Rio--The City of Views

For me, Rio De Janeiro was a city of views. I spent two days traveling to the best viewpoints the city had to offer.

On the first day, I took a tram up to the Christ the Redeemer statue.

This was an amazing introduction to the city.





















 From the statue, I could see all of the beaches—Ipanema, Copacabana, and many more (and yes, The Girl from Ipanema was in my head the entire time).

That evening, I took a cable car up to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain with Louise, Judy, and the Boyer family to watch the sunset.











I was more excited by the marmosets that were there begging for food, but the sunset was spectacular as well.

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Christ the Redeemer statue in the distance

The second day came with the best views. I hiked in the Tijuncta Rainforest (thank you Chiappelli family!), which allowed me to see the city from the best viewpoint.

Along the way, visited a Chinese gazebo and a waterfall.

Rimo and me by the waterfall

From here the tour guide gave us a quick history lesson regarding Rio from the side of our bus. Apparently soap operas caused many from the countryside to migrate to the flavellas (slums) of the city. 

Here's a view from the top of our hike:

While in Rio, I took the opportunity to enjoy all of the fresh fruits and vegetables that the city had to offer.

This is a heart of palm

I tried juice every chance I could. The Acai is the local juice that I'd highly recommend. It is a little purpler than this juice.

One thing that was difficult about being in Rio was the crime. At one point some friends and I tried to go to the beach and were warned by a guide that we should stay away because there was a mass mugging only moments ago and the police were sorting it out. Apparently this happens often. I found myself clutching my bag everywhere we walked and always keeping an eye on my surroundings. It made it difficult to relax and enjoy Rio’s beauty.

Here's a few quick views of the beach: