BRAZIL – RIO de JANEIRO (Greater City Area) April 13-15, 2022
Instead of the 1,700 km bus ride from Asuncion to Rio de Janeiro, I sensibly decided to fly (Latam CAD$555 via Sao Paulo). In Asuncion I either had to have an antigen test or past positive PCR to board the flight. At Brazil, despite the IATA advice that one needed a Covid antigen or PCR or a positive test (with 2 negative PCRs and a letter from a Dr stating recovery), all that was asked for was proof of vaccination. This is exactly the same as when I entered Brazil from French Guiana in January (one wastes a lot of money with all the conflicting advice).
I had decided to go to Rio to avoid Carnival that started on April 20. I thought that accommodation would be impossible to obtain and I am really not into the big party.
At Sao Paulo this entailed changing airports, from Guaduhos to Congonhas, a 35-km journey across Sao Paulo. The airport information guide said that Latam offered a free shuttle every hour leaving from Terminal 2 and 3 at Guaduhos. But it only existed every 6 hours and only from Terminal 2 (a 20-walk from terminal 3 where I arrived – exit the terminal and go to the bus station across the road). I got there at 21:45 with the next one at midnight.
Airport Bus Service had trips every 30 minutes for 35.90 BR (about $10). I had forgotten how unilingual the Brazilians are – basically zero speak English. I took a long time to find out that I could pay by credit card. There really was no rush as my flight didn’t leave till 06:25 but I wanted to try to get some sleep without being interrupted by a bus ride. The huge bus was basically empty with 4 passengers.
I still had a Brazilian SIM card in my phone from my first stop and only needed a top up. After arriving at 08:30, visited an ATM, and walked the 2 km to my hostel (Discovery Hostel $22/night)
Capital: Brasília 15°47′S 47°52′W
Largest City: São Paulo 23°33′S 46°38′W
Official Language: Portuguese.
Ethnic groups: 47.73% White, 43.13% Mixed, 7.61% Black, 1.09% East Asian, 0.43% Indigenous
Religion: 88.8% Christianity —64.6% Roman Catholic —22.2% Protestant —2.0% Other Christian, 8.0% No religion, 2.0% Spiritism, 1.2% Other
Area: 8,515,767 km2 (3,287,956 sq mi) (5th)
Money: Real (R$) (BRL) Exchange rate (Jan 2022, xe.com): 1€ = 6.19 BR; 1US$ = 5.46 BR’ 1CA$ = 4.33 BR. Credit cards are used everywhere. Make sure to keep the transaction in BR and not let them convert to your home currency as exchange rates are high. ATMs are common but limit withdrawal amounts to 1000 BR and charge about US$5 per withdrawal.
GDP (PPP) per capita: $15,642 (84th)
Gini (2019): 53.4 high · 10th
Driving side: right
Country code: +55
Electrical plug: European 2-prong. 220 V, 60 Hz and 127 V, 60 Hz. Adapter though is different and unlike any other plug.
Date format: dd/mm/yyyy (CE)
Some observations of Brazil on this trip
1. Museums. The vast majority are free if over 60. The few that aren’t are half price.
2. Food. Some of the usual US restaurants are here (BK, McDonald’s, Subway) but much more common is Bob’s – generally for very good milkshakes but also hamburgers and typical fast food. Prices are very competitive.
However, I consider bus stop food atrocious. Most are deep-fried pastries with many different stuffings. The stops along the routes are large buffets with food that makes me gag. Coffee is about all I buy. There are never reasonable things like yogurt or milk, only chips, and pop. Some of the very large stations have Subway and Bob’s.
The stations are patrolled by many security people who enforce rules rigorously because they have so little to do.
3. Language. The Portuguese spoken here is apparently hard to understand for those from Portugal. Few speak English. The accent and some letter pronunciations are quite different from Spanish. Brazilians are completely intolerant of incorrect pronunciation and accentuation of syllables. From my point of view, it is completely useless to even try.
4. Getting Around. The bus system is superb with many companies and every destination covered. The stations are called rodoviarias. I use Google translate and get tickets for what I want quickly. The prices are very reasonable. I try to get bed seats for long trips, especially overnight ones. I had one that reclined completely flat with only 6 seats in the entire bottom of the bus.
Taxis are expensive so I rely heavily on Uber which is quite cheap and the app brilliant.
City buses can be a challenge. Determining the destination is difficult. The stops are also very confusing with most buses stopping only at their specific stop.
Day 1 & 3
I have combined Days 1 and 3 as they are in the same area and direction.
RIO de JANEIRO
It was only about 2 km from the airport to my hostel. I stopped at a great food truck near the airport and had a small French bread sandwich with eggs, ham, and cheese.
Get Around. The metro is great to get to most places. One needs to buy a metro card (Giro) that is easy to top up at kiosks. I also had a Rio card usable on the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit) but it is charged at a different kiosk, doesn’t give change and not so useful.
Museums are generally free if over 60.
Museum of Modern Art. I saw this museum on my walk from the airport to my hostel. There is the usual unappetizing contemporary art plus a large section of Brazilian photography. I liked two photos. Free
With little sleep, I still had a long walk-about seeing most of Rio in the area surrounding the airport.
Escadaria Selarón (Selaron Steps). In the NM Urban Legends series, this is a long set of stairs decorated with tiles – on the front of each step and on both sides elaborate red tiles with a variety of tiles decorating them.
This is a set of world-famous steps, the work of Chilean-born artist Jorge Selarón who claimed it as “my tribute to the Brazilian people”. In 1990, Selarón began renovating dilapidated steps that ran along the front of his house. At first, neighbours mocked him for his choice of colours as he covered the steps in fragments of blue, green, and yellow tiles – the colours of the Brazilian flag. It started out as a side-project to his main passion, painting, but soon became an obsession. He found he was constantly out of money, so Selarón sold paintings to fund his work. It was long and exhausting work but he continued on and eventually covered the entire set of steps in tiles, ceramics, and mirrors.
Running from Joaquim Silva street and Pinto Martins street, the steps straddle the Lapa and Santa Teresa neighbourhoods. There are 215 steps measuring 125 metres long, which are covered in over 2000 tiles collected from over 60 countries around the world. No sooner than one section of the steps was ‘finished’, Selarón started work on another section, constantly changing it so that it was an ever-evolving piece of art.
Originally, tiles for the work were scavenged from various construction sites and piles of urban waste found on the Rio streets. But in later years, most of the tiles were donated by visitors from all around the world. Of the 2000+ tiles, 300-odd were hand-painted by Selarón depicting a pregnant African woman.
Jorge Selarón was born in Chile in 1947.[1] He traveled, lived, and worked as a painter and sculptor in over 50 countries around the world before arriving and deciding to settle in Rio de Janeiro in 1983. Since 1977, Selarón claimed to have sold over 25,000 portraits, all featuring the same pregnant woman which mostly funded his work.
The work has been featured in many famous magazines, newspapers, travel shows, documentaries, commercials, and music videos. It is considered an iconic tourist attraction with travelers from across the globe visiting it every day.
Benjamin Constant House. On a hill occupying a huge property, it was a long climb up here. Constant (1836 – 1891) was a Brazilian military man and political thinker and the founder of the positivist movement in Brazil.
Benjamin Constant was born in Niterói. He had a difficult childhood and attempted suicide at the age of 12. He served in the Paraguayan War and had a large family. He felt underpaid and unhappy as a soldier. An intellectual at heart, he was a great supporter of Comte’s Religion of Humanity. His Republican views led him to found the Clube Militar (or Military Club) and helped organize a coup and overthrew Emperor Pedro II and helped establish a republic.
The Brazilian town of Benjamin Constant, near the Amazon river and the Peruvian border, was named after him. He was considered the founder of the Republic in the Constitution of 1891, having died earlier the same year in Rio de Janeiro, aged 54.
Museu Chacara do Ceu. Stay up on the hill and wind through the streets to find this museum. In the former residence of Castro Maya and inherited by Castro Maya in 1936, the museum displays art collections from different periods and different origins, rare books, furniture and decorative arts, over three floors. Today, in addition to the long-term and temporary exhibitions, the museum maintains two rooms originally furnished and decorated, in order to preserve the character of the residents of the place.
Convento de Santo Antônio is a Catholic convent belonging to the Franciscan Province of the Immaculate Conception of Brazil located at the top of Morro de Santo Antônio and one of the oldest and most important remaining colonial complexes in the city. Its history starts in 1592, when the first Franciscan friars arrived in Rio de Janeiro and was built between 1608-1620.
The interior of the church is quite simple and traditional, rectangular in shape and with a single nave. The main chapel and the side altars have gilded carvings and the main altar, with an image of Saint Anthony, has the typical twisted (Solomonic) columns and heavily decorated concentric arches. The walls and ceiling of the chapel are entirely covered with carvings and have painted panels that tell the life of Saint Anthony.
The catacombs are located in a courtyard at the back of the building, next to the mausoleum.
São Bento Monastery
São Francisco da Penitência
National Museum of Fine Arts. In a grand building, it has mostly fine art from Europe from the 18th to 20th centuries. Free
Fortaleza de São João. In the middle of the city, I could not find the entrance (it is a military base) but walked around it.
Ministry of Health and Education. In the NM Architectural series, a 20th century building adorned with columns on the facade. Now used for vaccinations.
Restaurante Ancoramar. On the water, it is an unusual, small, 2-story octagonal building with a cupola. The doors were open to the bar downstairs but there was no one around. It is not in a tourist area and would not have much business.
Naval Museum. Ship memorabilia, maps, atlases, cannon, and navigational instruments in a building with lovely floors. Free
Imperial Palace Cultural Center. In a lovely big building, it could not be visited.
Restaurante Rio Minho. A small restaurant in an area with many streetside cafes. Only the outside bar was open. Founded in 1884, specializing in seafood and considered the oldest in the region, The famous Leão Veloso Soup is its signature dish. It holds 110 people, and still has the original Portuguese tiles.
Riachuelo. A very long submarine that you can walk completely through. See all aspects of a submarine. Very nice. It is in the Navy Cultural Space with an old galleon, helicopter, and fighter jet. 7 BR
Laurindo Pitta. A former navy tug in the Navy Cultural Space.
Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil. A lovely building with the highlight under a big dome of a round air “machine” that forced air from the edges and held two long pieces of flimsy fabric in the air. Free
Candelária Church. A large 3-nave church with a nice painted ceiling, elaborate side altars, and two wonderful wood carved pulpits balanced on the head of a winged angel.
In the Marinha, a military space, I tried to enter but was not allowed as I had shorts on! I returned on my third day with zip on pant legs and saw the next two sites.
Ilha Fiscal Castle is an island in Guanabara Bay, bordering the historic city center of Rio. Its name comes from the fact that the customs department has been stationed there before Guarda Fiscal, serving the port of the then-capital of the Empire during the nineteenth century. The customs offices were housed at a Neo-Gothic palace built under Pedro II, which occupies most of the island. The island became famous as the site of the famous Fiscal Island Ball (Portuguese: Baile da Ilha Fiscal), the last royal ball of the Empire before the coup d’état that proclaimed the Republic in November 1889. With an alleged attendance of six thousand guests.
Since 1914, the Navy’s Directorate of Hydrography and Navigation has been based on Ilha Fiscal.
Ilha Fiscal now hosts a museum of cultural history housed in the that is maintained by the Navy of Brazil. It is at the end of long narrow pier extending out from the Marinha.
Metropolitan Cathedral (Nossa Senhora do Monserrate do Rio de Janeiro).
Museum of Tomorrow. This takes up a huge pier and is shaped like a huge ship with big prows coming off each end. Start with a video presented in a large dome about the creation of the universe and life. Then move through many futuristic exhibits about today and the future. End at a panoramic window with a view of the entire bay. Tickets can only be booked online but seeing as was over 60, it was free.
Rio Art Museum. The old palace has exhibition rooms and the neighboring modern building has the School of the View (Escola do Olhar) for the education of public schools.
Start on the 6th floor with a panoramic view of this part of Rio. The fifth floor has an extensive history of music from the 1920s along with exhibits on Rio’s festivals including Carnival. The art on the lower floors is not interesting.
Fortaleza de Nossa Senhora da Conceição. Built by the French privateer René Duguay-Trouin when he invaded the city of Rio de Janeiro in 1711 with a wall to defend the city from the land side and the stretch of seafront that extends from Valongo to Praça Mauá. Currently, it houses the 5th Geoinformation Center and its historical library is open.
Cais do Velongo WHS. This is rather underwhelming and I actually walked by it. It consists of large rocks forming the wharf and the archaeological exposure of two levels of cobble streets – the lower large rough rocks and the higher, smaller dressed stone.
There is a monument in the corner that seems out of place.
Centro do Brazil. The main train and metro station is a large hall with eateries on the edge. I caught the metro (very busy) from here to Botafogo Shopping to get a SIM card at Tim. It was very expensive at 225 BR for 10 gigs for 30 days but it did not work!!
AquaRio. This is a lovely aquarium and was very crowded on a Good Friday. The tanks are quite large with clear water and nice fish. The highlight is the 25 m diameter and 7 m deep large tank with a tunnel. 70 BR (half price for over 60)
Feira de São Cristóvão. A large market with a central large aisle and round corridors. Everything but produce.
BioPark of Rio. A wide variety of Brazilian mammals and birds. 20 BR (half price if over 60
National Museum of Brazil. Archaeology, ethnography and history in a lovely palace.
Paço de São Cristóvão (National Museum of Brazil)
Saraiva Bookstore. A giganic bookstore in west Rio with everything.
Day 2
I had a walk/metro about tour east of my hostel.
Catete Palace. A not-to-be-missed palace with over-the-top bronzes, portraits, rooms with opulent furniture and painted ceilings. Free
Rui Barbosa House Foundation. Committed to promoting culture, education, and research, the foundation was born in 1928 deeply connected to the purpose of preserving and disseminating the work and memory of the jurist, politician, diplomat, writer, and great orator Rui Barbosa (1849-1923), one of the brightest intellectuals of his time. Located in the house where he lived between 1895 and 1923, the Casa de Rui Barbosa Foundation keeps about 60,000 documents, which he produced and received, with memories that refer to his public, social and family life. The foundation features a remarkable historical archive and also the Arquivo-Museu de Literatura Brasileira (Archive-Museum of Brazilian Literature), which brings together literary documents of national writers. Free
São João Batista Cemetery (Saint John the Baptist’s Cemetery). In the NM The Dark Side series, this is a municipal necropolis originally started by the Santa Casa da Misericórdia do Rio de Janeiro (Holy House of Mercy of Rio de Janeiro) in 1852, Located in the neighborhood of Botafogo, it is the only cemetery in the city’s south area, and, on October 5, 2015, it became the first cemetery in Latin America to be featured in Google Street View.
It is one of the most decorated and decorated cemeteries in Brazil, with dozens of rich mausoleums and artistic graves, many with bronze statues. In the center of the cemetery, there is a chapel, which is dedicated to Saint John the Baptist. A space is reserved for the burial of the Sisters of Charity of the São Vicente de Paulo hospital, together with the nuns who looked after the sick and were welcomed. Also located are the catacombs, belonging to the Academia Brasileira de Letras, linked to the Brazilian soldiers who died during the first world war, the sailors of the battleship São Paulo who were killed during the Revolution of 1924, the veterans of the FEB and the Brazilian aviators. Many famous Brazilians, including several presidents, are buried here.
Belmond Copacabana Palace Hotel. Facing Copacabana beach, it was designed by French architect Joseph Gire in the style of great beach hotels of the nineteenth and early twentieth centuries and opened on August 13, 1923.
After almost a century it has two hundred and forty-three rooms (116 apartments and 127 suites). The hotel has been voted several times as the best hotel in South America, including in 2009, when it won the World Travel Award, one of the most important tourism awards in the world.
Belmond Copacabana Palace is known throughout Brazil for the international celebrities who stay at the hotel when visiting the city of Rio de Janeiro. Some famous guests include Walt Disney, Marlene Dietrich, Ginger Rogers, Brigitte Bardot, Jayne Mansfield, Paul McCartney, Janis Joplin, Madonna, Mick Jagger, Princess Diana, Carla Bruni, Halle Barry, Justin Bieber, Miley Cyrus, and others.
Sítio Roberto Burle Marx WHS. This is a site located in the Barra de Guaratiba neighborhood , in the West Zone of Rio de Janeiro. The name of the site is a tribute to Roberto Burle Marx, an internationally renowned Brazilian artist and landscaper, who resided at the site from 1973 until his death on June 4, 1994. Burle Marx acquired the property, originally named Sítio Santo Antônio da Bica, together with his brother Siegfried Marx in 1949. The site was donated by Burle Marx to IPHAN in 1985, the same year that the site was recognized as a Brazilian cultural heritage.
The site covers an area of over 400,000 m², where one of the most important collections of tropical and semitropical plants in the world is located, starting when Roberto Burle Marx was six years old. Grown in gardens and outdoor nurseries, the collection comprises more than 3,500 plant species, including unique specimens from the Araceae , Arecaceae, Bromeliaceae, Cycadaceae, Heliconiaceae, Marantaceae, and Velloziaceae families. This set of live plants was perfectly adapted to the usual nature of the site, composed of mangroves, restinga, and Atlantic Forest.
On the site, there was originally an old farmhouse and a small chapel from the 17th century dedicated to Santo Antônio de Lisboa , buildings that were later restored, and the house became the residence of Roberto Burle Marx in 1973. After the landscaper’s death, his residence became Burle Marx’s House-Museum in August 1999. In addition to the original environments and objects for personal use, the House Museum displays art and handicraft objects acquired by Burle Marx throughout his life. The house’s collection has more than 3,000 items, including works by Roberto himself who, in addition to being a landscaper, was also a painter, draftsman, designer, sculptor, and singer
It was quite a chore getting here, taking almost 2 hours. I took the metro to Jardim Oceanica, the end of the line, then the BRT (Bus Rapid Transit), transferring at the large Barra station and getting off at Guaratiba. I then walked 1.5 km to the site.
Note that it is seen by a guided tour and closes at 15:30. Arrange online.
I didn’t see the following in the Rio Metropolitan area:
Castles, Palaces, Forts
Fortaleza de Santa Cruz da Barra
Palácio Laranjeiras
House and Biographical Museums: Museu Do Açude
Basílica Santuário de Nossa Senhora da Penha de França. (Igreja da Penha) is a traditional Catholic shrine built on top of a rock, it is famous for the 382 steps of the main staircase, where many faithful pay promises, climbing on foot or on their knees. The Basilica (or Sanctuary) also has 3 funiculars to facilitate access for people who cannot climb its slope and staircase.
Annually, the sanctuary holds the festivities of the patron saint, in the month of October, promoting the celebration of masses every hour on Sundays, religious shows, luminous processions, outdoor masses, presentation of folkloric groups, presentation of choirs and the party on the slope of the ascent. to the sanctuary with the traditional typical food stalls, various sweets, and ambient music.
The Sanctuary has existed for over 380 years and can be accessed via the stairs.
Botanical Gardens: Botanical Garden
Zoos: Rio de Janeiro Zoological Garden
Planetariums: Rio de Janeiro: Gavea’s Planetarium
Theme Parks and Miniatures: Rio de Janeiro: Rio Water Planet
Maritime/Ship Museums: Comandante Bauru
Aviation Museums
Aerospace Museum
Zeppelin Hangar at Santa Cruz Airbase
Railway Museums: Museu of Train of Rio de Janeiro
Bizzarium: Bangu Statue of Liberty
Railway, Metro, Funiculars, Cable Cars
Corcovado Rack Railway
Laranjeiras Cable Car
Art Museums: Niteroi: Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum
Museums – Various: Niteroi: Caminho Niemeyer
World of Nature
Guanabara Ecological Station
Pedra Branca State Park
Tinguá Biological Reserve
Tijuca NP
Beaches
Barra da Tijuca Beach
São Conrado Beach
Trails 2 – Hikes
Morro da Urca Trail
Morro Dois Irmãos Trail
Lighthouses: Ilha Rasa: Ilha Rasa Lighthouse
Pedestrian and Historical Bridges: Rocinha: Passarela de Niemeyer
Cities of the Americas
CABO FRIO/AMACAO dos BUZIOS
CAMPOS dos GOYTACAZES
ITAGUAI
MACAE
MARICA
NOVA FRIBURGO
RESENDE
RIO das OSTRAS
SAQUAREMA/ARARUAMA
VOLTA REDONDA/BARRA MANSA