The day started differently than planned, as some people had scheduled a hike was unfortunately cancelled due to bad weather. This gave rise to a lot of free time so the group decided to split up and find alternative activities. We started the day by visiting the Catedral Moetropolitana de São Sebastiao and the oldest church in Rio, called Convento de Santo Antonio, which gave us a better appreciation of the city’s history and architecture.

Afterwards, we went to a local market to browse the stalls and buy some souvenirs, such as a classic Brazilian football shirt or a Brazilian flag patch. While another group decided to visit the botanical gardens of Rio de Janeiro, which was a lot of fun, and also quite impressive. In the afternoon, many still wanted to do a hike. To get there, we were taken up the streets through the favelas on the back of motorbikes, by the locals. We asked a local guide accompany us on the hike, to make sure we were safe. The hike rewarded us with beautiful views over Rio and the accompanying terrain.

After returning from the hike, we went back to the hotel to relax and in the evening, part of the group wanted to experience a real Brazilian all-you-can-eat restaurant for dinner