Brazil – Adventures in Rio – Part 3 of 3

We finally have come up to the final three days in Rio De Janeiro. While the weather has been a mix of clear and cloudy skies, hot days and rainy ones – we’ve made the most out of each day. One of the most important things we do before setting out on any trip is to make sure that we have a plan – even just an outline – of what we want to do, where we want to eat, and when those places are open and closed.

As long as we have that guideline, we have a (generally) stress free trip, with an interchangeable itinerary that can be adapted to almost any weather, or situation.

Looking at the weather for the week….

and seeing what we wanted to do that was left…

we had to cram more sightseeing into these three days.

The first thing on our itinerary for the day was to see Christ the Redeemer at Corcovado.

We woke up early (around 6am) to another fantastic breakfast at Casalegre Art Villa, and took a bus to Cosme Velho where we took the tram (Trem do Corcovado) up to Christ the Redeemer.

Weather didn’t permit us to hike as we wanted up the mountain (it was too muddy from the rain), but had it been a clear day, we would of 100% hiked up instead. If you have the opportunity – do the hike. If you can’t – the tram up is great, but I’ve heard the hike is even better! If you want to do the hike, the entrance is at Parque Lage in Jardim Botânico – it’s about a 2 hour hike. Wear hiking shoes and bring lots of water!

Second, get up *early*. I mean be there for 8am before the crowds so you can have a great view and enjoy the sights before the rest of the tourists join in. We did, and we had some great views and took our time taking fantastic pictures before the masses showed up.

After taking pictures of the massive statue of Christ, we headed back down and walked an hour to Sugarloaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar). We figured since we couldn’t do our hike up Corovado, we would at least have a good walk to Sugarloaf! We arrived mid-day at the entrance to the cable cars (entrance location, maps, fees, and other information can be found at the official website http://www.bondinho.com.br/en/home/ ), and took the cable car to mount Urca (and subsequently Sugarloaf)…

We were rewarded with views of the city not just at the summit, but during the slow and enjoyable cable ride as well.

 

Finally, after visiting two of the most amazing sites in Rio, we took the metro back to our Bed and Breakfast for a short rest, until we were ready to go back out again to a beautiful close by restaurant in Santa Teresa called Aprazivel. It’s a gorgeous restaurant set in a tree with an unobstructed view of the city, and offers a variety of beautifully crafted dishes that match the ambiance and stunning views.

The total for two people (as of May 2016) was $150CAD, which included 2 alcoholic drinks, an appetizer, 2 entrees, and 1 dessert. The food and views though, made it well worth the price. The heart of palm (palm tree) was one of the most memorable dishes we’ve ever had (and we have had heart of palm before!), and the dessert (Carimbó – Brazil-nut ice-cream with cupuaçu jam) was a delight for the senses.

The only thing that put a damper on the night was when we left, we requested the restaurant call a cab for us (as we were only a 5 minute drive away), but refused to and said we had to use their own service – which was much, much more expensive. We opted to walk instead, which (as of May 2016) were told not to walk through. The walk was fine though, but we must of been paranoid as at one point we thought a massive dog or something was chasing after us, but it ended up being a cute little puppy, with it’s bark way worse then it’s (we assume) bite!

Word to the wise, while on this trip we walked through both an un-pacified area at one point, and another area that we were advised not to walk through, but did anyway, we strongly advise anyone *not* to do this. It’s not worth the risk, and since the area we were at had armed guards at certain corners of streets (during the night), we have to assume there’s a very good reason for that. Don’t do what we did, and don’t take the risk.

The following two days were spent getting ready to go home and relaxing at Ipanema beach.

The nights were filled with local Santa Teresa bar hopping times and delicious food and drinks.

 

NEEDLESS TO SAY – THIS TRIP IS ONE FOR THE BOOKS!