In and around Ilha Grande 2

On our last day in Ilha Grande, we had a lovely sunset caipirinha (the national mixed drink of Brazil) on the beach near the house we were renting. The drink is made with cachaca (Brazilian rum), lime, and sugar.

Jon picked up the nickname "Tio Joao" (Uncle Jon in Portuguese) during our trip, and hence this bicycle parked by the side of the beach was a photo opportunity that we just couldn't pass up.

Annie really thought his moustache was fantastic.

We agreed, and also thought his music playing was pretty fabulous.

The Meeks: Ilha Grande 1

With much excitement, we made our way from Rio de Janeiro to Ilha Grande. We hiked, we played on the beach, and had a generally lovely time.

Annie got some more leaf time

Annie--and in reality her fan club--got a last chance to enjoy her incredibly cute "I'm a strawberry" swimsuit

Bubby got some really special time with Annie on the beach

After a debacle involving a leaky kayak, turbulent seas, and barnacle-covered rocks, Rita had to use her special needlepointing light and surgical skills to fix Jon up. That was, perhaps, the lowlight of the trip.

Yet, somehow we all still managed to enjoy ourselves!

Teresopolis and thereabouts

In addition to enjoying the wonders of Rio de Janeiro we took the opportunity to rent a car (!!!) and head out to Petropolois and Teresopolis in the mountains surrounding Rio. Teresopolis is home the the Serra dos Orgaos national park, known for its incredible rock formations, including the "Finger of God" pictured below.

 

I had wanted to visit this national park for years, and while we didn't have a ton of time to any climbing, we did do a whole handful of phenomenal day hikes.

Giant tree ferns

Behold! Nature!

As Annie is fond of "dando tchau" (waving) everyone else is as well by default.

Pausing to enjoy the view and company

All smiles in my palanquin!

In addition to the great hikes, we had perhaps the most phenomenal picnic lunch. While the PB&J was quite tasty, what was really the proverbial icing on the cake was the really lovely time we had just lounging around on the grass, chasing Annie around as she crawled like a speed demon, and playing a little banjo.

And at the end of the night, an incredible view of the Dado de Deus staring at us from the hotel.

The Meek Clan in and around Rio

 Grandpa is all smiles to be off the airplane and in the land of pao de queijo

After months of planning, the Meek clan (both Brazilian, Delewarean, and parts of Nevadan contingents) descended upon Rio de Janeiro for some fun in the sun in and around Rio.

it turns out he is full of a few funny faces as well

Annie is full of smiles because she is with her Bubby who loves her

And Bubby is full of smiles because she is with her granddaughter

Over our time in Rio we stayed in both Santa Teresa, and in Copacabana. We used the website airbnb.com, which I'm not getting paid to promote, but for which I should!, as it was a great way to find wonderful furnished apartments at reasonable rates for all of us to stay. It was so nice not to be in a hotel all the time, and be able to cook, socialize, and watch the Olympics every night! 

In addition to just hanging around and eating the lovely chocolate baked goods that Bubby brought (that Bubby!) we did a fair amount of site seeing, including to the botanical gardens pictured above.

Every once in a while, the excitement was too much, and Annie just needed some personal time with her favorite play thing: a leaf. Word to the wise, don't take this child to the desert, the tropical rainforest with its abundance of leaves is much more her speed.

Jim and Rita came down first, and so got a chance to do a little Rio exploring together.

And then Jon came down, and although Gita and Victoria were certainly missed, we really appreciated having Tio Joao around (at Parque Lage with Christ statue a faint line on the cliff above).

                                                        Gratuitous pretty root picture

On our travels we came across a variety of exercise parks for the "3rd age". Here is proof that we transcend those distinctions, as Annie on Grandpa's back, David and Jon in the background get our elliptical on. 

 

And for Annie we found a particularly nice low-hanging sturdy branch that served as a great bouncy gym.

Try this at home

After what we were sure would remain the wild goose chase to end all goose chases, we finally located the elusive macerico.

 And where, but right across the street at our neighbors´ house, lurking quietly all this time: the ultimate tool of the trade, the weapon of war—the flamethrower.

And so the carnage began. Spiders, beetles, ants, raining down in a black, apocyliptic snow. It was a thing of beauty. If you don´t know what I mean by all of this violent imagery, refer back to our post from earlier about the long-term project of conquering vermin in our humble abode.

Forget karma. it´s time to burn.

while Annie was particularly interested in the flame thrower we thought it not an age appropriate toy. I know, uptight parents.

The joy that the macerico brought to our lives is really unbounded. While I´m sad that the excitement is over, I´m gladdened by the fact that in another few months, our vermin ´´friends´´ and general cloud of cobwebs will have returned and it will once again be macerico time.

The result was truly amazing, the ceiling and walls free of nastiness. I later learned that the principal usage of the macerico is to remove the skin of dead pigs before putting them on the spit. Apparently one person works the flame thrower, and another uses a machete to remove the burned skin. Perhaps too much information?

The only question remains: what can´t we use the macerico for? Ideas include mowing the lawn, rapid burning of trash, perhaps not shaving, but you never know....it is the macerico after all.