Ipanema Beach at Sunset
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, November 2000

Wandering down Ipanema beach on a late Sunday afternoon, I stumbled upon a  frantic crowd.  Thousands of people were singing and dancing on the beach to the pulsing percussion of a local band.  I decided to join the fiesta.  Hours later, a sudden shower soaked everyone on the beach, but it only intensified the energy of the crowd.  As the rain clouds cleared, the setting sun broke through again, lighting up the sea and sky in yellow and gold. 

Copyright 2000 Martin Wierzbicki