Flying Up to Rio

 Wednesday was my last day in Easter Island, so I went to the museum, picking up the polynesian words for recycling garbage on the way :)

 The museum has the only remaining eye fragment, these were inlaid after the Moai were erected, and presumed this was done with great fanfare and ceremony... they look a little Egyptian.

 The Polynesians were ahead of their time, making maps of sticks and stones that laid out islands and the winds and currents that led them to them.

 Meanwhile houseplants grow OUTDOORS and I am so jealous.

 This much photographed Moai just rolls his eyes at me of course...

 he's been there hundreds of years.

 There's a political smell in the air here, the mayor and council elections are on, and it pits the pro-independance (from Chile) parties against those for the status quo. So they bake pigs in the ground and have parties to win over voters.

 I had to buy m lunch and splashed for the most expensive place in town, it shows up as 78 bucks on my credit card and was worth half that :(

 My plane arrived so it was off to the airport...

 I never took a pic of the birdman - here's two, symbol of the island because of their unique bird man cult.

 Aotearoa is the Polynesian name for New Zealand should you be wondering, and yep, still a long way away.

 And off we go, pills in hand, for a long hike through Lima, Sao Paulo and into Rio. Left Lima 1:20am, arrived Sao Paulo 9:20am.

 Bye bye Rapa Nui.

 Long lines of planes to leave Sao Paulo Thursday at 1pm.

 I didn't see downtown from the sky, it is a distinctive skyline, but I did see...

 The strangest looking lakes. I think they are man made flooding for a dam or something.

 After going at very slow speed for an hour we arrive in Rio, and it's cloudy!

 Late in the afternoon by the time I got to Copacabana... but off taste Samba!

 The place above is where all the touristas go - it is feathers and dancing...

 So I took my time at the beach fruit juice counters... look at the swirly sidewalks, a Portuguese thing for patterned sidewalks...

 Then off to The Scenarium in downtown Rio's Lapa neighbourhood. It's an upscale local hangout, food, capirinhas and live Samba - in an old building on 3 levels full of odd bric a brac but the floors are open to each other so the music goes everywhere, young old, families too, all doing the Samba...

 I LOVE THIS PLACE!

 Having too many capirinhas helps with anything, but it's a really great spot.

 Recommend to all in Rio!

 This last pic is an odd one, it's not very good, but this old black guy with one tooth in a bad fitting white suite with red handkerchief, would hit on the chicas for a dance. Boy could they dance! The woman below was a natural, but then again, they all seemed to be here!

First night in Rio! And I am drunk as a skunk! Wish you were here!