O Morro e o Mar - Copacabana, Ipanema, Leblon

A city between the mountains and the sea. Generations pass by, yet the sea is still there. The beach is always alive, a wonderful mix of people, rich, poor, black, white, skinny, fat.....  I have taken a run in the early morning along the beach on Burle Marx characteristic black and white pavement, I see muscular bodies running, doing work out and showing off. Old ladies walking their dogs, businessmen talking about money transfers while strolling along in their shorts in the sand, kids from the favelas playing around, volley ball and foot ball, ... I wonder if you lived here permanently if you still appreciate this wonderful and unique gift every day, all year around. I understand that Rio has become much more safe, less criminality, less violence in the favelas. They are also preparing everything for the World Cup in 2014. And overall this fantastic Brazilian optimism, they call it the Marvellous city, Rio a cidade maravilhosa, and the new arenas and places for the world cup are of course given positive names like Arena Maravilha, praia maravilha. I love Brazil!!!

Salesmen selling globo biscuits and sun oil since many years

So happy I got two hours in the sun on the beach, with agua de coco, a swim, and a red nose as a result