We got to Rio in the mid afternoon and got checked into our hotel room easily. We stayed in the Copacabana area of Rio. Our hotel was just a block away from the beach. We had a large, but interestingly shaped room, it was long but also narrow. However we did have a balcony that overlooked the street below. The hotel also had a rooftop overlook with a bar and a pool. We went up there several times to enjoy the view of the beach and the city. We could even just barely see the Cristo Redentor statue from there.
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| The Hotel Rooftop |
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| Our hotel room balcony. One of our favorite moments in Rio was being out on our balcony during a big rain storm |
This is Matt writing again. On our second day(Friday full day) in Rio, I got to do an amazing hike. I took an Uber to the trailhead for the Pico da Tijuca hike which is the highest point in this national park overlooking Rio. It was not too difficult, but incredible views of the city and surrounding areas. I ended up climbing two small summits within the park. Coming back, there was no transportation from the trailhead to the park entrance so I got to walk an extra 3 1/2 miles.
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| Delicious açai bowls that we bought in the Copacabana neighborhood and brought back to our hotel room balcony. |
We rented a beach umbrella and chairs on Copacabana Beach and relaxed for a few hours. The views of the city were spectacular and the beach was busy with lots of people, music, beach soccer, vendors, and skimpy bikinis. The water was warm and it felt good to wade out. We liked being that close to our hotel while chilling out on the beach.
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| We ate at a Churrascaria, a Brazilian steakhouse with buffet salad bar and side dishes. The food was delicious and we both got very very full. |
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| A cold drink on a warm night on the hotel rooftop |
For our next day, we had booked a Jeep excursion to the jungle. We were in the Jeep with our guide, our driver, and a mother and daughter from Orange County. We ended up going back to the same national park where I went on my hike the day before. It was so cool being there again but learning more this time about the flora and fauna and history. We took lots of little stops and went on a few short walks. I love that there is jungle so close to the city. On the drive to the national park, we stopped to see and learn about one of Pele‘s houses where he lived after he became famous. A lot of families were taking a day in the national park, having picnics and enjoying swimming holes, waterfalls and hiking.
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| Check out the snake! |
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| Ipanema Beach |
We walked from Ipanema Beach over to the Laguna Rodrigo de Freitas. We had incredible views of the surrounding hills, including the Cristo Redentor statue. The rowing events for the 2016 Olympics were held here.
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| Giant avocados! |
On our last full day in Rio, we went to see the Cristo Redentor statue. The temperature was in the mid 90s with 50+ percent humidity. We got so hot and tired. Of course, I wore a black T-shirt on a hot day! The train up to the peak had some type of breakdown and we were stuck for over half an hour in the heat with very little air movement. Both of us were dripping sweat.
But once we got to the top, what an experience and what a view! The statue of Jesus is massive, and beautiful. And the views of the city were spectacular. It was very crowded, and the people watching was a fascinating part of the experience. What an iconic landmark that we are glad we got to see up close.
Our next stop was the Selaron stairs. Very fun, very touristy and very hot!
We ate a late lunch at a large European style cafe, Confeitaria Colombo. The building and decor were more impressive than the food.
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| The old aqueduct |
Rio de Janeiro was a beautiful city of contrast. Luxury and poverty. Industry and tourism. Huge metropolitan area, and beautiful national park. We are both glad that Lindy chose this city as one of our destinations. And I got to see what it’s like to get around without knowing the language.
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