The Blog

Ten things I love about Rio...

I kinda feel like I've been very down on the place, when actually I'm having a great time. So here's a list of things I love about Rio, in no particular order:

• the beaches. They're full of vendors selling stuff, but they are also sandy and wet with pretty waves that curl over wonderfully. In the sun you don't notice the humidity, and in the shade you don't feel the heat.
• the games they play on the beaches. People play all sorts of sports, mostly volleyball and soccer. Sometimes they play both at once in a hybrid called futevôlei, which is no-hands volleyball. It's so much fun to watch.
• the metro. It's fast and clean and not necessarily cheap, and it gets you were you want to be. It runs every five minutes, so you don't have to wait.
• the kilo restaurants. These are buffets where you fill your plate and pay by weight. If you like salad it's cheap, and if you live only on meats it's a bit pricey. The big chains are around $35-45/kg, but smaller local places are around $25/kg. The food is good at the cheaper ones, there's just often less choice.
• Bob's burgers.
• the surf rescue helicopter. They were doing exercises on Tuesday, and it was the most fun thing ever. The guys on board kept jumping into the water from a height, and then the helicopter would catch them in a net, or a harness, or just by hovering over the water until they grab on. Traffic stopped to watch.
• Capirinhas. Crushed lime, sugar, and a local liquor made from sugar cane (it tastes a little like rum). Most people use cheap cachaça ($5/L), but it's drinkable. (For the record, a stella artois costs about $1.79 and the cheap local beer is $0.89/can in the supermarkets.)
• Christos. I've still not been to see him yet, as with only one exception all my free days have been cloudy. But you often spot him over your shoulder, just hanging out up there.
• the temperature. Aside from the humidity (hello boofy hair), I could get used to 27^oC days in winter. I didn't bring enough summer clothes though.
• the markets. They're silly tourist traps, but they're good fun and a perfect source of tacky souveniers for the people back home.

Labels: holiday, rio de janeiro, trip09, yay vodka