Can't believe that I have already spent my first day in Brazil! Leaving home was very difficult for me but I can already tell that this will go by quickly. After a long and almost sleepless flight from Houston to Rio I met with our family friend Regina. Regina is a fantastic woman and we had a really busy and fun time today. Even the bus ride from the airport to her house was fascinating! We started of our day by going to grab a bite to eat and washed it all down with a glass of chopp, what Regina referred to as Brazilian draft beer. After that we took a bus downtown where I got to see some interesting buildings such as the National Public Library, the House of Representatives, a replica of the Opera House in Paris, and a colossal modern cathedral. 

After walking around for so long it was time to check out the beaches! I was able to take a look at Sugar Loaf and to gaze upon the famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema (which I am only half a block away from). Finally, we concluded the night with another glass of chopp and some traditional Brazilian food as the sun set on the beach.

I am pretty exhausted after such a long day and will be going to bed soon since we are five hours ahead of CO. Tomorrow I get to do some more sight seeing with Regina and I also get to eat more Brazilian food!