When I found out that I could extend my trip with an
excursion to Rio de Janiero(The erroneously named River of January), I couldn’t
pass it up. Especially with all the savings I had in French Guiana, this trip
was within my budget. I took a 3am flight from Belem to Rio arriving before
8am. I was on the Metro heading to Copacabana before 9am.
Side Note: It may
be just that I haven’t experienced efficient public transportation in a while,
but I must say I thoroughly enjoyed how efficient and easy to access Rio’s
Metro system was. Everything was clearly marked and a Metro pass costs only $1
per trip(which can be as far as the rail takes you).
Side-Side note:One
thing of interest: There are separate women only cars for the metro. Meaning if
you are male, you are not welcome. At first, I really liked this idea-allowing
women to travel worry-free any time of day. Then I thought of a better option.
A DOUCHE-BAG ONLY car. That’s right, if you think it’s appropriate to sexually
harass or assault a female, or even condone it, then you get your own separate
car. And a nice ankle bracelet and a mandatory mustache. It’s sad we live in a
world where we have to separate women from men but after living in Guyana, I
certainly understand the need.
Exclusivo para mulheres |
How could I not? After all this is one of the modern 7
wonders of the world. Now I’m only 1 down on my brother Matt. We both
head to Macchu Pichu in June so he’ll still be ahead.
It's funny most people are taking pictures of the view of the city and not the Redeemer itself |
A nicer favela |
After CTR as I like to abbreviate it, I headed to my hotel
in Lapa, which is a fun little area within walking distance of the airport and
plethora of bars. I changed into my running clothes, stashed some Reals and my
Metro card and I was off. I took the Metro back to Copacabana, and instead of
heading to the beach, I headed up, up and up. Maybe it’s just because I haven’t
seen an inclines for a while, but it certainly seemed like Rio has some of the
steepest roads in the world. Either way, my breathing and mind concurred. After
doing an up/down/up/down, I headed to the beach and ran the full length of it
only singing a little Barry Manilow. I then enjoyed a frosty beverage
overlooking Copacabana with CTR going in and out of view(depending on cloud
coverage) in the background.
Instead of taking the Metro back, I followed the Walk Rio
signs all the way back to my apartment. I wish I had known about it before
because I would have definitely run to the beach instead of riding. Either way,
it’s a good thing to know about and I would definitely recommend it. Felt safe
the entire time and skirted the water almost the entire time.
It's the copa-copacabana |
Back at my hotel, I showered(oh hot water, how I am going to miss you!), and headed out for dinner. Not nearly as inexpensive as Belem, but almost as good, I found a little place where I had Baccliau which always reminds me of my dad and wished he would have been able to join me. Although, I am very much looking forward to meeting them in Barbados within the monthJ While not Portugal, Brazil is a nice alternative with similar meals and culture.
Speaking of culture: you cannot go to Rio and say you’ve been to Brazil. Already Belem and Rio are so different and tomorrow I head up the country to Boa Vista which offers an entirely different side of Brazil.
Until next time,
Danny
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