Rio de Janeiro - Brazil’s Marvelous City
A kaleidoscope of contrasts
Just a hairsbreadth above the Tropic of Capricorn, Rio de Janeiro was reached by Portuguese navigator Captain Goncalves on January 1st, 1502. Mistaking the balloon-shaped natural harbor of Guanabara Bay for a river estuary, he named it Rio de Janeiro (River of January).
Today Rio is a city of kaleidoscopic contrasts. Steep rocky escarpments march unimpeded down to the expansive ocean, modern skyscrapers stand cheek-to-jowl next to colonial-style Portuguese houses and luxury hotels. Over a third of the population lives in shantytowns (favelas) which blanket much of the hillsides. Unless you are on a special mercy mission or on an official guided tour, it is best not to venture into these areas. During my visit, a fellow visitor unwittingly crossed that line and witnessed a shooting.
Perhaps it is these very contrasts that reflect the true nature of the spirited locals, known as Cariocas. There is always time for an impromptu game of volleyball or soccer on one of the many local beaches.
Because this burgeoning city of eight million inhabitants is built on a series of hills, its highways burrow through mountainside tunnels, opening up new and unfamiliar vistas. I therefore found it initially hard to get my bearings.
To get a better perspective, I decided to take a bubble-shaped cable car to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain. This massive double-humped granite tooth gave me a sweeping view of the city’s 23 white-sand beaches including popular Copacabana, Ipanema, Flamengo, Leblon and Botafogo.
Now hooked on aerie-like experiences, I then took the Swiss-built funicular railway on an 854-metre climb up Corcovado (Hunchback Mountain), site of the familiar 40-metre reinforced-concrete statue of Christ the Redeemer. The massive soapstone-coated statue is so big that the head alone weighs 30 tons. Because of its elevation, the monument is often enveloped in slow-moving clouds, creating a somewhat ethereal spectacle - one minute I could see Christ’s face and the next, it just disappeared into a halo of mist.
Back at sea level, it is fun to stroll along the avenidas (esplanades) which are paved in wavy black-and-white mosaic patterns. Local vendors set up stalls offering T-shirts emblazoned with colorful toucans, preserved piranhas or skimpy bikinis known as tangas. For a refreshing snack, choose a sweet pineapple or a coconut, which is split apart on the spot by a machete. However, since petty theft is a problem here as I found out to my chagrin, remember to carry just the bare necessities and leave your valuables in the hotel’s safety deposit box.
Because Rio was Brazil’s capital for 125 years - a distinction given to Brasilia in 1960 - the city is well endowed with public buildings, parks, museums and squares. Most are located in the downtown area and are best visited on weekends when commuter traffic is light.
The neoclassical Municipal Theatre is a replica of the Paris Opera House and is richly decorated with marble and mosaics. Another eye-catcher is the New Cathedral, its cone shape evocative of an ancient Mayan pyramid in Mexico’s Yucatan. In striking contrast to the New Cathedral are Rio’s many magnificent colonial churches, which are set into the hillsides. Among the best known is Nossa Senhora da Penha. During a religious festival in October, pilgrims ascend its 365 steps on their knees and more than 5,000 lights illuminate the church’s façade.
One of the highlights of any trip to Brazil is the shopping. My favorite place was the Feirarte, formerly known as the Hippie market. It is held every Sunday in Osorio Square near Ipanema beach. Here one can purchase silverware, hematite jewelry, African woodcarvings and musical instruments, colorful local paintings and leather goods. Using my hand-held calculator, I bargained for a soft leather cushion, a beautifully carved stone toucan, a tiny silver plate impregnated with blue butterfly wings and little bottles intricately filled with colored sand.
For more sophisticated shopping, you can visit the Barra or Rio Sul shopping centers. Brazil is synonymous with gemstones, so include a free tour of the headquarters of world-famous jeweler Hans Stern, whose company handles everything from the mining of raw material to the sale of jewelry designed and finished in the company’s own workshops. The displays of boulder-size aquamarine, topaz, opal, amethyst and turquoise stones are truly amazing.
For a change of pace, take a day-trip out of the city. Less than a two-hour bus drive north of Rio is the cool, alpine resort of Petropolis, where a lavish summer palace and grand halls bear witness to its origins as a retreat for Portuguese royalty who fled to Brazil during the Napoleonic wars.
Another lovely one-day excursion is a tour west to Sepetiba Bay with its many tropical islands - a great place to relax, swim and snorkel from a Bahian schooner. However, although the destination was idyllic, the antics of my kamikaze driver would have driven his backseat passengers to pray or down a couple of caipirinhas, a fiery local drink made of sugarcane and limes.
Perhaps it is all these extremes that have contributed to Rio de Janeiro being dubbed The Marvelous City.
Author : Caroline M. Jackson
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