Street Art in Rio

Quite an applicable photo, considering I've just watched Exit Through the Gift Shop. Street art is as present in Rio as it is in the other cities I visited in Brazil. The lax laws means that beautiful pieces of art (many of them political or social) remain for longer on the walls, becoming part of the cityscape. I took this shot on a compact (it's not secure to use your DSLR in a place like Rio) while walking around the neighborhood I was staying in.


So I had legit one of the most beautiful flights of my life today. I arrived to Sao Paolo airport before it was even open and had to wait outside... That's what you get when you're taking the first flight of the day. Watching the sun rise over the endless skyscrapers of SP, that was amazing. But then my mind was blown as we flew right through the mountains (or sugarloafs as they're called) of Rio, looping around them beautifully, gazing down on the favelas and skyscrapers. We flew right by the giant statue of Jesus (Corcovado) and the Italian guy sitting next to me just started praying. It was absolutely surreal, particularly as we landed right in the middle of the city, on the waterside.

After that, I grabbed a taxi for my hostel, trying my best not to look like someone who could easily get ripped off. Luckily that went fine, but unfortunately the hostel was a bit of a hole. Dark, cavernous, boiling, unpleasant. Great location though and a nice guy manning the place. Either way, I haven't been recommending it to people. I packed a couple things (forgot the right suncream OBVS) and headed off to Pao de Acucar, the iconic sugarloaf from which you can view the whole city and bay. Take into account by this time, its only 9am in the morning, weyyy!

Pao de Acucar was absolutely stunning, the views over the city really made me appreciate how Rio got its reputation. Its legit the most beautiful city I've ever been to. The combination of dramatic hills on a beautiful bay, interspersed with skyscrapers, beaches and favelas sprawling like tiny parasites on the steepest parts of the hills. Industrial boats and cruising boats go by as airplanes keep coming in over the city to the urban airport. It's beautiful, it's surreal.

I walked down one of the big hills through a forest buzzing with little monkeys and ended up on a beachside path full of joggers. I took it chill, since its boiling at this time in Rio. But it's the good life, and why? Beautiful tanned girls in bikinis and ray-bans. Beautiful people in general, the streets and beaches are alive. Granted, not everywhere is as pleasant, Rio is obviously known for how much contrast there is between the idealized visions of Copacabana in the 50s and the urban dirtholes that the favelas have become, full of dirtheads themselves. Its ridiculous that such a concept exists in such a beautiful setting, but that's what you get. Still, I think I've been to enough places already to safely state nothing compares to Rio. Although the SP = Madrid and Rio = Barcelona concept is quite true in a relative manner.

Anyway, I got totally sidetracked. After Pao de Acucar, I walked to Urca, an isolated little neighborhood overlooking the bay which I'd spotted from the top of Pao and looked like a nice place to chill. Indeed, my sister and me later agreed that of all the neighborhoods in Rio (which vary quite drastically), this is where we'd live. It's relaxed, green and pretty. Maybe one day.

After that, I went back towards my neighborhood (Botafogo) and walked around there, relaxing several times in coffee shops to get juices and pao de queijo. Walking around this area was where I took this photo, as the sun was setting over the streets. Finally in the evening, Ambre arrived at the hostel. We grabbed a taxi and went to Ipanema, the famous south-facing beach which along with Copacabana define RJ. The beach is huge and lined with as many bistros and restaurants as you'd expect on the Mediterranean. Kids playing football, people cycling by in swimsuits and your usual hippie vendors along the pavement. We hit a very busy open bar a couple streets in, which Ambre had been to before. Can't quite remember what we ate, although I know the waiters were walking around with various types of big pao de queijo and such. And I probably had either some chopps or a caipirinha! Eating and drinking is good here. After dinner, we took a walk down the beach before heading back to the hostel and struggling with our damn air con and mosquitoes. What an intense and amazing day!!

peace