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“Must visit city before you die!” |
Copa, Copacabana! Come lets samba! Oh yes, we shook our hips like the saucy sun queens that we are! Homesick, shmomesick! All cares are lost in this city that ranks unbelievably high on my list of places to see before you die. Any fears we had of the so called ´dangerous´Brazil evaporated with the fun, kind, and colorful nature of the locals & tourists alike.
How happy was i to step into the 80 degree sunshine of Rio De Janeiro!?! Within 10 minutes of meandering the airport, I had been mistaken as Brazillian about 5 times. This misconception has continued. Luckily, I´ve been able to understand the Portaguese, furthermore...I can speak a bit of it too. Thank goodness for Spanish. It is actually discouraged to travel around South America without some sort of proficiency in Spanish. Rach smiles and nods :)
After settling into our 20 person room, we made a mad dash to Ipanema beach. The beach is brilliant. People come around selling all sorts of good stuff. Beer? Cocktail? Beach Towel? Purse? Jewelry? Etc. No Problem! They don´t hassle you either. Everybody is all smiles with a bit of flair. The happy go lucky nature really keeps your mood in a constant high. That night we had every intention of going to bed. Tired from our flight. Oh no...not in Rio. We were sent to bed at 9 pm with the instructions of waking up at midnight. By 1 am we were out the door and ready to go to Lapa the street fiesta! Rach and I samba danced til the sun came up. One of the most memorable experiences ever!
We also went to a real futebol game at the Maracana Stadium...the largest in the world. It was a local match:Vasco v Flamengo. Romero age 41, team Vasco, was to kick his 1000th goal that night. Only the second to do so in history besides Pele! He did it! Except Rach and I were in the bathroom!!! How sad were we. Oh well at least i still have my ticket stub of the historical event. The cheering of thousands was unforgettable. Reminded me of being in Germany during the world cup...madness. Fans are crazy too. A couple of the guys we went with actually got punched just for wearing Flamengo jerseys! Theft is quite prevalent in Rio too...so no wearing backpacks or any other sort of valuables.
Unfortunately, we didn´t venture into the favelas (the ghetto) because shootouts occur every few months. People possessing AK47s in these parts is not uncommon. We did see the Christ Redeemer (unbelievable) and Santa Teresa (cobblestone village in the hills). The shopping is great as well. Markets are fun for browsing and bartering. I bought a couple of Havaianas sandals. If your a guy (especially if blatantly foreign...you white boys know what i mean) be careful travelling here because the cops and local drug vendors will set you up to squeeze any amount of cash out of you. Usually 1000R. Doesnt matter if you buy or not. Sad but true.
All in all...I love Rio. Now i understand all the fuss that people make about it. Truly unique. Even those who get robbed or beat up find a way to laugh it off and enjoy the sun. Now thats what i´m talking about!
previous travel blog entry
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