Rio

 We arrived in Rio de Janeiro super early in the morning, and since we couldn't check into our hotel until later we were free to check out the city on our own for a couple hours.  This is the famous Ipanema Beach.  The beach we stayed closest to was Copacabana, which was really pretty as well, but this was my favorite.

I went slacklining on Ipanema Beach!

Jardim Botânico stands as the most beautiful garden I have ever visited in my life.  It is enormous, and you have to pay to get it, but it is worth every penny.  There were even wild birds and monkeys that would come to the garden at certain hours of the day. 

The garden has existed since the empire, which was in the 19th century.  In fact, it was founded by the emperor himself, at the beginning of the century.  The garden is kept beautiful year round, and we saw tourists from all across the world coming to see the variety of plants and trees.  The botanical garden is a must-see for everyone going to Rio de Janeiro!

This is pau-brasil, the tree that gave Brazil its name.