Rio de Janeiro (BRASIL) - Carioca landscapes between the mountain and the sea

Rio de Janeiro (Brasil)
11 JUNE - 19 JUNE 2015
26 JUNE - 01 JULY 2015

The Portuguese first cruised into Guanabara Bay on the 1st of January, 1502. What a New Year's Day that must have been. Rolling over the waves of the Atlantic, the beams of sunlight hitting the seamen through their portholes, swimming in their own seas of semi-consciousness, green wine mixing with copious amounts of port, it was no wonder that when they made the turn into the bay even the best and brightest called it a river. In fact, Rio de Janeiro should have been known as Baia de Janeiro - but hell, what's in a name, a rose by any other name would smell as sweet, 'apparently'.

Dramatic mountains of emerald green rising directly from the sea and the molding of the urban landscape around those immovable features makes Rio a visually stunning city. Of course, like many places around the world, be they cultural, historic or geographical, the part of the city that encompasses the Tijuaca mountains, to Guanabara Bay, down to the coastline that includes Copacabana, Ipanema, and all the other great beaches heading south, are UNESCO Heritage listed. I get the feeling these days that UNESCO Heritage listing is a bit of laugh, apparently 'Vienesse coffee culture' is also on a 'list'....BUT...with that said, the outstanding universal value contributed by the Carioca landscapes between the mountain and the sea are undeniable.

Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

View from Corcovado - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Cristo Redentor - Corcovado - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Cristo Redentor - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Some cities have a power, an allure, a vibrancy. If they were people you would call them charismatic. Places of charm and energy (New York), romance and beauty (Paris), seductive vivacity (Buenos Aires), and then within that group, but also standing aside, you have Rio. This place is special in its own right.  Rio takes hold of you immediately and as you move eastwards from the airport to the coastline and as you do the small 'dot' of Christo on top of Corcovado draws you into its arms. You see the powerful conical shapes of Pao de Acucar (Sugarloaf), Urca, Caro de Cao and of course the famous mountain top of Corcovado. All those iconic images come into focus and you can't help but be drawn into its powerful allure.

Nestled between the mountains and the sea the urban landscape bends and is warped by the immovable objects in its way. The beauty of the city is undeniable and this, along with the more than acceptable weather, formulates the lifestyle and temperament of the people.

To be part of this environment even for a week changes your whole mindset, even for the shortest period of time. Inga and I occupied a small apartment on a street named Rua Djalma Ulrich. Located a block back from Avenida Atlantico and therefore one block back from Copacabana beach, it was the perfect location for us, beach, sand, sun, surf. It's a hell of a lifestyle to throw yourself into.

 Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Pao de Acucar - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Copacabana beach from the Porto Bay - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

For me personally, there's no argument to be made between Copacabana and Ipanema -  its the former that wins hands down. Of course, Ipanema is beautiful in its own right, the sunsets there are fantastic, but its just not Copacabana. What the beaches do have, and what you get pulled into, is the beach life culture. All activity revolves around what occurs on the sand, or just off it. From early morning, pre-dawn, the early morning fitness freaks are already making their way up and down the running paths of Copacabana and Ipanema. As the morning lengthens and the rays start to peak over the mountains of Pao de Acucar, the mix of runners, cyclists, walkers and alike morph into a continuum of  mobile fitness obsessed ornaments. Of course there are shapes, sizes and oddities but the fact that you live most of your life half naked here means that you need to also do as much as you can to take care of yourself - that part is obvious.

The beach itself is a hive of activity during the day.  Those that occupy the sand attract those that are trying to make a quick dollar by selling absolutely everything and anything, from hammocks to fried cheese, to sunglasses, to passionfruit caipirinhas. Those that sell are relentless in their pursuit of acquiring your Reals, and gradually, one by one, you get broken down into parting with them. For us it was the mobile caipirinha vendor that had us reaching for our wallets. And the product - WHOA - literally rocket full. At the best of times a caipirinha is cachaca mixed with lime juice, ice and brown sugar. The way that the guys on the beach made it was something altogether different. Within two drinks you were transported to an alternate universe where Barry Manilows 'Copacabana' was on endless play and where Borat's mankini all of a sudden seemed to be kind of 'legit'.

Rio de Janeiro from the air - Ipanema

Ipanema - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

The entrance to Guanabara Bay - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Ipanema - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Of course, Rio isn't just about the beaches, there's a lot of other mind blowingly stunning places that need to be experienced in this part of the world. It's a virtual cornucopia of stunning vistas. First there's the most famous 'hill' within the most famous status of the big J-man in all of the world.  Cristo Redentor is a 30mtr high cultural icon. Not just of Rio de Janeiro but of Brazil. As recognisable as the Eiffel Tower or the Opera House,  its pride of place on Corcovado overlooking the city, arms outstretched, is a treasure for humanity. That is not an overstatement. Unsurprisingly included within the list of the New7Wonders of the World, this overwhelming symbol of Christianity occupies a position that is dramatic, wonderful and special on its own right. Standing at the base of Christo the city of Rio unfurls itself before you. From the beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema, to Lagoa de Freitas, to Humaita, Botofoga, out to Sugarloaf and then Guanabara Bay, on a sunny day the views here are priceless .

Cristo Redentor

Cristo Redentor - Corcovado - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

 The view from Sugarloaf mountain - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

The view down the beaches to Copacabana and Ipanema from Sugaloaf

Cristo Redentor

View of Rio from the air

In much the same manner, the oddities of Pao de Acucar are an incredible drawcard. Rising nearly 400mtrs directly out of the Atlantic ocean, these granite and quartz mountains provide the perfect support cast to a vista to a scene that already has a plethora of riches. The peak is accessible by a glass window cable car, which once again, as you'll come to expect in Rio, provide such gorgeous scenery that its hard to absorb everything at once. Its easy to spend a few hours at the top of Sugarloaf, looking down the beaches, across to the mountains and out to the bay.  You also grasp an idea of the views that domestic travelers have when arriving in Rio. Most flights swooping low over the mountains, dropping in over the bay in front of Botofogo, turning sharply by Sugarloaf and then landing on the runway that juts out into Guanbara Bay - its a hell of an introduction.

Sugarloaf - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Sugarloaf - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Escadaria Selaron - Lapa - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Escadaria Selaron - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Lapa - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Escadaria Selaron - Lapa - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Rio literally has an embarrassment of riches. We spent many days on the beach or at the rooftop bar/pool the Porto Bay Hotel, which to me, has one of the greatest views over Copacabana. At night it was places like Lapa, or visiting the Esacadaria Selaron, or heading to one of the many churrascarias (like Rio's or Mario's), or in fact heading to an outstanding restaurant like Aprazivel in Santa Theresa.

 Lapa - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

 Ipanema - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

 View to Ipanema from Pedro de Aproador - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Sunrise on Copacabana - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

Sunrise on Copacabana - Rio de Janeiro - Brasil

It's easy to fall for Rio, it is a beauty, but also, it's the way of life that captures you also. If you don't watch out then you may find yourself spending a lot of time here, which isn't going to be a bad thing.