On The Home Stretch..

Laying on the beach in Copacabana is an experience in itself. We can't go 5 minutes without a vendor coming by to sell their wares-hats, drinks, beach clothes, hammocks, shrimp on a skewer-you name it, they got it, even tattoos!

It is Saturday morning and the beach is probably twice as packed already, mostly with locals. Our hotel has it's own special section with chairs and towels,,I am still clutching my IPad for dear life as the threat of thievery is still very present. Then again, I keep looking around and thinking which one of these innocent faces might mug me? I am very grateful we have had a safe time here in Rio. We were able to get around without issue, despite warnings from many, many people. There are some folks that will not even travel to Brazil just because of the potential danger. I am so glad we ventured out of our comfort zone coming here-it was well worth it!
Yesterday, we took our long run. It was really, really hot! I was drained by mile 3 or so. We stopped and got some coconut water, straight from the coconut in one of the many water/snack stands along the beach. Coconut water, it seems is the magic bullet for 100% humidity and 80 degree temps. I immediately perked up within 15 minute, thank goodness. I really wanted complete one more long run in Rio. I think we ran 38 miles in the 5 days we have been in Rio. I no longer feel like a slug eating and eating without energy being put out. I have managed to only put on maybe 5 lbs along the way. I am slowly weaning off of desserts, which have been part of my maintenance diet in the last 9 weeks..hopefully I'll not go into too much shock getting back to healthy foods at home next week.
Our last night in Rio we went to a very special restaurant in St. Tereza. The hotel there was previously a coffee plantation which was renovated into a beautiful hotel and artist community. It was strange to take the cab ride through the favelas (slums) to get to the beautiful little oasis in their midst. The views, the greenery and decor of the hotel were distinctly different than the other parts of Rio we have seen. As we watched the sunset in the bar of the hotel, I can only describe it as beautiful, amazing-I am running out of adjectives!

The bar we had a drink at sunset

Interesting bathroom sign..

We took another short cab ride to the restaurant, which was 5 star by all accounts and it lived up to its reputation! Up a very steep cobblestone street, down a flight of narrow stairs, we stepped into a taste of paradise. Surrounded by large trees and plants and a view to die for, we were tucked into a niche for dinner. We had the best appetizer so far on the trip, a huge portion of Hearts of Palm. I can't exactly describe the taste but anyone who has ever had HofP can imagine the most amazing flavor, accompanied by a sauce that made it melt in your mouth. I ordered a sirloin beef dinner, which came out cold. When I complained, it came back hot and over done. It was still delicious. We watched the sky grow dark and stars come out with the city lights finally shining. No bugs, perfect temperature, it really was one of our top meals of the trip..so hard to pick my favorite meal and restaurant on the trip! We took a "VIP" taxi home which is basically a black car instead of yellow and three times the price. Oh well, it was worth it in my mind as we were safely and comfortably chauffeured home. The beach last night was bustling when we got back.

The restaurant at St. Tereza

We spent our last night out on our little deck watching the crowds enjoying the beginning of the weekend..reminiscing about the last 9 weeks; our favorite parts, sights, hotels, restaurants..we basically "ran" around South America-jogging in Chile, Argentina, Brazil-we did it all! I am overwhelmed with gratefulness we can experience these amazing journeys..It is straight out of a fairy tale in my mind. Never in my wildest dreams growing up did I ever imagine I would be galavanting around the planet as we have been doing..I am one lucky girl! My Aunt Bernice would be proud! (family joke) :)..

Night view from our hotel room deck

We await our carriage to take us to Buzios, Brazil-yet another beach area or several beaches located within a 3 hour drive south of Rio. We figured by the last few days of our adventure, we would want to chill on a beach and chill we shall...in between runs that is! Buzios is suppose to be the safest place in our travels, except the Cruise of course. I look forward to letting my guard down a bit..finally..
 I have mixed feelings these last couple of days in South America. I am weary of trying to communicate several times a day, my limited Spanish conversational nouns are not getting me too far here in Brazil. Some folks working in shops or restaurants seem annoyed at our lack of Portugese. That's OK, we are too! I miss my family and friends, training buds..I miss American TV. We have not watched any TV since we left Buneos Aires, I never have figured out the TV stations in Brazil. Once we tried to find Fox and American Idol but to no avail..H is really, really hoping the small town of Buzios will have the Super Bowl on this Sunday. I guess it will be around 9:00 PM Brazil time. Surely there are some S.Americans that like football as much as soccer? We will find out I guess...I do love the way we have had not much structure for the most part of our trip. At home, I feel so much more pressure to do stuff on a daily basis. This is my leftover work self I suppose, a need to be productive..On extended vacations, for some reason my brain lets go and allows me to relax...ahhh... I do however miss my home cooked meals(I guess that would be Hartley's home cooking that is).. Don't get me wrong, dining in restaurants as we have, has been lovely. H & I were just saying last night-we have been so fortunate in that department. Very little crappy food on our trip..plus-I do not want to jinx ourselves-but we have been really, really healthy for the most part. We both experienced a touch of Traveler's diarrhea but the miracle drug Cipro came to the rescue!! H's short lived leg running issue resolved itself quickly. We now are more aware of the importance of "warming up" pre-running because we are ahem..."older athletes". It's not a bad reality to have in the scheme of things! I miss my IPhone..there I said it! Also my PC computer and at times my bed and pillows. I really miss our mountains of New Mexico intermittently, especially running in the Foothills. I don't miss the cold winter at the moment. Good lord, I also miss my hairdresser! I have also run out of contacts-it has been a real hassle to find lenses in Brazil that fit me. Oh well, back to reading glasses for a short while. I have run my running shoes into the ground. The soles look like gym shoes from the 60s whose tread has completely worn down to the sole. I will be saying bye-bye to them in a few days. I miss my wedding rings, any nice jewelry for that matter! Going out to nice restaurants with no jewelry on has been somewhat annoying..
For the most part, I conclude I am ready to go home. I have simply and thoroughly LOVED this trip, hands down. H planned the trip perfectly, the places we have stayed, the amount of time stayed, everything. I would not have the patience he had to put it all together-I am married to the best travel agent ever! 
One last look at Rio De Janeiro; the rooftop pool and gym, the views surrounding the treadmills, breathtaking..I know-Shocker!

Many more peeps on the beach on a Saturday

My view from The treadmill

Dare I say, the weather has been perfect! We figured out we have had only 2 days of rain in 68 days-not bad! Again, our luck in adventuring has been amazing..
I sure do love my life!! On to Buzios..