Rest of Rio and highlights

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Rio Highlights



Rio is a fantastic city, probably one of the best ones I have ever been to so far. But, there is one catch! Out of the six days I spent there, I never once felt totally safe. It´s an awful pity that it´s like that. I still reckon, Sydney is the best city I have been to.

I was staying in Ipanema, one block from the beach at Posto 9, apparently a famous spot in Rio. The beach is fantastic and the views all around are amazing. I took a tour with the hostel to various places around Rio. It was a great, worthwhile tour. Good for the money. It last all day. I went with a few others out of the hostel, Cassie and also Yuki. We all got on great.

The trip covered a visit the Tijuca National park where we encountered a very steep but relatively short climb to where the Handgliders take off from. I nearly shit myself when I realised the height we were up and also the lack of barriers around the edge of the viewpoint. At the viewpoint, you could see Copacabana, Ipanema and Leblon beaches. Amazing scenery. The next thing was, we heard one! two! three! And there was a stamp of feet running on the platform above our heads. A tandem handglide jump just dropped off the edge of the ramp and literally for 3-4 four seconds they were free falling and then they gained the wind resistance required to fly. Amazing site. Before I saw that I was going to do one and then I chickened out! Well do ya blame me?

Anyway from there we went to a waterfall, must have been the billionth one I have seen. Then onto Santa Teresa, a lovely little Colonial type of a town up in the mountains. We were supposed to have lunch there, but everywhere was closed due to the Easter weekend.

Then on to the Christ Redeemer. Fantastic site and such amazing views from up there! A full panoramic view of Rio. Definitely recommend it to anyone that intends to visit Rio.

We went on down to Lapa. This where the famous Lapa steps are and also Arches. The steps were cool. They were covered with tiles of countries around the world. Very artistic i9ndeed. The guy that tiles the steps must have been on holiday or something. Normally he is there and you can get a photo with him. Rivotting!

After that we were dropped to the Sugar Loaf. This a famous place for where MoonRaker was shot. Where Roger Moore climbs out of the Cable car at a massive height and either try to escape from the Jaws charachter. That was cool experience, although, although the rocking of the cablecar at that height wasn´t my best moment at all. Just short of smelling some you know what from my arse!!

So that was that was that trip. Another couple of nights we all went out from the hostel to Lapa where the all night street party happens. We entered a building in a back cobbled street off the main road. This was amazing. An old Antique shop that was transformed into a night club and I think it´s voted in the top 10 niteclubs in the world. Called Rio Scenario! Superb! Jazz bands, singers etc covered different floors. The decor was fantastic and the buzz and atmosphere was so relaxed and but I suppose you could say exhuberant! Everyone in the place except for us Gringos knew all the words to every song. Electric is the only way I can describe it. In the Lonely Planet book, the niteclub is voted second of the must do things to do in Rio ahead of the Christ Statue. Crazy!


So that´s my Rio highlights. In the end I got sorted with the visa. I had to go back to the airport and extend it by 20 days. It cost me 67 Reals plus the bus ride to and fro. I took my whole day up. I wasn´t impressed. But all is well that ends well!

Over and out. It´s on to Ilha Grande next with the tour group!

Mick

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Photos

Brazilian singer
Rio Scenario niteclub