In 1987 I did something rash. I was living on the US Mainland at the time, it was January, and I was freezing cold. My mental state seemed as dreary and gray as the skies outside, so I decided to do something daring. I had just watched a rather silly movie Blame It On Rio, and after it was over I sat there thinking, "Why not?" So on a whim I booked a flight to the southern hemisphere in search of sun and fun. I knew almost nothing about Rio or Brazil at the time, and this was the first time I would ever travel alone. Wow, what an amazing experience for a young person just beginning to realize the size of our planet! It was a sudden decision, and I departed without telling any family or friends. For two glorious weeks I literally dropped out of sight, experiencing the Rimbaudesque thrill that no one on earth knew where I was. It was also a lesson on how easy it is to take a leap of faith, to come across a picture or image in a magazine of some exotic corner of the world and find myself standing in the same spot in person a few days later. It's an impulse that I'm proud to say I have indulged several times in the years since.
I found a hotel on famed Copacabana Beach and set out to take some photographs. That's when the size of the country really hit me. I ended up taking several faux panorama shots like the one below to try to fit it all in...
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It didn't take long for me to notice the raw sensuality of the city, the tanned beautiful bronzed bodies soaking up the sun, amateur soccer & volleyball teams darting up & down the sands in pursuit of glory, open-air beachside cafes crammed with people -- in short, it was a glimpse of the passion & zest for life that Latin America is so famous for. What I loved most was that, in direct contrast to Hawaii, this crowded beach scene was made up entirely of locals, not tourists. The shamelessly revealing thong bikini styles (like those below) made me laugh when I thought of the layers of garments everyone back home was wearing at the exact same moment in time.
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The beautiful backdrop of the busy strand.
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Future World Cup hopefuls take a breather.
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Famous Ipanema Beach, duly packed with sun worshippers.
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From Ipanema's Hippie Market, a painting I that riveted my attention as the perfect
abstract
representation of the chaotic beach scene I had just photographed above.
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One of the many heartbreakingly-lovely local beauties
made famous by Antonio Carlos Jobim in
his song Garota de Ipanema, the Girl from Ipanema.
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Larger than life statue of Christ towers over the city at Corcovado. For a hint of scale, compare the outstretched arms of Jesus to the tiny people gathered below his feet. I took this photograph from a helicopter (my first helicopter ride!) during an aerial tour of the city.
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One of Rio's signature locales, Sugarloaf Mountain.
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Heading to the top of Sugarloaf on the mountain ropeway.
Rio unfolds below as the cable cars
ascend higher and higher.
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From the summit of Sugarloaf looking down at the city of Rio de Janeiro.
The giant Christ statue
that hovers over the city is just visible on the tallest mountain peak to the right.
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Billed as the largest revue in Latin America, the Scala puts Las Vegas shows to shame.
