RIO: After carnival, before work

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Rio without carnival was some place completely different. I honestly felt like I had arrived somewhere else with the streets not so packed, people wearing normal clothes, music not blasting from every corner and the transport being relatively peaceful. However I was in Rio, and I hadn’t done any sightseeing during the craze of Carnival, so a group of us set off to check out Rio De Janeiro’s Escadaria Selaron, which are better known as the steps of Rio which Snoop dog rapped out his music video on. Every step and side is covered in mosaics, all done by a crazy Chilean painter. We posed for some pictures and this one random old guy decided to photo bomb by not moving from the steps after he had had a picture with two pretty ladies before us. We went on and had the picture with him in it anyways and the crazy geezer stuck out his tong and everything. Only after we had walked up and down the 218 steps (the boys furiously looking for a London mosaic while I laughed that even little African regions made it!) did we speak to a local who told us that the ‘geezer’ in the picture was the artist of the steps! So we have the man himself in our pictures without even realizing the pleasure.
Took my first dip into the busy waters during this time. The beach is still fully loaded but not as crazy. The one down side to Rio is the waters are rather dirty in most areas and little is a problem, so if you were imagining me in light blue water on a white san beach, you are mistaken. Don’t get me wrong, there are some nice areas to swim, its just not as beautiful as the edited pictures make it out to be. Plus this water is ICYCOLD! I couldn’t breathe when I dived in, but in the plus 28 degrees day, there is nothing more refreshing than exactly that!
Another day of exploring followed, as we headed closer to central city to check out some beautiful buildings such as the theater and library in Cinelandia area. Sadly we couldn’t go inside due to renovations but it was a nice wonder around some old buildings.
Friday we had a big exploration day to the island of Paqueta. It took a ferry ride to get there which gave us an amazing view of all of Rio from the water, with Cristo Redentor spreading his arms open to the entire city. The rustic island of Paqueta has a policy of no cars, so the only way around I walking, cycling or by horse and carriage. It’s also rumored to be the only island with Baobab trees from Africa, however the entire day I failed to find one, only a similar looking tree which could be the Baobab in Rio form. We basically walked around the whole island, exploring streets, trying to find a good beach and wondering through the national park finding old ruins in the thicket and monkeys in the trees. The island was beautiful and the company was entertaining so although we were tired at the end of our adventures, it had been a great day. The ferry ride home was during sunset so the pictures were yet again amazing, looking onto the grand Rio De Janeiro in its glittering nighttime lights.
Life in the city wasn’t on a break from the partying for long and a couple of us count resist but check out the Lapa scene even after that long day. So after a bottle of run was shared, we headed out to Lapa to follow it up with some Caiparinhina’s. we wound out way through the crowd and danced outside the sardine packed clubs where the music poured out full blast onto the streets. Somewhere along the way we met some Brazilian girls who tried to communicate and dance with us. We ended up meeting all their friends, wondering around Lapa with them and dancing by a samba bar! They were samba dancing around us and trying to get me to join in. I still can say don’t know how to do it but that night I seemingly could and the ‘chikas’ and I were dancing it out. It was once again a great night in Lapa.
The next night the whole gang went out to Lapa, after some seriously funny drinking games landed the boys with mascara on. Once again we made some random Brazilian friends, and again I’m not so sure how it happened but they were super friendly: sharing their alcohol, snapping pictures and once again trying to get us to dance like Brazilians. Its crazy how regardless of the communication barrier, we still spent ages with them having a jol. You know the rest. (That this paragraph ends just like the last one: great times!)
The weekend ended with shopping for the girls and a soccer game for the boys. The next chapter starts with my volunteer work. First I experienced the Rio people and their madness during carnival, and now it’s time to care for their young. How hard could it be right?

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Photos

RIO STEPS
the random geezer on the right is the Chillean Artist!