Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Copacabana beachside hotel sometime during the end of March, 2005. We wake up at leisure, make our way to the breakfast room, and settle down to a sumptous buffet. Kavita piles her plate high with golden juicy cut mangoes while Nagesh bites into fresh pineapple slices and contemplates his lazy day ahead.



Sometime later, we're at the Copacabana Beach settling on a price for umbrellas and loungers. Our favorite chair renter finds us a prime spot amidst the half-naked sunbathers. We will not budge from our territory on this soft sand for the rest of the day. Or days for that matter. First, the beverage service kicks off with fresh coconut water and beer. Then, to Kavita's utter delight, starts the non-ending circus of beach hawkers. A tall carribean ties a bracelet strung with coral fishes and white beads around Kavita's wrist. Can you think of a better sales strategy? We're sold!

Our favorite guys are the ones carrying the giant umbrellas innovatively decorated with pareos, swimsuits, and other flimsy beach wear for sale. The umbrellas both showcase the slinky ware and protect the vendor from the harsh sun. The waves sommersault on the beach just like the frolicking children of the chair renters. "Quejo! Quejo!" shouts a guy ready to barbecue a slab of cheese hot in front of our eyes, with a dash of garlic and oregano marinade. T-shirts, junk jewellery, hammocks, sun-block, fried shrimp (to be read as instant death), everything you can imagine parades by incessantly. You think we could read a single line from the books we're sporting. And Nagesh is trying to read Umberto Eco - good luck!



Rio de Janeiro is hands down our favorite city in all of South America for its beaches, samba, soccer, mangoes, street food, all-you-can-eat pizza rodizios, pulsating pace, unexpected natural beauty, beautiful people, and a list that runs along endlessly.

Bottom line, we loved every minute of it. From the breathtaking views of Pao de Azucar, the sugar loaf mountain to the bus ride the guide books so warned us against. From the samba nights that don't get their groove on until 2am to the unbelievably crazy Maracana soccer stadium packed with 90,000 mad people. From the mother of mafia run favelas or slums called Rocinha to the ultra chic boutique infested Ipanema... Rio has it all!

Our only regret - we wish were here for the Carnival. Fellow travellers swear that despite losing their passports, cameras, money, and everything else it is still so worth it. Oh! and don't miss the Capricciosa in Ipanema for the most delectable pizza anywhere on this planet topped off with a finger-licking chocolate lava cake.