Doing the real touristy bit in Rio but also finding out more about Brazil

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Thought I should do the Sugar Loaf Mountain today as I only have two more days left in Rio. The plan was to take a bus but I failed to understand Sheila's instructions about where to catch this (turns out she wasn't sure anyway) so made for the front alongside Copacabana beach. Most of the bus stops here tell you nothing about which buses stop there so after a while I approached one of the stallholders. I must have asked by mistake if I could pick up a taxi, not a bus, for Pão de Açúcar because, after I had let about 50 taxis go by, he approached me looking puzzled. This was useful as I established there was no chance of my getting the bus I needed there so I hailed the next taxi. There are differing views about whether it's safe to hail a taxi in the street in Rio , however, I arrived safely.

Pão de Açúcar is one of Rio's not to be missed tourist attractions which means that it is very expensive and so choc-a-bloc with tourists that it is almost impossible to see the views because people taking selfies with the views as a backdrop get in the way. It wasn't so busy today, probably because there was some haze so the views unfortunately were not that good. However my day was made by getting a half price ticket (about £7.50 instead of £15) on production of a photocopy of my passport which the ticket clerk immediately took a photo of. (I suspect this is to ensure that the ticket clerk is not making improper use or discounts.) The guidebooks warn you not to carry your passport with you in case it gets stolen and I discovered in Colombia that the photocopy is good for quite a lot of discounts for us 'oldies' .

LP suggested taking a walk round village-like Urca which is near the Pao de Azucar. As far as I could see it consisted of two parallel streets and no restaurants. I have to admit that for lunch I went into a Subway which I thought would be simple. Of course it wasn't since I don't really understand the Subway process and the girl behind the counter didn't know enough English even to understand the names in English of the different sandwiches which were on the wall behind her. However I did manage to help out a young American who was desperate to have turkey in her sandwich but didn't know the word for it, which is 'peru' - very easy to remember. I then decided to tackle the daunting task of getting a bus back home or thereabouts. After asking two female security guards I eventually got the right stop. In the meantime I had sussed out that the GPS on my phone works even without an Internet connection - one of my sons had told me this ages ago but I didn't believe him. This meant that I could follow the moving blue circle - me - on the Google map and get off at the right stop. So, in theory I should never be lost again although I won't always know how to get to where I want to go! The map, however, does have a dot showing the location of 'my reservation of 31st March to April 4'. I think I have finally understood what 'syncing' means and why it is a good thing!! Decided to get off at Ipanema beach which is more upmarket than Copacobana. I did the traditional thing and had an 'agua de coco' at a beachside kiosk. The vendor chops the top of the coconut off and you drink the liquid inside with a straw. The most striking thing about the beach ( apart from the women in miniscule bikinis) was the stalls renting out umbrellas etc which offer to accept all credit cards and provide free Wi-Fi.

When I arrived back at about 4 pm Sheila made me coffee. With prompting she talked about her previous guests and it emerged that although she had been learning English for a year she was too self-conscious to try talking English to those from abroad. I felt a bit guilty then about using her to practise my Portuguese but unfortunately not guilty enough to stop doing it. In spite of all my nodding and looking interested whilst she is talking she has now sussed out when I don't understand her and trys again till I do.

We also covered a whole range of topics from elections which made no difference - both sets of party leader were facing corruption charges) to the fact that a lot of the doctors here, including her's, are Cubans because Brazilians don't want to work in hospitals in poor regions such as the NE because they are so poorly resourced. Their president who is an ex-Communist - she was imprisoned and tortured under a previous regime - came to an agreement with the Cuban government to import a lot of their doctors. She was also interesting on the difference between people from Sao Paulo ( Paulistas) and from Rio (Cariocas). The forrner are very hard working and don't want to waste time talking to strangers, the latter are more easygoing and better at enjoying themselves. For In case any of you don't know this, Sao Paulo is bigger and the economic powerhouse of Brazil. It sounds similar to the rivalry between Glasgow and Edinburgh although the traits attributed to each are obviously not the same as in this case.

Went out for a walk along the lakeside. Since it was Saturday night and very warm, people there were loads of people walking, jogging, cycling, lying around on the grass, having a picnic,playing guitars and drinking agua de coco bought from Lakeside stalls. stall, playing guitars. If you wanted to, you could go for a cruise on the lake in an illuminated swan/ a.k.a as a pedalo. There were lots of young people and families - in fact there are so many young people in Ro that I feel a bit conspicuous here,- but a really nice atmosphere tonight, lively but relaxed and beautiful views across the lake of Rio lit up at night

When I got back there was a strange young man in what I thought was Sheila's room with Sheila nowhere to be seen. It turned out that he was another Airbnb guest and a lawyer who had stayed with Sheila before. He was in Rio to sit for public examinations which would allow him to become a public prosecutor. (The Brazilian equivalent of 'oposiciones' for those familiar with the Spanish system.) According to Sheila they have to hold the exams on a Sunday because the traffic in Rio is so bad on working days and people travel in from all over Brazil. (is this an urban myth?)! Was encouraged that I understood him quite well but had to confess in front of Sheila that I had only been learning Portuguese for a year, that is the same time as she had been learning English. I stressed that it was so similar to Spanish, which I knew much better, that it was really easy to add on Portuguese ( not strictly true ) The lawyer asked me what I thought of Brazil and Rio, 'A cidade maravillosa '. He and Sheila were obviously not impressed by a lot of things here, above all the lack of security and the violence in many areas. I ducked the question on the grounds that I had only just arrived.

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Photos

View from half way up the Sugar Loaf
That's the helicopter pad for those who fancy a bird's eye view of Rio

Ipanema Beach
Love the signs. You can pay for anything with a credit card on the beach and surf the Web on the beach for free!

Lagoa Rodriguez de Freitas by night
Just across from my lodgings over impassanle roads!

Comments

[Carol Staton]

Enjoying Rio!
Hi Judy, Sounds as though you're enjoying yourself now. I do think it takes at least a day to get your bearings in a new city. You seem to be making the most of your opportunities to speak Portuguese. It's amazing that you manage so well after only a year - I bet Sheila was very put out when she found out! Will send a separate e-mail soon. Love, Carol

[Patricia Santos]

whaooo! That picture at night of that relaxed atmosphere made me sighed! It really reminded me of Brazil! Looking forward to your next episode! Now I can really travel with you!

[Miguel Dos]

agua de coco
Interesting Judy - le gusta agua do coco, se venden aqui en Inglaterra?

[Judy A]

Agua de coca
No tengo ninguna idea, Mike. Tal vez en Londres o otras ciudades grandes