One of the thrills of traveling is waking up to different air and different light. The view that greeted us from our window was a clarion call to jump out of bed and get in the pool!
The breakfast buffet poolside was fairly extraordinary with about 20 different tropical fruits. I would list them by name but I don't even know all their names.
25 meter pool
After breakfast Yuval had arranged for us to rent bicycles and we set off on the boardwalk across the Copacabana Beach to the south end where Forte de Copacabana, a military base, sits on a headland. The base is open to the public and contains the Museu Histórico do Exército (Museum of the History of the Army) for military history buffs and a coastal defense fort that is the actual Fort Copacabana. There are little restaurants there to sit and enjoy the incredible views of stand-up paddle boarders and the ubiquitous mountains that one sees everywhere in Rio.
view from fort
paddle boarders
From there we rounded the corner and found ourself on the Ipanema Beach. A quick stop to cool off with coconut water was in order. This is not the cute juice box of coconut water...
We left the equally stunning Ipanema beach to cut back through town and by chance the first corner we stopped at was the cafe where the Girl from Ipanema was written.
Ipamena Beach In case one didn't know the historical significance of the site, there is a tip-off outside the building- it is painted with the manuscript of the song.
Girl from Ipamena Cafe with Sheet Music on wall above
the song was playing in my head all day
Phase two of our day involved joining the rest of the group of travelers from my husband's company in a mini bus and beginning a more formal tour. First stop was Santa Teresa - a quaint bohemian area on the side of the mountain with windy narrow roads, cafes and bars. We climbed up the steps into a picturesque little cafe for drinks.
details from cafe, above and below
Though most of the group order caipirina's, Brazil's national cocktail made from cachaça, (sugar cane hard liquor) limes and sugar, I went for a Brazilian beer - actually a German beer, but brewed in Brazil, which I give a high rating.
Therezopolis Beer
Santa Teresa used to be served by Rio's only tram line until a fatal accident in 2011 lead the government to discontinue the tram until it could be overhauled.
From Santa Teresa we headed up and down a couple of mountains to our next destination. The streets were mostly walled in, and covered with murals. One was of a tram, of course, but there were all manner of fanciful subjects and tromp l'oiel. Where the road overlooked valleys, we could see the notorious and colorful favelas (shanty towns or slums) built up and down the sides of the mountains.
We caught the 5:00 pm train up Mount Corcovado and spent 20 minutes going straight up the mountain through the Tijuca forest. When we got off the train we climbed 212 steps to reach the top and see the giant Christ the Redeemer, or Cristo Redentor, statue. 98 feet tall atop a 26 foot pedestal, the Redeemer reaches his arms 92 feet wide in a gesture of peace that can be seen from all over Rio.
(image from wikipedia)
The art deco statue was made of soapstone and reinforced concrete, took nine years to construct (1922-1931) and our guide told us it was completely refinished last year. Apparently, the thing to do if you are Brazilian is to stand in front of the statue with your arms spread wide while your friend or family member lies on their back at your feet and points a camera at you, capturing both you and Cristo in the same position.But best of all were the views:
We made it just in time for sunset, as per Yuval's plan.
We returned to Santa Teresa to have dinner at the Hotel Santa Teresa. We walked through beautiful gardens with stunning views to get to the restaurant, which is itself perched on the edge of the mountain with beautiful views of Rio twinkling at night. Many caipirinas later, and after much delicious food, we called it a night.
