Morning Sunshine With Me!: More about Rio de Janeiro!

Good morning world!

Still morning here where i am. It's mid week, I hope you have an excellent one so far!

I started my week in full power but I had a very lazy recovery weekend. After a 24 hours trip exchanging 3 planes, I don't know how many terminals, hours of wait, no sleep, a shower in my own bath seemed like heaven. My sunny summer days are over but the thought of them is still very much alive and present.

Rio de Janeiro

The following days in Rio started to be better than my 1st one. Sun shined brighter into the turquoise water of the ocean, the smooth sand was warmer, the green mountains stayed like bodyguards watching over the city and the sky had a color of an Azure Blue. Beautiful, beautiful sun shines with a temperatures of 30 degrees in the mornings, great breakfast with lots of fresh juices( watermelon, mango, pineapple, avocado) and fruit. The sweetness that the fruit have there cause of the sunbath they get everyday it's impressive. All this made me almost forget my bad experience of the 1st day. Plus, i got some color, not a whitey anymore :D
Needed some courage to get back to Ipanema beach but i broke my fear and went there again. Absolutely beautiful beach, but after visiting it a few more times i realized i still like better Copacabana, more friendly, more secure, more pleasant.

Ipanema

Copacabana

They have everything in Copacabana beach, bars, restaurants, live music, night clubs, beach food, Sugarloaf Mountain ( Pão de Açúcar) and lots of life even during the night. And of course they have what all the beaches around the world have, the sellers with : Queijoo!!!(cheese) Cocaaa!! (Coca cola) Fanta!!! or it could be A bola de Berlim!!! ( portuguese donut) or Poooorumb fiert!!!! ( boiled corn) depending in witch country you are, you know what i'm talking about :D

People, so many different faces, colors, languages.You have samba music played by the local people around the bars, girls dancing it in the middle of the street, jogging people, biking people, working out. Almost everybody in the city tries to stay fit (good fact).

The Caipirinhas here are Amazing!!! they really refresh you, can be traditional or many fruity flavors. Are delicious, you should definitely try. They are good also in spring time not only in summer heat.

I managed to visit places that absolutely amazed and impressed me, places like:

Pão de Açúcar - a beautiful treasure of Rio, with 396 meters height, the Sugarloaf Mountain is rising from the ocean offering breathtaking views from the top.

Corcovado - another mountain of 710 m. It is known for the Christ the Redeem statue that is places on the top of it. Statue has 38 m height and with hands opened 28 m wide

Santa Teresa - a neighborhood with narrow streets that has beautiful views on the way and that its known for its yellow tram.

Stairs Selaron - a piece of art made in the street by a Chilean person that worked on it for almost 15 years, but did a really good job.

Many other places they have that will pleasantly surprise you and amaze you, the views are absolutely splendid, beaches, mountains, lagoons, nature, the graffiti on the street walls are very colorful and beautiful, even the favelas that are placed in a messy order have their own beauty (from far away of course ). In the night time the lights of the favelas give that magical air to the mountains that surround Rio, you can't get tired of looking at it.

Loved the Lagoa area, beautiful, beautiful place. One of the few places where i felt super safe and relaxed, you have an awesome panorama from there and you can make it even more relaxing with a drink in Palaphita Kitch a chill-out place that helps you make your evening perfect. Botanical Garden, Leblon, Tijuca Forest,Vista Chinesa, Flamengo Park, Sambadrome, Maracana Stadium and many others places worth being visited.

Lagoa

Botanical Garden

A door of a house in the city center

Rio it's a city that will throw you to opposite extremes, luxury and bad poverty, beauty and dirt, good people and very bad ones. The beauties will charm you and the bad things will frighten you. It's the 1st place where i had to look over my shoulder, check who is walking next to me, behind me or who is coming in front. It's also the 1st place where i always had to leave at home my "second" phone and most of the times the camera:) Could be cause of the 1 day attack experience, but there are many other things that make you feel insecure. Still i take it as a good experience, you really feel what the local people feel everyday and experience the true Brazilian life.

Do i recommend going? 100% yes. I would just definitely advise you to go in groups of 4-8 or more, its much safer. Take package tours from the hotel to visit the places or yellow taxi from a legal company. Leave all your precious things at home and Enjoyyy Rio!!!!
I've lived my dream and i will go back there one day for sure. Until then i need to target a new Dream Destination.
If you have any questions about it, don't hesitate to ask.

XoXo

More pics of Rio: