A few weeks ago, I was offered the amazing opportunity to visit Brazil and Chile. Being an opportunity too good to refuse, here I am, and our small group of ten is having a ball!
South America has always been one of my dream destinations, with Rio de Janeiro being one of my ‘bucket list’ trips, and I have just spent an amazing couple of days (which is definitely not long enough!) checking out some of the sights.
Our hotel, the Windsor Atlantica, is in the perfect location, right in the heart of the famous Copacabana Beach. The rooftop pool and bar area (on the 39th floor) showcases the spectacular full length view of Copacabana Beach, Sugar Loaf Mountain and Corcovado Mountain (where the Christ the Redeemer Statue is located). The sunrise and sunset are to die for, truly something special and definitely not to be missed.
Hummer style, open-air jeeps were our mode of transport to visit the Corcovado Mountain – the mountain drive view is glorious through lush, green forest and takes you almost to the top. There is also a train from downtown Rio if you prefer.
You then have the choice of using the elevators or climbing the 220 steps to view the breathtaking ‘Christ the Redeemer’ statue, one of the ‘new’ Seven Wonders of the World. It is an incredible sight to behold, a huge, splendid statue that is perfect in detail and looks out over the whole of Rio de Janeiro.
Cables cars take you to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain, and the 360 degree views are fantastic. From the top you can look out over the entire city – Botafogo, Copacabana Beach, Corcovado and downtown Rio.
We visited and explored Favela Vidigal to witness the unique lifestyle and also see their ecological park, where they have recycled rubbish and unused items into a green garden, growing fruit and vegetables to support their inhabitants. Thousands of people lives in these Favelas, that sprawl out on the mountain sides and in the valleys and they are really something to experience.
Our ‘Behind the Scenes Carnaval Experience’ was a lot of fun – checking out some of the floats from last year, seeing the production process for over 6000 costumes and learning about the Samba Schools culture. We tried on costumes, learnt to samba and beat the drums which was great fun!
The preparation and detail that does into the iconic event is nothing short of amazing, and the tour was a fantastic way to see firsthand how the whole operation works, and see where this huge event is held each year.
We’ve also checked out the bay area, downtown Rio and Ipanema Beach but still haven’t really scratched the surface.
What has surprised me is not only how vibrant the city is (which I expected) but how green, beautiful and clean the whole place is. Rio is fully preparing for next year’s Olympics which is exciting for the Brazilians and we have all fallen in love with this terrific city. It is certainly safer than I expected (thanks to a number of Police programs which have been put into action) although it does still pay to be careful and vigilant at all times.
We’ve dined on fabulous food – the Brazilian barbecue is great, lots and lots of meat and fantastic fresh produce. We’ve drank Caipirinha – the Brazilian National drink, a little similar to a mojito but lots and lots of fresh lime rather than mint, checked out the markets and there is no doubt that Rio has captured our hearts, and we all want to return!
So tomorrow we are off on an Amazon adventure and are obviously excited.
Can’t wait to share this with you in the a few days time!