Rio with Rain
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil
Leaving Fernando de Noronha only meant that we were about to enter the colorful world of Rio for a couple days. We wanted to see the island in its splendor by viewing it from the tops of mountains, to walk around Santa Teresa neighborhood, and to kick back in the sunshine on Copacabana. Yet from the moment we landed in Rio to the moment we stepped on the plane to the USA, it was a torrential down pour.
In fact, we did all that we wanted to do and to see in Rio, only Rio to us was covered in a dense cloud of greys and whites. From the Christ the Redeemer statue we saw an ocean of fog, and nothing more. However, we were thankful to have the statue all to ourselves, and had fun dancing at his feet and frolicking in the rain. Sometimes when you are that wet, it is easier to just stay that way. While Christ was not visible from far away, we got a clear view of him as we stood in the same cloud as it. It was a beautiful sight to see - an impressive presence that filled your heart in such a way that you also wanted to spread your arms and welcome anything your way. We hung out on Escadaria Selaron, the tiled stairs in Santa Teresa, and enjoyed the rain and the Caipihrina. We did not walk too much, and took an Uber to the Portuguese Royal Cabinet of Reading, where we swooned over the beautiful gothic interior and the thick arrangement of books. Around this neighborhood were many other book stores where we found Harry Potter in Portuguese (which now sits with the remainder of my collection).
In defiance of the rain we also walked along Ipanema Beach and Copacabana Beach, and while we were the only ones there, we were still able to enjoy a Ciapihrina as the rain soaked deeper into our skin. We had lucky bouts of the day where there was a break in the rain, and we escaped for drinks and dancing in Lapa. The music was Samba, and our feet tried hard to pick up the beat. We were surrounded by women and men who moved so fluidly with the music, that we ended up laughing at our feeble attempts. We also got to enjoy Santa Teresa square without the down pour of rain, and walked to see the graffiti in the neighborhoods. It was during this walk that we found Brigadero, which is a delicious desert we were on the hunt for.
While we left Rio without actually seeing Rio in the broad picture, we left with an up and close account of its neighborhoods and a feel of its energy. We were lucky to see a futbol game at the Maracana Stadium just hours before our flight was scheduled. We got popcorn, cerveja, and jerseys, and enjoyed another scene of Rio that happens come rain or shine. We are excited to return and get the truer dose of sun, mountains, music, and tropical adventure.
