Rio, reached

(Snazzy) business center, Copacabana Palace, 5th floor

A different universe than last trip. The plane flew down, down - looking like it would fall off its vertical path and spin out into the Atlantic. The (expensive) taxi ride in from the airport ran alongside a confident city - Rio's prettier, greener and more colonial than I'd imagined. The mountains are more magnificent, the shoreline more prominent and it feels like an urban center perfectly tailored to nicely fil-out its setting.

As is the Copa Palace, though perhaps not quite as justified to be - wedding cake pretty and lovingly illuminated at night. Check in lady giddy - not polished but brimming with the good news of our upgrade and the Easter weekend. Executive fifth floor feels haphazardly put together and the staff surprised with the duties they might be called onto perform - all except for the busiss-like caparina-making man who comes on in at 6pm. The remaining staff appear unmoored and/or harried and, likely as not, can be found chatting out of easy reach in the kitchen.
But when you do get one, the coffee is spectacular and Diet Cokes free. It's like an airline club lounge with the staff brought in from the check-in desk.

Our room is wonderful, disconcertingly double-height, massive bathroom and tv-in-the-chest.

Worked on Sikkim article by the pool yesterday - a setting surprisingly conducive to focused writing. R and I did the gym, the bar across from Cipriani's post dinner and actually left the pretty harbor of the hotel in the late evening for a dinner round the corner at an Italian place.

It's socked in and drizzly again today - torrentially pouring all afternoon and into the night yesterday. Good for my writing, lousy for tan.

Most significant impression - Brazilians can look like almost anything. For the first time in a long stretch of travels, I could pass as a native, till I open my mouth. But it makes for such a novel experience.

Must write. Must have a caparina.
C