There is no question as to why Rio de Janeiro constantly remains one of the top favorites for various vacation destinations. Of all the many places I visited, tourist sights I saw, food I ate and people I met, there is only one factor I did not really like about the cidade maravilhosa: muy caro!
Cristo Redentor wooden sculpture I bought for my lola.
But then if you're traveling for the thrill of experiences then this should not bother you. However, seeing as I was traveling alone with nothing but a mere 200 Reais to my name, expenses can be really tricky for a 3-day Rio de Janeiro stay.
This is the guy who drove me from the airport to my hotel. Very nice man, good conversationalist.
The view from outside my budget hotel window.
Copacabana Beach along Avenida Atlantica
The beach chair vendor. I asked him to take my photo and he ended up taking a selfie instead. Haha.
CHILL.
Ahh yes, the obligatory henna tattoo for my new destination.
Christ the Redeemer. Isn't it amazing?
Haha! Tourist photo op!
When the tour guide informed me that a Filipino family would be joining us for the tour, I was stoked! Finally, brothers from the same mother land! This amazing family has traveled to various parts of the globe. They're really nice and they're also Cebuano like me :D
Next to me is Kristel Macoto with her parents on her right.
Rio de Janeiro's subway station.
Failed attempts to take a photo with the Christ the Redeemer statue with Kristel's camera.
The view from my seat on the bus. This tour was the day after, heading towards Sugar Loaf Mountain.
Street art like this is present all around Rio de Janeiro, especially in artsy downtown places like Lapa (where my hotel was).
I made a new friend! She's from Peru, her name is Estefany. She's also traveling alone. She's really nice and she speaks multiple languages. Amazing person. We ended up hanging out after this Sugar Loaf Mountain tour.
We had to take two cable car rides. One ride to go up one mountain and another to get to the other mountain beside it.
The tour guide said that there was a Filipino woman who worked at one of the boutiques atop the Sugar Loaf Mountain. I was so excited to meet her that I looked for her shop immediately after I got off the cable car. It's really too bad she wasn't there that day or I would have made another friend.
Walking along the trails with my Ipanema sandals. They're cute but damn, tiis ganda talaga!
Look I'm a bear!
Titanic pegged shot.
Had a photo op with this great Bossa Nova band.
After my Sugar Loaf Mountain tour, I met up with a fellow Couch Surfer, Vinicius Mesquita. He was my host and tour guide for the remainder of my stay in Rio. Very nice guy, really talkative and funny. I showed him my list of the other places I wanted see in Rio so he offered to come check them out with me. Yay!
At the Escadaria Selaron. These stairs are amazing! So intricately detailed, colorful and artfully decorated. Even the houses around them are colorful.
More Rio street art
One of my favorite street art murals!
Those steps were pretty tiring, but the sight absolutely worth it.
Damn, I forgot the name of this house. This actually once belonged to a rich family.
This used to be a bus station.
Had dinner with Estefany the night after. This was actually her last night in Brazil, while I was to leave for Uberlandia the following morning.
If only Roxas Boulevard looked this way as well...
Lounging around at the Ipanema Beach at night.
Sand sculpture of a horse, I looked like Laura of Arabia. Hehehe. Just kidding, no I don't.
When I got back from Rio, I hung out with Luiza and Lydia, two of my friends from Uberlandia the following night. We went to a great bar near where I had my summer job at a primary public school.
My Brazil play list.
I experienced walking along the dark streets of Rio at 10PM. Let me tell you, that experience was absolutely terrifying. However, I did not want to look like a lost wandering gullible tourist so I had to maintain a poker face. I have to remember to not always bring my valuables though. Still, it was really scary walking along those streets.
I hope to go back to Rio de Janeiro one day but then that time, with my mother. Traveling alone is a great adventure and it's good for the soul but I really miss my family when traveling and there were times when I wished I could have traversed the city with some friends.
When you visit Rio, I swear it's like you will hear the sounds of carnival playing. It's really such a laid back place. Lots of places to lounge around, go drinking, street partying... My favorite experience would have to be the visit to Christ the Redeemer and the party de ouvidor! I think that's what it's called.
My friend Vinicius and I went to this street party thing wherein there were a LOT of people standing, drinking and dancing a bit around a Brazilian band playing great upbeat music. It was such a thrilling experience. I was drinking passion fruit caipirinha that time and just bopping along to the music.
That visit to Rio remains to be one of the best moments of my life. Not hard to be judging by the fact that it was the top destination for 2013 and for many years to come.
