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Published: August 10th 2006
The Coastline of Rio de Janeiro
The stretch of sandy beach at the top is Copacabana and around the upper penninsula (unseen) is Ipanema.Staring out at the pristine beaches stretching down the Atlantic coast, I turned back to find myself looking up at massive city buildings; backed by the beautiful peaks of the mountains.
Rio de Janeiro (January River) is thought by many to occupy one of the most spectacular settings on earth; aside from the Duck Pond in Fountain City of course. It is not the capital (which is Brasilia), but surely is the cultural center to South America's giant; Brasil (and yes, this is the correct spelling). The diversity of this urban metropolis is like no other. Some of the worlds most beautiful beaches combine with the charged atmosphere of the city, to make for one amazing getaway. A giant statue of Christ (Cristo Redentor) with arms outstretched, gazes over Rio and the countries colors (Green, Yellow, and Blue) fill the streets. Sitting at one of many open-air restaurants near the beach, one can enjoy the cool breeze of the ocean while the vibrant beats of the samba drums set the mood. It is a place you can visit only once and never ever forget!
The last I left you I was crossing the border into Brasil (Foz do Iguacu) and had booked
A Night out with Friends
Sandra, myself, Angi, and Alex passage to Rio. Before leaving, I ran into a group (around 20) of American Law students from West Virginia University that were in Brasil for two weeks studying the local law and sightseeing. To my surprise, one of the guys (Joe) just happened to be from Maryville, TN and actually attended The University of Tennessee during the same time period as me. Wow, this was the first Tennessean I had seen my entire trip and one of few southerners. After talking with Joe and some of his classmates for a bit, I was invited by Joe and his professor to accompany the group to a free buffet dinner. The meal was great (I even tried the chicken heart - not an after-taste my pallet cares to frequent) and the conversation was even better. It sure was nice to talk with people from my neck of the woods. The following day, I set off on my 9th and final night bus; this one being 25 hours (put a fork in me - I'm done!).
Arriving in Rio and settling in at the Che Lagarto hostel (Copacabana), I was soon acquainted with my new roommates - Alex (local Brasilian), Sandra (Peruvian
Downtown Rio-D
The tallest peak (Corconado) to the far right is where the statue of Christ (Cristo Redentor) stands and can usually be seen on a clear day. chica), and Angi (Peruvian chica living in Miami). The group and I hit it off right from the start. Although not a one spoke English, we got by just fine with Spanish and they even helped me out with my Portuguese. Yeah, I forgot to mention (if you didn't already know) that Brasil's native tongue is Portuguese and is down right tough; even for a linguist like myself. Until I had met the crew, I was having a very difficult time with communication and rarely found anyone who could speak Spanish or English. What a relief it was to run with a local Brasilian. We all went out to dinner and they gave me an overview of the city. The following day they introduced me to another local (Daniel) and we toured the
Ipanema area and grabbed lunch at the
"A Garota de Ipanema" restaurant; which is the location where the famous song
"The Girl from Ipanema" was inspired and written. There is actually a really cool story behind it, which Daniel (who spoke English) explained to me. I will save that story for when I return. Later that night, the ladies headed off on their flight back to Lima and the guys went home to
rest up for their following work day. So far, it had rained off and on every day and there was a constant overcast; but that didn't faze me (just my pictures).
There is one thing in travelling that you’re always going to have, and that's bumps in the road. Now, you can complain and let it ruin your time or you can throw it in four wheel, plough through it, and enjoy the ride. Over the past 6 months I have had some doosies, but this recent one takes the cake. Just four days before leaving on my bus (tickets already purchased) to São Paulo (where my departing flight is), I received an e-mail from airlineconsolidator.com (the internet company I purchased my flights through) that struck me a little odd. The following e-mails took place on August 3rd between the hours of 1300 and 1400 (
theme music to "24").
Agent: We are contacting you because we need the address in the U.S. where your tickets will be sent to.
Myself: I hope this is a cruel joke. I'm in Brasil - where I'm flying out of - hello! You'd better have my tickets!
Agent: I am sorry but your
flight reservations have been cancelled.
Myself: You had better e-mail me back right now with a very good explanation and get me back my tickets or you will be speaking with my blood thirsty lawyer Edwards Graves II!!
Agent: I am sorry Sir, but we do not ship tickets outside of the United States and the airlines we use only provide paper tickets - not electronic tickets.
Myself: Then why in the world did you sell me a plane ticket leaving out of Brasil (one-way) to the U.S.!!!! (note that my exclamation points grew in number - reflecting my increase in anger).
Agent: We apologize Sir, but we had not verified the address on the credit card yet.
Myself(slowly flipping out): Because you have informed me of this information so late (10 days after purchase), I don't have time to even have it mailed here if you sent it to my address at home. Thank you for causing me a huge hassle and loss of money at the end of my trip. Have a good day and know that you have lost my future business and anyone I come in contact with - because I will be spreading the word!!!!!
End Scene: There you have it! Sorry for all of the details, but you know how I love to tell a story. Now, due to the fact that I had no flight home, I spent the next day and a half searching the internet and local travel agencies for another flight (w/ a little help from Carol the front desk chica) - oh yeah, I changed hostels (Sun Beach hostel-Copacabana) because this place is cheaper and much nicer. I finally found a ticket home after much hassle, but was unable to find one that connected to Colombia for a reasonable price. Oh well, I gave it my all; it just wasn't meant to be (stop smiling mother). So, I guess everyone gets to see me sooner than they had hoped - yeah! My new flight (if everything goes as planned) will be arriving in Orlando on August 9th; exactly 6 months from the day I left. I will make my way back to K-town soon after.
The next couple of days, I hopped buses and walked around the city. I made my way up the cable cars to the top of Pão de Acúcar (Sugar Loaf Mtn.) and enjoyed
a 360 degree view of Rio. It had stopped raining, but the sky was still a little overcast. Even under the weather, Rio was still a beautiful sight to see. Then the following day, the sun finally came out in full effect and I got to see what this city was all about. Droves of thong and banana hammock wearing creatures came out to play. The miles of white sand along the coast soon were full of people from all likes and the true Rio shined through. I spent the day walking the beaches (Cocacabana and Ipanema) and had a blast simply people-watching. The ocean was way too cold for me, but this didn't hold back the surfers. I sat, sipped from my coconut, and watched attentively as dozens of young teenagers caught wave after wave. I must say, I could really get used to this type of winter. That afternoon I decided to wrap up an excellent day with a little Brasilian futbol at
Maracaña stadium, which is the largest futbol stadium in the world (doesn't hold a candle to Neyland stadium). Accompanied by thirteen other gringos and a hired guide, we arrived at Maracaña just before kick off. Now,
I must say that this first part of this experience was little intense. Unlike games back home, there was no assigned seating; you simply battled for a good seat. Starting with fifteen members, we ran from gate to gate, shoved our way through a sea of bodies, climbed over seats, and finally found a spot twenty minutes after kick off. Wait a second; did we only have nine people? In all of the mass confusion, we lost six members of our group. Lucky for them, we had a set meeting place (gate 19) and were soon reunited; after the game of course. Now, the match was between the Flamengos (home team - #1 seat) and the Goiás (located some where near the capital). Play remained neck and neck almost the entire time with both goalies holding the game scoreless with some excellent saves. Finally, in the last minutes of the game, the Flamengos (black and red) rocketed a shot in and sent the crowd into a mad frenzy of excitement. The Flamengos held on for the victory and I watched as policemen quickly lined up between the two opposing fans to prevent death and dismemberment. The week prior there had
Ipanema Beach
The twin mountains of Ipanema stand in the distance. been some huge mob fights and people put in the hospital. So there it is; the Flamengos won (1-0), no one was hurt, and everyone left happy - well, except for the Goiás (Loooseeers!!!). Note: You know you are in a third-world country when it is totally acceptable for fans to wave around hot, flaming flares and throw fireworks among the crowd!
My last two days in Rio were just as beautiful and happening. The sun was blazing, the beach was hopping, and I still had no idea what in the world these people were saying to me. I spent the morning at a Hippy fair in Ipanema with a German girl (Maike) I had met, and then enjoyed the rest of the day lounging on the beach in Copacabana. Back at the hostel, I met a fella by the name of Carlos (A fiction novelist from southern Brasil) who was in town doing a book signing for his 8th novel. After much discussion (all in Spanish w/ a little of Portuguese thrown in), Carlos had persuaded Maike and I to join him out on the town; since it was our last weekend in Rio. That night, we headed
to the Guapo Loco and did a little rump shakin'. We mingled with some of the locals and even made some friends. Being accompanied by a Brasilian really pays off; well except for when everyone thinks you are also and tries speaking to you in Portuguese. The night was fun and a good way to finish up my time up in Rio. I truly can't imagine being here in the summer (especially Carnaval) if this is what their winter is like - scary!
In the spirit of travel, I finished up my trip with one heck of a journey home. The following is a quick run down: One bus ride (São Paulo-6hrs), waited in airport from 3:30pm (Mon) till 4:30am (Tue) (13hrs - no sleep), two flights (São Paulo-Panama City (7hrs); PC-Orlando (3hrs - bumped to 1st class again)); road trip (with Dad) Orlando - Savannah, GA (6hrs), and that about does it; well almost. I have decided to write one more entry,
Some Final Words, which will sum up my journey through Latin America. I know, I'm sorry! I promise that this is the last one and then you are done with me. So, I will see you all soon
because - I AM HOME!!!
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SANDRITA LA PERUANITA
non-member comment
A LO NATURAL !! ( JUST NATURAL )
ME ENCANTARON TUS FOTOS!! ES EL DIARIO MAS BONITO QUE HE VISTO..,ME ENCANTA QUE LA GENTE ASI COMO TU DISFRUTE MUCHO DE LA NATURALEZA, QUE LA VIVA Y LA GOZE..AHORA EN DONDE ESTARAS?..ERES TODO UN CRISTOBAL COLON..JAJAJA.. RECUERDAS?..CUANDO NOS QUEDAMOS A TOMAR EN RIO EN RESTAURANTE DE IPANEMA.BUUU PUES ESE DIA YA ERA NUESTRO ULTIMO( THE LAST DAY)!..BUU ME ENCANTO CONOCERTE LA PASAMOS MUY BONITO..ASI PRACTICABA MI INGLES Y TU EL ESPAÑOL.. CUIDATE MUCHO..!!! Y A VER SI DECIDES RECORRER DE NUEVO PERU, RECUERDA QE ACA YA TIENES UNA AMIGA!!..LA PERUANITA!!.. BESOS.