 |
Rio de
Janeiro |
|
Going straight from the exotic
remoteness of the Amazon Jungle to the hustle and bustle of Rio de Janeiro was
a bit of an assault on the senses. Fortunately there was a nice warm household
to come to help alleviate that transition. My colleague at Qatar University,
Erica had offered a spare room at her family's house to spend a couple of
nights so, given Brazil's hike in accommodation prices - I gladly obliged.
Boasting a plethora of insect bites, in bad need of laundry some home cooked
food, a week's homestay in Rio de Janeiro was exactly what the doctor
ordered.
Coming in on a red eye flight to Rio from Manaus in Amazonas
via Campinas, there wasn't much choice but to take an extended siesta when
arriving at Erica's place. However, with her house located just a couple of
blocks away from the momentous Maracana Stadium, I was able to find time for at
least one little trip on my first day. Although the stadium's pitch was being
dug up completely and stands renovated for the upcoming 2014 world cup, the
Maracana's museum was still open.
I woke up the next day and looked at
the bright blue sky over my head. A clear day in Rio is some ways a sign from
the heavens to go to Rio de Janeiro's most heavenly site, Rio's signature
Christ the Redeemer statue sits atop the Corcovado Mountain basking in the
picture-perfect postcard view below. The one downside is Corcovado is probably
every tourist to Rio de Janeiro's first stop, and on a day such is this - is
extremely touristy. My original plan was to take the cable car up the mountain;
however, after seeing the seemingly endless lines - I opted for the shuttle
bus, and once at the top, I found myself constantly battling the throngs of
people for the most desirable photo-shots. Corcovado's appeal is not surprising
though given the sublime panoramic views offered of one of the world's most
distinctively picturesque cities. The breathtaking site of almost all or Rio de
Janeiro's revered landmarks makes the trip well worth it and I certainly chose
the best day for it. I ended the day down on Copacabana Beach sipping
capirinhas - Brazil's national cocktail. |
 |
 |
Above: The view of Sugarloaf Mountain from
Corcovado
I spent a full six days in the seductive city, spending time
with my Carioca hosts while enjoying Rio's many highlights. I was sure to catch
a football match - Flamengo vs. Gremio at the Estádio Olímpico
João Havelange, which the home team won 2-0 thanks to goals from Thiago
Neves and Ronaldinho. Another highlight included a trip up Rio's most striking
natural landmark, Sugarloaf Mountain (or "Pão de Açúcar"
in Portuguese) via a rather nerve-racking cable car ride. Although the sky was
much grayer than when I went up Corcovado, this did also mean a lesser crowd.
While Corcovado offered views of Rio de Janeiro from the mountain to the sea,
Sugarloaf offers the inverse spectacular view.
While I spent most of my
time wondering around Brazil's more glamorous sites and neighborhoods, the
inextricable gap between the rich and poor can be seen most notably in the many
favelas sloping up Rio's many surrounding mountainsides. Curious about this, I
decided to see Rocinha, perhaps the most notorious favela of them all. Although
not an advisably place to go alone, there are now many agencies offering tours
to Rocinha, so I went along with the pioneer of them, Favela Tours. It was an
excellent; and most importantly safe, way of seeing and experiencing the day
-to-day life in one of the world's most notorious slums while being explained
the social and political strife that divides the favela community with their
more affluent neighbors.
Perhaps the thing I found most enjoyable about
Rio de Janeiro was what the city is most famous for, it's beaches. It was
winter and the water was not particularly tempting at the time, neither was
leaving my valuables all by themselves on the sand in one of the world's top
pick-pocket hunting grounds. However, Rio de Janeiro's most glorious sandy
addresses, Copacabana and Ipanema were still fantastic places to go and spend
some time people watching on any given day. No matter what the weather, the
beach is where most Cariocas go to enjoy their city and Sunday was especially
vibrant. To say that I could have stayed there forever would be a bit of a
corny overstatement; however, I could have stayed at least until summer to see
the beaches in peak season full swing, and probably on until Carnival. Alas, to
ensure I stayed on schedule, after six days in Rio de Janeiro, I packed my bags
and headed up northwest to Ouro Preto….
left: Christ the
Redeemer.... |
above: Favelas |
Above: the Maracana |
above: Copacabana Beach |
above: Erica - my host |
above: Action from the Flamengo vs. Gremio game |
below: The Flamengo shirt I picked up |
Above: Some famous footsteps grace the Maracana Museum |
below: The famous Maracana stadium, or what's left of it |
|
