Notes about Rio

The coastal road between Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro is one of the most epic motorcycle rides that can be experienced. Almost the entire road is part of a National Park and has been declared a UNESCO heritage site. The road weaves along the coastline and is boarded by crystal waters on the ocean side and steep cliffs to the north. The road climbs steeply up and drops down like a roller coaster and every turn brings a new and exciting view of the mountains and the ocean and it's islands.   A perfect vacation could be to fly to Rio in the summer (winter in USA), buy a 250 cc motorcycle and drive down to Florianopolis to surf for a week before driving back to Rio to sell the bike and fly home. All you would need is a back pack with your bathing suit and a change of clothes.

I don't have a ton of photo's from Rio because I was cautious about taking my camera with me and being robbed. It's pretty common to be robbed with threat of violence although I have no experience with this. Others I met had been robbed or seen others being robbed. The outskirts of Rio are extremely poor and the houses don't really look like houses at all. Almost every building along the highway is covered in graffiti and none of the buildings paint over it, there is no maintenance. The thought of growing up in this part of the world makes me feel lucky to call Northern California home. 

The contrast of extreme poverty vs the mega developed beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema creates an ever-present tension between the haves and have-nots. All of this, however, is outshone by the shear natural beauty of Rio. It's mountains, jungles, beaches and islands are truly amazing to see.