Rio Day One -

We got here noon yesterday but the day was all business. Checking into hotels, checking hotels out, getting a feel for the surrounding area, getting some local currency, finding food. That kind of thing.

The flight here was uneventful (for Loretta and I anyway). Shane and Cassandra took a wrong turn in the Sao Paulo airport and accidentally went through immigration (when they should have just gone to their connecting gate for Rio). I guess they freaked the airline people out some when they disappeared half way through the trip but I can't write that story here because, well, it could be considered hear-say in many courts.

We (back to Retta and I) flew in on a flagship 777 which is, in my never to be humble opinion, the best long haul aircraft that American flies. It has computers in the seats with a wide movie selection and business class is better than first class on a 767.

I watched 2.5 movies. X-Men Woverine, Yes Man, and the first half of "The Proposal". I decided I wanted to see the end of "The Proposal but couldn't seem to talk the flight crew into taking another lap before landing so I guess I'll have to wait.

Once we got here we had no issues with immigration or getting into Copacabana. The Marriott is treating us well and upgraded our room to a corner ocean view room on the top floor. Shane and Cassandra are in a different hotel (this one is a bit spendy) about 4 blocks down the beach but they too have a ocean view room.

Yesterday we went to a buffet place where you pay for your lunch by the kilo and then took a walk to Ipenema beach and watched the surfers for a while. Cassandra negotiated with a street vendor for a while and purchased one of those purses made out of a zipper. Asking price $20. Purchase price $8 (this is all in Reais which are worth about 55 cents each so she spent a touch over four bucks).

We stopped in a surf shop to inquire prices on renting surf boards, boogie boards and such. We all plan to do the boogie board thing, I really need to get up on a surf board at least once to put a knife through the heart of that demon, and I think at least Cassandra (clearly the surfing champion among us in Hawaii) wants to try surfing on waves bigger than ankle high.

Finally we walked back to the hotel, had the free happy hour snacks in the executive lounge. The kids are practicing for when they are old and Loretta and I are acting like we really are old so everyone was in bed by 7:30 pm.

Nothing like staying up all night to make sleepy time come a touch early.