Its an early-ish start to get off Ilha Grande and up to Rio, but after doing not a great deal, we've plenty of time, and of course, the weather is glorious as we board the cheap public ferry over to Angra. It chugs its way past beautiful beaches bathed in sunshine with blue skies. Ah well, you win some... Once we've worked out how to get to the bus station in Angra, we pile onto a local collectivo and feel proud of ourselves as we get to the interstate bus station as a bus to Rio pulls in, even though we feel like we're paying the foreigner price to travel. Its a pretty regular bus journey, nothing to report apart from the usual frustrating stop for 20mins about an hour away from our destination.
The approach to the bus station in Rio is pretty uninspiring. We're reminded a bit of India once again with the run down buildings of the favelas. We've had warnings left and right about safety in Rio. Friends of friends who have been mugged or pickpocketed, lots of panicked people who have recently visited, but all the Brits who we have met are a bit more down to earth about it all - just need to keep your wits about you. We decide to get a cab from the bus station, a bit of a treat, but there isnt a metro station at the rodoviaria, and we're not in the mood for working out the local busses.
Our hostel is in Botafogo district, on the way to Copacabana, but not really noteworthy for a lot else. We have a potter around, and end up at the bar on the corner of our street, which is typical of Brazil in general - a little snack bar with plastic furniture serving cold beer. Perfect. Back at our hostel, in house cook Sonia is knocking up bargain buffet dinner so we join in. Good Brazilian food like your mother would make, if she was Brazilian...
We've been paying close attention to the weather forecast for the next three days - we're expecting a couple of beach perfect days, but today is supposed to be cloudy and rain, so we head into the rather uninspiring central district for a potter around. Its lunchtime, so all the workers are out and about, and there are some nice buildings, churches etc to look at (as in Buenos Aires, the theatre is closed for refurb) but it doesnt really feel like it has a pulsating heart. So we head off to sugarloaf mountain to get a good view of the city.
This is a bit more like it. Get a bit lost on the bus, but eventually the driver points where we want to be. Overpriced for the tourists, but astounding views from the top of the first cable car over to Christ and the bay and city over which he watches. Its another cable car up to the top of SUgar loaf where we get our first view over to Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, where hopefully we will be for the next couple of days. Its a nice place to hang out - the sun is out but its a bit breezy, so we decide to head back down and find some sunset beers and Brazilian croquet-like snacks (one chicken one meat) looking out over some boats bobbing away, and of course Jesus on his hill in the distance looking down on us.
We've clocked a decent looking pizza place nearby for supper, and are thrilled to find out its an all you can eat. The Portuguese for which, rodizario, sounds much nicer than the English. The pizzas are a bit beige, apart from the very acceptable tomato and basil. We're soon stuffed.
The sun does as its supposed to the next day so we head down to Ipanema. Its a much more upmarket suburb than the centre, and the beach is great too - although the sea is Bondi-rough so tricky to negotiate. This is what holidays are all about, and even the endless stream of sellers cant dent our mood. We're old hats at dealing with them though since they're not a patch on the hounding Indian guys we met in Goa.
We found a churrascaria for dinner, around the corner from the world class Copacabana Palace hotel. The food is awesome. Its such a long time since we have been presented with so many of our favourite foods at the buffet and an even longer time since I have been speechless from choice of supper. Watercress, carpaccio, blue cheese mmmmmmmmmm and then of course the waiters bring us endless skewers of meat from the grill, and go running off to find rare garlic filet when we mention it. Oh and the caipirinhas go down very well too. Happy days.
Its even warmer the next day when we head down to the COpacabana beach. There has been an endless soundtrack to Rio, Duran Duran, Barry Manilow and the Girl from Ipanema (no idea who sang it originally) Another great beach, slightly less rough seas than Ipanema, and a happy happy day. We were planning to go out to another churrascaria tonight, but after the great night at the palace, we decide to indulge in Sonia's supper once more, and a pair of yummy kiwi caipirinhas. The offer of a night out with the guys who run our hostel is there, but they arent going out till 11pm. Given that its 7pm and we're already onto the next round of caipirinhas, we dont think that we will make it. Feeling like the old grandparents once again, its an early night instead.
Final day in Rio before a fortnight in Europe, and it feels a bit sad to be going back, even though its just for another fun part of holiday, not to actually go back to our old lives. Anyway, it also happens to be football day, and England beating Kazakhstan 4-0 is followed by Brazil beating Uruguay 4-0 in MOntevideo, and the South Americans put on a much better game than we do. We watch the Brazilian victory in our little local bar, and have some late lunch in the little all you van eat pizza place, this time going for the healthier por kilo option, which is almost as great as at the churrascaria the other night.
And then thats it. Waved off by the guys in our hostel, hauling the bags to the bus stop, not too long to wait for the airport bus, and then we're surrounded by tourists heading back to Europe or USA, who cant manage to work out which terminal they need to be at and order COFFEE WITH MILK in loud English. Of course we are the expert travellers and know it all by now, but we hope that we are a little more tolerant of other cultures! Looking forward to coming back to Brazil already...
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