This summer Scott and I were lucky enough to take a vacation of a life time to Brazil!
It was such a wonderful place, I took so many pictures that I had a hard time narrowing them down.
Week spent our first week in the amazing city of Rio de Janeiro
Scott and I our first day in Brazil!
We met up with one of Scott's old mission companions and friend Thiago. This is the favela behind Thiago's church building. These poor areas on the hills are truly amazing. They just build right on top of each other, there are hardly any roads and there are these crazy high staircases that they climb up to their homes.
The church building
Us with Thiago and his fiance Daisy
We took a walk on the beach that was down the street from our hotel.
Me on Flamengo beach, standing in front of Sugar Loaf mountain.
Scott wearing his team Flamengo jersey on Flamengo beach, very appropriate.
One of my favorite things about the beaches and parks in Brazil is that they have these exercise stations. They seriously were everywhere, I wish I would have taken more pics of them.
What a great idea, there were always people working out on the beaches and in the parks.
(including me :) )
so gorgeous....
We were also lucky enough to be there for Thiago's birthday and to have his friends invite us to his surprise party.
The second counselor in the bishopric of the ward that we attended is a taxi driver and he offered to take us for a whole day on a sight seeing tour of Rio. His name is Rinaldo, he drove us all over, was our photographer and stopped at all the places with pretty views.
Scott and Rinaldo on our way up to the Cristo Redentor statue
Cristo Redentor
We found some monkeys on our way back from seeing the statue
This guy was so tiny, he is sitting on a hand rail
Stopped at some pretty waterfalls, where Scott got attacked by mosquitoes
dang mosquitoes
Ipanema Beach
A view of Copacabana Beach
We rode cable cars to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain
These steps were created by a guy from Chile who painted all of these tiles and he puts a new one on or changes one everyday.
We bought Brazilian chocolate!
We spent the next day relaxing on the beautiful Copacabana Beach.
Bikinis anyone?
After our amazing first week in Rio we headed to Scott's mission area. The first city we went to from his mission was Palmas. This is the place where I really fell in love with the people. They were so warm and loving to us.
My new Brazilian sisters!
We spent most of the time with Iracy and her family. Her and her sister Ivonete took us to have Acai and it was very yummy.
Ivonete, Iracy and me enjoying our Acai
One of the days Scott and I headed out for lunch at a churrascaria. Scott wasn't quite sure where it was since the last time he had been there was on his mission. So we ended up walking around for quite a while. We went by the capitol building.......
Scott and the golden family
We finally made it to lunch!
This place was soooo yummy, I stuffed myself
Grilled pineapple yum!
The beach in Palmas
Iracy also took us to the market or fair that they have once a week.
It was very cool, they have a ton of fruits and foods that I had never seen before.
We drove to some waterfalls with this group of friends.
Iracy, Priscilla, Mauricio, Carol, Rosange, Cynthia, Me, Scott and Thaise
At the top about to hike down to the waterfalls
One of these things is not like the others.......
The waterfalls were so pretty and freezing. The ropes hanging next to us are for people to repel down the waterfall
Next they took us to Brazil's longest zip line! It was so fun and scary!
The four brave zip liners right before we jumped off the cliff...
We made it down alive!
We visited a lot of members that Scott knew while on his mission. It was really great to see all of the lives that he touched while serving his mission.
This is a little Brazilian dance lesson we had at one of the member's homes.
Brazil has very interesting pizza, this is a banana, cheese and cinnamon pizza. Sounds gross I know, but trust me it was yummy
Pizza night!
Karaoke time at Iracy's brothers birthday party .....
These are Iracy's nieces who I fell in love with.
Marina, Ana Louisa and Carol
The last place we stayed was in Brasilia. We stayed with a family that Scott and baptized the parents while on his mission.
Scott and their son Moroni.
Scott standing in front of his old mission house....
Street food in Brasilia
Meat on a stick, yum
Me and their daughter Elisa,
she asked me everyday to do her hair and put makeup on her.
Sweet breads from the bakery!
All of the kids love to fly kites and they have the kite wars where they put glass on their strings and try to cut the other kites down.
I snapped a pic of this little boy as we were walking down the street.
Valmir, Elisa, Moroni and Shirley
Dessert Pizza!
This family caught this huge python on their farm. Ah!
I tried my first chicken heart while in Rio. It did not taste like chicken, it was very chewy.
Not yum
Random pictures I took on the streets of Brasil......
The street our hotel was on in Rio..
This clown entertains the cars at red lights for money..
Scott using the payphone...
Snake on the side of the road..
These little girls where braiding each others hair on the corner in Rio. They spend their days begging for money on the streets
I am so grateful for the opportunity we had to visit this wonderful country and to go back to the area where Scott served for two years. I hope that it wasn't the last time we will get to see all of the many friends we have made there....
