RIO – IMPRESSIONS (PART 1)

“JESUS WAS BORN IN RIO!”

Olivia Alves (our guide)

• WHAT WE DID/SAW/EXPERIENCED

          • Time in port: 32 hours (overnight no. 1 of 9). This was such an INCREDIBLE port that I present my summary and photos in “parts”:
          • On DAY 1 (1/19/12):
                    • Bill watched the sunrise as we docked in world-famous Rio de Janeiro!
 
                    • During the day, we toured by van with Pat and Rich from San Jose, CA, Judy and Mike from Prosser, WA, Erika and Lynn from Pittsburgh, PA, and Sparky and Colin from Philadelphia, PA. I met my first blue-eyed blonde Brazilian: Olivia Alves (who happened to be our guide). We began our day at the Sambodromo, where Rio holds its Carnival celebration 45 days before Easter each year. In fact, Carnival spans three days for the competition and about two weeks for the various street parades. Businesses shut down, and employees are given a week off.

                    • We next visited the quaint neighborhood of Santa Teresa, whose trolley is its lifeblood, but has been shut down since an accident killing six. There, and driving around town in general, we saw many amazing sites. Here’s a general overview:

                    • Of course, we had to ascend the 2,330-foot Mt. Corcovado (aka “Hunchback”) to see the world-famous statue of “Christ The Redeemer” (O Cristo Redentor). One can make this pilgrimage via old cog train, or by car. Since the line for the train can be two hours, we went by van. It was crowded, but not overwhelmingly so. We made good time and saw everything at a relaxed pace. Here’s a sampling of “Christ”:

                    • As we made our way around town, we saw enormous “favelas” – homes where the “poor” of Rio live. The irony is, they have the best views! (Some “not so poor” choose to live there, too, to be close to where they work in the city.)

                    • We took a panoramic drive through Leblon and along Copacabana and Ipanema beaches. Olivia played, “The Girl from Ipanema” and “Copacabana” as we passed through … pretty funny! Leblon is the ritzy area, where a home can cost millions. Copacabana is the touristy area, with over 100 hotels. Ipanema is one of the more expensive places to live, too.

                    • We traveled along Rio’s celebrated Guanabara Bay and stopped for a quick lunch in Urca

. . . There were so many fabulous things to see here that I created an Impressions, Part 2 -- so read on below!. . .