Copacabana Beach

After leaving Argentina and all the interesting experiences we had there (see my Buenos Aires post), my partner and I moved on for a week in Rio de Janeiro. We were there from Christmas Eve Day until New Years Eve day. This is a busy time of year for Rio, especially in the Copacabana area, as they have a New Year’s Eve celebration that draws over 2 million people to the beaches. I think that Carnaval is the only thing that draws more people in terms of celebrations in Rio.

Our trip to Rio did not exactly start off well, either. The first three days that we were there, there was nothing but rain. There was so much rain that there were mudslides in some cities not too far from Rio. Fortunately, we did not have any mudslides or other disasters in Rio itself.

I was fortunate enough to find someone online that has an apartment in the Copacabana area of Rio. I was able to rent his apartment for about $500 for the entire week. Needless to say, I was quite happy with that! The thing that had spurred us to book a trip to Rio and Buenos Aires was that some friends wanted to go to Rio and wanted us to come with them. So we booked our trip and then they, of course, backed out. It worked out fine for us though. They had wanted to stay at the Copacabana Palace, which was South America’s first five star hotel. At the time, the rates were around $500 per NIGHT. We paid that for the whole week. Plus, while posh hotels are nice, there is something special about travelling somewhere and trying to experience it as a local. Now I am not trying to say that one week at this apartment made us cariocas (this is the term for someone from Rio). But it certainly gave us a different perspective. (I should mention that we ate dinner at one of the restaurants at the Copacabana Palace on our first night there – just because I was not staying there does not mean I did not want to see the place!!)

When the rain finally stopped, we were able to get out and do some exploring. Our apartment was about 2 blocks from the famous Copacabana Beach, which in turn is not far from Ipanema. Ipanema was a very cool area that also had a lot of night life – much more than the Copacabana area, which was more geared to hotels and high rise condo buildings. We did plenty of walking around these 2 neighborhoods. The beaches are spectacular and the views of the surrounding hills/mountains are also quite beautiful. I would have to say that Rio de Janeiro rivals any city in the world for its natural beauty.

Sugar Loaf

Two of the obligatory tourist destinations in Rio are Sugar Loaf and the statue of Christ the Redeemer. Just because everyone goes there does not diminish the appeal of both of these locations. To get to the top of Sugar Loaf, there is a cable car system that has two legs. In the line waiting for the second leg, there was a wild monkey in a tree literally 1 or 2 feet from me. I thought that was pretty neat. When you get to the top, you will see an incredible view of the city below you. Each side of the observation area gives you a different view of the city. You can see the gorgeous lagoons and the valleys where everything is built up between luscious hills. You can see the favelas (which are the ghettos or shanty towns of Rio – there is quite a contrast between the haves and have-nots in this city).

Christ the Redeemer statue

We also took a tour up the mountain where the statue is. Just getting up to the base of the statue is beautiful. On the way, you drive through parts of the Tijuca National Forest, which was a forest restoration project taken on in the mid 19th century (and a smashing success, I should add). We drove up on a mid-sized tour bus and there were definitely some exciting moments when my partner and I wondered about the sanity of our driver. We made it to the top and found the statue completely shrouded in a cloud. We were standing right in front of it and could not see it. Fortunately, within a few minutes, the clouds pulled up and we were able to see this magnificent statue. Again, since you are fairly high up, you get some amazing views of the city.

Botanical Gardens in Rio de Janeiro

One of the main highlights of our trip to Rio, however, was visiting the Botanical Gardens. First of all, the pathways through many parts of the gardens are lined with hundred foot high palm trees on both sides. It creates a spectacular affect. In other areas of the gardens, they are lined with similarly tall bamboo trees. The collection of orchids, bromeliads and carnivorous plants are breath-taking, and world-class. The place is gigantic. We basically spent the entire day there and wanted more. Wow.

Another highlight of our time in Rio was the food. We went to several restaurants that served food by the kilo. You would put what you wanted on a plate then go to a weighing station to get a “ticket” for what you chose. Then when you are all done, you would take your tickets to the cashier and pay. The quality of the food at these restaurants was surprisingly high. They even had good sushi at some of them, and it worked out to around $4 a pound. We also went to a churrascaria where they bring the meats around on swords and you pick and choose whatever you want. There are many of these in the US now, including here in Austin. If you have one near you, you should take the opportunity to try one out. The meats are incredible, and the experience is great. It usually is a fixed price, somewhere around $30 a person for dinner, and is well worth it!

Needless to say, I loved Rio and look forward to the chance to go back some day (and also visit other cities in Brazil, such as Sao Paolo).

To see some of my photos from Rio, click here.