In August 2006, Kayt and I spent three weeks in three cities: Buenos Aires, Rio De Janeiro and Sao Paulo. In just 21 days we managed to take over a thousand photos. Rio de Janiero has since been the subject of 11 posts. Here are some leftovers.
Lapa
We barley had an hour to walk through Lapa before the sun set on our last day in Rio. We wish we had spent more time in the neighborhood, it was beautiful.
Rio is a beautiful city. The beaches and juices were wonderful, the people were laid back and friendly. However we felt that the urban side of Rio, the city life, was seriously lacking. Finding a sit-down restaurant was nearly impossible and when we did it was always a buffet. The coffee culture and wine culture we loved in Buenos Aires was totally lacking. Most annoying to me, the sidewalks were grossly inadequate for the traffic they served and often had large obstacles, like heaps of garbage or parked cars, making things worse. I may sound hyper-sensitive but I really enjoy walking and looking at cities. Walking here was more like driving at rush hour. Still, the quantity and quality of tourist activities is top notch. If you go to Rio, stick to the beach and relax.
Vista do Cristo Rendedor
Typically I stay away from tourist attractions, but the tourist spots of Rio are suprisingly entertaining. This morro is a particularly famous one because of the 100 foot Jesus statue on the top. The view really shows the topographic variety of Rio.
