If missed the first post on my Travel segment with Pericles, you can see it here.
This week we continue some fun stuffs you didn't know about Rio De Janeiro, Brazil as Pericles tellls you all you need to know. Enjoy!
Hiking Morro Dois Irmãos
I can confess that I was pretty hesitant to do this hike, first because you have to go through a favela (a sometimes dangerous urban slum) to get there and second because I heard that some people got their pockets picked on the trail. I was a little apprehensive but I wanted to do it at any cost…
I left my sunglasses and wallet in the hostel and took a bus to São Conrado. I got off at Vidigal favela and it was there that my ideas of a favela started to change. There was a police car at the bottom of the hill, many tourists taking “motor taxis”, and many people going up and down… From the van I realized that the favela was full of life! After a 15min ride uphill on a winding and narrow asphalted avenue I arrived at the start point of the hike and saw another police car. The start point is a little hidden and I found it only because of two guys who were on the van with me.
The trail is 1.5Km long, in the middle of the rain forest and most of time you walk on the shady side of the trees. The trail is also very easy to follow, completely safe and full of Brazilians and foreigners. Ascending is a constant in this hike, and sometimes I had to hold some trees and stretch my legs completely in order to keep going up. At some points when I looked back I could see Sao Conrado neighborhood and its beautiful beach with Pedra da Gavea (another huge hill which provides stunning views) in the background. From there I also could see Rocinha, the biggest favela in Rio.
The weather in Rio changes a lot and so fast. So, it is important to do these hikes with blue sky without any clouds. After 30min I reached the summit. The view was just astonishing!! There was a panoramic view with all the famous tourist points: Corcovado (Christ the Redeemer), Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, Leblon and Ipanema Beaches, and even the Sugar Loaf. From there I could confirm that Rio is really a “wonderful city” and definitely one of the most beautiful cities in the world.
I was so lucky and just had time to take a few pictures and then the weather changed completely to the point that I could not see anything besides clouds. I took the opportunity to talk to two guys from the community who were selling beverages. They told me that the hike is safe and the favela has changed a lot after the government started a program called UPP (Pacifying Police Union), and the cops who I talked to also confirmed it. They also told me that people get there early in the morning to see the magical sunrise and some come to see the thrilling sunset.
It took me 20min to go down the hill and after talking to the cops, I got an açai ice cream bowl (a berry from the Amazon that is very rich in antioxidants). The weather was still cloudy so I could not enjoy the Bar da Laje, a rooftop bar that became very trendy and attracts people from everywhere because it’s in a favela and has incredible views.
I felt so safe that I decided to walk all the way down to the bottom of the hill. Forget the favela that you saw in City of God or Police Squad. Vidigal nowadays seems just like a regular poor neighborhood with children playing around, people playing cards, people listening to music and everyone enjoying one more Sunday afternoon. Yet it is still not the best place to hang out, but I also believe that it should be part of the experience when you visit a city full of contrasts such as Rio.
Visiting downtown Rio
My last day in Rio I decided to wander around the downtown area because I wanted to explore it better than I had during other trips. Fortunately I bumped into a walking tour group that was just about to start. I love walking tours and I believe it is one of the best ways to learn about a destination. There are free walking tours in many cities all over the world…
The walking tour started at Largo da Carioca, where one of the first Portuguese settlements is, including one Monastery constructed in 1617. From there we went to a very charming and most traditional coffee place in Rio: Confeitaria Colombo. The place opened in 1894 and brings visitors back to the Belle Époque when Rio was the capital of Brazil. It has Art Nouveau influences and its giant crystal mirrors came from Belgium and were framed with jacarandá (Brazilian rosewood). Confeitaria Colombo is considered one of the ten most beautiful coffee places in the world and it was chosen by Queen Elizabeth to have some tea during her last visit to Rio.
After having some brigadeiros (a Brazilian chocolate truffle) we headed to some historical sites including the Royal Palace , Palacio Tiradentes, Arcos da Lapa, and some important streets and churches. Rio downtown is well preserved and you can still see the European influence, especially Portuguese and French ones, in many old houses and buildings.
The tour finished in one of the most recent tourist points in Rio: Selaron Steps. This place became trendy after the Chilean painter and ceramist Jorge Selaron started to cover the steps with ceramic tiles in Lapa. He took twenty years to finish it with tiles donated by people and supporters worldwide. His stairs became a city landmark in 2005 and attract thousands of visitors and famous artists.
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