Tijuca Forest on Tuesday. What an amazing place! In the middle of Rio there is a preserved Rain forest up on the hills. We ventured up very excited as Zack finishes Kindergarten with a unit of Rianforests. We saw the waterfalls, ruins of old slave buildings, hummingbirds, waterfalls and lots of tropical canopy. An old man from the WWF, world wildlife folks - not world wrestling - generously showed us around. The very sad thing is that these forests are not safe. The Favelas have started to encrouach and the police look the other way. Tourists are sitting ducks! They grab your stuff and off through the jungle. Thus we stayed pretty much in the car and only got out here and there for photos. Whoops this one above is crooked. Needless to say, Zack and Kayla may have missed a week of school, but when the rainforest unit comes, they will have real experience to share! I'll be ready with the power point presentation.

After Tijuca we went to plan B, and Annanda recommended a GREAT restaurant right on the water at the base of the Sugfarloaf. And get this, it had a fully childproofed amazing in door playground. The kids were in heaven...... so were the adults. The children played, we ate and enjoyed the view.

And to cap off the eneving we headed to Copacabanna Palace for dessert and to put our toes in the sand at Copacabanna and be that girl from Ipenima! It is honestly amazing!! WOW, I get the city! I would love to come here again and stay right in downtown Rio and experience the city on the beach! Don't let the scary crime stories scare you! Yes, you have to keep youir witts about you (a not so blind, blind man tried to picpocket me at the hippie fair, luckily my pockets were bare) but this city is blessed by that Cristo above for sure!