Rio has one of the world's natural wonders. It is a harbor surrounded by small mountain that almost makes it into waterside. Some of the landmarks are amazing like Corcovado peak, site of a colossal statue of Christ, and the hills of Tijuca.  Rio bay holds many illusions. Rio is a natural wonder because there are so many ways to look at the harbor and see different things. Some of the first explorers thought it looked like the mouth of some giant river! The giant mountains by it help deceive your eyes to make it seem like a lake. When you first come into view of the harbor you see such strange, shapes, and forms that everything looks like something else. There are many magnificent mountains around the bay. Some of the mountains are low and run straight into the water. Some others are huge like Corcovado and Sugarloaf Mountain. The mountains create an entrance into the bay. The mountains actually surround the harbor itself at points.

The second largest city in Brazil is Rio de Janeiro. On the east coast of Brazil, the city of Rio de Janeiro meets the magnificent Guanabara Bay (Also know as harbor of Rio de Janeiro).  The first explorers are believed to have been Europeans. They discovered the Bay in 1502. The area was then occupied by Tupi Indians. Thinking that they had reached the mouth of some immense river, they decided to call the bay "Rio de Janeiro" which means “River of the First of January” because that's the month they arrived. Mountains border the west and north of the bay.
 

There are some interesting plants in Rio de Janeiro.  Abacaba are a plant that is from the Arecaceae family. There are thousands of plants in Brazil.

Some of the animals around Rio de Janeiro are the llama, piranhas, and the boa. Llamas stands 0.9 to 1.3 m high at the shoulder and are usually white, spotted with black and brown; sometimes they are all white or all black. Llamas are also raised as pets and for their wool. Piranhas are oval shaped silver fishes 10 to 24 in. long. They have blunt heads and powerful jaws with sharp, wedge-shaped teeth that cut like razor sharp scissors. They use these teeth to cut the flesh from prey. They mostly eat amphibians, and mammals. Once aroused, they can quickly reduce a large creature to a skeleton.
Piranhas live in the Amazon River and other fresh water rivers of South America. I would watch out for the piranhas in South America, as they will also eat humans.

Boa constrictors are usually yellowish or grayish, with a pattern of dark brown. Boa constrictors may grow as large as 2 to 3 m length. Boas coil around its prey to choke their prey. They can stretch their jaws wide apart to swallow animals larger than them.

Rio de Janeiro is a wonderful place. It has unique creatures, and plants. The mountains around it make a great place for sight seeing.  I wonder, “What would happen if someone gets stuck there and has to survive?  I guess you'll just have to find out.”