Yellow flag

Being early risers, even more so now with the four-hour time difference, Anna and I kicked off the day at 5 am with a run along the entire beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema before arriving at the “Pontifical Catholic University of Rio de Janeiro” or PUC-Rio as it is colloquially known. Looking sufficiently innocent, we were let through its gates to explore the tropical gardens and outdoor teaching spaces. Though lovely, it was the graffiti at the far less privileged UNIRIO that struck more of a chord with me when we visited later in the day, including the message above saying that education is not a cost but an investment.

Beyond campus sightseeing and a long walk in the Urca neighbourhood near Sugarloaf Mountain, I got to practice some (slightly too) adventurous swimming at Copacabana, drifting hundreds of meters along the shore while a fellow swimmer was rescued by the lifeguards. As such, it felt kind of good to come ashore and trade the wild Atlantic waves for the tiny, heated pool at the Hilton. In other news, Anna's lost bag miraculously made it to Rio so now we have all we need for the two remaining days.