Rio De Janeiro, Brazil - 27-29 October 2008

Above left: Christ the Redeemer, one of the 7 man-made wonders of the world; Above right: The heart-shaped lagoon of Rio de Janeiro

'January River', the literal Portuguese translation of Rio De Janeiro is all about lifestyle. There are the great beaches, sun-soaked weather, lively music (think: samba, bossa nova), sports (FOOTBALL, capoeira, equestrian), great food, shopping, clubs, arts, and more. Still, her "dangerous" reputation (for bright daylight muggings and more) preceded her. I felt both apprehension and excitement on the Sunday flight in from Ecuador (with a connection in Lima, Peru). Immigration in Brazil was a breeze - there was none of that 'finger-printing' hoopla rumors that I heard about.

I was blessed along the way. Arriving at Rio de Janeiro International airport without a single Brazilian Real on me, Eduardo - a kind Peruvian working in Rio - offered to pay my R$6.50 (~US$3) bus fare into the city. We had sat on the same row on the TACA flight in and were taking the same bus to town. I offered to repay him in USD but he refused, expected nothing in return, and even informed the driver in Portuguese where to drop me off. He was one of many examples of unconditional generosity and kindness that I had received all day Monday in Rio.

The Girl From Ipanema Hostel in Ipanema was for R$30/night (~US$15) a good value in this expensive borough of the city. I celebrated my birthday with a Canadian couple that I had met in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Coincidentally, we would reconnect on Copacabana beach. After a few drinks on the beach, we proceeded to a Brazilian 'churrascaria' restaurant nearby and had a fantastic and very filling dinner. The buffet dinner of sides and salads included a 'rodizio' (rotation) service of mouth-watering charbroiled meats (lambs, beef, chicken and pork).

Above right: Four leaf clovers from the hostel! :)

Photos of Ipanema:

Above left: No spoon required! You can use the scraper cut right from the coconut's husk to scoop the coconut's flesh - ingenious!

Above: Garota de Ipanema - the place of inspiration for the song "A Girl from Ipanema"

Photos of Copacabana:

After an idyllic Monday on the Ipanema and Copacabana beaches, Tuesday was reserved for sight-seeing. Rather than roughing it out, I decided to join an easy day tour for R$65 (~US$32) to see the: 1) Christ the Redeemer statue (one of the modern 7 wonders of the world) in Corcovado, 2) Parque Nacional da Tijuca (a huge forest - the lung of the city- in the middle of Rio De Janeiro), 3) Maracana Stadium (supposedly the largest stadium in the world), 4) bohemian Santa Teresa barrio (where we had an awesome lunch), and 5) artist Selaron himself at the steps of his infamous tiled steps in Lapa.

I can imagine myself living in Rio de Janeiro, with a city population of 7 million. The only caveat for me is that I will have to learn Portuguese; as far as I know, it is spoken only in a few countries (Portugal, Brazil, Mozambique, Antigua, and parts of French Guiana?).

Above left: (Bohemian) Santa Teresa; Above right: Bar do Mineiro in Santa Teresa

Above: Brazil's national dish, feijoada - Kale, rice, beans and meat stew, and some type of roasted grains

Above: A favela (slum/shantytown) in the foreground with the Pao de Acucar (Rio's Sugar Loaf mountain landmark) in the background

Above: Lapa Aqueduct

Above: The infamous tiled steps of Selaron in Lapa


Above: "Living in a favela is an art..." (left); The Great Madness (right)

Miscellaneous Rio:


Above: Armazem do Cafe - a great place for Brazilian coffee/espresso


Above right: There are many lunch buffet restaurants in Rio where you pay by the weight of the food you put on the plate. Here, a plate at Kilo Quick cost R$5.40 (or ~US$2.70)

Above left: Business district; Above right: Acai-Banana shake (R$3.50 = ~US$1.75) - delicious & healthy