Rio de Janeiro. Finally, my first visit to the Cidade Maravilhosa. So far, it is a little rainy and overcast, so no one was at Ipanema beach. People are going about their daily business. There are so many shops and little corner stores and people drinking from big coconuts. The beaches are huge with volleyball nets and soccer goalposts, but nobody playing. Just not the right weather. I can visualize what it is like on a hot sunny day.

I arrived by airplane from Belo Horizonte. I would recommend taking a bus from BH instead of the plane. It would probably be easier and faster. The taxi line at the airport in Rio was ridiculous. But I got to my little Airbnb apartment near Ipanema and then started walking.

I walked all around Ipanema and Leblon. Then I went to the Vegetariano Social Club. My Thanksgiving dinner was a vegan buffet with tofu stroganoff, stewed beans and nice salads followed by chocolate tofu cake and ice cream. Definitely Brazilian flavors and a nice quiet atmosphere.

They have Black Friday in Brazil, but of course no Thanksgiving. So nobody quite understands what Black Friday is. Capitalism from the USA is affecting the whole world, and people will go to the sales tomorrow. Maybe I will go shopping tomorrow and be a good consumer!