Rio. Wow. Incredible city. The last week has been... hot. On average the temperature has been around 30-35 degrees. Today it is raining an its dropped to a low low 24 degrees.
So I met with my close friend Ben in Sao Paulo, he´s flown over from London for a short 3 week excursion in Brazil, Argentina and Uruguay. He timed it to join me for the Rio Carnival. It was really great to see someone I know and love so well after weeks alone. They alone thing is a funny one, sometimes it can get lonely, but actually I have really enjoyed learning to be with my own company. All the same, it was great to see Ben and to be spending time with him.
We went to buy our bus tickets to travel North out of the Sao Paulo, only to be told that they had sold out. We could get one for that evening though. This gave us an unexpected 6 hours in the city. We decided to do some sight seeing. Sao Paulo is one of the largest cities in the world. It is certainly the largest in Brazil. Home to some 29 million people it is a sprawling metropolis of which I had never seen the like. We went to a bank that is particularly high and allows people to go to the top to view the city. The scene was incredible. I cannot decide weather I liked it or not. High rise buildings adorned every side of the magnificent 360 degree view. In the distance, probably 15-20 miles yonder, mountains rose majestically, reminding me of the presence of nature, even in this man made polluted, congested cultural hub of Brazil. I forgot to take my camera up. That was a shame. I shall have to go up again when I return to Sao Paulo in a week.
We were walking through the streets after when what did we spy? A guy with a white board and a headset microphone... He was showing the finer points of how to quickly and efficiently do various mathematical sums. Quick square roots, even quicker squaring... the man was insatiable. Even in Portuguese it was hypnotising. That was when his son stepped in. A boy of around 12 simply loved to show the growing audience how to easily square root large 4 or 5 digit numbers. Have you ever seen Free maths on the streets? The crowd of 20-30 people we obviously enthralled and dumb founded. I was too, I´m not quite sure why. But FREE MATHS! what a gimmick!!!!
Free maths!!!
We left Sao Paulo dreaming of free maths. The bus took us 6 hours to get to Paraty (pronounced Para-chi), a beautiful seaside little town with cobble-stoned streets and really friendly locals. Its great that their seaside resorts arn´t adorned with cheap and tacky bingo halls, ´amusement´ arcades and general crap of the sort. Maybe its because they have the weather, the rich blue sea and the tasty tasty mojitos, they don´t need to be amused.
Ilha Grande
The following day we arrived by boat to Ilha Grande (the Grand Island). This Island was originally used as an insane asylum, a leper colony and before that as a pirates hording place. It is a tropical paradise as until not so long ago, people would keep well away, including developers and road planners. There are three vehicles on the whole island. One firetruck, one police car and one ambulance. We saw all three. Check. So of course you have to walk everywhere on this island. For me, in the uppers 30 degree heat and tropical humidity to match, I found quite hard. Ben had to keep waiting for me. On one of the walks back from quite possibly the most beautiful beach I have ever seen, monkeys joined us and soon drew a crowd as they went to work looking cute and demanding food with those lovely wubbly eyes. I had some banana cake, the monkeys were very pleased to be served such a delicacy. I held out piece after piece until the whole family were saturated with cake. The delicacy and care by which they took the cake from my fingers really surprised me. They were true masters of being in the moment, never once did they snatch, I´m quite sure that if they spoke English they would have said thank you.
When your tired, pick up a packet of Crack!
Rio, sugarloaf Mountain
The boat took us back to the mainland and we got our transfer to Rio. Rio, Rio, Rio. Ahhh the stories are true. Set in one of the most beautiful places I have ever seen a city, they have it all, geographically speaking. Monolytic rocks and mountains, the sea, rainforest, lagoons, hot, hot weather (our hotel doorman told me that sometimes in the winter it can get as low as 15 degrees... imagine that, you´d probably have to put on a jumper) and of course people. Ben and I noticed that there is not that much lechery going on here. In the streets you regularly see women in skimpy bikinis and men in tiny, wow how did they even fit into that, shorts... perhaps even hot pants. But for all the skin on show, people are very chilled about it. Sure every second guy has pecks the size of my head and biceps bigger than a baby, and every other woman looks like a beauty queen. They pose in their own way but people are so chilled when it comes to seeing others... perhaps they are too focused on posing themselves to notice the others. Of course with my incredibly muscular build and physical prowess I fitted right in. Never mind one of those guys could probably lift me with a little finger. I could probably only join the club if I shaved my chest though. Why would anyone do that???
So what did we do in Rio? Cable cars to Sugarloaf mountain, Going to the sambadrome to watch the samba schools battle it out, Seeing the Christ Redeemer - the symbol of the city, sat in the madness of Ipanema and Copacabana beaches, danced to street processions and blocas (street discos), ate buffet after buffet (they do love their buffet restaurants here) and drank fair amounts of cerversa and mojitos.
Off to meet Jesus on the train.
I feel a YMCA coming on, anyone?
As Ben pointed out... the escalator to heaven. Not quite the same ring as stairs...
We were told about the crime here, everyone has tales of robberies and pickpockets, extortion and muggings it seems. Being told not to wear your watch out as ´they´ will probably cut your hand to get at it wasn´t something that filled me with the greatest of joy. I tried hard to not become paranoid but on the first night we literally only took out small amounts of money. We felt perfectly safe. So I took out my camera from then on. Its all about reading the scene and remaining present. On one of our last nights here, we went for a big night out. A couple of times Ben and I felt hand go into our pockets and Ben even got blocked by some young teens as another tried to steel the fluff that was in his back pocket. This night we had only taken out cash. Nothing else. They tried to steal my shirt. It funny but I´m glad we went through that. it offered another side of Rio that of course we had heard about. There was no damage done and I found myself feeling compassion for these kids. Most of them live in Favelas, the shanty towns of Rio. There are 950 of these around the city housing between 500 to 80,000 each. The police don´t go here. Organised crime is rife but only accounts for 10 percent of the local populous, the rest are hard working men, women and children, many hoping for a better life. We went on a Favela tour and it was a real eye opener. People packed into these slums like sardines. The electricity is generally stolen (the spaghetti like telegraph poles are a sight to behold), the planning permission and housing regulations don´t extend here, there are areas where you DO NOT take photos. But what stuck me was how normal these people looked. of course why shouldn´t they? But I guess I had imagined them to be wearing threadbare clothing and many begging on the street. But everyone was so chilled, no one really bothered us except to say Olá, even the market sellers took little notice of us.
The hardend drug barrons I had felt sure I would spot mingled so well I didn´t notice them. But then what did I expect? in films they are always easy to spot. The camera follows them, the music become more sinister, edited shots help give the back story. Here these people we just simply going about life.
Our tour guide told us of the beaches around Rio. The place where the classes can really mix and forget about money. The middle and upper classes don´t want to appear to have money as crime is rife and the lower classes don´t want to appear to come from the Favellas. So people drop all attitude, wealth and class on the beach. They enjoy time with friend and family beyond the usual social conditions for a few hours. I really liked that.
CARNIVAL!!!!
Favelas
Favela Wiring...
Our hang-gliding over Rio was cancelled today as it is raining for the first time in a week. Bummer. Still life goes on and maybe I´ll try hang-gliding else where. The more I travel the more I am accepting what happens for what it is. Nothing is bad, only perception make it bad and perception is limited at best.
Rio has been incredible. I do really like this city and will certainly come back some time. Perhaps out of Carnival time, the mad fun in the streets might have calmed down a little by then. I´m told that Rio is very different out of Carnival time. But to be part of the biggest party on earth was awesome. Something to be remembered (except the parts I will never remember) for life.
On to the next segment, couch surfing for a week around the South coast of Brazil.
