Flashback Series: At the Copa...cabana.

Can you guess where I’ll be talking about now? No, I didn’t make friends with Barry Manilow, and no, I didn’t go to the club in New York City, so that leaves Copacabana Island in Bolivia (where the name originally came from) or Copacabana Beach, in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Yes, you guessed it. My last stop on my whirlwind South American tour with Ceci was Rio, known as “The Marvelous City.” 

We reached Rio after perhaps the quickest stop at Iguazu Falls in history. It wasn’t intended to be the quickest stop in history, nor will it ever be done again - we have no desire to beat our record. It’s actually quite shameful, but we did what had to be done. Iguazu Falls is one of the largest waterfalls in the world, bordering both Argentina and Brazil. This makes it an excellent destination for travelers like us, who wanted to reach Brazil overland from Argentina. I've wanted to do the overland trip ever since I started planning itineraries in South America. However, first we had to get a Brazilian visa. And let me tell you, visa people are not to be messed with. They know they have the power to make or break your itinerary, and if they don’t want to speed up their process (really, how long does it take to slap a sticker in a passport?) they will have no problem telling you no. This is what we were terrified of, yet it was a risk we knowingly took when we stayed in Buenos Aires another day. 

We couldn’t get the visa in BA, so we decided to take our chances and get them at the Brazilian Embassy in the Argentinian border town, a process which we had read extensively about on travel websites. They said it can be done, and the Internet is always reliable, right? To make it even more fun, our entire weekend was at stake, as we were hoping to get it all processed Friday morning, before the consulate closed in the afternoon. If we were too late, if something went wrong, or if we didn’t make it back in time to pick up our passports after visiting the Falls in between, we’d be stuck there until Monday morning.

Our next mistake was that we ended up miscalculating how long the trip to the Falls would actually take from the border town (“No you Americans, you can’t just waltz down the street and admire the falls. You have to take a bus, then you have to buy a ticket, then you have to take a train.”) Oops.  This resulted in us dropping off our passports and paperwork at the consulate, running (yes, running) to catch the first bus to the Falls, then getting to the park and realizing we didn’t know exactly what time the consulate closed because we had forgotten to look. Head smack. Then, we had to wait in line for the train, and once we rode the train we stopped too early, had to get out, wait in another line for another train, then once we got off that train we had to walk (run) over some walkways (runways) that spanned the river to get to the actual falls. I actually broke one of my shoes trying to keep up with Ceci who was dodging people left and right. Short people are generally pretty forgivable for dodging, tall people not so much.

Shoeless but Satisfied.

But once we got there, it was very much worth it. Here is what we got to see just before the clouds rolled in: 

Needless to say, we didn’t spend too much time at the Falls because we knew how much time it would take to do it all over again and get back, and we had to make it to the consulate before close…even though we didn’t exactly know when that was. We actually had the number and tried to use the pay phone at one of the Falls offices, but of course it was broken. Then we ran around asking people, very sweetly, of course, to use their cell phone...but pretty much everyone we asked were also tourists, therefore they didn't have working local phones. Then - can you guess? - by the time a worker selling coffee took pity on us and let us use his cell phone, the number didn't work. Our situation was actually pretty comical at this point once I look back at the entire morning in retrospect. 

By this time we figured a bus or train or something would most definitely break down, with our luck, so we really had no time to lose. Our one justification for cutting our trip short is that it was pretty cloudy and rainy, so we weren’t able to see much of the Falls as it was. But, we did take some time to admire, drop our jaws, get sprayed, and take pictures. It really is an incredible natural wonder that we hope we can return to again to really do it justice. Then, after our moments of tranquility it was run, line, train, run, bus, run…and success! The consulate was just about to close, but our visas were ready, and then after zipping down to the bus terminal, we were on our way to Brazil. Almost.

We still had to cross to the Brazilian border and catch our final bus to Rio, but to make a long story short let’s just say the the next three hours involved impatiently waiting, heavy rain, some police bribing and maniac driving, getting out of the vehicle and crossing the border in the pouring rain, more running, and finally a collapse of relief into our seats. We were on our way to Rio. You can choose to believe as much of the above story as you wish. 

So, what is Rio all about? I’ll start by saying that when Ceci and I first arrived – we weren’t huge fans. We called ourselves travel snobs. Not that it wasn’t nice and the beach wasn’t pretty, but it just wasn’t as impressive to us as Buenos Aires had been, and we felt we had built our expectations up too high. Our hostel was in the Copacabana district, a name which I’m sure most of you are familiar with. Formerly the playground of the rich and famous, Copacabana has kind of lost its glory days and fallen into more of a seedy area – we were warned up and down about walking around alone at night and never having any valuables on us. Some of the streets were a little dingy, it wasn’t that flashy, and the beachfront wasn’t the most impressive – that was our first impression. Gone were the Parisian streets and chic dressers, replaced with people walking around in flip flops and beach attire. And it was such a strange contrast to hear people speaking Portuguese instead of Spanish - I liked to describe it as "trying to speak Spanish but not quite succeeding, while throwing in a bunch of aggression and exaggerations." Kind of like German compared to English. 

Welcome to Brazil.

But as we all know, you can’t judge a book by its cover. And of course, we were in Rio. It didn't mattered whether we liked it or not, it mattered that we were there to experience it. Our first evening we met up with two friends of Ceci’s, who had been there the week before for Carnival. It was fun to hear their stories and learn more about the city, and the next day they took us to Ipanema Beach. Ipanema has now taken over the glitz and glamour of Copacabana, and it is very well deserving of the title. I thought it was one of the most stunning beaches I’d ever seen, just behind the Philippines, Thailand, and maybe Hawaii. The water was the perfect temperature and a piercing blue, the air was warm and breezy, and the people watching was fantastic. Yes, everything you’ve ever heard about Brazilian bodies is true. Toned, tanned, ripped, and all out for show in their barely there swimsuits. You almost can’t believe it until you see it. And the best part is that if you keep your sunglasses on no one really knows if you’re staring at them. 

Ipanema Beach

Sunrise over Copacabana

Copacabana Beach

We spent the next three days lying on the beach, eating new and delicious foods, having coffee, and chilling. We were staying an entire week in Rio, so we didn’t want to rush things. I went running in the mornings, we feasted on our hostel’s impressive breakfast (meat, cheese, rolls, freshly baked sweets, fruit, juice, and coffee – then we made an extra sandwich to take along for lunch), we went walking from Copacabana to Ipanema to join the hardcore beachbummers, we discovered Brazilian cheesy bread (little puffs of chewy, flavorful bread, unlike anything we’d ever tasted), and we properly and thoroughly introduced ourselves to the Caipirinha, Brazil’s national drink. It was a great vacation to end our vacation. And slowly but surely, we started to fall in love with Rio. It was a combination of the relaxed way of life, the enjoyment of the sun and the sea, the chilled atmosphere, the exuberance of the Portuguese language, and the way everybody struts their stuff, designer clothes or not. The Brazilians are said to be one of the best examples of a society that works to live, not lives to work.

Christ Redeemer 

But of course, we weren’t there forever, so we had to get our tourist on and get out to do some sightseeing by the end of the week. By then our friend Peadar from the Machu Picchu trek AND Buenos Aires (what are the chances?) had arrived in Rio, so he joined us, along with some of his hostelmates, for beach time and one of our excursions.  The must see in Rio is of course, the Christ Redeemer statue, or as we liked to say, the “Big Jesus.” To get there, we took a bus across town (we knew when to get off because that's when all the touristy looking people did), and then bought our tickets for the tram. Riding the tram uphill was really cool – very green and verdant - it reminded us of just how lush and tropical the climate and environment in Rio actually is. It was also neat to think of how many other people had ridden the same tram to see the same sight we were about to – a fun aspect of traveling to well known places. 

View from Corcovado

Stunning city.

But, a caveat of traveling to a well known destination is having to deal with all the crowds of camera toting (or iPad tapping, these days) tourists, all scrambling for the best photo opportunities. Of course, the worst part is that you want a great photo just as much as the rest of them, but you don’t want to be as obnoxious about it. So we tried to get in and get out of the main line of fire quickly so that we could enjoy the views of the city from Corcovado, the name of the peak. The Christ statue was completed in 1931 as a symbol of peace, financed mostly by Brazilian Catholics. Today it is considered one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World and a national symbol of Brazil. We enjoyed the picture perfect day atop Corcovado, and tried to take in the 360 degree view of the city as best we could. 

Along with Christ Redeemer, we visited the Botanic Gardens, checked out some districts in the city such as Santa Teresa, Lapa, and explored more of Copacabana and Ipanema. Rio is a little difficult to navigate due to its many hills and peaks - some of our city bus rides felt more like roller coasters. It's not as easily walkable as other cities, but again, that's part of it's charm because you have beautiful views from every high point you come across. By the end of the week it was time to visit one last destination: Sugarloaf Peak. It was famous for its views of the city, and we were told it was best seen at sunset. 

So, we set out in the mid afternoon to get to the base, then we took the two cable cars up to the top of Sugarloaf. The views were incredible, and we felt like we snapped about a million pictures of the same view, though the scene seemed to change drastically with each passing minute of the setting sun. It was a good opportunity to reflect on the beauty of the city, and realize how much we had grown to love it, more and more with each passing day. Once again, you can’t judge a book by its cover, and need to take time in each new place to really appreciate it and learn more about it. 

Sunset at Sugarloaf - can you see Christ Redeemer at the top left? 

Saying goodbye.

But we weren’t quite done yet. If there’s one thing Rio is famous for, besides Christ Redeemer, it’s the nightlife. And we couldn’t leave Rio without experiencing it. The party district in Rio is Lapa, a place we had visited in the daytime and hadn’t been too impressed with. But, it wouldn’t be so famous if there wasn’t a reason, so we decided to give it a shot, with a fun group that we had gathered throughout our week there.  Once we arrived in Lapa, we couldn’t believe it was the same place. It was lit up, full of people, and lined with food and drink stalls, on the way to the bars and clubs. It was a ton of fun, and we ended at one of the coolest nightclubs I’ve ever been in, with three levels of dance rooms, complete with a live samba band and dance. The samba is the soul dance of Brazil, said to have developed from the Afro-Caribbean sugar plantation slaves who were trying to express their emotions. I thought it encompassed the spirit of Rio perfectly –alive, sensual, and vibrant. It was the perfect end to a perfect week in the Marvelous City. 

Team Ceci and Gina

We had experienced the best of everything in Rio - the best views, food, beach, relaxation, sightseeing, and fun. And last, as we prepared to say goodbye, I must mention that we stayed at the best little hostel in Copacabana. Why was our hostel the best? Because it was so good that we cried when we left. Yes, that good. Definitely not because of the rooms, or the beds, or the lack of AC (it was pretty funny to be the first one in the room to wake up in the morning and see everyone in their underwear) but absolutely because of the wonderful staff that made it great for us. They were so genuinely friendly and helpful, and we really enjoyed getting to know them. When we left the two main staff members said “we wish we had more Ceci and Ginas staying with us – you’ll have to come back soon!” They probably say that to everyone, but we were touched. A Walk on the Beach Hostel was another great example of how appearances can be deceiving – the longer we stayed there, the more we loved it. Much like Rio itself.

We managed to have one last hour on Ipanema Beach before we said our goodbyes to our new friends and headed out. After our tears in the cab ride to the airport, we had our last cheesy bread (definitely for the best, or we would probably be 500 pounds) at the airport café, and said our goodbyes to Brazil. We were well fed, bronzed, and happy. Ad once again, as with Buenos Aires, we knew we'd be back.  

Goodnight Rio