After taking a bit of rest day, we decided to get ourselves together and take a walk around the city. As is standard procedure, we looked on the map for either green (a park) or blue (water) and headed in that direction. Our afternoon stroll was aimed towards Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, which is just north of Ipanema.

As we reached the lake, we started noticing all of these wonderfully strangely shaped hills that seemed to pop out of the ground. Following South America’s separation from Africa, these granite peaks formed over time as the soil around them eroded away. They are absolutely beautiful. As we circled the lake I couldn’t help but be amazed. Rio is so beautiful. The combination of the lake, the trees, and the setting sun was magical.

After the lake, we returned to the beach to finish the walk back to the hotel. Rio is a perfect mix of city and nature. Beauty abounds.

I don’t want to get ahead of myself (as I’ve only been here two days), but I think it’s safe to say that Rio is one of my new favorite cities. Don’t be surprised if you see me speaking Portuguese next year. I’ll definitely be back soon.