Day 6: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Today, Dan and I took advantage of the beautiful, clear sky to go to Sugarloaf Mountain. Despite the decceptive name, which would have you thinking you were venturing into Candyland, this popular landmark is simply a destination for incredible views of the city. We had read that in order to reach the top, you could either take two separate cable-cars up or walk the first half and then ride the rest of the way to the peak. Dan and I opted for the adventurous route and came ready to go in our sneakers.

From the beginning of the trail, it became clear that marmosets are as common to Rio as squirrels are to us. Yet the regularity of their presence did not stop me from trying to get close to every single one. Dan practically had to push me on to ensure our forward momentum. Though the hike was a breeze compared to scaling Corcovado, it was still pretty physically demanding. We got to the top of the first mountain in about thirty minutes and then rode up to Sugarloaf. Once there, we were greeted with an incredible panaramic view of Rio. We even caught sight of Cristo Redentor, which seemed to almost majestically emerge through a heap of clouds.

After we had our fill of the sights, we rode back down to the top of the first mountain. While there, we indulged in a well-balanced meal of açaí and french fries. Açaí is a popular Brazilian iced treat with a consistency somewhere between frozen yogurt and sherbet. I was not crazy about the flavor, though, which to me tasted like blueberries mixed with a heavy hand of flour (Dan thought it was closer to protein powder--yumm!). Anyway, we finished up our meal, and I placed the leftover fries in a napkin to use as a peace offering toward our mini mates. 

At night, Dan and I headed to a late soccer game at Maracaña stadium. The stadium had open seating, so we were able to situate ourselves with the exact view we wanted. The stands were only about three-quarters filled (possibly because of the time or the frequency of games), but the fans were extremely energetic. Nearly everyone donned a red and black jersey in support of the local team, and there was cheering, jeering, and chanting throughout the entire match. Even when the opposition scored in the first half, the crowd only seemed to grow louder. 

In the first ten minutes of the second half, the home team tied up the game with a penalty shot. The fans were hyped and it was clear the players were feeding off of their energy. Then, with fifteen minutes remaining, the home team stormed down the field and crafted a great play that ended in a kick to the corner post. GOOOOAL!!!  Everyone erupted in a collective chant with the score that ultimately took them to a 2-1 victory. It was a great game and a great exposure to futebol in Brazil.