Rio = a-maz-ing

Rio de Janeiro is known as the 'marvellous city', so we were looking forward to seeing what it had to offer during our 4 days there.

Arriving at about 6:30am after an overnight bus, we were straight onto a local bus which was an interesting experience.  The driver was an angry maniac, ignoring red lights and throwing the rickety old bus around corners on uneven roads.  Not the most hair raising ride we've ever had on our travels, but it was a good way to wake us up!  About a 30min walk after getting off the bus we arrived at Favela Vidigal, which is where we were staying at a small guesthouse run by a lovely Brazilian girl and her Lithuanian boyfriend who completely welcomed us into their home.  They don't do it for the money, more to give people the first-hand experience of staying in a favela and to dispel a few myths.  We had no idea what to expect as all you hear about favelas (slums) is from TV or movies, and generally depicts them as dangerous, crime and drug ridden places that you'd be stupid to venture into.  But that couldn't have been further from the truth as we soon found out.  Everyone was so friendly and willing to help and we felt completely safe walking around, even at night.  Sure, there's probably crime and definitely still drugs around, but there's an unspoken rule that everyone sticks to - don't rob anyone in the favela.  And that extended to us.  It was without a doubt safer than if we'd stayed in Copacabana or Ipanema, as tourists are targeted in those areas.  So not only was it the cheapest place we've stayed so far, it was also the best experience.  And you can't beat views of Ipanema and Leblon beaches from the rooftop.

Favela Vidigal

Aside from the beautiful, famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, we went up to Christ the Redeemer and Sugar Loaf for unbeatable views of the city.  At almost 40m tall the Christ statue is definitely an impressive sight, as are the views from the top.  Unfortunately the weather wasn't great when we were up there, but we could still see the city spread out below.  Sugar Loaf was just as amazing, and the views of the city were possibly even more spectacular.  We went up for sunset which is the best time of day to be up there, and we were lucky with the weather this time.  You could see right across to Copacabana beach, and watching the sun set behind Christ the Redeemer across the valley was stunning. 

 

View from Christ the Redeemer

View from Sugar Loaf

We only saw a fraction of this enormous city, but what we did see we liked.  We also became addicted to our daily dose of acai.  It was a glorious glass of purpleness, kind of a cross between a slushy and a smoothie.  If only we could get it in the rest of South America.