Most people associate Rio de Janeiro with its beaches (or women, or drugs, or this song, or Cristo Redentor), but opposite the beaches, Rio is surrounded by jungle (yes, there are monkeys in there). Let us say (and for the record when I start something with "Let us say..." I am inventing a
Finding And Befriending Primates In Rio de Janeiro
Word on the street is that there are monkeys in Rio de Janeiro. Word on the street is that there are monkeys on the street in Rio de Janeiro. Hearing this made me very uneasy at first, given monkeys and I have had a very complicated relationship over the years, but I think that we will finally
Flooding in Rio de Janeiro
When the rainy season hits in Rio de Janeiro it seems that the media overseas choose to report floods of biblical proportions that force locals to stockpile animals and supplies into arcs as a last resort for waiting out the storms (I hope Giant Stone Jesus saves us). This is not the case; you
A Visit To Corcovado and Cristo Redentor (The Giant Stone Jesus)
Corcovado is the name of a mountain in the middle of Rio de Janeiro. Atop this mountain stands a 130 ft / 40 m tall statue of a man known to some as Jesus, to others as Christ, and to others still as "that guy on the cross". To reach said man you have the option of trekking two hours through a
A Plane Ride To Rio de Janeiro
After finishing a subpar IHOP breakfast accompanied by a delicious bottle of Barefoot Sauvignon Blanc, I was dropped off at LAX by my acquaintances Mr. Sterv and Senhor Cardiner. I do not remember much of LAX, but I do know that the people sitting next to me on that first plane were nowhere near as