Whirlwind Weekend in Rio Continues

Review on the wall of the Corcovado Guest House

The breakfast at the Corcovado Guest House was the best I've ever had at a B&B. Creamy homemade yogurt, fresh local fruit, eggs made to perfection, and a delectable meat selection all served with toast, presented in the perfect dainty portions. Fueled up, we packed our bags and got ready to head to a new hotel on Ipanema beach. (It was with heavy hearts that we left the boutique hostel as Monica, Claudia, & Diego had made us feel like true friends and not just average guests. I will 100% be staying here whenever I find myself in Rio!!)

Sidewalks of Ipanema

The bus took us from the local bus stop near Corcovado Tram station to Ipanema beach where we took an educated guess when to hop off and walked along the legendary patterned sidewalks to our second hotel, the Sol Ipanema. Considering the characteristic guest house we had just left the Sol Ipanema, as your standard cookie cutter hotel, was nothing to write home about and we made it quickly out of our room and back on the streets of Rio. 

Despite the rather dreary weather the beach was not short of skimpy swim wear and although we had decided not to spend the day at the beach we had to feel the Brazilian sand under our feet and the sea between our toes. The water was FREEZING not what I had expected at all. I am sure on a scalding summer day it is a refreshing relief from the heat but on this gloomy chilly day the cold rushed through your body overwhelming us with giggles as we attempted to appear relaxed on a warm Brazilian beach. Shutter on rapid fire I soon had masses of photographs to enjoy and it was time to continue on our way to the market.

The Sunday market in Ipanema called the Hippie Fair, located in General Osório Square, is an absolute must if you ever find yourself in Ipanema on a Sunday. The square was tightly packed with stalls circling twice around the center which was filled with various artists selling their masterpieces. (I fell in love with a colorful depiction of the favelas on canvas & bought it to frame when I got home.) The spectacular band of student drummers performing on the street corner added to the ambiance as we wandered through the market. From shop to shop you were spoiled for choice, from handbags, jewelry and clothes to carved wooden furniture and hammocks it was there handmade or bulk ordered, there were options galore and we got some fabulous souvenirs!

Have you ever been to a churrascaria? For those of you who haven't it is a Brazilian steakhouse where they bring around various cuts of meat, beautifully prepared, for you to enjoy. Simply flip your card to green when you are ready and various waiters present you with your options to refuse or indulge in. I had been to several in Houston, expensive, but simply fantastic! So obviously when you find yourself starving for fabulous dinner ideas in Brazil, an authentic Brazilian churrascaria is the perfect answer. We did the research and found a highly recommended "classic" Brazilian churrascaria within walking distance from the hotel and our stomachs would not stop rumbling with anticipation the whole way there. Porcão, not helped by its unfortunate name (I know it means "big pig" but you can't ignore the way it sounds in English), was the only disappointment of the whole trip. I don't know if Fogo de Chão is just so good that even the original can't beat it but, this was horrendous. Yes, the buffet they had was enormous, but quantity had obviously trumped quality and while the meat was good it wasn't worth the bill we received at the end of dinner. The whole place reminded me of a cheap Chinese buffet complete with disgusting deserts rolled up to your table on a tacky plastic trolley. I was incredibly ill after dinner, bringing an early end to the night. I don't want to burst your bubble, and I am not usually one to complain, but if you find yourself in Rio hunting down a tasty meal, do yourself a favor and try a different churrascaria.

No Lines for Sugarloaf!

Monday was a holiday in the US so we woke up on our third morning in Rio, grateful for the long weekend. Feeling much better, we decided to take an hour shopping for Brazilian bikinis and Havaiana flip flops before checking out of the hotel. Leaving our bags with the cheerful staff at the front desk, we caught a Taxi to Sugarloaf Mountain (Pão de Açúca). There were so few people at the entrance for the Sugarloaf cable cars that until we actually pulled the door open to the 

View from the first stopping point

building we thought it may be closed. The first people in line for our cable car we were gradually joined by several more, and by the time the next car arrived there were enough of us to reach into the double digits. With each and every inch you are lifted higher into the air, the shrinking buildings around you and the immense views surrounding you grow more and more beautiful. 

Second Cable Car to the Upper Most Peak

 

It takes two separate cable cars before you find yourself on the highest peak. The views from the top are just magnificent. Cristo Redentor seemed so small and high up compared to where we were but looking down it felt as if we were already in the heavens. Shutter once again clicking at the speed of light it was a while before I sat down with the ladies for an ice cream. Minding our own business, enjoying the view, the most curious little creature appeared on the ledge below us. The size of a squirrel with the face of a monkey this tenacious little animal (that I now know is a marmoset) decided our ice cream looked rather tasty and managed to snatch the wrapper from my friend's hand. Luckily finding it unsatisfying for its sweet tooth the marmoset left the wrapper and quickly moved on to tastier options at benches along the way. Though our ice cream survived, our time had quickly been
consumed by these miniature monkeys and looking at our watches we realized it was time to go back to the hotel to prepare for the flight home.

Marmoset at Sugarloaf

You know that moment, when you realize the world has been spinning around you yet nothing and no-one can distract you from your state of pure bliss. Standing, looking over the edge of the rooftop pool, sun on my face, wind blowing through my hair, I was lost in the dream that was my reality. It had been the most unbelievable weekend and in that moment, enjoying my delicious caipiriniha, even the depressing realization that we would be boarding a plane in a mere 4 hours could not phase me. I was on top of the world!

View of  the city and the Favelas from the Hotel

View from our room in the Sol Ipanema

View from the Sol Ipanema Roof

Facing Corcovado from the top of Sugarloaf

Whirlwind Weekend in Rio (Part 1)

From the sparkling beaches of Ipanema to the unimaginable views atop Sugarloaf mountain it is no secret that Rio is exceptionally beautiful and I had been longing to experience it with my own eyes. Restless heart stabbing into my soul on this holiday weekend, my oldest friend (basically my sister) in town, and my ever willing mum sharing in my pain, it was time for a whirlwind weekend. The flights to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil leave Houston at night and fly back to Houston at night, making it easy to leave work on Friday and head straight to the airport for Rio with the knowledge that I would arrive back early enough on Tuesday morning to make it to work on time.

On the Balcony at the Corcovado Guest House

We landed in Rio around 9 am on Saturday morning and did not waste a moment.  After getting some cash from the in-airport machines (*see at bottom of page) we hired a taxi to take us straight to our bed and breakfast: the Corcovado Guest House in Cosme Velho. The people that run the guest house were just fabulous, treating us as family, making us feel so incredibly welcome. The gorgeous little buildings had stunning views of Rio which we took in from a lovely balcony while settling in and roughly planning out the day. Wandering out of the old wooden doors onto the stairs that would lead us to our next adventure.


Stopping at the Corcovado tram station we learnt that you have to book a ticket online to reserve a tram time in order to go up the mountain. Luckily however, they allowed us to buy some tickets for a tram in 2 hours as it still had some space available. Now then, 2 hours may seem like a long time. However, when you think about travel time to and from a location along with time spent at the location, 2 hours is not long at all. We had originally thought we would head to the beach, but thinking about it more rationally we decided to explore the local area we were staying in. What a fantastic idea!

Greenery and life everywhere! There were even orchids in
pots attached to trees all down the pristine roads (this is obviously the way to have fabulous orchids as mine always die but here they could be seen thriving on every tree you passed).  The roads were miraculously clean with not a piece of rubbish to be seen, and every person we passed had a massive smile on their face. It was like walking through a utopia, a pleasantville of sorts, where even the street art was to be appreciated. We went into a local super market and bought some snacks we didn't recognize with names we could not pronounce and  made our way back up the road towards the tram station. However, while enjoying our nameless delights, our noses caught the alluring scent of fresh Brazilian coffee wafting from a quaint little restaurant and we were forced to make a caffeine pit stop.

Over-caffeinated on the most brilliant Brazilian coffee, it took no time at all to make it to the Corcovado tram station. As there was still plenty of time and the weather was changing it seemed sensible to head back to the hostel to deliver our shopping bags and add a layer of attire. The guest house is conveniently located near the tram station. It is a decent walk back up a gorgeous cobblestone street to a flight of stairs, that would make Tigger feel intimidated, which takes you to the hostel entrance. (The only way to get  into the hostel is from these stairs, either going down from the incredibly steep road above or hiking up the impressive steps from below. Luckily for us we were all happy for the exercise but it is definitely not wheel-chair friendly.)

Looking at Sugarloaf Mountain from atop Corcovado

Waiting in the tram station taking touristy photos in goofy cutouts, the excitement was building. We boarded the tram and once every single seat was filled, it began to move slowly up the tracks. Going through the jungle, with snails racing past us, its was a surprisingly adrenaline filled experience. The tram, at times on the sheer face of the mountain, or passing over ravines on a wooden bridge, did not come across as the most reliable form of transportation as we stopped several times for extended periods while the driver wandered past our car. The door next to my seat would not close, providing a stunning nauseating view of every jungle window. That moment when you are on a roller-coaster going up a steep slope to reach the point where you go shooting

View from the top of Corcovado Mountain

 down the tracks, the incessant "clack, clack, clack, clack" that gets your heart pumping in anticipation, that was the moment that lasted the entire journey but (thankfully) instead of shooting down the other side of the mountain we arrived at one of the most famous sites in the entire world.

You do not step off the tram and find yourself facing Christ the Redemer (Cristo Redentor), you really have to earn it, and are greeted by a stairway to heaven.  However, every single "clack" of the tram and every single step on the way was 100% worth it! WOW! Cristo Redentor is absolutely enormous and has the most unbelievable panoramic view of all of Rio.

Unbeknownst to us, we had booked the tram that put us with Christ at the top of Corcovado in time for sunset, pure magic. Such an image can not be put into words. As the sun went down the mist moved in, shutter clicking all the way back to the stairs I did not notice the ENORMOUS queue until I basically walked into the back of someone. With the temperature dropping and the queue barely moving we were popsicles by the time we were given the last three spots on a tram. Once on, it quickly became apparent that there were in fact only two spots available but we squished in and made it work, hoping nobody would either notice or care.

caipirinhas with Brazilian cheese balls

A driver hired by the hostel was scheduled to pick us up at 9 to take us to the Vila Isabel Samba School. We were back at the hostel by 7:30 giving us enough time to enjoy a delicious homemade dinner and fresh caipirinhas (my new absolute favorite drink!) made to order by the fabulous Corcovado Guest House.

Ticket Window

The driver dropped us off at the legendary Vila Isabel Samba School at 9:30. Upon discovering the ticket windows, which were actually holes about 5" diameter in a 12" thick concrete wall that you have to peer through at a person before inserting your entire forearm to exchange money for tickets, we were prepared for the show. However, the school didn't open until 10, leaving us on an comfy bench enjoying the music coming from various groups of people gathered the whole way down the road.

Once inside the samba school we took our seats at the table we had booked and waited. and waited. and waited. an hour passed in which we were one of two groups of spectators in an otherwise empty building. At 11 o'clock the band arrived and started to warm up and around 11:15 people began showing up to prepare for class. (going to a samba school in Rio does not mean you are going to take samba lessons. To the contrary, it means you are going to watch "professional" samba dancers prepare for carnival.)

We had scheduled for our driver to pick us up at midnight so we called to push the time back to 1 o'clock once the music got going. Boy were we happy we did! It was the dance off for some of the main spots at carnival and the dancers were unbelievable! I felt as though I had been dropped into a scene from a film, the costumes, music, expressions, and hips were like nothing I had ever seen in person before and it made me desperate to go to Carnival one year for the real experience. One o'clock rolled around as they were finally getting into full swing and it was sadly time to go.

It had been a stupendous first day in Rio and it was hard to go to sleep through the excitement of the day and the anticipation of what tomorrow would bring. (Check back tomorrow for day 2 in Rio!)

(NOTE: We discovered upon arriving home that our card information had been stolen and duplicate cards were actively in use busily collecting cash from various ATMs in Rio. The only place all three of the stolen cards had been used was in the airport at the ATM. So word to the wise... Be wary, especially where you may not feel you need to be...)