Day 16, Jan 19, 2006: Rio, Day 2 (cont.)
After coming back from Pão de Acucar, I decide to take my friend Liana's advice and take a ferry ride to the city of Niteroi, across Guanabara Bay from Rio. Besides affording an excellent view of Rio, Niteroi is home to the acclaimed MAC (Museu de Arte Contemporânea = Museum of Modern Art) housed in an eclectic, flying-saucer of a building designed in the mid-90s by acclaimed Brazilan architecht Oscar Niemeyer. And the ferry only costs 2 Reals (90 cents).


The Rio terminal of the Niteroi ferry


Lunch counter in the ferry terminal





I like the contrasting styles of these gents. I had to play it pretty cool to bag this photo.


Niteroi from the Rio terminal


Crossing the bay (Rio- Niteroi Bridge in the back- ground)


The ferry terminal is right next to the Santos Dumont airport. Business men (and now women) in a hurry to make the connection to São Paolo directly from the ferry often grab onto hooks dangled beneath the planes (as here).


Niteroi got closer...


AND CLOSER...


AND CLOSER!





Folks got off the ferry...


and looked around...


I wandered into a mall not far from the ferry terminal. Let me tell you: our N. American malls got nothing on this baby. When was the last time you launched your kid at the mall in the Space Jump?!?


When I came out, a blustry rain - all bark and not much bite - threatened.


I boarded a bus to MAC (Museu de Arte Contem- porânea)


Cariocas (folks from Rio) joke that the only good thing about Niteroi is its view... of Rio. I'd say that still puts it in the top 1% of places I wouldn't mind owning a flat.


Pão de Acucar seen from Niteroi


The muse- um is not very big inside. The whole main level was given over to an exhibition entitled "why museum?" by Nelson Leirner.


This work (medium: plastic war toys on canvas) was part of a triptych entitled "American Imperial- ism" (or something like that).


View of Rio just before "lift-off".


More works from "why museum?"


Subtle ideology, no? (N. America covered by Wal-Mart smilies; S. America by skulls. Thank God for Wal-Mart?)





View from MAC to the east (as opposed to west, towards Rio)


THIS is what the museum looks like. Flights leave for Venus every hour on the hour.


I boarded the ferry back to Rio just as the sun was beginning to set.





Commuters were still hooking from plane to ferry and back.


The Rio ferry terminal is on the eastern edge of the enormous Praça XV (de Novembre) (15th of November Square - after some historical event or other).
This church is on the west side of Praça XV.


Off the north side of the square through the Arco do Teles (Teles Arch) issues a little street called Travessa do Comércio On a Thursday evening before a Friday holiday the place really hops.


Old architecture and new on the Travessa do Comércio


Right under the arch the samba band Sol de Verão (Summer Sun) was gearing up for the impending Carnaval. In exchange for three beers I became an honorary member. As I left, they advised me "não deixar o trabalho de dia!" (Something like: "You're welcome back any time!", I think.)