I only spent 1 night in Sao Paulo on my way to Rio due to many people highly recommending it as a place to skip. Exhausted from the night bus, I barely did anything there. The next day, I finally arrived in Rio, where I planned to spend five nights before jetting off to Paris.
My first full day in Rio greeted me with rain—lots of it. One of the wettest days I’ve had in six months. Copacabana Beach? Definitely not happening. I made the most of it by catching up on my blog, and by night, I was ready for the hostel’s free caipirinhas, offered every night from 8 to 8:30. Amazing how fast 30 minutes disappears when the drinks are on the house. I managed to down a respectable 8 or 9 in that window though. You can’t leave Rio without sampling its nightlife, so despite the rainy day, the night was anything but wasted. A group of us hit up a Samba bar, then carried on until the early hours.
Nursing a moderate hangover, I dragged myself out of bed to explore Rio under a clear sky, which thankfully lasted the rest of the week. Ipanema and Copacabana beaches were packed, with beach football being played everywhere. My kind of place. That night, we got tickets to watch Flamengo, Brazil’s most famous football team, play at the Maracanã stadium. The hostel sorted everything out and we enjoyed a fantastic game with an amazing atmosphere—a fitting end to my South American football tour.
Similarly to experiencing Copacabana beach or the nightlife of Rio, Christ the Redeemer is a must do for Rio. Made especially famous for being one of the 7 wonders of the world, Christ the Redeemer is the most visited site in Brazil. We got the second train up, early in the morning , eager to avoid the crowds. It was still absolutely packed when we got there and getting a photo without a background of a million people was virtually impossible. It was impressive nonetheless and offered great views of surrounding Rio. After seeing my 4th wonder of the world, we had breakfast before going to Lapa, a neighbourhood made mostly famous for the Escaderia Selaron colourful steps which is now a well visited tourist attraction.
The highlight of my time in Rio was the favela tour we went on the next day. We went to Rocinha favela, the largest favela in Rio, sprawling across a steep hillside overlooking the city’s wealthy neighbourhoods. It was a stark contrast to the glamorous images of 5 star hotels on the Copacabana beach only a stones throw away down the mountain. Our guide explained the history and workings of the favela, pointing out that despite its reputation, only about 2,000 out of the estimated 100,000 residents are involved in drugs or gangs trade. The gangs rule the favela, with the police rarely intervening, and they enforce their own justice. Our guide even claimed we could leave our phones on a table in the middle of the street, and they’d still be there 15 minutes later—because the consequences of theft are severe = hands getting cut off.
The tour then took us to a part of the favela where photos were off-limits—my favourite part of the tour. Here, drugs were openly sold on the street, and it wasn’t uncommon to see people casually walking around with AK-47s. To my surprise, the locals were welcoming, even inviting us to sit at their tables of drugs. I was understandably hesitant, especially with teenagers toting assault rifles nearby, but they seemed nice enough. Oddly, my half-day in Rocinha was the safest I felt during my entire time in Rio. So much so that after the tour, three of us actually went back into the favela for lunch and a few drinks. A great place to hang out!
I spent my last full day in Rio chilling at the beach, drinking beer and watching the sunset over Sugar Loaf mountain. A perfect end to 6 months in Latin America. Time has absolutely flown by and what an amazing time I’ve had. I booked a hotel for my last night, eager to reset and get a good nights sleep after weeks of dorm living. Next up the Olympics in Paris!