As my plane circled the lush, green landscape during its descent into Rio de Janeiro, with lakes, mountains, and beaches surrounding a dense spattering of houses, I couldn’t help but get a little excited to touch down into a place unlike any I’d visited before. Rio said hello by greeting me with 100 degree weather and enough humidity to make a camel sweat. Having flown in from Dallas, where temperatures approached freezing, I immediately began sweating, and didn’t really stop until I left the city!
I had a day to kill before meeting up with a couple friends from Australia, so I spent my time exploring the hipster neighborhood I was staying in, doing my best to learn some rudimentary Portuguese and sample some Brazilian fare. Luckily I made it back to my hostel before the thunderstorm hit, and was able to enjoy the view over the city as the storm rolled through. I made my way to the beach and enjoyed a fresh coconut and the spectacular backdrop as the locals stared at the white guy on their beach.
Once my friends arrived on New Year’s Eve, we were off to a Brazilian house party followed by a trek with the masses down to Copacabana beach for a fireworks show that stretched the length of the seemingly endless beach. Concerts along the sand kept the celebration going into the morning for the millions of people there, dressed in their good luck white outfits. After a swim, we called it a night, a successful beginning to the new year.
We then hit the Rio tourist circuit making our way to the Cristo Redentor statue above the city, and Sugar Loaf Mountain for the sunset. Rio and its residents are picturesque from any angle and you’d have a difficult time not leaving impressed by all there is to see and experience here.