11 to 13 December 2015 and 28 December 2015 to 2 January 2016
Initially, I had only planned a fleeting visit to Rio de Janeiro due to a long stopover on my way to Kitesurfing paradise Cumbuco in the north of Brazil. In the end I spent altogether a week there in two unbelievable trips that I lived to the maximum.
On the first, I arrived in Rio de Janeiro early in the morning from Bogota on said stopover. I left all my luggage at the airport to pick it up for my flight to Salvador de Bahia in the evening. I made my way to Copacabana to meet Daniela, one of my oldest friends, who was coincidentally there at the same time with two close friends: Ana from Brazil and Vália from Barcelona. From the moment I saw them, we had such a good time together. We enjoyed a delicious fruit juice and Pao de Queijo for breakfast, went up the Pao de Azucar and relaxed at Copacabana beach. In the evening, I went to the airport, but instead of taking my flight, I picked up my luggage and went back to Copacabana.
It was the right decision, the first Rio Rausch, Rausch meaning ‘being on a high’ in German. We went out in Lapa on Friday night, drinking excellent Caipirinha and listening to live Samba music. There was a lot more of this on Saturday night when we visited the carnival practice of the samba school Mangueira (they went on to win the carnival parade this year!) next to the Maracanã stadium. I still don’t understand how people can move their feet and bottoms so quickly! I made no further attempts to dance Samba after this night, impossible to learn. I might concentrate on Salsa which seems easy in comparison.
On Saturday morning at 6:30am, I went for a run at Copacabana beach, which was divine. The sun had just come up and it was wonderfully empty and quiet. Christ the Redeemer in the background, I felt in heaven.
The girls and I spent the day at Ipanema beach, mainly people watching. It is such a spectacle with everyone putting on a show. I had taken my book in vain. I thought the only thing missing was music and dancing. Although given it would have been the impossible samba, maybe better that way. I would have been sad not to be able to dance.
Time went too quickly and I was on my way to Fortaleza on Sunday night. One hour initial flight delay plus one hour on the runway plus 30 extra minutes because two passengers panicked, disobeyed orders and ran to the toilet when we were ready for take off. The rest was ready to lynch them. I went to bed at 3am and had my first kitesurf lesson at 8:30am the next morning. But I am going to skip and write about this in another post.
Rio Rausch 2: After the kitesurf course, I had planned and booked a short trip to Jericoacoara and New Year in Salvador de Bahia. But then I cut my Jeri visit short and followed Nir, an Israeli kitesurfer to Rio. I was back at Copacabana on Monday morning, 28 December. We went straight to a Favela walking tour that Nir had organised. I was not particularly keen on it as these tours seem to have something voyaristic to me. But then I really enjoyed it, although the tour was in Hebrew! It was interesting to see the inside of this seemingly chaotic world which nevertheless has strict rules. A guard from the favela followed us constantly for our safety. The guide explained that he paid a fee to the favela bosses in order to take tourists through it. I didn’t feel unsafe at any point. It also was not the worst place I had ever seen. The view was fantastic. Then again, am I allowed to take happy pictures smiling all over in what is still a great human misery, with poor electricity, water and sewage conditions, not to mention the violence, drugs, crime etc.? And then forget about it all at a rauschende boat party, where Nir and I were the oldest people, but danced till the end?
My wish the next day was to climb up the Pico da Tijuca, 1000m above Rio. It was hot and humid walking up through the rainforest. Fantastic views on top. We ran down as it got close to the national parks closing time. Luckily, a gay couple gave us a lift from the parking lot. They were extremely nice and even took us to another viewpoint. We proceeded to have a few Paulaner in their neighbourhood before Nir and I took the underground back to Copacabana.
Nir also granted my wish to go for a morning run along Copacabana and Ipanema on our last day. It was already slightly too hot at 8am, but what a venue to go for a run! I also saw lots of people on swim training in the sea. Obviously a great place for triathlon training. I wouldn’t mind living in Rio for a bit. Although the political and economical situation is not great in Brazil at the moment. In contrast to what I expected I felt safe in Rio, taking the usual precautions of course.
During some shopping in the afternoon, I got to talk to an Argentinian couple that was selling their handmade jewellery on the street. They invited me to join them on New Years Eve at Copacabana beach the following day, which I gladly did. Nir went back to Israel on 31 December early in the morning. You missed NYE in Rio, Nir?! Then again I guess it wasn’t New Year for you…
On the last day of the year, the streets were very busy and there was a constant stream of people descending down to Copacabana beach with trunks full of drinks and heaps of ice. The atmosphere was electrified. I felt a bit lonely though wandering through the streets trying to find a white outfit. It is Brazilian tradition to wear all white on New Years Eve. But I had good company in the AirBnB I had booked for two nights, where my hosts were a lovely couple from Rio in their late fifties. We communicated in Portuñol, a mix of Spanish and Portuguese. Plus of course great company with Ceci and Fernando, the Argentinians, and their friends in the evening.
The party itself at Copacabana beach was a bit disappointing. But New Years Parties usually are, so nothing new. The fireworks of course were impressive, a big show over the ocean some 20 minutes long. The atmosphere was cheerful und peaceful where I was. There was little dancing though or maybe there was lots, but lots of samba, which see above I am not too keen on. And a party is only good with lots of dancing, right? I nevertheless stayed out until 5am and only got up at 12pm.
A lovely 1 January followed. My host parents took me to their relatives’ party in their penthouse flat in Copacabana. I feasted on the delicious buffet and was served a new beer whenever my previous one was empty. A solo entertainer provided the necessary conviviality and everyone was dancing this time. At some point, they made me sing a German song in front of everyone. I couldn’t think of anything else but “Die Kakerlake (ja sie lacht nicht mehr…)”, in English: the cockroach can’t walk/laugh anymore. I interspersed it with the Spanish version “La cucaracha ya no puede caminar…” and random German words to fill any voids. It was a huge success! Later we all walked to Copacabana beach and ate Acai, a kind of berry ice shake, very typical, very Brazilian. A very good start to 2016!
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lisaimwunderland.com 
Hallo Lisa,
deinen Blog über Rio habe ich sehr interessiert verfolgt,war ich doch selbst 1984 auf einer Rucksackreise in Südamerika unterwegs-höchst beeindruckend alleine schon die Aussicht.
Reisen ist “ungesund”u.gefährlich , macht es doch süchtig u.wird zur unheilbaren “Krankheit”
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