Brazil:
The many wonders of Rio de Janeiro
Rio de Janeiro
When Rio is thought of, Carnival is
the first thing that pops into most
people's minds. It is an annual
celebration, in the Roman Catholic
tradition, that allows merry-making and
red meat consumption before the more
sober 40 days of Lent and penance.
However, there is much more to Rio than
just Carnival.
The first place you will want to go
is to the Copacabana beach. It is very
accessible and in the vein of the
beaches in Miami or the Gold Coast in
Australia; big wide and full of people
soaking up the sun. If the beach life is
not for you then you must try a guided
hiking trek in Tijuca Park. This is a
very striking park right in the center
of the city. It is full of magnificent
jungle. The forest was mostly cut down
to grow coffee and tea, but in 1857 the
flora was extensively replanted after
the agriculture venture failed. It took
slaves 30 years to finish the
restoration! The park is certainly
fantastic now. You will want to hike up
to Parrot's Peak, which is two hours of
energetic walking and uphill all the
way. The last 15 minutes require you to
scramble over steep rocks to reach the
top, but it is worth the effort as the
view of the city from the peak is
inspirational.
Tijuca Park Video
If hiking is too tame for you then
consider hang-gliding from the high
ground in Tijuca Park to land on the
famous Ipanema Beach. Hang-gliding is a
major life changing experience at the
best of times. Dangling from a nylon and
aluminum kite and floating over the
spectacular city of Rio then landing on
one its most beautiful beaches is going
to give you something to cherish
forever.
Hang-gliding Video
You must not miss the opportunity to
hike, or rather climb up, one of Rio's
most prominent landmarks Sugarloaf
Mountain. It is another huge peak in the
city, but Sugarloaf Mountain is mostly
solid granite. Not only will you
encounter some very strenuous hiking on
this trek, but you will have to make a
fairly difficult rock climb at the top.
This is why you must do this trip with a
local guide to ensure you have all the
safety equipment required to scale this
extreme peak. The climb is even more
difficult as it is very exposed so
expect to experience outstanding views.
Do not worry you will be in good hands
the guides give excellent instruction.
The views at the top of Sugarloaf are
spectacular, magnificent, and
breathtaking.
Sugarloaf Peak Video
Rock climbing Video
Just a two hour drive out of Rio and you
can experience white-water river
rafting. As you leave the city you will
travelled through some not so nice
areas, but this will give you a view
into the favela of Rio that is not such
a bright and shiny place. However, you
will soon find yourself on the river and
bouncing up and down on waves and rocks.
The mostly warm and humid weather make
the river the perfect place to be.
River rafting Video
Rio de Janeiro has many dimensions of
fun, go and experience some. Join me as
we continue exploring Brazil in my next
article.