Let the fun begin!

Alright, I made it to Rio. First impression of the city: it looks like a cross between Mexico and France. The architecture has splashes of European influence everywhere but the streets remind me of Mexico, and Portuguese is pretty close to Spanish so it sounds like Mexico too. Stuff I've learned so far: people don't wear nearly enough clothes around here. Seriously Grandpa, there is no need to go jogging in only a speedo. The sun sets around...well, it has been dark for an hour and it's 5:45. Not used to that when it has been staying light into the late evening in Sacramento but I suppose it is almost winter here, ha! Neat thing- they have lights at the beaches so it can stay "sunny" all night long, party time. Went to the beach this afternoon, the water was surprisingly cool. Not LA cool, I mean a sane human (like me for instance) would definitely take a dip, but it isn't Mediterranean warm. My hotel is literally across the street from the beach, and I have a view of Corcovado and the JC statue, which seems to be covered up for some reason...more on that when I figure it out.