Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Part III

So here are some more photos for you from my "Wednesday off" from the academic congress last week in Rio. I should add that the photos are not only from Rio, but also from the city across the bay, Niteroi, which is the place with the best views of the city of Rio de Janeiro, don't you agree? These photos go with a "shout-out" to my friend Zee who was born and grew up in Rio and a HUGE thank you to Julio, my friend Cris's "uncle" (actually his dad's cousin) who picked me up at my friend's apartment and drove us to Niteroi and back! It was awesome of him to do that -- but it's something that most Brazilians would do for a friend or relative if they could afford to take the day off.

One of the things I had dreamed of doing when in Rio was visiting one of Oscar Niemeyer's latest architectural designs, the museum of contemporary art in Niteroi. Niemeyer is one of the leading "modernist" architects in the world and he's best known for his visionary design of Brasilia, Brazil's capital (here's a link to his Foundation -- site in Portuguese).

Isn't it a gorgeous building? And the location is even better, on a cliff by a gorgeous beach with Rio on the background.

The beach and the small island in front of it:

The museum framing the Sugarloaf mountain, another island and the Corcovado Mountain with the Christ statue "behind" the island:

Like a postcard:

After going to Niteroi, we went to lunch with Cris's "uncle" in downtown Rio and then took the historic train (built in 1874) to the top of the Corcovado mountain (where the Christ statue is) so we could enjoy the view. I took tons of photos, but I'll share only those of my favorite view -- the Sugarloaf mountain and a curiosity, one of the (smaller) favelas (Brazilian slums) -- "typical" of Rio in this way -- climbing up the mountainsides):

Me and Cris taking one of the several "Thelma and Louise" photos of the week. I guess my arm isn't long enough, but at least you can see the Sugarloaf Mountain in the background quite well.

So here is the Pão de Açúcar or Sugarloaf and the Botafogo Bay again as seen from top of the the Corcovado Mountain, this time by themselves.

I only had this silly photo with the Christ the Redeemer Statue in the background taken because my friend volunteered to do it and told me to open my arms, but I guess I should have taken it just because the Christ statue in Rio was recently voted (online) on the world's 7 wonders :).

After we went back down on the train, we took a taxi to Ipanema beach where we walked for a while.

Facing South on Ipanema Beach after sunset. The lights in the background on the left, climbing the hill, come from a favela.

It was a beautiful day.