Brazil #16 Rio and Cristo

We're finally here. The last day in Brazil. Sadness. But I'll be back soon.
Last day and we went to Cristo Redeemer finally. Great weather. But cutting it close to get to the airport on the way back to SP and back to the States.





















Photo by Kristin J
















Last views of Copacabana Beach and Impanema Beach.






Sao Paulo again

Brazil #15 Rio/Favela Tour II

So, as I've been editting these photos and posting them, I've been listening to music that has felt and inspired Brazil/Brasil in me. It's been amazing and great. The amazing thing about a huge a** hard drive is that you have no idea what music you have most of the time. Once coming back, I put Brasil into my search and came up with these great tracks from Madlib that I had and had no idea i had. They are amazing and great.








Photo by Krissy.

Brazil #15 Rio/Favela Tour

Krissy and I decided on a guided tour of one of the Favela's in Rio. Through our hostel we had a tour of Rochina, which is the largest favela in Brazil and one of the largest in Southern America. Rochina was in the news a few weeks before we went on the tour (21 Nov. 2011), it was raided by the Brazilian equivalent of SWAT, called POPE down there. The drug/gangsters were killed or forced out of Rochina, and it's a much better place for it. Brazil and Rio are in a heavy duty clean up of the Favela's in preparation for the World Cup and the Olympics. We actually took motorcycle taxis up to the top of Rochina. Scary and fun. I chose to hold on with both hands for dear life, so pictures of Rochina start once up in it.












These are the motorcycle taxis I took up. Yes(mom and dad) I had a helmet on!




A view from the top!




























There's a lot I wanted to share from this trip to Rochina. So I'll break it up into two posts. Stay tuned!!