LAST BLOG – number eight

Sitting in Houston airport writing this and will leave for Calgary in an hour. Overnight flight from Rio 9 pm to 5 am… 10 hours. Flew on the new 787 Dreamliner, seats were very hard and uncomfortable. Houston airport has the most efficient “people processing” facilities we have ever seen.

Yesterday, Ataida picked us up at our hotel for the walking tour of the favela. He lives in Copacabana and it took him an hour to get to our hotel. He asked us why we chose this hotel… we told him “we didn’t know any better”.  From a city map, the hotel was near the GIG airport, the cruise pier and on  direct metro line to centro. Little did we know that all the action takes place in Copacabana, Leblon and Ipanama in the Barra on the south side of Rio. While our hotel is within the confines of the Nova America mall, the complex is surrounded by a very large favela and it is unsafe to “walk about” and the young locals are well armed. Ataida spoke several languages and lived in the US for many years, his ex-wife and daughters live in the US. Great guide and a wonderful sense of humor.

It took us 2 hours to get to Santa Marta the favela we walked through… so glad we had a guide. Michael Jackson made a video here. Right beside the new police station is a concrete wall newly painted but riddled with bullet holes. Ataida told us there were about 1000 locals killed there in drug gang executions. Bullet holes have been painted over by graffiti art.

The "new" police station is directly above the wall. Santa Marta is the only favela with its own police station.

 

 

 

Cristo redemptor looking out for favelans

 

Beautiful view from favela

Sambo drome where Carnival is held.

We took the funicular up to the top and walked down thru the favella back to his car. He wore his tour guide badge to indicate to the locals we were on a guided tour. Would NOT want to be here without a local. Bought a nice souvenir on the way down made by local artists. Poverty and squalor cannot be described. Minimum wage is 800 Reals (approx. $300 CAD). Lots of idle youth; am reminded of Leon Uris' synopsis that describes the youth despair that accompanies idleness. Similar circumstances in many cultures around the world including youth in parts of Canada.

Tonite we sleep in our own bed… Yahoo

BLOG NUMBER SIX

Anchored off Buzios and spent a hot humid day strolling around Buzios; main claim to fame is that Bridgette Bardot lived here for a few years in the 1960s. Sleepy little beach resort town found a nice French restaurant that served Cataplana but we had to be back on board ship before it opened. Will try to find Cataplana in Rio.



One of Bridgette's MANY friends

 

The cruise/sail into Rio harbour is spectacular… got up at 6am to see the panorama unfold and the ship get docked.  Sugar Loaf mountain guards the southwest entrance to the harbour while Cristo Redemptor gazes down from  the highest vantage point and gives everyone his blessing.









Port Authority


 Flamenco, Copacabana and Ipanema beaches are wide flat expanses of white sand, very crowded and quite “cheeky” if you get my drift.

Museum of Art on waterfront

 

 

Samba stadium from the bus

 

Rio de Janeiro-ans are called Cachacas which is derived from an Indian word for “casas for white guys”. The tour guide described Cachacas as ”not very nervous” which is a Portuguese saying  for relaxed and laid back.

Cruise ship transferred us by bus to Rio Sul shopping center which was within a short walk of the Sugar Loaf cable car.  Temp was 37 degrees plus and 100% relative humidity… needless to say we were a bit sweaty when  we got there.

After we looked up and saw the two cable cars, Jim was worried about his vertigo acting up but we bought tickets (non refundable). Vicki got a backhanded compliment as she didn’t have her ID for the senior rate and the ticket agent didn’t think she was a senior and had to pay 70 REAL ($15) instead of 35  R ($7.5). Panoramic view from the top is stunning and the ride up was very smooth. Surprising that there hasn’t been a James Bond thriller involving a life and death struggle between James and a bad guy on the cable car. Oops, found out today there WAS a movie depicting just that!
Flamengo Beach

Copacabana Beach










The walk back to the shopping center was very hot so stopped in a kiosko for beer and an empanada. Lady in the shop was very concerned for our safety and told us by charades and sign language to put our cameras away and keep a watchful eye. Caught the last bus back to the ship and got caught in rush hour traffic, Rio has 35,000 taxi cabs (one cab for every 300 people) and the traffic jams are almost as bad as in Bangkok. Travelled thru the favelas (slums) which are NOT a place a gringo wants to be. The slums have developed every hillside over the past 50 years and it is odd to see that each hilltop slum is joined by an intricate network of cable cars. Heather found a walking tour thru a favela  (with a guide) explaining the everyday life there so we plan to do that before we come home. A 25 minute tram trip up to Cristo Redemptor is also a must. Metro is well developed and fast, we have a stop near our hotel and desk staff say it is safe to ride during the day and the fastest way to get to downtown and historical sites.  Further info says metro is slow and taxi is the best way to go.

Taxi ride took us past the Maracana footfall stadium (world’s largest… can’t imagine what attending a futbol match there would be like), next we went past the Samba stadium where Rio carnival is held. Historically, Carnival was a street dance /celebration but during the last 20 years is has been moved to the stadium venue. The stadium would be like taking 20 Commonwealth stadiums and attaching them end-to-end.  Performers are organized into “familia” encompassing choreographers, musicians, dancers, floats, and performers all wearing elaborate (sometimes skimpy, possibly no) costumes. Each familia puts on a 90 minute performance as they move down the stadium end to end a distance of about 2-3 miles. Many judges and fans judge the best performance. The final judgement will not be announced for 3 days. The winners and losers are incredibly emotional and the losers very distraught. The top choreographers, dancers and performers are judged and treated like rock stars and command high salaries for the following year; much like free agents in sports. The average Cachaca cannot afford to see the Samba parade and must watch from afar thru the chain link fence. Carnival has become HIGHLY commercialized.  

Samba Parade ground below bleachers in background

Disembarked from the ship this am at 7:30 and caught a cab to our hotel IBIS at Nova Americana shopping center. Cabbie had no idea where it was, asked several cabbies, they didn’t know, phoned the hotel… no answer and as we were driving thru the slums we wondered if we should think of getting a different IBIS hotel downtown. Neighbourhood was VERY sketchy, crossed the train tracks over a bridge and a magical transformation occurred, high rises, modern shopping center appeared and there was the beautiful red IBIS hotel sight on a 15 story building as an integral part of a huge shopping center bigger than WEM.  Never so glad to see an IBIS hotel! Shopped from mall opening time at 10 am till check in at 12 noon. Mall was wonderfully air conditioned and had a kiosk with at least 200 different kinds of Brazilian beers (which Vicki and I sampled a couple).

BLOG SEVEN

Our hotel is NOT in the best part of town... we look out on an array of favelas so we don't wander far. In fact we take cabs everywhere. Guide told heather to take off her gold chain as kids ride by on bikes and just rip it off your neck and are gone.
View of favela at nite from our hotel







View by day
each hill top is connected by cable cars across the valleys.


Downtown favelas







Up early today for a full day tour of Rio which Heather found on-line. Interesting booking with Danielle, a lady working at the front desk who spoke very good English. We took down the Ipad and showed her the website; Danielle used her personal cell phone and I talked with Eduardo to arrange the tour and he told us the cost did not include a hotel pickup as advertised on the web and told us we had to meet at the statue in front of the Copacabana Hotel at the beach at 9:30. We were waiting for Eduardo (who didn’t show), our tour guide turned out to be Daniel who did show up, while waiting… a fellow named Ataida wandered over and tried to scoop the tour we were committed to take. Our tour cost 140 (35$ CAD) Reals per person and Ataida offered us the same tour for 130 Real and his comment was “What kid of tour doesn’t pick you up at your hotel?”  Our return taxi rides cost and extra 140 Reals ($30 CAD).  Heather figured out from the comments of our tour guide that led us to believe that Daniel arranged a tour thru a friend or by a friend and NOT the guy that was advertising on the internet; lot’s of interesting deals, sub deals, networks, connections, drop offs at chosen souvenir shops, arranged deals at selected restaurants, etc. , etc.  Part of the game! Ataida compared prices openly for various tours and offered Daniel (his competitor) a commission if he referred business to him; yes… competition and free enterprise is alive and well in Brazil.

Toured Copacabana Beach, Olympic water sport venue which is so polluted many international aquatic sports teams probably won’t show. Rio is all under construction and scrambling to get roads, metro lines, tram lines, etc. built in the last 6 months before the Olympics… GOOD LUCK! Brazilians have a fatalistic (and forgiving) view of why all projects take 3-4-5 years longer than expected. Went to Ipanema Beach and Leblon which is CLAIMED to be the richest real estate in the world.

Stopped at Sao Conrado beach where the wealthy Rio-ans live and where the hang gliders land after they jump off the mountain behind Cristo Redemptor Corovado mountain.

Brazilans (according to our tour guide) brag a lot and claim they have the best, the most, the largest, the most beautiful, the finest, the grandest, the most expensive, etc. etc. in the WORLD! Daniel said take it all with a grain of salt.

Travelled up to Tijuca National Park and thru the Park… it is the largest national rainforest park in a major city (more Brazilian bravado?). Nice and cool and green and lush with waterfalls and no Zika mossies.



The area was a coffee plantation until the 1920s and the government reforested the whole area. Mata is the name to describe the re-newed eastern Brazilian rain forest. Next stop, Cristo Redempto, whose outstretched arms point due north and due south and face directly east to “welcome” all those entering the harbour. Never saw so many selfie sticks in one place at one time EVER and not one Asian in sight! Was that my outside voice?? The panoramic view is absolutely stunning. The Brazilians are partially correct, at least!

Panorama views from Cristo Redemptor follow: Cristo is over 100 meters above sea level and stands about 30 meters high

Worlds largest soccer stadium Maracana (white do nut)

 

 

 

Had a fabulous buffet dinner at 3 pm… we were all starved by then. St Theresa neighbourhood is "old" Rio with beautiful old buildings, churches, wooden doors, etc.

Lively area at nite with bars, sidewalk cafes, and music. Wrought iron, old buildings reminiscent of New Orleans.

Last stop was the Lapa steps, thousands upon thousands of tiles on steps that join Lapa with another barrio.


Tiles have been laid by people, cities, groups, organizations from all over the world… even the Moore’s from Ireland; your relatives… Rod?

 

The Chilean artist that started this project was named Carlos Selaron, Arcos of Lapa, had a fixation on black, pregnant women (it is speculated he had something to do with creating one or more of people characterized by the images). Ataida told us he was not responsible for the pregnancies as he was gay but he was fixated on black, pregnant women. He was found dead a year or so ago; some speculated suicide some speculated he was killed by his lover.

 

 Rio street art graffiti is so vibrant and colourful. We have a walking tour thru the favela booked for tomorrow. Should be interesting. Two more sleeps and we are on our way home… we are READY!

Depicts Germany 6 (ships) to Brazil's one ship... score in last world cup