rio de janeiro

View from my hotel's roof - Ipanema beach at dusk

If you know me you will confirm that I am an inveterate whistler of inane tunes, so I have been annoying myself no end ever since arriving, realising every few minutes I’m in the middle of ‘The girl/boy from Ipanema’.
Mind you, Ipanema is worth whistling about. So are the tall and tan and young lovelies that do indeed hang out here. It has an amazing setting, the beautiful sweep of the bay and the crashing ocean waves, book-ended by a huge mountain that twinkles at night like a Christmas tree, with the myriad lights of a favela,. Yet more stunning sunsets – I must have seen more of these than in the rest of my life put together.
Rio is a city dwarved by its geography: it squeezes itself into the gaps between the mountains and the beaches. The sheer faced rocks are like a child’s drawing of mountains; its beaches are perfect arcs of sand and blue water. The buildings, the paseos, the parks are almost incidental.

Christ the Redeemer at Corcovado

It’s a place for going up things – the tram to Santa Teresa, the cable-car to the Sugarloaf mountain, the cog railway to Corcovado (the Hunchback) which rises in a sheer cliff face 800m from sea level, with its huge monumental statue. American tourist: ‘Do I really wanna do the cable? I’ve already been up Christ the Redeemer today.’

And the views from everywhere to everywhere else are, like they always say, more stunning than you can ever imagine from the photos. But I’ve had a go and you can see some on my picture site. www.picturetrail.com/k-e-i-t-h-m
I was a bit paranoid about coming here, given all the stories about theft and violence and I am sure that happens. There are areas like the central business district which are just deserted at night, but that’s no different from many north American cities, and I think if you are reasonably sensible you will not have too many problems.

Cable-car to the Sugarloaf, with Copa- cabana behind

In Ipanema and neighbouring Copacabana, the streets and even the beach promenade are busy late into the night; lined with buzzing bars and restaurants, and feel safe. My hotel, right on the beach at Ipanema, is one of the tallest, with a great view from the little rooftop pool/bar. You can just hop across the road in your swimwear and flip flops and be in the ocean in seconds.
I’ve had a good time in Rio, but I admit I’ve taken it much easier than if it had been at the start of my holiday. I have a feeling I will return fairly soon for a more in-depth visit to Brazil. Maybe I’m laid back and relaxed and don’t feel I have to fill every hour of the day; or maybe it’s time to go home.
I wish I could do this every winter. But I’m just whistling in the wind… Phew phew phew-phew... Tall and tan and young and lovely…