“Samba de Janeiro” Brazil Part II

Dedicated to dad. Ps: It has been spellchecked.

There’s a lot that can be written about Rio de Janeiro (the so-called River of January) I’m sure. Interestingly for us though, we managed to make it the rain and flood that killed 70 people that week. Despite the weather, we were there for the New Years Eve and I have never seen a firework show of that extravagance. A rare experience. Here are some notes...

The Beaches

The city is set out over 3 marvelous beaches, namely Ipanema, Leblon and Copacobana. Of these we found Leblon to be the most laid-back and relaxed. Very far from the rush one comes across in Copacobana. Since we visited them the first day of the year, they weren’t very crowded and I’m sure a lot of people were still in their homes having the day after the night before.

The Hotels
• Hotel Majestic - This is the hotel we stayed at. Very central and has all the basic requirements for a holiday. ( For more info: http://www.majestichotel.com.br/)
• Copacobana Palace – A classic. (1702 Avenida Atlantica, Copacobana)
• Marina All-Suites – Actually the travel guides had it all wrong and this hotel was not that special. (696 Avda Delfim Moreira, Leblon).
• Fasano Hotels – For the design conscious. Philip Starck has designed this one. The chains’ hotel in Sau Paulo was ravishing. (http://www.fasano.com.br/)

To do’s
• Rio Scenairum at Lappa: We really enjoyed a night out at the Rio Scenarium, 3 floors of restaurant+live music and you can dance on any floor that meets you taste. There was samba on the first floor...

• Sugar Loaf & Corcovado: On our first day in Rio- before the rain started- we got a chance to see these tourist sites. These landmarks are as grandeur as they seem to be in the pictures. The way up to Corcovado is an interesting road where you get a chance to sightsee the Favelas. The area surrounding it is actually a rainforest! Upon our arrival I had announced I could “live” in Rio, upon learning the types of snakes living in this ecosphere I quickly changed my mind.

• Confeteria Colombo/Lapa district (32 Rua Goncalves Dias, Centro)

• Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro/Metropolitian Cathedral: 4 rectilinear stained glass windows was built between 1964 and 1979. Designed by Edgar Oliveira da Fonseca this modern design reminds one of the modern pyramids.

• Petrobras Building is just across the street from the Metropolitian Cathedral and this steel-like building has a quality of its own.

• Niterói Contemporary Art Museum: If its modern architecture you’re after then you are in search of Mr Oscar Niemeyer. This Brazilian architect is one of the most important names in international architecture scene with works including the UN headquarters in NYC, the Serpentine Gallery in London, National Congress of Brazil and the Cathedral of Brasilia in Brasilia. The Contemporary Art Museum (which I read but we didn’t visit by the way) was finished in 1996 when the architect was aged 86. Its shared like a UFO and with its modernity overlooks the city from the coast of Niteroi.
(For more on the architect: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Niemeyer)

• Jardim Botanico and the lake region are also nice for a sunny day out. Since we had a limited amount of those – I am not the one to recommend.

Shopppppingggg
Four words for you Schulz, Salina, Maria Bonita.

• Schulz for the shoes. Please refer to the picture below, honestly, need I say more?

• Salina for the bikinis.
• Maria Bonita for the clothes.

The Food
• Local stuff: Tapas/Adego Perola @ Rua Siqueira Campos, 138-1 Copacobana. Please visit this place. Eat cod balls and horefully you’ll remember this posting. Its a taste I will not forget.

• Alessandro e Frederico. A very nice cafe at the Ipanema district, the bread and the subtle design of the cafe is very welcoming. (www.alessandroefrederico.com.br)
• Meat fruit meat fruit. Lots of it.

Artstuff: The graffiti and The pavements
You’ve danced and eaten and walked the streets for sightseeing. For me though, Rio’s vibe came from its art. Art is so young, so edgy and surrounds you all over the city. In Rio art doesn’t hang in gallery it’s scattered everywhere. Wow...