It hardly seems possible that a mere day and a half ago we were enjoying the sunny shores of Ipanema. The cold and snow still on the ground makes me miss even more those sunny far away shores.
One of the first things to strike you upon arriving at the Cidade Maravilhosa (as Rio de Janeiro is often called) is its immense size. Spread out over an area of 1,182.3 square miles, it is the second largest city of Brazil. It was the capital of Brazil for over two centuries during Portuguese rule. Nowadays it is divided into Centro or downtown area where it has retained traces of its colonial past in its baroque churches and old estate houses, Zona Sul where its famous beaches are located, Zona Norte, mostly residential and the Zona Oeste where the football stadium is located.
Perhaps because it is a developing country, there is an incongruous disparity between the way the rich and the poor live. Favelas (those notorious shantytowns for which the city has unfortunately become synonymous with) dot the landscape, almost cheek to jowl with large mansions where the people live surrounded with bodyguards. A good number of these favelas lie on several hills that ring the city. And it is a very strange cosmic joke to realize that these favelas, whose lights twinkle prettily in the night enjoy incomparable views of the city while living in dire poverty.
Favelas notwithstanding, what really stands out about the city are its beaches. Rio is blessed with a long Atlantic coastline divided into several beaches, with Ipanema and Copacabana as the two most famous. Nowadays, Copacabana, with its backdrop of the Sugarloaf Mountain doesn’t enjoy quite the same reputation it had in the past though its coastline remains as beautiful as ever. Word to the wise, it is now mostly for tourists, old people and women of low repute as one would euphemistically call the not inconsiderable number of women hanging out in the street fronting the beach. No, if you want to pass for a carioca (as residents refer to themselves), it is better to go to Ipanema beach.
Here is Copacabana beach with the Sugarloaf in the background...
It is in Ipanema, along with LeBlon, the adjoining beach that locals stretch out and sun themselves. All along the beach are stalls where one can rent beach umbrellas and chairs for lounging about. It is wise to stick to the same person as he will also be the one to bring you drinks. And as you stretch out in the sand, there is no danger of being hungry or thirsty. There are a good number of vendors passing by selling the ubiquitous Globo biscuits (a white wafer like biscuit that comes in salty or sweet), the Mate tea, corn that has been boiled in water (delicious with butter and a pinch of salt), cheese which is roasted in front of you, and of course Caiprinha. One can even shop on the beach as there are an equal number of folks selling bikinis, pareos and all manner of beach cover-ups. From your comfortable spot in the sun, I guarantee you a great time just watching the people go by, the women in their teensy-weensy bikinis (a good motivation for getting in shape in the new year) and the men no less show-off in their version of Brazilian swimwear. But this is by no means a beach limited to couples or singles, there are a good number of families with their children cavorting about in the sand. And swimming Ipanema style is basically throwing yourself against the big waves that crash on the shore. In fact, the word Ipanema comes from the Indian word which means bad water, and its true that the current is very strong and has the tendency to carry you further into the water.
The islands just off Ipanema..
After enjoying Ipanema, our friend took charge of our day and thanks to him we discovered the lovely Prainha beach, a small and lovely beach far from the usual tourist track. At this beach there were only locals and since we hadn’t yet reached the height of summer, there was hardly anybody around. Except of course for several hardy surfers who were in their element. Sitting there with nothing to distract from the beauty of the place made me think that this was a country really blessed with incredible natural beauty.
It is hard to resist Rio’s charms. Maybe it is the infectious carioca spirit that makes everyone warm and easygoing, maybe it is the sunny blue skies that never fails to lift your spirit or the beautiful beaches that invite you to while away your day in the most pleasurable way imaginable. Whatever the reason, there is magic in the way Rio woos everyone.
Centro with its modern high rise buildings..
with traces of its colonial past..
A bird's eye view of the Lagoon..
And one of Rio's most enduring symbols, Christ the Redeemer on the Corcovado.
New Year’s eve in the Philippines is a big deal. The usual ingredients normally include fireworks set off in the hours leading up to midnight (the better to scare away the bad spirits) and a big dinner. This year we certainly had the big dinner (thanks to the local churrascaria) but no fireworks. We had something even better. We visited the Falls of Iguacu. 
