Rio de Janeiro

Time to leave Floripa for the big spot, our only air transfer in this country. Rio de Janeiro international airport lies on a large island in the Baia de Guanabara and the aircraft window offers hazy views of the extensive metropolis unfolding below the wing. It takes some forty minutes by cab to reach our hotel, squeezed between Ipanema and Copacabana and chosen for its excellent location. Not just any cab though, as safety dictates to avoid the offers from one of the many cab-pushers. Official cab rides are purchased through advance payment at the office just before the terminal exit door. The coupon is then shown to a company officer who guides the customers to the correct waiting area.
As like any large city in Brazil, Rio is no exception to a high crime rate. Tourists are a common target and a low profile together with some precautions help preventing episodes. Urban development is characterized by the "favelas" which are the low-income residential areas growing anywhere possible, therefore filling the gaps and corners within richer neighborhoods. Mugging can be frequent even in unexpected places and a good suggestion is to avoid walking around with too many valuables.

The Cristo Redentor tall statue is Rio's icon and I truly believe that the view from Corcovado must be a breathtaking experience, but at the same I think it's too crowded up there to enjoy. Maybe it's me, maybe because I'm used to peaceful mountain peaks after climbing them. Deb shares the concept and we opted for the Pão de Açúcar (Sugar Loaf) instead, which we reached by walking through the city except for the last short portion. Our doubts whether to enter a tunnel or not were cleared when we asked a jogging guy if he deemed it safe. He replied that he routinely does, adding that his tank top and shorts are not items of interest, but warned that mugging can be common. This information prompted us to get a cab right there despite it was less than a two-minute ride to the cable-car station. Great day up there, also for those who chose the vertical way up via a rock climbing route. Some just experience rappelling maneuvers for their first time in life without undisclosed excitement.




Tour GPS tracklog available here:

http://www.everytrail.com/view_trip.php?trip_id=784870