Copa Copacabana

Think Barry Manilow and you'll get the tune of "Copa Copacabana." That is where Erin and I are off to on Friday! We plan on visiting Corcovado (The Christ Redeemer Statue), Sugar Loaf, the "largest urban rain forest in the world," a bunch of beaches, and so much more. I think the hotel has internet so I may do a couple of blog entries while we are down there.

While I'm on the subject I'll vent a little about the Brazilian consulate. To legally get into Brazil an American needs to fill out an application, send a current passport which has to be good for at least 6 more months and have 2 free pages on it, get a new passport photo taken, include the hotel address or get notarized approval from the person you are staying with in Brazil, and pay a lot of money with a post office money order ONLY. All this has to be turned into the Chicago consulate in person between 9a-1p mon-fri. If you can't do that you can send it by express or priority mail ONLY and pay more money. Or you can have a travel service do it for you if you can't wait 3 weeks and pay even more money. Then, if you are a nurse you have to sign a form and get it notarized saying you won't practice medicine down there. Plus, if you have any questions they'll respond to email and fax ONLY. There is no way to talk to a person. Anyway, it is now taken care of so we should be all set to go.

Here are a few cool pictures from the past...just for fun.