Travel By Jury

I was only in Rio for a couple of days but can’t wait to go back (maybe for the Olympics of 2016?). While there, we strolled the beautiful boardwalk of Copacabana and made our way to the beach at Ipanema. An abundance of beachside restaurants and snack vendors means you can spend the whole day at the beach enjoying the great weather, even in “winter.” You should also check out Corcovado (the instantly-recognizeable Christ the Redeemer statue), but make sure you negotiate a price for someone to take you up there and take a jacket! Check out the Hippie Fair on Sundays for great food and crafts, make a quick stop at the city modern concrete behemoth of a cathedral. While you’re in Rio, note all the awesome graffiti decorating the city. One of my favorite activities was visiting the Rocinha favela, the biggest slum in South America. Take a tour from a local (it’s safe and the money goes to fund community projects) and prepare to be surprised. I was expecting to see misery but instead experienced a sense of cooperation and community among the narrow, maze-like passages of the favela.
A couple of tips: Even though it’s a tourist town, English is not widely spoken and some knowledge of Portuguese is helpful. Also, coffee to Brazilians generally means a very strong shot of espresso, not a cup of coffee like you’d expect to receive in the U.S.!

Juror #9

Filed under: Latin America, South America | Tagged: Brazil, cathedral, Cocovado, coffee, Copacabana, graffiti, Hippie Fair, Impanema Beach, Juror #9, Latin America, Portuguese, Rio, Rio de Janeiro, Roinha | Leave a Comment »