Rio

ok, if the trip to Minas Gereis was nice I don't know what to say about my stay here in Rio. It has been a very nice weekend with a lot of nice experiences. I came to Rio this friday and Rosario was supposed to meet me at the airport. She was a bit late but she showed up after 30 min or so. She's a very nice lady, short with dark curled hair. Then we went to her house which is situated in the mountains in Rio. A very nice house with spectacular views over Rio.

The next day we went up at 5:30 to start the orchid-excursion. We went to pick up some other orchid lovers and went of to the mountains around Petropolis. The views from my last trip was very nice but this was even more incredible. The mountain formations around Rio look so cool! We went to this area that is owned by an english man and it's a protected area of over 6000 hk! We had a guide that took us through the atlantic rainforest and we got really close to the animals. We didn't see any jaguar, but we saw fresh foot prints from it. It would have been soo cool if we got to see one.. But, we saw a lot of orchids. The guys in the group are really experts and spotted the orchids from far distance and namned them without any doubts..

It was a very long walk and we stopped to long by every orchid so on the way back we had to use our torch to find the way back.. We stayed in a small house in the forest. Really nice.

The next day only half of the group was fit to take another walk after the rather long and though walk from yesterday. This walk was well worth taking! We walked up to a very beautiful waterfall and then we walked along the stream down again. This was a real djungel track. The guide had his mascheta in his hand all the time to make a path for us..

Well back at the house the humming birds were flying around the house and you got a really close look at them. Also Nicolas, the owner of the area, was there. A very nice man that invited me again and I have an open invitation to go there and work with his project (replanting and protection of the forest)when ever I want!

So, then we went back to Rio and the next day me and Rosario, who by the way is the director of the orchid magazine Orquidario here in Brazil, and a very powerfull person, went to her orchid green house in Petropolis. It`s a beautiful place and a crazy big green house. Here I sampled my Hoffmannseggella species. There were a lot so it took some time actually.

After this Rosarios dad, Jaocarlo, picked me up to go for lunch at his place. That Rosario was a rather wealthy lady I had already figured out, but now i started to understand how wealthy.. Her dad is very rich and powerful and everybody knowes him. He has several houses around Petropolis and a crazy appartment in Rio etc.. In his house I got a very nice lunch without having to move one finger. They had servents doing everything. Like at an expensive restaurant..

Then I went with Jaocarlo and his new wife (much younger then him..) to there appartment in Rio. A very nice flat with the view over one of the beaches in Rio. Very nice, but for me it felt to much like hotel and not like a home..

ok, then he arranged a personal driver for me that took me around Rio and showed me all the beautuful beaches and took me for a very nice ride in Rio. Then he took me back to Rosarios house, and there a had a nice dinner with some tropical fresh fish!

Today I`ll go back to Campinas at six. I really don`t want to. It`s much, much nicer here then in Campinas... Today I will go for a walk around the neighbour hood here. It`s very nice here and some very nice views over Rio.