Day 104 - Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

We finally get our time in Rio after three trips in and out and not seeing any of it. Met two randoms in reception this morning too!! ;-)

The place is really gearing up for the carnival that starts today. It's being decorated like it's Christmas and they are handing out fancy dress attire to guests. 

The plan today is to head to Christ the Redeemer and then Sugar Loaf. We get a fantastic tip off from the taxi driver outside the hotel to go and get our tickets from Copacabana (just down from the Copacabana Palace hotel) which includes a return mini bus journey right to the top. It turns out to be genius as we drive straight past a whopping great queue and get dropped right at the top. 

The journey up is great as we wind through the mountains getting glimpses of the back of the statue through the openings in the trees on the way up. 

You arrive from the back and make the last leg of the journey up the steps in the searing heat. 

The paparazzi are out in force. 

To the left hand side as we go up we get the view out towards Centro where we are staying and the iconic Maracana stadium (bottom left). For those that live on a hole this will host the World Cip final this year. 

We climb the stairs and make our way through the crowds to the front of be statue. It is really impressive and great to be stood underneath one of the most iconic wonders of the modern world. 

His finger is all better now after his little manicure following his lightening strike. 

Even without the statue it would be worth coming up here simply for the views. They are fantastic. Rio really is a stunningly beautiful city that feels like it is just fighting for space against huge mountains that have sprung up everywhere. It makes for a fantastic juxtaposition of city vs nature. 

Copacabana beach from above. 

Views out to Sugar Loaf. 

Trying to get a picture on your own up here is impossible. It is so heaving. We finally jostle our way through the crowds to the prime point for a pic. 

You've got to do the classic tourist pose. 

Now it's great to see that even Jesus is a big fan go Nige's band, Prole Position. Was not expecting him to be wearing their tshirt though. Top man!!

Not sure the exact reason but think it was because it is opening day of carnival but they had one of the biggest cakes I have ever seen and were handing it out for free. Tasted pretty good. 

After a drink at the top of the mountain underneath Christs back side we get the bus back down. By now the huge queue to get back on had gone and we got straight back on. Loving zero queue admin. 

As we get dropped off at Copacabana it would be rude to not go for a few beers on the beach at one of the hundreds of kiosks that stretch along the sand. Copacabana beach surprised us in how nice it was. I thought it was going to be a lot grittier and rough around the edges but this vast stretch of sand (both in width and length) is absolutely gorgeous. Reminded me of the beach in LA a little. 

It is so wide that we can hardly see the sea from sitting on the edge of it. 

Great panoramic view. 

We then jump in a cab to go to Pao do Azucer aka Sugar Loaf and again get there with no queue!

You get to the top in two stages, a cable cart to a mid point and then to the top. This is from midpoint to the top. 

The paps are back out in force again. 

Great views from the top back over Rio out to Christ the Redeemer. 

My usual pose collecting blog pics. 

A line of Beans. 

Prole position have even made it onto the Sugar Loaf graffiti wall. They must be the next big thing. 

More great timing as the cloud rolls in across Sugar Loaf just after we get back down. 

After a quick turn around at the hotel we head out into Lapa which is one of the hearts of the nightlife in Rio. As it's carnival around this part of the town we can't get a taxi to this area so randomly the boss of the taxi company escorts us on the 20m walk from our hotel personally. Very nice of him. 

We go for a few beers at a bag called Sarau Rio right next to the Aquaduct. 

When in Brazil you've got to have some ice cold Brahma's. 

The aqueduct. 

The atmosphere is electric. I don't think I have ever been in such a pumping place. The streets are rammed with a cocophhy of music blasting out from anywhere all competing with each other. The end result is you can't really hear any of it - it's just like a load of noise. 

After we go for dinner at a place called Boteco da Garafa. It's a basic type of Brazillian restaurant that is hotter than the sun in there. Once we sit down we keep getting plied with cup cake looking things, a Brazillian speciality, that were packed full of either fish or chicken. They were delicious and rather filling. I then make a school boy error of ordering a meal for two to myself. Already full I did not need all of this - all of these three plates are my meal!!! Damn tasty though. 

After we go for a few drinks at the ominously called Antonio's bar e botequim.  The place is absolutely pumping now. I have never seen anything so busy. Such a lovely atmosphere too - everyone is in such a good mood. 

Great first day in Rio with great company. Rio has surprised us in how nice it is. I was expecting it to be a lot grittier and dirtier but it is a gorgeous, vibrant and pulsating city.