger on the trigger. Maybe this is part of the effort to tame the city before the World Cup, but we found it unsettling--particularly when the gun in question was a machine gun.
Salsa innovation last night. We ended up at a small but lively neighborhood restaurant called Baroquim Informal. Our appetizers were served with a remarkable hot sauce. One of the more delicious I have ever tasted. After complimenting the sauce in my best Portuguese (gastoso means delicious), our waiter brought out the manager to give us the recipe. We need to do some translating, but it has a couple types of oil, cachaca (the Brazilian brandy), and a pepper called malagueta. We found the peppers in a market this morning but anticipated problems with our next four border crossings. So our goal is to find malagueta peppers in Dallas.

After the salsa discovery, we ended up in a bar so excellent I don't think I could have imagined a better place. Extensive beer list with offerings from all over (including Brew Dog's Sink the Bismarck--a 40 % alcohol beer priced around $350 USD). Blues music too. Just great. But then a bartender pulled out a knife and started shaving his head and arms at the bar. He followed that up by digging in his hand. So we left slightly creeped out but pleased by the find nonetheless.

By the way, Santa Claus sells beers on Ipanema beach before the holidays kick off. Probably how he unwinds before the around-the-world journey. So if you have last minute requests, best head south.

Sunsets were inspirational. We went to a rocky outcropping overlooking Ipanema and Leblon beaches. Mountains, ocean, sunset, and, behind us, moonrise. The moment the sun set, the crowd, which had all paused to watch, cheered, as if to say "thank you" (obrigado) for a great day.

Rio de Janeiro update

A quick update after a great three days. Our host at the Rio Dolphin Inn has given us excellent information and been a huge help.

Our options for the first night included going to a samba school in a rougher part of town (the school itself, however, is apparently protected by drug traffickers, no worries) or going to Rio Scensarium, a famous samba bar in a neighborhood called Lapa. We evaluated our options over an excellent meal at Zaza Bistro before deciding we would pass on the sketchy joint and head to Lapa. Proved to be a good choice, and we enjoyed the samba until our overnight flight caught up with us and forced us to samba home.

Cristo Redentor was amazing this morning. Aside from that, a meal in the Santa Teresa neighborhood, and a market known as the "Hippie Fair," we have concentrated on studying local beach culture. The bathing suits are wildly skimpy, the beer wonderfully cold, and the vendors remarkably innovative. One of the most interesting beach options is a block of cheese on a stick. The vendors carry small grills and roast the cheese before serving.

About to head out for dinner. Tomorrow to Buenos Aires for a brief night before heading to Patagonia. I am shocked to be headed to jacket weather again.

By the way, your comments to the blog posts won't publish because I cannot moderate them. Feel free to comment, and I can publish them when I return to the states (which is fortunately two weeks away).

Ciao!

In Rio

In a steamy Rio safely. Now we have some beaches calling. Ciao.

Rio Bound

Miami greeted us with coconut shrimp and an adequate bookstore. Rio bound!

Success

The photo posted.  Sure, it isn't rotated correctly, and it is apparently a picture I posted already.  But, the point is, we can now share visual images of the upcoming adventure.

 

Speaking of, we're still figuring out how to pack.  Rio looks to be in the upper 80s, chance of storms, and heat indexes north of 110 degrees.  Patagonia looks to be in the 50s, lows in the 30s, with hard winds, rain, and snow.  So looks like I'll pack a swimsuit and a parka and be good to go.

 

Less than 20 hours until departure . . .

Remote photo posting test

This is a test to see if I can post photos to the blog from my Blackberry. If a picture of me with a mustache appears, then expect some shots from South America. If not, you will just have to wait until next year.

In Which We Return After A Lengthy Hiatus

The Knapp Adventure Blog has experienced an unprecedented hiatus. It isn't a result of a shortage of adventures. On the contrary, we've been in and out of the mountains with amazing regularity. We've gone two-stepping in Luckenbach, we've avoided aggressive mountain goats near New Mexico's highest peak, and we white water rafted in perhaps the lowest trickle of water I've seen. It's been a good year.

But a big adventure awaits. In December, we once again bid farewell to our families for the holiday season and set our sights on distant shores. The schedule includes Rio de Janeiro, Patagonia, and Buenos Aires. We'll welcome Christmas from a remote estancia (ranch), and we'll greet the New Year with malbecs, steak, and tango. Likely to be an epic time.

Since our travels to Africa, the availability of internet service has expanded at a remarkable pace, so I have a hunch I'll be able to post tidbits from our journey at various spots along the way. Will Megan match her Hawaiian surfing prowess on the beaches of Ipanema? Will views of Fitz Roy leave me speechless forever? Will our diminutive rental car handle the roughly 600 km of Patagonian roads we plan to traverse?

Check back to find out. For now, donate money to prostate cancer research and enjoy this photo from yet another wonderful Movember: