South America Day 2: I Won’t Starve

First impressions, while I enjoy lunch …

Rio is a study in contrasts. It wears its slums out on its sleeve. There is no escaping that part of the city as you are driven to wherever it is you’re going.

But then you can arrive at a real gem in the middle of it all and see that there’s an elegance and class here too.

Still making sense of it all. I’m staying these first two nights at the lovely Hotel Santa Teresa, which is not near the beaches. (Those were all sold out.) I expect I’ll mostly lay low today; maybe go for a walk in this neighborhood once I figure out what’s safe and what’s not.

Still no idea where I’m going from Thursday until Tara arrives next Tuesday. Need to leave Rio though. It’s too expensive to be here for long. Thinking Recife next, but not sure yet …

It’s a bit of a grey day but I think I will survive. 🙂

Hotel Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Hotel Santa Teresa, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil