16.07
I walk out of the hostel and see a “Durga” graffiti. I walk a little more, two scantily dressed women are talking and gesturing forcefully. A boy starts talking to me, I nod and continue walking; a few moments later I see a stone swooshing past me. He aimed it at me.
Forward on, there are brightly painted steps in the midst of graffiti walls where intoxicated men and women are dancing to the tunes of the morning. The black, the white, the brown, the suited men, the business women, the poor, the prostitutes, the transvestites, the women showing off their assets, the men theirs, the long bearded hat man playing “girl from Ipanema” on his drums, the ones in the square dressed in all colors and dancing in circles, the poor looking at you and muttering something, the fat women distributing pamphlets, the thin women distributing pamphlets, the angry men distributing pamphlets, the ones who don’t really care that they’re distributing pamphlets, the “normal” people, the gringos, the other tourists, the police, the people, the people, the people…
The vibrancy, the energy, the way of showing what each person is, the mixture, the way they blend it, the contrast, the contrast so close to each other and living with one another.
First impression of Rio De Janeiro.
Among the noise, the people, the life, the fear I walked on the streets and then I reached this:
As I sat on the sand, a guy behind me passed in his cycle singing aloud a song in Portuguese. At the beach the intensity of the city is lost....
Rio De Janeiro.
17.07
I went to Ipanema beach. I felt safe. It didn't feel like Rio to me. Although it is part of it.
Went to Pão de Açucar (Sugar Loaf)… A hill top where you can have a view of Rio Da Janeiro. Saw the sunset over there. Breathtaking! I finally found competition for Paris! Paris might not be the most beautiful city in the world for me anymore! It’s a tough choice. Here nature prevails, in Paris architecture prevails.
18.07
I took up a percussion class. Learnt a few Samba and Capoeira beats on the Conga, the Pandeiro, the Tan-Tan and the Tamborim! Went to this percussion artist whose house is in Santa Teresa. His toothless grandmother welcomed us with open arms and hugged us.
Santa Teresa is set on a hill, it’s known as the bohemian part of Rio de Janeiro. There are lots of artists living here. It’s full of small colorful houses, a tram runs through it, there are many cozy restaurants and cafés. Very very nice.
Also went to a photo exhibition of old pictures from Rio and Salvador da Bahia. Really nice.
19.07
Walked all the way up to Christ the Redeemer. The huge statue of Christ with widespread hands overlooks the city. The view from the top is supposed to be spectacular. I actually preferred the view from Pão de Açucar – maybe it had to do with the fact that there were just too many tourists at the Christ site and plus the day was a bit hazy, so the view was not very clear. The walk though, was really nice. The statue is on top of the Tijuaca National Park. Hence, it was very green. Passed a small waterfall on the way too!
I finally explored Rio’s night life. In an old building, a huge hall, few tables near the balcony giving way to the busiest night life street of Rio (Lapa), a huge dance floor, 10 musicians with their instruments playing the samba, the Brazilians moving to the rhythm in perfection, Capairinha in hand. My hostel mate showed me a few samba moves - needless to say, I sucked! But all in all, really nice night!
20.07
To the beach!
21.07
Spent my day in Copacabana. The most famous beach in the world – a stretch of 4 kms of white sand, clear waters and possibly the worlds’ most beautiful bodies. Opposite the beach are tall buildings.
Watched a football match on the beach. The Brazilians are totally resolute to their reputation. Whether with a coke can, garbage, a roll of paper stuck together with scotch tape, anything round shaped, actual balls, they LOVE football. It’s everywhere!
