I really don't know how to put my finger on it.. You're a "city's city," fit for high-rollers, divas, and leather-skinned beach bums alike. And yet you are a testament to the stark reality of urban poverty. Your "favelas" sweep the steep hillsides; mere shadows by day and masses of barely-flickering lamp lights by night. If I had my way, I'd spend all my days up there... finding the real beauty of the city. But alas, you whisked me away to join the ranks of crowds and tourists alike.
On my first day in Brazil, before I could even set my bags down or use the bathroom, I was transported off to see my first attraction: Sugar Loaf mountain (Pao de Acucar). It's all a strange and wonderful blurr. I didn't even try to blend in. I was a hopeless case. My Ben and Jerry's t-shirt, "missionary bag," and fancy gym pants were dead give aways. Except I did have ONE thing working for me--I spoke their language. And "they"couldn't, for the life of them, put the pieces together and figure out what the heck I was. So I, of course, relished the opportunity to talk to everyone.
Making it to the top of Sugar Loaf allowed me to bask in some wonderful views of the city. You can't tell by the picture (or maybe you can), but I was fighting to keep my eyes open due to: a) excessive wind gusts from on top; b) no sleep; and c) an over-dose of allergy medication. But hey, I'm used to the latter two. My half-day city tour was also topped off with a visit to the famous Maracana football stadium (aka-soccer stadium).
Home of the 2014 World Cup.
But the longest day of my life doesn't end there my friends. I was somehow scheduled to see a LATE night Samba show with dinner at a 5-star restaurant (yeah, go figure). With no time to wipe my brow, I was whisked off, still dressed in the sweaty Ben and Jerry's outfit. So let me paint the picture for you: a room full of fancy-pants schmucks; me seated alone at the very center table; I look like a homeless person; with 1.5 hours to kill, alone, eating endless helpings of skewered meat. I felt like a circus animal, the feature attraction, a spectacle of sorts.
The next few days were spent doing an array of activities such as ascending "Corcovado" (meaning "hunchback," like the shape of the mountain) to see the famous "Cristo Redentor" statue (Christ the Redeemer).
Our van kindly let us stop along the way to take in different vantage points of the city.
Once on top of Corcovado, the panoramic views were incredible, and I finally internalized the expansive nature of this city (the second largest in Brazil).
I had always been intrigued by this statue. I had seen it in postcards and books, and loved the idea of having a huge, Christ-figure symbolically watching over and welcoming the people below. Unfortunately, the massive crowds of tourists seemed to take away from my moment in the sun.
I was like a kid in a candy store.
b)"Build your own Bikini" --stores on every corner.
What a great concept.
Home of the 2014 World Cup.
But the longest day of my life doesn't end there my friends. I was somehow scheduled to see a LATE night Samba show with dinner at a 5-star restaurant (yeah, go figure). With no time to wipe my brow, I was whisked off, still dressed in the sweaty Ben and Jerry's outfit. So let me paint the picture for you: a room full of fancy-pants schmucks; me seated alone at the very center table; I look like a homeless person; with 1.5 hours to kill, alone, eating endless helpings of skewered meat. I felt like a circus animal, the feature attraction, a spectacle of sorts.I must have looked as awkward as I felt, so a South African couple finally bit the bullet and invited me over to eat with them. Kind, kind souls.
I laughed the night away with my new, white, South-African farmer / Christian fundamentalist friends....taking turns covering each others' eyes when the Samba show turned into Brazilian pole dancing.
Although I only slept a few hours that night, it was the best sleep I'd had in months.
The next few days were spent doing an array of activities such as ascending "Corcovado" (meaning "hunchback," like the shape of the mountain) to see the famous "Cristo Redentor" statue (Christ the Redeemer).
Our van kindly let us stop along the way to take in different vantage points of the city.
Once on top of Corcovado, the panoramic views were incredible, and I finally internalized the expansive nature of this city (the second largest in Brazil).
I had always been intrigued by this statue. I had seen it in postcards and books, and loved the idea of having a huge, Christ-figure symbolically watching over and welcoming the people below. Unfortunately, the massive crowds of tourists seemed to take away from my moment in the sun. But I did make some interesting conclusions about travel. Although I don't do well in overcrowded areas--I'd much rather sit on a log, talk to the local crowd, and eat raw corn than spend the day being carted around in an air-conditioned van with a tour guide speaking to me in Spanish-- sometimes it's the only (and most practical) way to see what you came to see! So it's best to suck it up and go with the flow.
But don't get me wrong. I also savored the time I had to explore trendy neighborhood streets and get an exceptional retail experience in the process.
Three Reasons Why I Really Love Rio:
a) The Shoes --did you know Brazil is a top, worldwide producer of shoes? More shoe stores than I could have ever bargained for.
I was like a kid in a candy store.b)"Build your own Bikini" --stores on every corner.
What a great concept. c) Bolo de Bolacha--
I rekindled an old flame with these inspired culinary creations that I first discovered in Portugal. What's not to love about layers of sweet cream slathered between moistened cookie pieces?
I rekindled an old flame with these inspired culinary creations that I first discovered in Portugal. What's not to love about layers of sweet cream slathered between moistened cookie pieces?My last day in Rio was spent taking a tropical-islands boat tour. Me and a van full of 4 Austrians, 2 Ecuadorians, and a cool dude named "Mike," drove an hour or so outside of the city to our jumping-off point.
A quaint, rustic, and colorful town nestled at the foot the mountains. It was wonderful to get a breath of fresh air and take in the smell of reality.
The scenery was beautiful. We stopped our boat to take a dip in the water along side the sparsely-populated beaches.
Too bad for me, I didn't think to bring my swimming suit along. My Italian-American-German-Brazilian friend, Mike, encouraged me to just go in my underwear. He even brought out an extra change of clothes for me. Hey, normally I'd jump on the idea of doing as the locals.
But if you are affiliated in any way with the Mormon church, you might understand that it wasn't going to be so easy (or socially acceptable) for me to go swimming in my underwear. So I perched myself on the side of the boat and soaked up some more rays.
Sadly, still fully clothed.
A quaint, rustic, and colorful town nestled at the foot the mountains. It was wonderful to get a breath of fresh air and take in the smell of reality.
The scenery was beautiful. We stopped our boat to take a dip in the water along side the sparsely-populated beaches.
Too bad for me, I didn't think to bring my swimming suit along. My Italian-American-German-Brazilian friend, Mike, encouraged me to just go in my underwear. He even brought out an extra change of clothes for me. Hey, normally I'd jump on the idea of doing as the locals.
But if you are affiliated in any way with the Mormon church, you might understand that it wasn't going to be so easy (or socially acceptable) for me to go swimming in my underwear. So I perched myself on the side of the boat and soaked up some more rays.
Sadly, still fully clothed.Many of these tropical islands are for sale. Point noted--I'm always on the lookout for unique real estate, for when I'm filthy rich someday.
We stopped our boat for lunch on one of the islands where a tiny restaurant had prepared an authentic spread for our hungry group. I enjoyed several helpings of fresh coconut pudding and then explored the environs of this little haven.
Where I met my pal, Chiquita, among others.
We stopped our boat for lunch on one of the islands where a tiny restaurant had prepared an authentic spread for our hungry group. I enjoyed several helpings of fresh coconut pudding and then explored the environs of this little haven.
Where I met my pal, Chiquita, among others. Although I thoroughly enjoyed the day and the friends I met, I did realize that boats are most definitely not my preferred form of tourism. I usually get my fill 10 or 15 minutes into the ride and then, I'm stuck--wishing I could jump ship.
Before my 6am flight out the next morning, I took a few moments to climb to the roof of my hotel, and do what I do best: sit, meditate, and let the view seep its way into me.
