Rio

The flight from SFO to MIA was cramped and uncomfortable. I had an aisle seat but could not put my feet out for all the flight attendants. American Airlines has not cut corners on attendants. MIA to GIG [Rio] was the same, This time I had a bulk head. I remember when that meant more leg room. It was as tight as the early flight but the wall was hard compared to the soft back of the seat in front of me. Advice to all… don’t get tall, don’t get fat, and do get rich [enough to afford business class]. We were fed [twice!] on the MIA>GIG flight which was a surprise for me. It took 8.5 hours and most of that was spent over the Brazilian jungle. This country is huge! Watching the flight path gives you a real sense of it’s size. We landed a little late and waited in a very long line to go through passport control. They let the crew and the infirm jump the line which is understandable but they also permitted families with small children to jump to the front which was kind of charming. When we got to baggage our bags were already out. All out except one. My new hard-body Samsonite with the wine and gifts and toiletries is missing. They were confident that I would get it before the ship leaves and “if not, we will send it to meet you in Bahia.” An airport employee whisked me through customs without a glance at my bags. He acted like he was mortified that they had lost my bag.
I paid up-front for a “radio” taxi to take me to the hotel [80 reals = about $40.] during rush hour. It looked a lot like Havana. Incredibly beautiful 19th century buildings were crumbling from lack of respect. Then we finally made it to Copacabana Beach and my hotel. The Lancaster Othon is from [my guess] the 40s and 50s. It’ a bit shabby but clean and well functioning. I sat out on the beach across the street for an hour or so. Copacabana is only one of several world-class beaches in Rio. It is situated on the south coast of the city. Roberto Burle Marx designed the "wave" mosaic sidewalk that runs the length of the beach. The calcadao [black and white paving stones] are Portuguese in origin. The sidewalks closer to the hotels and other buildings are in more geometric patterns varying from block to block.