Tag: attractions
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Wandering Through the Ancient Streets of Bethlehem
As Jerusalem disappeared behind us, towns built from pale yellow stone appeared across the hillsides, their light-colored walls and clusters of palm trees glowing in the morning sun. It was our first glimpse of the ancient landscape that awaited us. We had caught a local bus to Bethlehem just outside Damascus Gate for only a…
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One Last Evening in Rio
Before heading to the airport, we went back to Ipanema Beach to watch one last sunset. The beach buzzed with conversation. People gathered in small groups, sharing drinks and snacks while waiting for the sky to put on its evening show. It felt less like a quiet beach and more like an enormous open-air café,…
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A Typical Day on Ipanema Beach
Most mornings in Rio began the same way. Just after six o’clock, I’d cross the street from my hotel and step onto the sand at Ipanema Beach. The city was only beginning to wake up, and the beach still belonged to the early risers. The air was cool and crisp, the waves rolled gently onto…
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Wandering Through Ipanema’s Hippie Fair
Before leaving for Brazil, I had one small mission. I wanted to bring home a souvenir I would actually use. Not something that would sit on a shelf collecting dust, but something that would remind me of the trip every time I saw it. After a little research, I decided that if I was going…
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Sugarloaf Mountain: An Afternoon Full of Surprises
We booked our tickets to Sugarloaf Mountain for mid-afternoon, hoping to see Rio from above in daylight and stay long enough to watch the sunset. It turned out to be a great decision. Surprisingly, there were no lines when we arrived, and within minutes we were stepping into the cable car. As the gondola climbed…
Notes From Everywhere 