Last Stop, Rio

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Friday afternoon we arrived in Rio de Janerio; it was named ‘The River of January’ as the first settlers thought they had found a river and arrived on the first of January. After checking into a hotel in the Ipanema neighborhood, we thought we would stroll the famous shopping streets and the beach. A howling wind followed by a pouring rain drove us into a bar for a glass of wine and a recalibration of our plans.



Given the weather, we decided an early dinner and bed were in the cards. By total accident we ended up at the Veloso bar/restaurant (now renamed the Garota de Ipanema) where the famous “Girl from Ipanema” song was penned. The meal was good, the waiters were better, and we were serenaded by a traveling samba band that played outside and shoved a tambourine in the window for tips. We went back to the hotel and listened to the tune in several versions including the Stan Getz/Astrud Gilberto hit (

) that brought the song to the world’s attention.



(By the way, did you know that “The Girl from Ipanema” is the second-most covered song ever? Here is one of those covers by Frank:

. Oh, the first most covered song—“Yesterday.”)



Saturday we had an 8 PM flight to catch so decided to take a guided tour of the city.



The tour began with a cable car ride to the top of Sugarloaf Mountain where we enjoyed a panoramic, if somewhat foggy view of the city. Rio is known as ‘The Beautiful City’ and it was easy to see why from that vantage point; the mountains, water and cityscape, watched over by the famous Cristo Redeemer, create a lovely scene. (Rio is also known for its slums, but they were not part of our morning tour.)



We saw the old town, the aqueducts that brought water to the city in the colonial period, the beaches. Then we stopped at the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian, in my way of thinking, one of the ugliest pieces of modern architecture around. Built of cement, it has all the charm of a Soviet-style block of apartment houses. Why did they build such an ugly thing in such a beautiful city?



After the tour we took a cab and spent the rest of the day at the Rio Botanical Jardin (botanical garden)—an absolutely lovely urban treasure. For only $7R each (about $6US total) we strolled between palms, visited an orchid house, watched monkeys and toucans in the trees, and enjoyed a family day in Rio.





The cab to the airport featured bulletproof windows we could not roll down for any final photos—a reminder of the crime that is a feature of life here. But the driver was charming and anxious to know how we liked his city. Certainly, he asked, we would want to come back? More than likely.

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Photos

The bar that started it all
Our waiter at the 'girl from Ipanema' bar showing a blow up of the original score penned near where we sat.

View from Sugar Loaf Mt.
Though cloudy we could still see it is a beautiful city.

Bad idea
No, it is not a Mayan temple devoted to human sacrifice. It is the Metropolitan Cathedral.

Touched
It was too hazy to get a good shot of the Christo Redeemer so we cheated in the airport. By the way, it is the largest art deco statue in the world.

Roving Sambanistas
They played while we ate--priceless.