Sunny Rio de Janeiro… minus the sun. Clouds, fog, and rain filled most of our days. But we still saw Christ the Redeemer, Sugarloaf Mountain, Lapa, the beaches, and a samba show.
We arrived and checked into our hotel in the late afternoon on the one hot sunny day we had here. Our hotel (Windsor Excelsior Copacabana) is situated just off Copacabana Beach with a rooftop pool and bar. We put on our swimwear, ordered a capheirina and margarita, and took in the awesome view of the beach and ocean. As you can see, the beach is quite popular, covered in umbrellas and people.
We headed down to the beach to walk amongst the beach goers and dip my toes in the water before heading out to find dinner. The beach was filled with families, couples, teenagers, and multiple groups playing with soccer balls.
On day two we hit the top sights of Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf Mountain with Amigo Tours. They visit Christ the Redeemer early in the morning to beat the crowds. Due to a booking issue with some tourists, we didn’t get there exactly when it opened (8:00 am) but about a half hour after. It was already fairly busy… but during our hour there it became packed. Definitely get there right at 8 if possible.
It was drizzling and a bit windy so umbrellas and ponchos are in most of our pictures. The fog would flow in and cover the whole city view… then 15 minutes later blow off for a bit. So have some patience and hopefully you can get a shot of the sprawling city below.
Next we were off to check out Sugarloaf Mountain. There are actually two mountains. You ride the first cable car to Morro de Urca, which is 220 meters (722 feet) high. There are nice views here of the city and Sugarloaf. We were told that most of the time monkeys are running around this area. But I was monkey deprived as they were all hiding out from the rain. A cafe and bar are located here with plenty of seating. So if you have lots of time, you could enjoy some food and drink with the view and if you are lucky… maybe monkeys.
The second cable car carries everyone up to Sugarloaf, standing 396 meters (1,299 feet) above the harbor. Up here it can be quite windy… but the views make it worth it. We again had to watch for when the fog would clear to snap some good landscapes.
By the time we returned to our hotel, it was raining pretty hard. This didn’t work well for any of the plans I had for Rio… so the late afternoon became a wash. We just grabbed lunch at a fabulous little Italian restaurant and headed in for the day.
On our third day, I chanced a run in the early morning and happily found it was just sprinkling with some puddles to dodge. I ran the black and white swirled Copacabana boardwalk and into Impanema. The beach was deserted but a few other runners and bikers were enjoying a morning workout as well. With so few people, I could spot the sandcastles and statues along the boardwalk.
Later that morning, we met up with Rio Free Walking Tour. It was a 3 hour free walking tour with a few guides, one that took the English speakers. We started in Centro and saw the Municipal Theatre, library, and Palacio Pedro Ernesto. Our guide shared info about the buildings and history of Brazil.
Then we headed into colorful Lapa where we saw the famed Seleron stairway. This is very popular so you will need to share it with many others all trying to get the best picture. This is one of those places you should come to as soon as the sun is up before the tourists wake up 😊. The stairs were created by Chilean artist, Jorge Seleron which he started in 1990. Over 2,000 tiles from more than 60 countries cover the 215 steps.
We also saw the Metropolitan Cathedral, Lapa arches (Arcos Da Lapa), the baroque style Sao Bento Monastery, and ended at Colombo Confeitaria.
Leaving the group, we found the Santa Theresa tram a few blocks away. This tram began running in 1877 connecting the city center with the inner neighborhood of Santa Teresa. We hopped on board, road over the Arco Da Lapa, and gazed out over all of downtown Rio. Then we passed into the hills above where mural and graffiti covered walls surrounded us. In Santa Teresa the tram shares the road with cars and buses. We hopped off and wandered around the streets for a while. There were a number of tiny restaurants and shops speckled between homes.
We jumped back on the tram to see the rest of Santa Teresa and then head back to the city center. We passed a few good viewpoints overlooking Rio again and caught a glimpse of some favelas clinging to the hillsides nearby. We had originally thought about doing a favela tour… but the tour company has stopped offering it as safety concerns have risen.
That evening we headed to dinner at a brewery called Noi. They had a long list of beers, a few that I really liked. The Swartzbier was my favorite.
After dinner we attended the Ginga Tropical Show at the Leblon Theatre next door. The show is a tiny taste of Carnival for those that cannot make it to Rio for actual Carnival. It was a show filled with costumes and dancing. The dances displayed a wide variety of Brazilian culture and the show ended with the company pulling half the audience on stage to dance with them.
On our final day, the rain stopped and some sun came out… though we had to head to the airport around noon. So we spent a couple hours sitting in chairs on the beach enjoying the waves and trying to avoid the people selling items along the sand.
Next up: Iguazu Falls!
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