- At a certain time of day (around 11am I think) you can see a shadow of an Ibis on the side of Pão de Acucar. Of course many people have a lot of mysterious beliefs about what it means. Personally, I think the rocks make a crazy ass shadow. Some would call me a nonbeliever and I would call some crazy...
- The Portuguese named Rio de Janeiro because when they saw guanabara bay they thought it was the end of a river. And we wonder why the Brazilians tease them so. Anyway, they discovered a river in January and kaboom, Rio de Janeiro was born.
- While named by the Portuguese, Rio de Janeiro was already being called Oriental France by the French. Are you seeing a pattern of unique names? Me neither.
- In 1807, Portugal was invaded by France. At the urging of Britain, the whole Portuguese royal family fled to Brazil, accompanied by an escort of British ships. John VI's court in exile was established in Rio de Janeiro. (wikipedia). I bet he looked over at his wife and whispered "Second honeymoon!"
- The impressive Theatro Municipal, built in 1905 and located at the heart of Centro, was directly modeled after the Paris Opera House in an attempt to replicate the sophistication of the French capital. (nileguide.com)
- The Pedra da Gavea apparently looks like a face to Cariocas (I don't see it) and there have been many explanations given over the years. Scientists say that there is no basis behind the suggestions. They claim extreme yet natural erosion of the rock, although some will insist that there is an inscription in the rock that corresponds to a ruler of Phoenicia named Badzir. Things that make you go hmmmmm, right?
- On a lighter note, Cariocas enjoy putting little shoes on their dogs. No, it's not a form of evil domination. The reasoning I have been given is that those horrible booties keep the dog from dragging outside dirt into the apartment. Now that's some smart walking.
- Copacabana is one of the most densely populated places on the planet, with some 25,000 people per square km. The majority of these inhabitants are squeezed into the myriad high rise apartments that dominate the neighborhood. (nileguide.com)
So what did I miss? Did I get anything wrong? Shall we compile a list of cool and crazy facts about Rio!
