The Daily Cupcake: Why I Love Rio, In Pictures

We visited Rio de Janeiro for a family vacation a few years ago, and we instantly fell in love with the city, the culture, and the people. We came away euphoric and in love with the appearances and the spirit of the city's inhabitants.

The people of Rio de Janeiro are beautiful people. Never before had I seen an entire city of people who were actually glowing. Beaches were scenes from a fairy tale. Bodies gleamed in every color of brown, caramel, gold, coffee, and bronze. Young men and women laughed and smiled and played foot volley (a sport in which one plays volleyball using the rules of soccer--AKA volleyball using your feet, head, and chest instead of your hands) on the beach until sunset. We'd never seen a more beautiful collection of backs, swimsuits, and happiness--nor a more vibrant and vivacious collection of locals (there were tourists, but they're rather easy to ignore). It wasn't just the perfect bodies and sun-kissed and -tanned skin that made these people beautiful. It was the way they loved life and were intent to live it.

Since there are few words that can do justice to the flexible, loving, engaging lifestyle and vibe of the Rio local beach scene, here are some pictures we took on the beach to show you first-hand.

A Man Throwing Coconuts to his Dog