In the harbour is a military patrol ship, in the air are a number of chinook helicopters watching the motorcade half way down Copacabana Beach where President Barack Obama has just left the Mariott hotel to go to speak this morning at the municipal theatre.
The group is making the most of its R&R time this weekend, enjoying the sights and culture of this city. From my vantage point, I can see the rather peculiar lump of rock which is Sugarloaf at the other end of the beach, and to my left can just see Christ the Redeemer going in and out of the cloud, where Obama will visit in the afternoon. We visited yesterday and I have to admit that it is quite some monument. Helicopter rides around it seem to be quite common but I think I shall save that experience for another time.
Rio de Janeiro is our third (and final) city, and all three have been vastly different. São Paulo was very tightly packed with concrete skyrise buildings, and with the bustle of a world economic powerhouse. Brasília couldn't have been much different, with wide open spaces (including the widest central reservation in the world), lots of greenery (although we are told this is only for the rainy summer season) and a much more relaxed and diplomatic feel. Rio is very cosmopolitan, with historical centres, tourist traps and beaches, where most of the group spent some time yesterday. Here it feels a lot more social, where people seem to spend most of their time on the beach sunbathing, playing sport or in the sea. The last of which is where I am now headed.
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