I really don’t have much to say about Rio other than that I love the city. It’s one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen and experienced.
One of my favorite songs of all time is “Girl from Ipanema” (a song which captures the essence of Rio) so it was a fantastic experience to be able to spend some time in Ipanema beach. Surprisingly, I did not see any beach football being played. Instead, the locals played “footvolley” (volleyball with all parts of your body but your hands) and “frescobol” (a bit like tennis except you don’t let the ball bounce).
Over the days I was there, I ate feijoada (many say it’s the national dish of Brazil, eaten by many families on weekends), brigadeiros, other baked goods I can’t describe, and drank a lot of fruit juice from the many fruit juice stands.
Christ the Redeemer was packed full of tourists. It was insane! Everyone was jostling for position on the narrow stairs, trying to take a picture with the massive statue in the background.
The other massive attraction of Rio, Sugarloaf Mountain, was where I soaked in one of the most beautiful sceneries I’ve ever seen in my life.
