We’ve been in Rio three days and have been enjoying life here. The weather is warm but not hot. It still feels hard to really “get” that we are actually in Brazil!!
We are staying at a great little guest house in Santa Teresa called Casa Da Santa. Matthieu our host is French and has lived in Rio for 10 years, he’s an architect and renovated this beautiful space along with others around the city.
Our first day we went straight to Ipanema, to see the famous beach lit up with cariocas (people from Rio) on a Sunday. [Carioca originally meant “white people’s houses,” named by indigenous people during colonization.]
We ate delicious northern Brazilian food (river fish and freshwater crab moqueca) at a place in Santa Teresa called Espírito Santo. Wow!!
Yesterday we took a kombi (communal Volkswagen bus van that picks people up and takes them down the hill for 3 reais) down to Glória and got on the Metrô to Copacabana and Leme beaches. Sofia got a famous Brazilian wax and we were beach ready! After an afternoon rest we went to Pedra do Sal, ground zero for samba and a historical neighborhood. It’s basically Monday night samba in the streets with caipirinhas galore in plastic cups by street vendors. And street meat of course, mmm!!
Today we took a Free Walking Tour (there is no fixed price, you give your wonderful guide whatever you feel it’s worth at the end!) of downtown and Lapa, ending in the famous Escadaria Selarón by a beloved Chilean artist and lunch with new friends Louise and Tom from the UK and our awesome carioca guide Clara. We saw (and attempted to dance) samba de gafieira at Estudantina Musical in Praça Tiradentes, couples ballroom dancing with a live band! It was worth it at least for the people watching, because Sammy really can’t dance even if they try!! 😉
