Centro, Rio
Topic: Brazil
We decided to explore the "centro" neighbourhood today and it was a good day for it as it was overcast and cooler after the night's storm. We got off the bus where it started to get interesting - beautiful old building in amongst the snazzy and (sometimes) monstrous new towers. We alternated between wandering aimlessly and getting lost and following a map and walking tour suggested by Lonely Planet. I am always very nervous of getting out a map or guidebook in public as you draw attention to yourself, but to be honest, in the business district of Centro, people took no notice of us and just went about their way. We found the most famous churches and squares and also had a look inside the art museum and the old library.

Saara street market in the Lebanese quarter was probably the tackiest market I have ever been to and that includes Abu Dhabi Souk (although no one tried to sell me a "Rolex Rolex"...). It was great fun, especially as people are getting ready for carnival and you can buy all the paraphernalia there. The mask collection was quite something. Amongst the ones of pirates, monsters and Chucky masks, were Osama Bin Laden, Sadam Hussein and even George Bush!

We had lunch in a scruffy corner diner advertising Fejouada for 7 Reis. Fejouada is the national dish of black beans and bits of meat in a stew. It was lovely. David finished off a whole pot leaving nothing but bits of bone and the manioc flour.

We went into the "Campo de Santana" park where vagrants and nutters shared benches with tiny cats weak with hunger and enormous "agoutis", a kind of rodent. It was a vile place but David (for some reason) liked it.

We saw about 4 foreigners the whole day. Where is everyone? On the beach I suspect.