Back on the Ship in Rio De Janeiro, Brazil

We had an uneventful but long journey to Rio. The time difference to California was 5 hours, now 4 since the US changed to Daylight Savings time. Not too challenging for jetlag, but still present.
We arrived and were shocked by the difference from our last visit in Rio two years ago. In 2016 the city was in the midst of Carnival and also preparing for the Olympics (only six months way). Also, then our Ship was 1 of 10 Cruise Ships in the Harbor. This alone added another 30,000+ people to the mix. To say it was chaotic would be a huge understatement – but it was fun!
We drove into the City from the airport on Sunday so shops were closed and residents with their families, most likely at the beach – a favorite pastime for Brazilians. In addition, our Ship was the only one in the harbor and Carnival concluded a month ago. Much more enjoyable and relaxing!
We spent the afternoon unpacking, settling in, and trying to shake off some our jetlag. Later we had a dinner date at our Marina restaurant.  It was great fun to collect hugs from Crew and Residents whom we haven’t seen since last November.  It’s a great feeling to be greeted with “Welcome Home”!
This visit the Ship was tied-up portside, so we got a harbor view we didn’t have in 2016.

 
The white building on the right is the Museum of Tomorrow that was built in 2015 and was part of the City’s revival of the waterfront area for the 2016 Olympics. Truly a unique building.
 

 

Rio is a beautiful city, but not without its problems.  Poverty and crime are ever present; along with pollution both air and water. Unfortunately, the harbor is in need of improvement.

We had decided not to venture out into Rio on Monday. We used the day to get back into the shipboard routine. Besides, we had scheduled back to back Spa appointments in the morning and played a round of golf with another Resident on the simulator. That evening we had dinner with Resident friends and very much enjoyed getting caught up with them and collecting more hugs from the Crew.
The Ship is a very close-knit community and the warmth of Crew and fellow Residents is really amazing.
This evening we set sail for Buzios, a small seaside resort town of 30,000 people located north of Rio.