pei-tien's blog

1st pic: Marta, me and Felipe in Jadim Botânico early in the evening

2nd pic: Me in Vista Chinesa in Floresta da Tijuca

3rd pic: Cristo at night

4th pic: Beach and Nieyemer Museum in Niterói

5th pic: View of Pão de Açucar and the city of Rio from the otherside

Rio is known as Cidade Maravilhosa and it truly is. I was there in June for @RJ's Reception Weekend for the trainees and CEEDers in Brazil. We went to many tourist sights but also missed many planned places of attractions. I didn't worry though 'cuz I knew I would go back to Rio again and again.

After the weekend at the beaches in São Paulo, I began my vacation up north to the State of Rio de Janeiro with Davi, who hosted me for almost a week and took me everywhere in the city of Rio.. During the last couple days of my stay there I had lost my voice from all the nights out in Lapa :o)

Places I visited from both the Reception Weekend and my vacation:
-Cristo Redentor in Corcovado
-Pão de Açúcar
-Floresta da Tijuca
-Jardim Botânico
-Neighbourhoods and beaches of Lagoa, Santa Teresa, Ipanema, Copacabana, Barra de Tijuca, Lapa, Centro, Ilha do Governador (where Davi's mom lives), and Niterói (where Oscar Niemeyer's Museu de Artes Contemporânea is located and it's also where Marecelo a member of @RJ lives)

Apart from all the marvels that Rio offers, violence and poverty are evidently shown by the presence of militant police, sounds of gunshots fired throughout the city, and the sick and poor living on the streets. Even the Cariocas take certain precautions within the city such as by locking the car doors when driving, not stopping at red lights during night time and taking only what they need when heading downtown. One of the guys who goes to ITA had a fake student ID made to carry with him in case of robbery just 'cuz his school ID from ITA identifies him as a military student, which he said would increase the chance of him getting killed...

Not to leave things on such dejected notes, the good parts about Rio and its exuberance makes me wonder why I am living in São José... The city has everything except for a Chinatown!!!

Labels: Door #1: The Brazil Experience