It’s already 2:00 am of the second day of 2010, but I can’t still get over the celebration for the end of the decade. For the first time in my life, I truly felt like a gringa in my own city. After spending three years in Canada, I think that my Brazilian soul is not as patriotic as it is supposed to be. However, the new year’s party showed me that things change when you see yourself surrounded by two million of your best friends!

2009/2010 celebration was my second time at Copacabana beach and I’ve noticed that Rio is doing its homework to host the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Summer Games. Copacabana was one of the seven attractions that the city of Rio de Janeiro prepared to celebrate the end of the 2000′s. Even though the final numbers show that over 2 million people watched this year’s fireworks spectacle from Copacabana beach, everything went smoothly, Mr. Ames and I even had a chance to jump in the water.

Public transportation was the best way to get to Copacabana. Taxis, if you were able to find one, were charging R$ 60.00 (around 43 Canadian dollars) to go to that neighborhood. It took approximately 45 minutes each way for the 572 to bring us from Jardim Botânico to Copacabana and back, with the return trip happening at around 5:30 in the morning (I know… we Brazilians really know how to party!).

Here is taste of what I saw…

Happy 2010!