Today we visited the National library in Brazil and it is the 8th largest library in the world.

It was really interesting getting to learn about it.

We had a tour guide who was so nice and took us around to tell the histroy behind the national library of brazil.

The library has about 20 million books and they have to keep some of the books at a different location in a warehouse.
They get their books in two ways. One of this is by Donations and the other is called legal means. This is the law in brazil that any book published in brazil, a copy of the book must be sent to the national.

The library is so organized and I was so impress how they have been able to maintain the original desk in some of the readers rooms.

Here are a few pictures to show

Beautifully designed

Entrance to the library…being renovated

Marcus on that day surprised the kids and I at the library. On that day he was suppose to be on his snowboarding trip in Paris. But to our suprise when we got to the library he showed up and really surprised us all. He surly made our day extra special.

Standing in the room where they keep all the books. The books are sent down to the readers room in a books only tiny elevator. Really cool

The beautiful entrance to the 8th largest library in the world.

The ceiling…

Our future historians

What a sight of knowledge through books.

We made new friends… they are from Israel, so now Israel is definitely on our travel list

Learning all we can about the history behind the country Brazil

I love the stair case…my red carpet moment

Brazil Exploration Continues….

Super fun when we arrived at cocovardo to catch the train to go up to the top and see the beautiful Christo Redentor.

My kids and I where one of the first passengers up to the top and the train ride makes it super fun.

But once we got up there it was super foggy and we could not see the statue..
It was so cold and it started raining….. but that’s what the amazon areas are all about heavy rains and super hot days.

That’s how foggy it was…

Me and my little man

On our train ride to the top

The two men who made it all happen for us to see this magnificence

My cuties

Our train

Hi there…

A beautiful site to see while in rio and you read about the history of it online and take tour by yourself. It’s much easier and very smooth.

A great history class for my kids

Rainy and cold but it was all worth it.

Brazil Exploration Continues

Today the kids and I joined a group that was for people who just love to appreciated the beauty around us through the lens.

Yeap a photography tour to saint Theresa

Beautiful view of the city

The beautiful cultural center

Beautiful miming performance at the cultural center

That’s the beautiful view of sugar loaf

Some art works at the cultural center

Beautiful pictures of the city Rio De Janeiro

Brazil Exploration Continues

Wow…my feet is killing me…with 3 hours of walking tour and 98 degrees fahrenheits…that is how our day went today when we visited some amazing sites in Rio de Janeiro today. Thanks to the freewalker tour rio for this great adventures.

Here are some photos of our journey

The location our tour started the Carioca square the big clock…

Our visit to one of Rios old temple and it was an  interesting building from the outside

The sweets place..

Confeteria Colombo famous for hosting the queen of England…such a beautiful place to have a cap of tea and some sweets

Beautiful city of rio…

Walking tour was really fun…a little cold wind would have made it perfect

Brazil Exploration Continues. ..

Yes that’s right…there is a mesuem in rio called Museu do Amanhã. Meaning tomorrow’s mesuem.

Now when we arrived there, I thought hey its sunday and we are in Rio so people must be at the beach….well not that case today as the line to get in was super long and took us about 1 hour 30min before we could go into the future…I guess it’s not too long of a wait to see the future…lol!!!

Here are a few pictures to show our day

And that is the entrance to mesuem….

Our family standing right in front of the future mesuem

We took the girls new life long friend Lara

A little fun before venturing into the future

Bestis

Acting silly…mesuem Buiding in the background

Saw this cruise ship dock right there….people from all around the globe at one location

The future in his hands

They are our future leaders

Freedom to create

A beautiful view while inside the mesuem

Cruise ship leaving…

A day at the beach to bring it all together

Brazil Exploration Continues

One of the things I love most about travelling is the food from different cultures.

In Rio Brazil they seem to have fruits and some vegetables that I very used too coming from Ghana.

I saw Cassava which is one of the staple foods  in Ghana and we usually will eat it with soup and it’s usually eaten on weekends…now don’t ask me why. Lol!!!

In Brazil they boil the cassava and serves it just as is. And they put it in a husk and just sell it. I am yet to taste that one.

Also they have okro which my husband and his family calls it the slimy dish….lol!! And I call it yummy okro stew with banku.

Well today I made life long friends and they really made me feel so welcomed at their home. They have a daughter same age as mine so our girls became friends and through that I got to meet her parents who happens to be awesome couple.  While I got to spend sometime with them they had me taste some Brazilian fruit which looks just like tomatoes to me. You will be able to understand me when I show what the fruit looks like. And it tasted like a very very ripe papaya.

Yeap that’s the fruit called caqui and it does really look like our regular tomato…

I had to try it and I kind of enjoyed it…but they said it can get sweeter so will try other ones when I visit the grocery store again.

This next fruit is called Jabuitcaba and it’s only found in brazil…

Travelling can be awesome, making life long friends who teaches you new things about their culture and country is even amazing.

Brazil Exploration Continues. …

My first time doing a proper full 1hour exercise on the beach with an awesome trainer.
I enjoyed it so much…

Watching the sunset while you kick your own butt in the sandy  beach actually makes exercise more fun than I always thought.

If you are in Rio..check out TLC fitness rio on facebook and join the fun. I am so ready for another training on monday. I think I will start to enjoy Rio after all.

And after all our sandy moments we jumped in the ocean and enjoyed an evening swim. Wow!!! That’s all I can say…

Here are a few snaps of beach warriors….

Don’t we look like we are having fun for ladies who just finished an exercise in the sand

Meet TLC Fitness rio warriors…

Yeap…push in the sand was very different than on concrete…lol!!

Squat and kick and count at the same time can be challenging…

A little sit ups will do us great

That’s how we do it…the view is magnificent

Am beginning to fall in love…it’s just beautiful

Working our on the beach seem to be my new lifestyle and I am loving it.

Brazil Exploration Continues. ..

Last night we made it to the Sambadrome to watch the magnificent rip carnival parade.

We had planned to perform in the parade but after lots of research and calls to the samba schools they told us kids are not allowed to participate unless they have been train with the school for months. Adults are allowed but not kids.

So we decided to be a witness to such a colorful even instead.

We arrived at the Sambadrome at 9pm and the event started at 10pm and went on till 6am….yeap 6am…6 schools and they all have 1 hour to walk through the Sambadrome.

Really truly a beautiful parade worth the long hours.

Beautiful parade and lots of colorful custumes and trucks.

Brazil Exploration Continues

Walking the streets and trying foods from Brazil is really how I am my kids enjoy carnival.

Mj and the tin man

A temporary tattoo

A little owl visited me..

J

Mj doing capoiera on the streets…

Brazil Exploration Continues