Trip starts, June 22 -June 26

Best to start at the beginning.

Left Austin on a Saturday, June 22. About 12:30 pm, for three day trip by car to Miami.

Gabby and I in front of our new Subaru Outback.

The Three Buda Texas Musketeers, Stephen, Gabby, Kirby.

Gabby in the pilot's seat. She loves the open road and drove 85% of the way to Miami.

Passed Bastrop fire scared landscape. Lost pines that once covered all of east Texas, now probably gone forever. Nature will recover, different though.

Onward from drier drought stricken central Texas landscape to lush coastal plains. 

Crossing the winding Colorado River several times.

Past oil and commercial monster Houston. Giant metropolis without any saving grace except oil treasures spent on acquired works of art. 

Houston, Pure commerce with grace.

Oil power at its apex.

Past refineries and Bayous. Land so flat, water is almost at road level.

Crossing broad Mississippi and battleship decorated Mobile. Driving desolate panhandle with over sized moon peeking through storm clouds.

Arrive in Florida 

Reaching Florida on Monday, June 24, 2013. reach Miami about 6:30 pm.

Gabby and Sunpass. We're Floridians again.

Going Away Party
Carmencita made a great party on Tuesday with good fiends I haven't seen in 30 years. Their kids grown and on their own. I remember being told of their conception.

Mimi and I. together again after 30 years.

Mimi, Gabriel and Gabriella at party Carmencita's house, June 25, 2013

Departure Date Arrives

Dressed and packed for trip and negotiated madhouse that is Miami airport. Flight at four in the afternoon. 

Ready to go, A little nervous.

One last photo before leaving.

MIA terminal.

And I'm finally off to Rio.

Great shot of South Brickell and Rickenbakjer Causeway.

First to Lima and then to Rio. Arrived in Rio airport at 4 am. Waited first on street and then lobby until 8 am for rented room at guest house to open.
Arrive in Rio 4 am. E muito cerdo!

Early morning arrival in Rio

Waiting in lobby Copacabana 

Great to see my family again.
Went to visit Cousin Harry. Last time I saw him was in 1995, at Miami Airport with his late mother, my Aunt Hanna, passing through on way back to Brazil. 

Harry and I, June 27, 2013 in his apartment in Copacabana.

He looks great just shy of 90. Spry and fit, would recognize him easily if he passed me on the street.

Copacabana's the same

Copacabana is very still beautiful!

Copacabana pretty much the same after 35 years. Really isn't much space to build any. Subway's new. I bet Downtown has changed though. News of giant demonstrations nowhere to be seen. Big change is cell phones. One used to wait 10 years or more for a phone to be installed. Now everyone seems to be constantly on their phones. Just wait till Google Glasses arrive.

Day 1 was overcast.

Strong rain at night. Just 15 minutes. But..after living in a prolonged drought, all rain sounds great. Streets washed clean and fresh but I know from past stays the water drains to culverts in the sand. I'm not planning on going swimming anyway.

Avenida Atlantico has always been a busy street. Notice the Sugar Loaf is shrouded in clouds

First full day in Rio it's overcast and muggy. Learned from Kirby's emails (one shows mama deer nursing her two does in our now very quite backyard), Austin suffered through record heat of 104 (105 in his back yard). And summer has just begun. High pressure dome over Texas will probably push expected hurricanes off Florida coast again for perfect billiard shot at NYC. Hurricanes now have become way of life in Brooklyn. Took pictures on beach and had early dinner with Harry and his wife Janet. Hope to see their sons this weekend.
Took a stroll after diner on Copacabana's beach front.