Rio Day Six - Free Day

Today we got up early and took the car to Sugar Loaf Mountain.  What absolutely amazing views of this city!  We could see Botafogo Bay where our hotel and favorite mall is located.  We could see Copacabana Beach.  So many islands surrounding the coast of this city!!  It was pretty windy and a whole lot colder than the past couple days. 

We met a family from the US (there were actually hundreds as the Track and Field News tours had buses full of people there today).  I don't know how but we ended up with the same group so many times that their tour guide actually believed we were with them and tried to get us on his bus when we went to leave.  haha


We found a little monkey and witnessed three local military members ask a USA WWII Vet for a photo. 

We had a little issue getting a hold of our translator and driver but while we waiting we bought some street corn and had a snack. 

Then it was off to pick up the Brown's and head to Copacabana to do some shopping.  We stopped at the Olympic Megastore and found nothing special.  Paid some guys to let us take a photo of their sandcastle.  Walked the entire beach in hopes of running in to the street market we saw on the way home the night before...got to the end and realized it was not there.  Now this was a HUGE street market maybe a quarter mile long...disappeared.  Well I consulted with google and found out it does not open until 6pm.  So we called for our car and headed to the USA House a little earlier than planned.

Tonight was the Order of the Ikkos ceremony.  The USA Men's Archery Olympic medalists awarded their coaches and medic with medals for their contribution to their Olympic medal.  It was a very moving ceremony!

We are all exhausted and must be up early to watch the boys shoot against one another so we headed back to the hotel early.  Now we are watching swimming again while blogging...and counting how many times the announcers say the words MICHAEL PHELPS (this would be at least every two minutes even on the channels with no swimming).