Sometimes you get lucky. I headed out from the hotel and meandered down to the beach. The town is really crammed in between the hills, and little pastry shops, bars, and food places are stuck in between the larger buildings.



By the time I got to the beach itself, the sun was out and it was a beautiful day, low 80 with decent humidity. 





(Hey Marc- see the surf. 30 seconds after this shot below I was standing in it eating fresh fish cooked in lime juice. Just wanted you to know. The folks in the picture kept laughing and giving me a thumbs up. I tried to call but the line was busy. )



 The beach is covered with little stands and people selling food, mostly alcoholic drinks, and various kinds of kitsch.  People were playing socccer, volleyball, surfing, making sandcastles, and even a group doing Brazilian chorro music, with a battered little mandolin. I trade instruments thro it I could play it that well.



The sand castles were amazing: Rio in miniature is below.



The Easter Bunny on break between Western and Orthodox Easter.



and by special request for someone who will remain nameless...



Walking back I got a great shot of the city as it started to cloud up again. Way in the back you can barely make out the statue of Christ God as Redeemer that overlooks the city. Just a dot on the mountain peak here:



Finally,a close up of this flower that grows on  these trees I see all over down here. I picked one for the goddess even thro I know it won't last until I get home.



All photos are with my little OM-340. Not bad for something the size of my Blackberry, which doesn't work here.