Lets get straight to it, instead of meandering like a river. No pun intended. Rio is one of the most beautiful cities since it has a little bit of everything - beach, culture, food, tourist attractions, malls, pickpockets, an American enclave and a vibrant nightlife.
Brazil is generally hilly but in Rio it is very visible as soon as you land. The landing at the airport itself is an unforgettable experience.
Day 4:
Uber comes to the Rio airport only at certain points so getting hold of one takes time. I tasted a real coconut and had Indian homemade food for lunch. We went for a leisurely stroll along the road next to the Copacabana beach. My Grand Uncle and his friends were regaling us with their youthful past and filled it with humor. It is whom you accompany and who you stay with that will make a difference.
Day 5:
The day begins with the Museum of the Future, most interesting museum I have ever seen. I have been to a lot of museums in New York. The building itself is shaped like a plane. I find aircrafts a marvel of engineering.
After reading the guide, I took precautions like taking things that I would not mind losing. So I took the phone with the bad camera for the most beautiful place - Morro da Urca. There is a long lineup to take the cable car atop a hill known for its good lookout view of Rio at twilight.
Day 6:
Ipanema is the residential part of Rio. I saw it both by taking the bus ,taking an Uber and on foot. This is going to be very useful for my very last destination in hindsight. We had fish at Shirley restaurant after taking a stroll along the road beside the Copacabana beach. The fish was extremely delicious. My Grand Uncle inspired me to take a gastronomic interest.
We attempted to see Christ the Redeemer Corvado in the afternoon but it rained so heavily that they cancelled the train that goes up the hill. The force of the water is capable of derailing the train off its tracks. This was the moment that I was waiting for the entire trip.
Day 7:
Head out to Christ the Redeemer Corvado right after breakfast. There are lot of stairs to climb and it is very crowded. It hits me really hard that I am seeing something that I 've waited for 14 years. The statue is impressive but the Morro da Urca leaves a better impression since I did not have high expectations for it.
We ate lunch at an Italian restaurant - Quadrifoglio at the Village Mall. It is very close to Barra Point - an area where Americans tend to converge. There is a road called Av. das Americas.
From Copacabana to Av.das Americas, there is a section that is very similar to the Sea to Sky highway of Vancouver that snakes around a hill . Unfortunately I saw it so fast that I could not capture it with a photograph.
In contrast we see a hill like structure - Favelas. Quite like Mumbai where there is a significant gap between the rich and the poor. The malls are even more upscale than the Eaton Center in Toronto. I noticed a hierarchical society. Even the beach is divided into section for different groups of people.
In the night, I could have experienced the night life but the rich cheese I ate at the Italian restaurant left me in no mood to rock my stomach.
The next 2 destinations, I was to be completely on my own so I switched off my phones to save on charge. I tend to think of worst case scenarios. Just as the plane was taking off from Rio, I saw the landscape I wanted to take - the view of Christ the Redeemer aerially from the plane. That is now the scene in the Bollywood movie Dhoom was shot at location. By the time I managed to get my phone on, that priceless view had disappeared.
Though mildly disappointed, the best and the worst was yet to come. So the next time if I go to Rio, you know what I'm going to do - I'm going to take that picture and that of Morro da Urca, hopefully with an exceptional camera.
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