TRAVEL: 'SEE THE WORLD WITH PERICLES'- RIO, BRAZIL

Sometimes it's hard to make a choice of what part of the world to visit, because there's so much to learn about various types of culture, lifestyle, food, geographic location from different countries all around the world.

Worry not, as I have a quick and interesting solution for you. My good friend Pericles Rosa da Nova of Brazilian heritage is one man that I know has been around the world and he has got pictures and write-up's to prove it. He has officially become one of www.dayodane007.blogspot.com contributor with regards to Travel destinations. Now enjoy our very first Travel post on Rio de Janeiro (a country after my heart, lol)

I’ve been to Rio many times, however most of the time I only visit its famous beaches, Christ Redeemer, Sugar Loaf and downtown. But the city is so dynamic and diverse, with so many options especially for nature lovers, that I committed myself to strive for new experiences in the “Cidade Maravilhosa” (Wonderful City as locals call Rio) in my next visit.
Yet again another last minute trip, I decided to go to Rio by bus from Sao Paulo. The three day weather forecast wasn’t great: sunny, cloudy and rainy, consecutively, but I was anxious to get started exploring more of Rio.


Since I am a committed beach lover, the first day I decided to spend time with some friends at the beach. Despite being a huge city, the second biggest city in Brazil, Rio offers some beautiful beaches such as: Copacabana, Ipanema, Barra da Tijuca, Grumari and Prainha. So, first I went to Copacabana beach and then for a long walk on its famous sidewalk all the way to Ipanema beach (around 7Km). Those two beaches are in the middle of the city and great places to enjoy the sun and relax; although during weekends and holidays it is hard to find a single pocket of white sand to place your towel, especially in the summer… However, once you rent your chair and umbrella, you will get “five star” service with dozens of vendors passing by selling caipirinhas, açai, ice cream, snacks, hats, sunglasses, sunscreen, and even bikinis.

At the end of the afternoon everyone gathers at Pedra do Arpoardor, the most famous hotspot to watch the sunset. It was a perfect night for socializing so I joined in with my friends.

                                               A most important Botanical Garden


Rio has the largest urban forest in the world, Floresta da Tijuca, with tons of hikes, waterfalls and steep hills. Mountains surround the city, some of them are reachable by foot and provide stunning vistas, such as: Pedra da Gávea, Morro Dois Irmãos, Pedra do Leme and Pedra do Telégrafo. Rio is a mecca for nature lovers!!

On my second day in Rio, I decided to explore the Botanical Garden. Rio Botanical Garden is close to Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, a huge lake in the middle of the city that is very popular with joggers, families and fitness fiends. I arrived there early in the morning and the line was still small. The ticket was very cheap (US$2.50) but they only accept local currency. This UNESCO site was created in 1808 and has over 6,500 species of plants and 140 species of birds; I even saw some small monkeys.



One of the best parts of the Botanical Garden is dedicated to preserve endangered species from the Atlantic Forest, where you can take a 600m path and admire some species that you may not have seen before. Some of the trees are really huge, impressive and intricate like this Sumaúma (Ceiba pentranda) in the middle of the park.

Another highlight of the Botanical Garden is its giant Imperial Palm trees lining a 750m path enchanting visitors from all over the world including years ago, Albert Einstein. There is also a herbarium, a Japanese garden, a bromeliarium, museums, a research center and free-guided tours.

I spent around one and half hours at the Botanical Garden and when I left there was a huge line trying to get in. It was almost noon and the sky had cleared and the sun was shining bright. I took a bus back to Copacabana to have lunch, change my clothes and depart to hike the Morro Dois Irmãos (Two Brothers Hill).

CHECK IN NEXT WEEK FOR MORE INTERESTING INFORMATION ABOUT RIO, BRAZIL.