Welcome to Rio de Janeiro!
Day 4: Flight to Rio de Janeiro, Lunch at Porto Bay Rio Internacional Hotel, Stroll around Copacabana, Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas.
Bom dia, happy soles!
Today was the day we said goodbye to Sao Paulo. In the morning, we went to Aeroporto de Congonhas domestic terminal and took a flight to Rio de Janeiro. Although Sao Paulo was like a dream, needless to say we were all very stoked about seeing another Brazilian city, and no less than Rio de Janeiro.
We were glad we got window seats so we could see the coastline of Rio as we made our descent. It’s truly a unique city characterized by white sand beaches along the curvy and snaking coast, high-rise buildings, and the steep mountains very near to the coast.
Within minutes from the airport we arrived at our hotel, Porto Bay Rio Internacional Hotel, whose front door opens directly to Copacabana beach! The sight of people already half-naked in trunks and bikinis outside the hotel is no surprise, the beach is just a few paces across the street after all.
As it was already high noon, our Filipino tummies were on cue and we headed straight to the hotel’s restaurant for lunch. The food was amazing as usual but what made this lunch much better was the view.
The vista from our table at the 5th floor of our hotel:
We have the same view from our hotel room, 11 storeys up!
After lunch, we decided to take it easy for the whole afternoon. And so we rushed to the beach! Anytime of the year, you’ll see this exact same view of Copacabana:
We also explored the neighborhood and found shops for souvenirs as well as for refreshments. We got to taste the local delicacy, Assai, which is a smoothie made from the dark Açai berry, and mixed with banana and granola. It’s a power snack.
Nighttime brought even more fantastic sights. We explored the roof deck of the hotel, where there was a pool, and were mesmerized by the lights below and around. Here I am with one of the souvenirs I bought. I think a sweatband can be cool to wear only if it bears the Brazilian flag design, of course!
The government of the city of Rio de Janeiro organized a huge venue for locals to watch the World Cup right at the beach. It ‘s open to everyone and so we watched Spain win against Germany in the semi-final. Here it is with a live samba music concert ongoing, crowds dancing:
The other side of Copacabana at night:
For dinner, Cristiane took us to Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, a big lake near the city. There are a couple of restaurants around the lake but we chose the most aromatic, Arab, which serves Mediterranean and Arabic dishes. There was also live music, which we enjoyed, from a Bossa Nova / Samba singer and a jazzy keyboard player.
As the day ended, we looked forward to the Rio schedule still ahead: Corcovado mountain, Christ the Redeemer statue, Samba, and more beaches!
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Cheers,
Chico
