Today we ventured to Rio in search of drier weather - if we
were thwarted then at least we had some different scenery, and it gave us a new
venue to get a soaking!
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| Cocooned in our ponchos |
We travelled for a couple of hours to the Botanical Gardens
and although we passed through some drier weather by the time we arrived it was
absolutely bucketing down (again!). We had arranged to meet Nicholas, Raquel,
Michaela and Robert at the gate, and soon after we arrived Nicholas came
bounding towards us, cap in place and with his usual effervescent personality
brightening our day.
We decamped from the bus for coffee and restrooms, although
I was pretty much soaked before I even got to the door! After a lengthy catch up and introductions to
new friends we decided to make a break for the shop – for some much-needed bigger
brollies – and when we arrived they were selling plastic ponchos for R$7, so we
bought 8. I have to say that once you
were ensconced it felt like being encased in some giant cocoon, but it was dry
and warm and we were all buoyed up with our new purchases.
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| Inside the Orchid House |
We started off our tour with the native trees and then the
Gunpowder fort – the whole reason for the gardens' creation in the 1800’s. The town needed an area to be kept as a buffer
zone in case any of gunpowder explosions, so the gardens were railed off and
left. Until a few years ago the whole
area was overgrown, but it is great to see it coming back to former glories and
it provides a safe haven for both people and wildlife in a busy, noisy city.
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| The spectacular fountain |
We pretty much had the place to ourselves,
unsurprisingly! We splashed through the
orchid and bromeliad houses and then chased after some Rusty Margined Guan,
Slaty-throated Wood-rails, Channel-billed Toucan and the occasional
marmoset. As we continued around the
garden we marvelled at the lovely plants and flowers, and could recognise some
from our walks in the forest.
We ended our visit with a walk down the Avenue of Palms and
then raced back to the bus and shelter.
Within minutes we arrived at a restaurant just off the Cococabana
beach where we enjoyed steak, chips, salsa and manioc.
After lunch we took a walk along the edge of the bay to a
fort where you can walk out towards the sea with waves crashing in. It was bracing with Brown Boobies,
Brown-hooded Gull, South American Tern, Cabot Tern and feral pigeons flying
around. We stood the wind and spray as
long as possible, having a fit of hysterics before we took our leave from the
Locke Family and returned to the peace and tranquillity of Regua. Sadly it was still raining!!
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| Copacabana in the rain |
Will it ever stop??
