We arrived in Rio de Janeiro on March 15 after an overnight flight from Newark, NJ. We actually managed to get some sleep and were ready to embark on our South American exploration! Holland America couriers met us at the airport and before we knew it, two fellows (whose names we never caught) took us on a whirlwind tour of the city and delivered us to gangway of the MS Ryndam. We spent that day and most of the next relaxing and familiarizing ourselves with the layout of the ship. Finally, at 1730 hours on Friday, March 16, 2001 the ship left Rio, headed for Montevideo, Uruguay.

Sunset over Rio was gorgeous! A balmy breeze greeted us as we sailed past world-famous Copacabana and Ipanema. At one point, a submarine glided past, catching the attention of the many military vets onboard.



We basked in the warm weather!

And, of course, no tour of Rio would be complete without a view of the statue of Jesus on the mountain. Actually Rio itself sprawls around several mountains.