The late UK instaceleb Jade Goody once remarked, ‘Rio de Janeiro…ain’t that a person?’, which (in addition to garnering her plenty of derision in the trash mags) got us thinking about how one would describe this complex and enigmatic metropolis.
If Rio was a person, perhaps they’d be good-looking, fit, consumed with body image, passionate about football, hedonistic on demand, and ready to celebrate with verve at any festa, samba or carnival. Maybe they’d also have a rumoured dark side, no matter how nice they were.
Every person has their own impression of South America’s third largest city and we arrived in Rio with a fairly even dose of both excitement and trepidation.
And an overwhelming fatigue after our epic journey from Foz do Iguaçu – a simple short flight that turned into a long wait at the airport followed by a ten-hour overnight bus journey (full of very loud snorers) to the town of Curitiba for an early morning flight to Rio. All this because a grumpy volcano in Chile temporarily shut down the continent’s airspace.
With the World Cup and the Olympics both coming to town in the next couple of years, we found a city in a state of renovation, no small feat in a place with half the number of hotel rooms it needs, traffic that already drives people around the bend (our mad taxi driver was a case in point), and a high crime rate.
The vision that awaited us however, when we finally emerged from the traffic and tunnels into Zona Sul, was extraordinary – a pretty tree-lined lake surrounded by dramatic green peaks, joggers and dog-walkers out enjoying the soft winter sun, a tiny Christ the Redeemer staring off into the distance atop a strikingly sheer crag. Cue excitement, we were in Rio!
We were also incredibly lucky – our first stay in the city was with a lovely young couple we met by chance at our B&B in Buenos Aires; two Brits on a weekender currently living in Rio for work. They not only put us up (giving our beaten-up budget a break from Rio’s high-cost accommodation), they also gave us a priceless insider’s guide to the city.
On venturing out into the streets of Rio, Lonely Planet says, ‘dress down and leave expensive (or even expensive looking) jewellery, watches and sunglasses at home…don’t ever take anything of value with you to the beach. Late at night, don’t walk on any of the beaches…avoid walking around empty streets…avoid taking buses after dark…consider using disposable cameras…’. Really, the safest bet is to just stay in your hotel room until you leave.
It’s travel commonsense though and with a bit of prep each morning, we spent a fantastic couple of days walking the city, visiting the must-see Corcovado Mountain and Christ the Redeemer, riding the bonde (tram) up to the tourist-friendly neighbourhood of Santa Teresa, travelling on the metro, and wandering through downtown in search of highlights such as the vibrant Escadaria Selaron (Selaron’s Stairs) and the beautiful Real Gabinete Portugues de Leitura (Royal Portuguese Reading Room).
Rio streetscapes: Stairs, trams, lamps and libraries.
Dodgy or not, it is safe to say that Rio is hands down one of the most stunning cities we’ve visited. In fact, that striking synthesis of natural beauty and vibrant culture has led to the city’s listing as a World Heritage cultural site.
With a week up our sleeve, we also took the opportunity to head south-west of Rio for some Brazilian chill-out on the island of Isla Grande (or Eel-ha Grranch, as the locals pronounce it).
A gorgeous outcrop of jungle-covered peaks and beaches, it proved the perfect finale to our South American adventures and we celebrated duly with hikes to pristine white beaches, delicious local specialties (one night nearly a dining-on-sea experience when a king tide inched its way inside our beachfront restaurant), and beer o’clock in the hammock at our lovely little beach-side pousada.
Walks, eats, beaches, sunsets….can we stay forever?
It was all a bit brief, but brilliant. We’ll be back, Brazil.
Good to know
Getting here: Fly to Rio! Unless you fancy a looooong inter-city bus ride like we did (not by choice). Minibuses can be arranged from Rio south-west to Angra Dos Reis, taking about 2.5 hours on a good run, from where you can get a 1-1.5 hour boat ride to Ilha Grande.