Bleary eyed, but excited to begin the next phase of our journey, we finally arrive in Rio after 3 flights and one plane change. Got through customs and baggage easily enough – and made our way out to the taxi stands. There are 2 ways to get taxis – either outside the terminal, where you pick up any cab available and take the meter price – or hire a taxi inside from one of the many kiosks located outside of baggage claim. The kiosks are reportedly more expensive than a regular taxi, but it’s a non-negotiated fee and you can pay upfront with a credit card. Since the kiosk method was pretty hassle free – and we didn’t want to have to worry about a taxi driver taking us on a tour before getting to the hotel – we booked a cab at the Transcootour kiosk. 80 Reals (at about $1.66 to the dollar, or $48) and we were on our way. It was Saturday afternoon, with very little traffic, so it only took us 20 minutes from the time we were in the cab – to check in at the hotel. Great!
It was actually a very pretty drive to the Augusto’s Copacabana. After exiting the highway, we drove around the lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas – a huge lake that separates Copacabana from Ipanema on the inland side of the coast. The Augustus Copacabana hotel was a great find – we got the room at an extremely affordable rate (88 Reals!) that included breakfast. We were given one of the smaller rooms at the back of the hotel (no view or balcony for us!), but it was still quite roomy and clean – and the A/C worked – that’s about all we cared about! Because – this is Brazil – and where Lima was hot – Rio was hotter!
After freshening up a bit, organizing our bags and changing into suitable Rio attire – we struck off to explore. Culture shock! Coming from Peru, even Lima, we were still in that indigenous kind of style, sort of laid back mood. Snap out of it! This is Rio! And it’s the weekend! We strolled down Rua Bolivar about 3 blocks to the beach promenade and proceeded to walk to the end of Copacabana, taking in the sights. And sights there were!
Beautiful – and not so beautiful – people tanning, drinking, eating, playing volleyball and making sand sculptures. Everyone in a thong – and yes, ladies were not topless – but only just! Cathy was feeling quite overdressed in her capri’s and t-shirt! Ed of course stood out like a beacon in his Galapagos t-shirt, shorts and white trainers! We were descended upon by every hawker on the street! But no matter, we were having too much fun people watching and walking. The beach – or the promenade – was very commercial. Every few yards there was a snack bar with tables, chairs and umbrellas. All selling different snacks and drinks. Coconut water is a big seller here – they just crack open the coconut and give it to you with a straw. Cathy was afraid to try it for fear of the intestinal affects (She remembered once on Survivor when they said that the coconut water was giving them the runs!! No way Jose – not in Rio! Forget about it!).
Interspersed along the promenade – but actually on the beach (in the sand) are food stands with local vendors selling everything from full meals to snacks. They roll up their coolers, set up tents and chairs – and sell all day long. Also along the beach are the sand sculptures. Although not as numerous as we expected, they were still a sight to see – and “see” only! No pictures unless you’re going to pay for them. Of course Cathy snapped a few and got into trouble – as usual. That camera will get her in more trouble!
After walking for a couple of hours and exploring a lot of the beach, we stopped for a beer (no wine – only tinto – or red) and people watched some more. Headed back to the hotel by way of all the restaurants on the city side of the beach promenade. Lots to choose from – but most with hefty prices. Found a great Italian place where we ended up sitting for another beer and a glass of wine for Cathy. Nice outside seating area (everyone has them) and good wine. Made a note to come back later, possibly for dinner.
Headed back to the hotel to relax and shower before making our dinner decision. As it turned out – the restaurant in the hotel had a great menu that night – and was pretty reasonable (we’ve hit the high price part of our journey – no more dirt cheap food and bargaining for prices off the menu!). We ended up staying there and had a great meal of soup, entrée, beer, ½ bottle of wine and more bread than you could ever eat! The waiter barely spoke English (just like most of the people here!) – and it was really fun ordering and trying to figure everything out.
Fell into bed exhausted from too little sleep on the planes and too much walking and exploring on our first day in Rio!
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