My flight arrived in Rio de Janeiro at 6PM. Awesome, just in time for rush hour traffic. I’ve read how bad rush hour traffic can get in Rio, but i didn’t expect it to be that bad. Prices of basic commodities are expensive in Brazil compared to most countries in South America, so I was thriftier than usual. There were lots of cabs waiting outside but i decided to take public transport. There are no metro stations to the airport, but there are shuttle buses that can take you to the nearest train or bus station. I had no idea how much taking the train costs, so i decided to just take a bus all the way to the hostel. That was such a huge mistake. It took me three hours to reach Lapa, the bus was moving at a snail’s pace due to heavy traffic. Good thing i didn’t have any plans for the night, but sitting on a barely moving bus for three whole hours was really tedious. On hindsight, an Uber car isn’t that expensive and I should have taken one instead (they are actually cheaper than taxis).

I booked several nights at Books Hostel. It didn’t look like a hostel from the outside so it was quite hard to find. There were no signs either. But the crowd gathered up front and the loud music blaring offered a clue. Inside it was mayhem lol. The place isn’t huge, it seemed more like a college dorm actually. Since it’s not as big as most party hostels, the common areas were crowded at night. On the upside, that made it really easy to make friends. I guess it’s time for my obligatory mini hostel review. common areas were kept clean, but the rooms would depend on your room mates.

Take note that girls occupied those beds and those were their stuff on the floor. Did I hear someone say that rooms with mostly girls are cleaner? lol. The location is ideal if you want to check out the Rio nightlife since there are lots of bars in the area. It’s also ideal for exploring the city since it’s right smack at the center and there are bus stops and metro stations within walking distance. I’d highly recommend this place if you wanna have fun, but avoid it if you want peace and quiet– you definitely won’t get that here. The staff would make you feel like family, and they make the hostel extra special.

Rio has always been a dream destination for me. There’s something about the landscape that makes it exceptional. Where else would you see a sprawling city admixed with mountains and cliffs. I love the fact the beach is nearby as well. A few blocks from a crowded urban area and you can be sunbathing and swimming on the beach. Here are a few pictures I took. Try to hike on some of those mountains (The  Dois Irmãos aka Two Brothers  is a popular hike) and you’ll be rewarded with amazing views. Take a bus to Pedra do Telegrafo so you can take pictures to fool your friends. if you’re not in the mood for hiking, take a cable car ride up to the peak of Sugarloaf Mountain. It’s kinda pricey but the views from up there make it worth every centavo.

The Cristo Redentor statue is a famous landmark and it’s definitely a must see. To get up there, you can either take a shuttle from Largo do Machado or take the tram up. Both options include an entrance ticket. You can choose to just hike all the way up and just buy a ticket by the entrance. As for the statue itself, I was underwhelmed. Honestly, i couldn’t figure out why it was included in the Seven Wonders of the World list. lol. Maybe if it was bigger– it was way smaller than i expected. The place is also extremely crowded which was understandable. The views were amazing though. Too bad it was quite foggy when I was up there. I imagine the views to be jaw dropping on a clear day. I was told that the area can be quite foggy even if other vantage points in Rio offered cleared views, so it would be best to check first before heading up and adjust your plans accordingly. Though I wasn’t really impressed by the statue itself, you couldn’t really say you’ve been to Rio if you haven’t seen the statue up close.

You also couldn’t say you’ve been to Rio if you haven’t set foot in Ipanema or Copacabana beach. Both beaches actually look similar, but you’d see The Two Brothers mountain in Ipanema so for me the view is better there. i was told by a local that Ipanema also attracts a more affluent crowd, but honestly i couldn’t see the difference. You could spend the whole day just sitting on the beach and get to know locals. You won’t go hungry since a lot of vendors walk around selling cheap food and drinks. Brazilians are mostly friendly, and they would welcome you if you want to join their football games. I have to say most of them are physically fit too. It must be part of their culture. Head to Praia de Diabo in Arpoador if you want to work out by the beach. There’s an outdoor gym there with makeshift equipment and you can work out for free!

Apart from the natural sights, the city itself offers different views. The famous Escadaria Selarón is very near our hostel. Try to visit early one morning to beat the crowds. There’s a lot of interesting murals and graffiti in the Lapa area, and the city is full of old buildings with classic architecture. it’s amazing how the city has so much variety. Natural and man made structures are together in one beautiful mixture.

Behind all this beauty there’s a certain darkness, but the same can be said of any large urban city in any country. A lot of people in the media have been painting Rio in a really bad light, especially since the Olympics are about to start. Ignorant westerners are also quick to jump on the bandwagon. Sure there are dangers— I’ve spoken with locals who tell stories about being robbed at knife point, about how pickpockets abound in the Metro— but that happens everywhere, not just in developing countries! When traveling in any country, one should always be vigilant. Avoid shady places (like certain favelas at night), always watch your stuff, and you should be fine.

I have to point out that most Brazilians only know Portuguese. Majority of them do not know English. It’s not a problem in Rio or Iguassu since those places are frequented by tourists, but it’s a problem when you try to be adventurous and explore the outskirts. i learned this the hard way when i went to Guaratiba to take pictures at  Pedra do Telegrafo— if that sounds familiar, it’s that place where people take pictures pretending they are hanging on the edge of a cliff. You could still fall to your death if you’re stupid enough to fall on the right side, but it’s mostly safe. Going there would entail three to four bus transfers. Since it was already quite late i took an Uber. Pretty expensive, but what the heck. I was willing to pay a premium for the chance to take sick pictures. lol. The driver didn’t speak English, but it wasn’t a problem since he already knew where i wanted to go. it’s a short hike up. There are two trails and i took the longer and steeper one which I kinda regret lol. I couldn’t find the start of the trail at first, and here the language barrier reared its ugly head. Damn it was so hard trying to communicate using sign language. Good thing some Portuguese words sounded like Spanish words so i was able to somehow understand the directions they were giving. i had to ask four people for directions before i finally found the trail. I usually try to learn a country’s language before i visit, but i just didn’t have time. I eventually made it to the top, made some friends along the way as well. The view from the top was amazing, which was becoming typical in Brazil.

Going back to the city was difficult though. There were no Uber cars nor taxis in the area. I managed to find a bus but the driver couldn’t understand a word of English. When i mentioned Ipanema, he let me in. I thought the bus would bring me all the way back, but turns out it was only the first of three. lol. i went down on a bus stop and the driver was kind enough to write down the bus number that i should ride next. i waited for about 15 minuted before the next bus arrived. After trying hard to communicate again, I was on my way back to the city. Note to self: the next time i visit Brazil, i should learn  more words besides Obrigado.

And you bet there would be a next time. The whole country is massive, a month wouldn’t be enough to explore the country. I honestly don’t know what I was thinking.  It’s funny when you look for places to visit in Brazil, you’ll mostly find Rio de Janeiro, Sao Paolo, and the Amazon. Dig deeper and you’ll find Florianopolis or Iguassu. When I made friends with locals, they showed me pictures of places that looked even more amazing!

On a final note, although nightlife in the Lapa area was fun, it’s basically similar to nightlife in any modern city. For a more authentic experience, visit Pedra do Sal on Monday nights when they hold Samba parties. The crowd is comprised of mostly locals. Food and drinks are very cheap, and bands play Samba music. The atmosphere was awesome, watch your stuff though! Bringing valuables isn’t advisable. I went there on my last night, and of all the nights I spent in Rio partying, that was the best one. A lot of people say you haven’t really been to a country if you haven’t seen the places where locals do their daily activities. The same can be said regarding places where local drink and party. 🙂