New Parks and Justin Beiber

We discovered two new parks this week, one just right behind our house that Rolf found online.  The park equipment is the same, but it's very quiet and it doesn't feel like you're in the big city like the other parks around us, it's very jungle-y and nice.   Two police officers drove up and went up the hiking trail, and I thought there was something going on, but Rolf asked them, and they said they were just going for a nature walk to relax.  Ah, Rio!  There were lots of monkeys, so of course Evie loved it.   We'll definitely be going back, I'm so happy our closest park is so quiet and right up against the rainforest.

We also went to a park in Largo do Machado with a square that's very beauitful/colonial with an old church in the center.  A short walk away was the park with an imperial-looking governor's house inside, waterfalls, and play equipment.  Evie definitely (thanks to Dora the Explorer) knows what waterfalls are and was very excited to point to each one and exclaim, "Waterfall!  I see it!  There!"

Saturday we went to the Copacabana Palace and a walk on the Calcadao because it was closed for the holiday (Day of the Dead).   We almost didn't go in because there was this HUGE crowd of people, mostly women, and figured a celebrity was there, but we went anyway because the idea of a pool sounded really nice.  Sure enough, it was, not to crowded inside, they fed us fruit cups, the pool was heated, there were other babies for Evie to play with, we liked it!   And at the pool we found out Justin Beiber was there.  So that's why.  As we exited the rotating door, there were hundreds of screams and applause, I'm guessing because we were holding 2 cute American girls and they were hungry for anyone to come out!

Today we showed around Rolf's old friend and spouse from BYU.  We would have gone to church earlier but we had to stay home to let in the gas company person as we haven't had hot water for 3 days and that was the only time he could come.  Luckily, we have hot water now, yea!!!!   Anyway, we took them on the Calcadao walk down to the edge of Leme, the Windsor hotel, and then back here.  I can't believe they'll only be in town 3 days, not enough time to see everything!  Sounds like they're going to try though.