Why am I still in Rio?

Many of you have asked me or will be asking me this. There is no great story here. I’m sick :(
I came down with flu on my “Carnaval rest day” (Thursday), so my plans to get to Illa Grande before the weekend are out the window. It sucks to be sick!

However, I am well looked after. Adriana is taking good care of me, for which I am VERY grateful! I would hate to be stuck in a place where no-one understands me while I’m sick.

I am feeling better today, hence the blog updates, but not 100% yet. I’m hoping to be healthy by Monday and make a move.

Carnaval in Rio

I think my experience of Carnaval was different from most tourist’s. Most people head straight for the Sambodromo (where the main event is held). Due to my late decision to stay for Carnaval, I didn’t get tickets for the Sambodromo. This didn’t stop me from having a great Carnaval though :) I have been told that in the old days, Carnaval was a celebration in the streets with the local Bataria (band) providing Samba music for the people. These are called Bloco’s, as mentioned in a previous post. The whole competition (held in the Sambodromo) is fairly “new”. So if the streets are where everything is happening, then that is where I will be.

I met some of Adriana’s friends the previous week, and we were going to join them for Carnaval. Andrea, Kassia and 4 friends were going to dress up differently every day. Definitely the right crowd to hang out with!

Day 1:
I arrived in Rio on the Saturday that Carnaval started…at 7am. After a long bus ride from Ouro Preto. On my arrival I was quite tired. After a huge lunch, I rested for a bit. By this time the people I was going to join for the day, had partied too hard and were all man-down. To be honest, this suited me quite well as I stretched myself a bit thin the week.

Day 2:
All rested out, Adriana and I headed for a bloco at the botanical garden (close to her house). This was a bit of a disappointment as the bataria had stopped playing quite early and beers were nowhere to be found. Some people bring their own instruments and they got the party started, well at least for the people close to them.

Since the day was disappointing, we would hit Lapa that night to make up for it. There was just one small thing that we forgot to take into account. Carnaval was now in full swing with bloco's everywhere, making public transport VERY slow. A trip that would normally take 30-60min, took us 2.5 hours! By the time we met up with Andrea it was 11pm! The other girls had gone to another party and it seemed everyone wanted to do their own thing. So the party didn’t last very long. This was a bit of a blessing as I was going to join the girls tomorrow at 9am for a bloco in Santa Teresa.

Day 3:
We all overslept :) I got a call at 9:45am to meet the girls at 10am. I slapped some clothes on and off I went. On arrival in Santa Teresa…something was wrong. Where were all the people? We checked that we were in the right place…yes we were. But we got the time wrong, damn! The bloco was only starting at 3pm. Eish. Well we were there, so lets make the most of it.

Santa Teresa has a long road running through it with little centres (grouping of shops & bars) along it. We went to the next centre in search of an open bar. On the corner of the bar, a guy was dressed as a hooker…an ugly one. He was incredibly sharp and had a snappy comment for everyone…including me. He said I should leave the girls and take him. I hadn’t gotten my “Carnaval legs” yet so I didn’t play along. (Should’ve though) It was very entertaining to watch him dish out comments, with translation from Andrea. I’d say this was the highlight of my morning.

Afternoon was creeping up on us and we headed for the site of the bloco. More people had arrived and by the time the bataria started, the party was in full swing! The bataria doesn’t stay in one spot, it moves through the streets. In this case to the second centre where we had beers earlier. Wow it was really fun! Difficult to put into words.

The girls wanted to go to a show the night in Lapa and by the time it was dark, we headed for the ticket booth. It was quite a walk, but it helped get rid of the beer in our systems. Tickets in hand we headed home for a shower and food!

The concert was a famous Brazilian Samba band. The lead singer (who all the girls were gaga about) made me think about James Blunt. Great concert with another famous Brazilian singer (this time female) joining the band. Apparently her mother was a ridiculously good singer and even more famous. The band finished at 3am and there were 2 more acts to come. None of us had the energy to carry on, so we headed home.

Day 4:
The last day of Carnaval. No matter how tired I was, today was not a day for sleeping! Admittedly I did get up late & had an afternoon nap but as it is tradition in Rio, the party only gets started after dark. First a bloco in Ipanema (along the beach) then we went to a bar right around the corner of Adriana’s place…called Uncle Sam’s bar (yes like the American Uncle Sam). I had to chuckle.

Those of you that know me well, will know that I’m not the biggest party animal. By this time my batteries were running low, so I couldn’t work in another party…even if I tried. So my Carnaval ended as gently as it started, with pizza, beer and the company of a lovely lady. Without her (and her friends) I don’t think Carnaval would’ve been the spectacle that I had heard it should be.

 

For those of you always bugging me for photos, I didn’t take any as things like cameras have a way of disappearing out of you pockets during Carnaval. But Kassia did have her camera with her. Here are some crazy pics taken during Carnaval.

Carnival plans

Carnival is a big deal in Rio…if not all across the world. I was hoping to go south earlier to miss the cold weather of Patagonia, but I’ve been convinced by friends to stay. However, I’m not able to sit around and wait for Carnival. So I planned a couple of trips to places fairly close to Rio to overlap the weeks in between the Carnival weekends.

Tickets to the actual Carnival “show” (held in the Sambadromo, or Samba stadium) are hard to come by this close to the event. The affordable ones at least. There are many rehearsals for the actual event this close to Carnival. These rehearsals are held in the Sambadromo, but no costumes are worn. This is as close as I would be able to get to the actual “show” (its more of a competition. Google it).

So to incorporate Carnival into my trip without sitting around for a long time, the plan is as follows: Go to the mountain region of Petropolis the week before rehearsals (post to follow), back to Rio for rehearsals, the week in between go to Ouro Preto & the historic cities close by, then finally back to Rio for Carnival (Saturday & Sunday). The last two days of Carnival (Monday & Tuesday) I’ll go with Adriana to Correas (just outside Petropolis) where a friend of her has a house. ACTION PACKED STUFF!!!

Pre Carnival block party

Before (and I think during) Carnival there are block parties. These are held in the various areas of the city where a Samba band is the centre of the party. By this time they are in full swing. Yesterday I went for lunch with Adriana & two of her sisters in Barra de Tijuca. The youngest, Gabriella, was going to a block party that night and invited my & Hannes (sailing buddy) along. So we go home & left everything of value behind, since petty crime is a reality at these events.

The party was close to the city’s centre, in Larangeiras. Gabriella’s best friend Bruno met us there, but by this time he was pretty inebriated as he had been drinking since lunch (according to him). I have been told, by many people, that Carnival’s main attraction for the locals is not the “parade”, Samba & costumes. Rather it is the party & “Beijinios” (Kisses). As I understand it, it is normal to walk up to a girl during Carnival (and of course block parties), chat her up & then full on snog. All within 2min, if you are smooth!

The party was held in a square with the band in the middle, playing traditional Carnival Samba. By the time we arrived, the party was in full swing. Its a nice vibe. Honestly, I was a bit daunted by the whole thing…remember, I’m short. Usually taller people try to push me out of the way to get through, so I have to stand my ground. Not really the way you want to spend you evening. The people’s attitude is different here. They are more polite, not always in what they say, but in how they conduct themselves. It took me about an hour or two to acclimatise, and eventually I could properly enjoy the party.

Beer is sold everywhere. Getting rid of the beer is the big problem. I commandeered a close by VET’s bathroom rather than use a tree and potentially get locked up.

By now you are probably wondering about the “Beijinios”? I know my friends too well :) At the end of my first beer, Bruno was on top form. I was encouraged to give it a whirl. My biggest enemy was myself. Apparently I look and sound like a Carioca. So as soon as I said “hi”, I’m all out of Portuguese conversation. Switching to English confuses the girl, because in her eyes I’m local. Damn! So now she won’t believe that I’m from South Africa….and no kiss :( This went on for most of the night.

The band stopped playing at 19:00 (it was Sunday after all), but people were still hanging around. The party only showed signs of dispersing by 20:00. By this time we were able to chat to some girl & convince them that we were “strangeiros” (foreigners). As Gabriella had class in the morning, she & Bruno (who was now properly pissed, but not unable to get “Beijinios”) left. Hannes & I were invited for beer, by two girls (who can speak English), and how do you say “no” to that :) Much later after many beers we all went home…separate homes :)

All in all, a great night!

Corcovado & Sugarloaf

Two of the iconic images of Rio are Christo Rendentor (Christ the Redeemer) onto of Corcovado and Sugarloaf mountain. To be honest, by this time I was a bit knackered from the heat, lack of sleep on the yacht and the social atmosphere that reigned among the sailors :) However tired I was, I was not going to miss out on seeing these places.

Corcovado
We got complimentary tickets to Corcovado, but there was a catch. We had to be on the first tram up the mountain. I went with Ricky & Paco, but I missed them the previous day. So I had no idea whether they were able to pick up the comps from the YC office. Ricky woke me up at 7am & we decided to take a chance and just go there.

Some of the Indian navy guys were already there (they planned properly) and they had already put the ball on the roll. Ticket in hand, we made our way up the very steep slope. I don’t get motion sickness, but I think the prize giving food did not agree with me. So I was not a happy camper. Fortunately I survived.

The top is nice, just very tourist orientated. Everyone is taking photos like crazy! Kodak or Fuji must have paid off factories in the past with the revenue from film…just from Rio! Of course I couldn’t come up here and not take a photo (damn I felt like a tourist). What was a nice surprise was the chapel that is build into the base of the statue (no photographs allowed inside). Corcovado….check.

They guys – Tram of destiny

Inside the tram

  
Money shot – From the shadows – The hands & head were the only parts that were brought up in once piece during construction

  

Views: Sugarloaf – Over Leblon, in the direction of Barra de Tijuca

    
Paco & Ricky – Entrance to the chapel, in the base of the statue

 

Sugarloaf
I didn’t go up Sugarloaf on the same day due the my health problem mentioned above. A couple of days later I was feeling much better & to miss the heat of the day went up in the late afternoon. You can’t walk up to the summit, should you wish (unlike Corcovado which you can do by walking through the slums). You have to take two cable cars, similar to Table Mountain except it doesn’t rotate. I think the only reason to go up is to see the views of Rio.

At the first peak (Sugarloaf is the second peak, can’t remember the first’s name) there are some shops, helicopter rides and a small stage (probably for special occasions). The view is great…as you would expect. At the second peak, Sugarloaf, there are more shops and plenty of place to take photos. It is truly amazing how far you can see.

I went down a path on the Eastern side which takes you through a small forest of bamboo and trees. From here you can see all the way to Niteroi (across the bay from Rio). There was some couple that looked to be a bit friendly. They moved on shortly after I arrived.

The views are great and I can’t think of a better example of a natural platform to view a city from (except of course Table Mountain :) )

Cable car shots: The bottom station – Looking at the first peak – ICRJ (where we docked)

Corcovado in the background: Some random ugly guy :) – Overlooking Rio – with Joyride chopper

The bay is guarded by 3 forts which made it  practically impregnable. Can you spot them? – The mind behind the Sugarloaf cable car

At the beach

No visit to Rio is complete without a trip to be beach. To be honest, I’m not really a beach person in the traditional sense. I don’t like to lie on the beach for hours on end soaking up the sun. I prefer to go do something there. This day I would have to make an exception as I was recovering from yet another party. Yes, I know a pattern is forming here :)

Adriana lives in Leblon. Everybody has heard about Copacabana and Ipanema (both made famous by songs). Leblon is the next suburb away from the centre of Rio, practically part of Ipanema. Praia do Leblon (Leblon’s beach) is more for the family, compared to Copacabana. Don’t think for once moment though that you don’t see the stereotypical Carioca (person from Rio). Most of the girls are in skimpy bikini’s and you see the occasional jock, but most prevalent are the volleyball and foot-volley players. Foot-volley is pretty self explanatory, volleyball played with the rules of football. Besides sailing, I think this is one sport where girls can give the guys a run for their money. Remember the skimpy bikini’s I mentioned? For obvious reasons, the girls adorn a pair of short over their bikini’s. But don’t worry, these shorts quickly disappear once the game is finished :)

I went for a swim & what nice water. This is supposed to be surfing beach, but the waves suck. Only shore breakers :(
To rinse off the saltwater, there are hoses on the beach with fresh water…running ALL the time! I guess the recent floods mean that there is an abundance of fresh water. Not back home.

To nurse my tired body, Adriana suggested some Coconut water (not milk, it is clear). Two of those helped :)

 
Living the dream baby! Me & Adriana

Believe it or not, I’ve lost weight :) I stand out like a sore thumb with these shorts & a belt. No Carioca wears this to the beach

   
Scenes from the beach: Some foot-volley; Me rinsing off, with a great view; The road running along the beach

Sightseeing with Gillian

I have heard it said that when you are hung-over, get up and do something. Exercise is usually the best, but if you can’t do that at least get up. Gillian (Robinson, the mother on Ciao Bella that came 2nd in the 2011 Cape to Rio yacht race) and I have been talking about going sightseeing in Rio for a couple of days. Since I needed a partner in crime (and a walk to get rid of the hanger) and she was keen, I dragged her away from her family and we set off. Oh yes, with me a tour guide :)

We had two main objectives: The new cathedral, Catedral de Sao Sebastiao, (that looks more like an Inca Pyramid) and the tram up to Santa Teresa. I am always keen to take public transport in cities as it is cheap and you (sometimes) get a free tour of the city (obviously with no commentary). So the plan was to get a bus to Central, then walk South to the cathedral and take the tram.

As with every well thought out plan…you need to be flexible & improvise. We didn’t make it to Central, but got dropped off close to the Uruguaiana Metro (underground) station in Sarra. Since it was Sunday, the place was buzzing, even though this is a market for the locals. A couple of things bought, we were intrigued by the life in the little streets.

We finally teared ourselves away from the market and continued to the cathedral. This place is impressive! It was designed to attract the new generation, so the older style was mixed with modern. I think it was done quite well. There are 4 stained glass windows that stretch the height of the building which can seat 25 000 people! And no columns! Behind the pulpit is an area that is reserved for personal prayer, a quiet place if you will. Both of us spent some time there.

A short walk to the tram station and we were surprised to see three other people from RCYC planning to do the same thing. We all started talking which helped pass the time, as there are not many trams. At 60c per ride, you can’t really expect them to expand. This ride is one of the highlights of Rio, to me. It start going over the aqueduct in Lapa (the scene of the previous night’s party) then up through the old city into the mountains on which Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) is build. The streets are cobbled and lined with small shops & bars. The atmosphere is relaxed, with the only drawback being the prices of the bars. Obviously aimed at tourists. R$5.50 for a beer, which can be purchased for R$3.00 in town (R$4.00 for a Quart equivalent).

Wanting to take in some more of the city, we decided to walk back. But on the way, mention of the Sala Cecilia Meireles altered our course. I had been there, but was curious to see what it looked like in daylight. Quite a walk later we got there, with some disappointed faces. At least I was happy to be back.

A bus ride home ended off a great day. By this time my hangover had subsided :)

The market in Sarra; What seemed to be the main street in Sarra

 
Cathedral from the outside; Inside looking up; From the benches

The tram

Crammed in just like in Africa, except no chickens :)

Views from the tram: The street coming up; View of Rio’s CBD; Me where we disembarcked

The explorers: Mike & his wife; Gillian & I, All of us (Mariette in the middle)

 
2010 Soccer world cup art; Looking at Guanabara bay from Santa Teresa; A view as we walked down

Locals doing their thing at a roadside bar

Sala Cecilia Meireles stairs: Me; Looking up; Locals chillin'