The Washington times. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1902-1939, 1916-11-01
TIMES MAGAZINE PAGES
Rio de Janeiro Is
a Utopian Dream
By MARGARET MASON.

By MARGARET MASON.
Before the beauty OF the bay
At Rio. all wish to say
IL surging deep within my breast
Too wonderful to be expressed,
My tongue y mute, my pen In dry
Before the glories Of the eye.
And yet hear on every hand
The clamor Of the tourist band
Exclaiming loudly: nIts just grand"
RIO DE JANIERo, Brazil.
November !.
necklace of diamonds, but In the
harbor OF Rio de Janeiro at night
the bay is belted with diamonds and
sugar Loaf mountain even boasts of n
tiara. Electric lights are really super
huous as first aids to beauty here. Even
The roseate splendor OF a sun swooning
In q crimson sea. the gold effulgence OF
harvest moon or the CLEAN Of myriad
tropic stars can enhance no further the
aiready exquisite charm Of this South
with lavish and partial hand Nature
mas poured all her splendors at Rios
Feet. Colorful mountains of rock Jut
abruptly out Of sapphire sea whose
waves kiss. sands. as white as alabaster,
Verdant palm fringed valleys Skinner
at the base OF jungle covered hills, Ir-
ridescent humming birds and gorgeous
butterflies feast at the hearts OF vivid
and blue and green Brazil birds play tag
In the sunshine OF Rios midwinter.
Surely Rio deserves the palm when Il
comes to natural beauty and she got 1t.
brought the first imperial palm from the
Isle de France In 1908 and planted II
where, II now stands, rearing Its lofty
royal head high above the Botanical
Garden, Thanks to Dom John these
are palmy days with palmy ways in
Rio now.
Tropie Foliage Varied.
Messy rubber trees spread their glossy,
dark green leaves in a reckless pro-
fusion that would cause any we'll regu-
lated Brooklynite to swoon with envy.
Brides may pick their own orange blos-
SONS and bananas grow In the back
yards, Marie Cahili wouldn't have to
take much OF a stroll here TO sing I'm.
cdr the Bamboo Tree. with a natural
stage setting. Out Nm the Botanical
Garden. however you find quite the
most beautiful bamboo brake OF all.
was personally conducted through the
garden In six Languages.
Antonio Cana Is the name OF my
versatile young Brazilian guide and
aside from his native Portuguese he
has acquired his knowledge OF French
German. Italian. Spanish, and English
at night school This linguistic abil-
ity Is not uncommon among the am
bilious young working men OF Brazil
And they are always most polite and
obliging. Just imagine how delighted
we North Americans would he IL our
subway guards and street car con-
ductors could even speak English. As
for their ever being polite ana oblig-
Ing, this Is TOO Utopian n dream.
In the botanic garden Antonio was
always turning over new leaf and
was alternately presented with one
redolent OF lemon, camphor. turpen-
tine. ana cinnamon. i emerged hotel
ward clutching sprig OF sensitive
plant In one hand and spray OF
young hyson In the other.
Cable Approach to Heaven.
Hotelwsrd for me means to, take a
trolley In the heart of the town and
ride for twenty-five minutes and six
miles OF beautiful views to the Hotel
INTERNATIONAL up on the mountains OF
santa Thereza. The International Is
NOT Just hotel. It's n halfway house
10 heaven. Out OF my bedroom win
dow Is scene At for the gods. Mere
humans aren't satisfied with IL, how
ever. for with bland disregard for
gravitation and danger they have
airily swung cable up to Bear
mountain and from there another to
the tip top of Sugar Loaf mountain.
400 feet right out of the sea to see.
IL you have the nerve, car on this
cable swings you out over eternity to
sugar Loafs summit. and from there
you get sweet little view.
For still Unsuitable ones cog road
Will give an uplift 1900 feet to the
top OF Corcovade. which is good Port
uBuese for "hunchback." Here you
have indeed reached the height of
perfection in the view line. The Bra
lillian may agree that you can't inn
prove on nature. but his frenzied at
tempts to at least compete with II
are shown on the fantastic effects OF
the architecture here.
BACK to an Italian comparison.
where we started, you may. say, -"See
Naples and die but suggest, See
Rio and take a new lease on life"