Rio: We Are Still Here !!!!

May be it is our last day in Rio, or may be not!!! We are being cautiously optimistic today that we will get out of here and on our way home by midnight today so we shall see... In the mean time, we are packing and getting out of the hotel for some downtown exploring again.... We did not venture out last night because we were told by the hotel people that it was not safe to do so !!! In addition, there was a demonstration not too far from our hotel and we even heard some loud explosions which I thought were from tear gas canisters that riot police use to disperse crowds, but could not confirm that... Brazil is having political and economic problems so demonstrations on weekends are not uncommon...
Today we saw all sorts of stuff in downtown Rio, the good the bad and the ugly.... Just like every other big city around the world, Rio is no exception, it has its ugly side as well... I guess the ugliest side of Rio is its lack of security in some areas... Tourists have been mugged in broad day light by a group of kids !!! However, the optimistic side of Rio is that it is moving forward with all sorts of construction projects, new modern tramway, beautiful water front and museums....

Top view of a church from our hotel roof

Top view of a boulevard near my hotel

Street view of a church near our hotel

Brazil Federal Reservve building

Nice set of buildings near the harbor 

Interesting museum on the harbor 

Museum of art of Rio

Museum of arts.and its surrounding