On my first visit to Rio with my friend Ian in 2010, I saw the main attractions of Corcovado, Sugar Loaf, Copacabana, Impanema, the sunset from Arpoador, and the Sambadrome. It was also on that trip when I took my first hang glider flight with Konrad from Rio Hang Gliding http://www.riohanggliding.com which prompted me to take up paragliding! Rio is an incredibly beautiful city full of natural beauty and I was eager to explore it again with Brenda.
Of course we had to visit the main touristic things so, on our first day, we trekked up Corcovado to see the iconic statue of Christ the Reedemer. While most people opt for a bus or a train to the top, we prefer hiking so we took the steep jungle trail as a form of “naturopathic PT”.
Sadly, the sky was overcast so we weren’t able to see the awesome city view but the statue was impressive, nonetheless, and it was actually kind of cool being up in the clouds! On day two we took a walk around the lagoon where the Olympic rowing events will be held and visited the botanic gardens where we saw one of the most impressive cactus gardens we’ve ever seen and a tree with some highly-unusual roots. Later that evening, the skies cleared so we took the cablecar to the summit of Sugar Loaf and enjoyed a breathtaking view of the city and coastline before watching the sunset and, ultimately, enjoying the endless sea of city lights. At the summit we shared a Brazilian craft brew that bore the name of “Colorado” but, sadly, it didn’t quite meet up to Colorado brew standards!
The forecast was for rain towards the end of our week so we tried to complete all of our planned outdoor activities before the rain. On our third day, we hiked to the summit of Two Brothers – the steep peaks rising from the end of Impanema. The trail to the summit began from the top of the Vidigal Favela and climbed sharply to the summit offering some truly incredible views of the coastline and surrounding areas including a portion of the Tijuca National Forest, Pedra da Gávea, Pedra Bonita, and an overview of the Rocina Favela – one of Rio’s largest favelas adjacent to Leblon (one of South America’s wealthiest neighborhoods).
Nearly 11 million people live in favelas in Brazil and many of them are crime ridden and considered “inhabitable” by our standards without sanitation or electricity. The favelas are essentially shanty towns – each of which is “self-governed” by its residents. Some are run by drug lords and the police don’t even attempt to keep order as they fear for their own lives! Some of them, however, are considered safe and even a bit trendy like Santa Teresa and Vidigal. Both are considered “tourist-friendly” as they both have electricity and sanitation. Brenda and I entered the Vidigal favela on foot and took a collectivo to a point near the Two Brothers trailhead at the top. We found the residents to be friendly and helpful – one of which was a German guy who spoke English and helped us navigate our way through a maze to get to the trailhead. We were hoping to visit Santa Teresa as well but simply didn’t have time during this trip.
We spent a couple of days biking around Rio – one really nice day and another in pouring rain! On our last days in Rio, we took a Brazilian cooking class and visited the Museum of Tomorrows. Unlike most museums that display “artifacts”, this wasn’t really a museum at all – it was thought provoking and focused on ideas and concepts rather than objects. Much of the exhibition was digital and made us think about where we’ve come from and where we’re going from the origins of our planet to our probable future. One of my favorite exhibits was a maze of photos showing life around the world – customs, festivals, holiday celebrations, and, sadly, overconsumption and waste.
The heart of the museum and its message was a Stonehenge-like cluster of 10-meter high TV screens that displayed data and images about where we are now – a period of evolution referred to as “the Anthropocene” – an era where humankind has become a geological force. The screens displayed troubling images of burning forests, dense traffic, pollution, contamination, over-population, mass production, overconsumption, melting glaciers, and piles of rubbish including the horrible “great pacific garbage patch” in the Pacific Ocean which reminded me of a sad and very intense documentary called “Plastic Paradise”: http://plasticparadisemovie.com
Brenda and I watched it a couple years ago and have vowed to minimize or eliminate our use of plastic and reduce our material consumption. We still have a ways to go but we’re starting to embrace minimalism and we’re certainly glad to have downsized and minimized – not only for the reduced environmental impact which is great but also for the freedom that a minimalist lifestyle provides. http://www.theminimalists.com.