Bem-Vindo á Rio!

I've arrived at the Aeroporto Internacional Antônio Carlos Jobim (commonly called Galeão) in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, the first leg of what will be a two week adventure across South America. Coming off the airplane, the first thing that I notice is the heat and humidity. This place is hot! As soon as I take my camera out to take my first photo---and I will end up taking nearly 2,000 photos and videos on this trip---the camera lens begins to fog up.

The Rio Airport Control Tower















For this adventure, I am traveling with my parents. In Rio de Janeiro, we are staying at the Orla Copacabana Hotel located on the southern end of Copacabana Beach on Avenida Atlântica. The Orla has 115 rooms and breakfast is served daily in the restaurant, which has walls adorned with rows of plates and cups and curtains of silverware. However, best of all, the views from the rooftop pool (which is miniscule) are sensational. From here you can see all of Copacabana and Leme beaches, Sugar Loaf Mountain, as well as glimpses of the Christ the Redeemer Statue on Corcovado Mountain.

The Orla Copacabana Hotel