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"Copacabana Cheeks"


Copacabana Cheeks Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
"Oh Mygawd ... I am blind" 

This view of the Copacabana Beach is a bit different than many I took. 

I cannot help but wonder what the two guys directly behind him are saying to each other?

"Copacabana Cheeks"

This view of the Copacabana Beach is a bit different than many I took. This certainly is one photo I would not have had were it not for my friend Maisa.

We spent quite a bit of time just wandering around up and down the boardwalk at Copacabana. There was always a new parade of humanity at any hour. I suppose we walked along the beach every day, even on rainy days. Our apartment was only about 2 long blocks and a short one from the beach and was centered about mid way along the 6 kilometer ( 4 miles) length of Copacabana and Leme beach. Copacabana is just a bit more than 5 kilometers ( 3 miles) and runs from Forte de Copacabana at the southwestern tip of the beach to Leme which begins at Avenue Princessa Isabel. Leme is a a bit more than a kilometer (3/4 mile) in length and is indistinguishable from Copacabana as you walk along the board walk towards Morro do Leme and Forte Duque de Caxias at the Northeastern sweep of the beach. I often made several trips down to the beach each day walking first one direction then the other.

I went first thing in the morning while only the joggers and coconut delivery men were out and about. These runners were generally the serious athletes, the beautiful people jog at a more sensible hour when there are more people around to witness their splendor. At other times Maisa would go for a run and I for a walk or a photographic stroll as I like to call it. Many times though, Maisa would patiently accompany me on my photographic forays to keep guard on me and my equipment from the sand thieves that populate the tourist areas in Rio. I often made another trip along the beach near sunset when the crowds were heavy and the people beautiful and "local girls" were fishing for gringos.

This day though we were actually at the beach doing a bit of sunning and swimming. Maisa was always sure to point out interesting people or interesting things for me. Even in the short while I was in Rio we developed our routines and had "our places". We had our beach cafe QC-33 which was just across Avenue Atlantica from the Rio Othon Hotel. There are dozens of these beach cafe/bars along the ribbon patterned tile walkway that parallels the beach. Most have names attached like Robertos or Copa Caipirinhas and are clustered in pairs about every 250 meters. Our place had no official name and simply went by its numerical order on the beach map. We had tried the caipirinhas at other of these cafes and had quickly settled into this as our place. Caipirinhas were 2.50 Reals (just a bit over one US dollar) and Antarctica Lager Beer chilled to perfection was just 2.00 Reals ( approximately 90 cents). It was enjoyable to sit, talk, have a drink and watch the parade pass by and except for the ever present peanut hawkers and the occasional musically challenged "samba band", a very pleasant diversion.

Custodio was the owner of QC-33 and run the place for the last 13 years and Alex was his right hand man. They soon came to greet me warmly if not a bit warily because I was usually sporting at least one camera if not three. It was not that they were camera shy but that because I had become a loyal customer of theirs they felt a responsibility to me to have me keep my cameras. Custodio often reminded me to keep a close watch on them or at times even suggested that I put them in their bags as some one was "putting their eyes on my cameras" as Maisa liked to put it.

Another of our rituals was where we selected to position ourselves on the beach. We came to rely on Maceo as our beach chair and sunshade rental guy. So each time we went to the beach to sit and sun, save for once, we would go to his section of the beach. Even on days when we were not renting chairs we seemed to stop here. Maceo had giant grin, an even larger personality, and a special way of saying Maisas name that I just loved to hear. Maceo had lived in the US for a time and spoke some English which made things easier for me. His beer was fiercely chilled which was just right for these hot hours on the beach and being under his watchful eye gave me some peace about my cameras.

I had settled comfortably into my beach chair and was enjoying my beer. Maisa was adjusting her chair and as she sat down she leaned over to me and in a quiet voice said that I must see something off to my left. She kept telling me to "look at that small swimsuit over there" Well, being the chauvinist that I am, I could not see it because I was looking for the lovely narrowness or a woman's waist and the beautiful flare to her hips. The nice round curves of the female form.

"No look again" she implored "it is right over there" gesturing without actually pointing but smirking a bit. I still could not see or perhaps my mind simply refused.

"Please, JairrRome... really it is right over there and it is very nice and very small" she laughed, seeing my frustration.

Then it happened!

"Oh Mygawd ... I am blind" I feigned, finally catching sight of the too small bikini on this guys bum. His ass checks looked like halves of soccer balls perched at the tops of his thighs. Maisa took great delight in my eyes finally fixing upon this scene and lay back on here beach chair with satisfied smile dropping her sunglasses back over eyes in a manner that signaled her delight.

Once my vision returned I made way closer to get this photo.

In looking at the photo now I can not help but wonder what the two guys directly behind him are saying to each other?

These images are copyrighted and may not be used, reposted, or reproduced without direct written permission. For usage information please contact jeromeshaw17@msn.com
If you'd like to see more photos please visit my fotologs or my web site

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Jerome Shaw Travel Writing Photography

Subject : A Photographer's Journal Part One Copacabana Beach in Rio de Janeiro Brazil
Original Post Date: : May 7, 2006 9:33 AM on  MySpace URL: www.myspace.com/jeromeo617

6 comments :

  1. Thanks god it's not fashionable.
    Can you imagine the guy in blue wearing one of those?
    MdC Suingue
    www.CAS.podomatic.com

    ReplyDelete
  2. unfortunately I can imagine that, it is one of the banes of being a photographer my imagination converts words to pictures.

    Thanks for stopping by and leaving a comment.

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