Abandoned missile silo = Church? Acai- the magical fruit of the Amazon. Jardim Botanico. You are what you eat! Rio de Janeiro Brazil

Hung out with my new friend today from the Netherlands, named Malou, to visit the famous Church in Rio and have some lunch.

It looked like an abandoned missile silo.

But looks can be deceiving, it was actually a church.

And it was quite awesome inside.

After seeing so many churches along my journey from all part of the world, this simple concrete missile silo looking thing is up there on my favorite ones.

I don’t understand how having gold plated fancy statues and paint and such in churches makes a difference to a room make of wood or concrete to pray or preach. To think the money could have been better spent on food for the people and such when it was built.

Malou getting in the way

 But after seeing so much money and gold wasted at so many other places this simple place was great.

Quite the artistic pictures came out as you look up to the top from the inside.

We both are addicted to this awesome fruit called Acai. It’s easily available in Brazil and not many other places in a frozen desert form and is absolutely delicious.

In fact the entire hostel was addicted to it, there would be Acai runs, everyone would give one person going to get one their money and they would come back with 5 or 6 cups of the stuff.

The following day I took a nice stole around the botanical gardens with my new Australian friend Katie.

Katie and I have a very similar background in life coming from divorced parents and life philosophy to which we enjoyed some inspiration and philosophical conversations through our stories.

The park was very nice and worth the $8 reals I spent, the advent reader should now know how to convert that to US dollars by now.(hint: divide by 1.59) Remember I’m trying to promote and teach some mathematics on this blog. I want to make sure that everyone learns and leaves with something from this blog, either a funny moment, inspiration, or some mathematical skills.

Entrance was good

Cool stuff

Nice views

There were the Mexican gardens,

I felt right at home looking at the spiky needles that have pokes and perforated my skin so many times back home. Or the fact that I can remember over 10 flat tires these prickly needles have given me while riding through the desert on my motorcycle back in Texas and through Utah.

I was even reminded of the time I forgot my tire repair kit and got a flat tire in the desert because of these needles and had to walk 4 hours through the night in a heavy drug traffic area on the border with Mexico to which the border patrol picked me up thinking I was a drug transporter.

photo from the archives of the Chacon Chronnicals

Yes good times indeed!

Back to the trip...

Big ass tree

More big ass trees

Visited the Amazon part next.

Some nice flowers

Some monkeys

And just some nice overall scenery.

And took a nice "free" hike to Pao de Azucar

Tram was pretty expensive

Definitely a reccomendatio for things to do in Rio de Janeiro.

I sometimes feel that when I return I should be com a tour guide, I would have most if not all the highlights from ever country in central and south America and how to go about it….mmmm makes me think.'

Went back to the hostel later on after that.

Being a backpacker has its advantages now that I am one. For instance, the hostel is located near a supermarket with good food. There absolutely no room for a motorcycle, but provides a great ambiance for commodity between people and guests. I’ve made more friends at this hostel than at the hostels I’ve stayed at for the past 3 months. It’s a nice change to things and this trip.

So for the first time on this journey I’m actually cooking good healthy food for myself and my body can feel it.
 

I’ve been using the beach gym machines and eating healthy finally and its very evident the change I’ve felt.

You are what you eat… inspirational words for an inspirational moment. Fight obesity!