A carioca Santa Claus...

... promoting the grocery store "Zona Sul", at Jardim Botanico neighborhood. He is probably the only one getting a tan, since we are not getting any recently with this cloudy weather...

Rio time lapse video - December 2008

Quick ride from Barra da Tijuca to Leblon... Sao Conrado, Gavea and Rocinha in between...

Welcome to the marvelous city!!

Inside Rio de janeiro International Airport: Passport control, same old same old, Ronaldinho's endorsement of cell phone carrier Oi ("Hello"), Sign greeting us to this fabulous city...

Casa Shopping ad

This was a billboard for Casa Shopping, a mall in the west zone of Rio. Corcovado statue, the Maracana (biggest soccer stadium in the world), Gavea Stone, Copacabana Beach sidewalk, and the MAM (Museum of Modern Art of Rio de Janeiro)

A dangerous career

Cops in Rio... You know, besides all the stories we hear on TV, I can tell you that yes, there is crime, blah blah blah, but the city is definitely worth the visit.

Biscoito Globo!

A Brazilian phenomenon (seriously!), a classic snack in my city.

Wow...

Picanha!

A very typical Brazilian dish... Everyone's got to try it when they visit Rio... Picanha is considered the best part of the cow, with a delicious flavor. It's widely found in all-you-can-eat steakhouses ("Churrascaria Rodizio").

Red Beach and Sugar Loaf

Downtown Rio

Situated just by the Guanabara bay... I took this picture while driving through the Rio-Niteroi bridge. Given the circumstances, I guess it turned out pretty good

Oh, Gavea Stone...

Driving west towards Barra da Tijuca neighborhood...

Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas

Best place to chill out on a Sunday afternoon...

Average winter temperature in Rio

Perfect for me... Sometimes it's warmer than during the summer :)

Broken hill

West Zone of Rio

Last picture taken on the same day, while rushing to the airport... Unfortunately, the picture is a little blurred, however, through blogger's thumbnail picture, it shouldn't look that bad. If you're driving from downtown Rio to the South Zone (Zona Sul), more than likely you'll take this path with breathless views (the opposite direction, of course).

Oh yes... and that day I missed my flight to the US due to the terrible traffic downtown and northbound at 7pm.... As a punishment, 3 more days in Rio... U-hu!! :)

Sugar Loaf - Rushing to the Airport

Another picture taken while going to the airport in the same day... I love the motion effect on the picture.. It's funny how if I didn't know I was leaving maybe I wouldn't be taking so many cool pictures during that day, making the best of every minute...

Sugar Loaf

I took this picture while being driven from my home in the Botafogo neighborhood to the International Airport of Rio... I was quite in a rush, as you can see... This road takes us through Guanabara bay til downtown and to the north of the city. To the left, if you look closer you'll see a yellow cab having a technical malfunction...

Fluminense Soccer Club

This is the training field at Fluminense Soccer Club, founded in the early 20th century, located in the neighborhood of Laranjeiras. Fluminense is one of the major soccer clubs of my city, it has won many championships, and it is very popular among the young of the south side portion of Rio.
The term "Fluminense" can also be used as a term for natives of the state of Rio de Janeiro (as Aline mentioned earlier, "Cariocas" are those born in the city of Rio - both of us, for example :))
On the other pictures, a look at their trophies, from previous days of glory, and two pictures at Fluminense ballroom - a beautiful stainglass wall

Agua de coco

My favorite drink... I love the price too...

Closer and Closer

Same beach, just in a different day... Zooming in at Leme Beach early in the morning, while waiting for the rest of my beach volleyball team to arrive... Why should I oversleep if I would miss all this?

On the background, Gavea Stone (I am a fan) and Two Brothers Mountain

Overcast Leme Beach

Leme Beach, on a cloudy, quiet day...

Leme Beach Flowers

I really like this picture. As I was leaving Leme Beach (Copacabana's sister beach) one day, I spotted those beautiful yellow hibiscus flowers on the ground, as if they were looking at me , wanting me to take their picture... Of course I took several, and everytime i am there again, I still see them... still looking at me in the same position :)

Corcovado Hill - View from the top - Part 5

Downtown Rio skyline... Guanabara Bay and Rio-Niteroi bridge connecting my city to Niteroi. In a previous post, Line showed the view from her desk at work, a beautiful view to the same bay and bridge.

Corcovado Hill - View from the top - Part 4

Right beside Lagoa, the area of Botafogo, where I was born and spent most of my life. It's getting very messy over the years, but I will aways feel home here...
Across the hill, the neighborhood of Copacabana and Copacabana beach.