A Day in Rio.

I know that the Olympic Games start this week..and during the lead up to it I have several times had an astonishing thought.
I have been to Rio...
I have walked through the busy streets. I have taken a boat trip around the lake...
It is lovely but I wouldn't want to be there right now!
I suppose our cruising has given us a taste of many different places around the world, none of them in any sort of detail...just small tastes of different cultures.
When I was there , about six years ago, David I knew couldn't have made the climb up the steep hill to see the figure of Christ holding out his arms to the world. So one of our travelling companions took a photograph for us..I still have it.
Rio was a lovely place...but had all the problems found in western cities , beggars, rough sleepers in doorways all laid side by side with huge wealth. The hotel we visited for afternoon tea was opulent in the extreme...
All of the worlds problems existed there as in any large city!
One day in any place can only give us a fleeting glimpse of that place but I'm glad I've seen it before the Olympic Games arrived on its shores...
In the meanwhile being able to say in any conversation,
"I've been there" is, I regret to admit giving me some moments of great pleasure!

- Posted using BlogPress from my iPad