Rio is a big city, just over six million inhabitants and 450 square miles – just a bit smaller than London. Commonly known as just Rio, the city is also nicknamed A Cidade Maravilhosa, or "The Marvelous City". We'll see.
Luciana and Tim are busy with work – no time to spend with me during the daytime.
Luciana
writes me some instructions how to take the bus or tram into the city –
and where to find the Metro (subway). She gives me a map and sends me
on my way.
First trip is to the Maracana Stadium – one of the
most famous football grounds in the world. There's a match on –
Flamengo vs Fluminense, a big local derby.
I have arranged to meet some people from the Rio Couchsurf 'group'.
They're going to take me in to the game. It's not safe to be in there
as a stranger alone. Especially a gringo stranger.
I have to
take a bus into the city and then the Metro. Hmmm, not to sure about
that – I've heard so many things about Metro systems and attacks.
Well,
a pleasant surprise! The metro is well lit, quite modern, spotlessly
clean. It's a flat fare to ride – R$2.60 – around 70p. The bus is just
as good – also a flat fare regardless of journey length. In fact all
public transportation in Rio is a flat fare – generally between R$2.00
and R$3.00.
It's five blocks to the meeting place. I walk the
Rio streets for the first time. I'm on the lookout for muggers –
constantly glancing at everyone within 50 metres of me. I really
should've been on the lookout for Rio car drivers – much more chance of
getting killed by any one of 'em. They're like the lunatic drivers in – but on streoids, well probably coke at the least. It's the latin in them I guess.
Anyway
– I find the bar where I'm meeting the others – I wait and wait, no one
shows. No one in the bar speaks English – and frankly my Portuguese in
zilch. 'Fala inglese'? (Speak English?) not a soul. I manage to speak
to a couple of lads in Spanish – they used their own mobile phone to
call my contact. 'Ten minutes, we'll be there', I'm told. Nada – they
never showed, I didn't get to the game. A real bummer, I'd really been
looking forward to that.
So – all dressed up and nowhere to go, so to speak – I head back to Santa Theresa feeling very disappointed indeed.
Oh,
a word about Rio buses. There are thousands of 'em – in fact I think
there's one for each Rio resident - usually being driven my maniac bus
drivers. You want a great 'white knuckle' ride – forget Alton Towers –
just hop on any Rio bus!
My next venture out is to Sugarloaf
Mountain. Same stuff, Bus, Metro then another bus. It's pretty easy to
get anywhere in Rio. Two cable cars take me to the summit. Fantastic
views of Rio, Cocacabana Beach, Christ Statue and the harbour.
I got talking to a couple of young
backpackers as we were buying tickets for the cable cars. Shula and Dan
– what a delightful couple. It transpires that Rio is the last stop on
their World Tour – they did it the opposite way around to me.
They'd
already visited quite a few places that are on my itinerary – they had
many places to tell me about. So we spent the rest of the day together
on the mountain with a few drinks – Caprihana's of course – rounded off
with a late lunch and more Caipirinha's at Ipanema Beach. Now I'm
starting to feel like a real traveller! Oh, and a bit wobbly after
maybe just a couple too many of those delicious lime and sugarcane
bombshells.
Cocacobana and Ipanema. These two districts are the
most well known and where most tourists stay. I had both on my list of
places to stay too. I'm so glad I didn't. Yes they have beaches – and
the high-rise hotels and apartments. Just like where I live on the
Costa del Sol. Except there's a four-lane dual carriageway to be
negotiated and the usual manic traffic. Ipanema is more upscale – the
shops are glitzy and bar prices are higher. Much like Marbella really.
I'm
becoming a little underwhelmed for some reason – I guess we all have an
expectation of a place, and the 'worlds most famous beaches' are pretty
so-so in my view.
I need to do more to find the 'real Rio'. Somehow.
Previous Comments:
tracey cosway:
September 7, 2008
this technology is fantastic, I feel as though I am there in Rio
reading your description of the place and seeing your photos. Was Barry
Manillow anywhere in sight at Copacabana beach!
Can't wait to hear what u get upto next. Shame about the football game
Tracey x
And I expected a lot more disasters but haven't finished reading your blog yet ... just testing to see if this thing works.
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