Carioca in Rio

From Wikipedia:

Carioca" is a Portuguese adjective that refers to the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The original word "Kara'i oca" comes from the indigenous Amerindian language of the Tupi people, meaning "White Man's House".

According to a survey published in American Scientist Magazine, the Cariocas of Rio de Janeiro exhibited great friendliness and offered to help in various situations. A quote from the article mentioned the following:

There is an important word in Brazil: simpático. (Actually it's a Greek origin word meaning sym-pathy that you feel very concerned (almost the same) about someone else's suffering). It refers to a range of desirable social qualities - to be friendly, nice, agreeable, and good-natured. A person who is fun to be with and pleasant to deal with .... Brazilians, especially the Cariocas of Rio (as citizens here are known), want very much to be seen as simpático. And going out of one's way to assist strangers is part of this image.

Our time in Rio was short, but we did have a few days to witness the Carioca lifestyle and all the culture and music that makes Rio such a great city.

We went to Ipanema beach to look for the Girl from Ipanema, but we didn't find her. We had a great yoga session instead.

We took a day trip to the Modern Art Museum. This impressive structure was designed by Oscar Niemayer, an amazing architect. He has many structures throughout Brasil and the world.

We went out with some couchsurfing friends one night, and discovered that the sidewalks are called "Brasilian rugs". The black and white stone work adornes most city blocks, and although it's nice to look at, the women hate it because it's dangerous to walk on with high heels!

Christ the Redemer statue is visibile throughtout the city. What a beautiful landmark! Our hostal was also a highlight during our visit in Rio, and we wish we could have spent more time getting to know people. We had to press on, however, to volunteer up the coast. . .