Jardim Botanica

Periods of rain didn't stop us from visiting Rio's enormous botanical garden.  A stand of royal palms, planted more than two centuries ago, have created a grand alley.  Brazil was still a Portuguese colony when the garden first opened.

Our umbrellas got quite the workout.

Cacti seemed a little incongruous on such a wet day.

This heron didn't mind.

The dull gray skies intensified the color of the tropical flowers.

None of us had ever seen a bloom quite like this.

It was my first visit to an Orchideario.

Bromeliads and insectivorous plants were kept indoors, too.

Signs in Braille were few and far between.

Some statues blended in well with the landscape better than others.