The ship's passengers were abuzz with talk and anticipation of this port. Not since our visit to Egypt and the tour to see the pyramids have I heard so much discussion, seen so much note taking or felt this level of excitement over a port city.
We were going to be in Rio overnight so this chance to experience the first night of Carnival was creating a frenzy of big bucks being spent on tour promises for an unforgettable evening. The Sambodromo tour tickets were like gold and were sold out months before the ship ever sailed from Fort Lauderdale. It was like getting Super Bowl tickets on the fifty yard line. The Sombodromo was the epicenter of Carnival where the judging of all the grand floats, the dancers and their glorious costumes took place. During Carnival, Brazil parties for three days and nights nonstop. Streets and businesses shut down completely. Traffic becomes HORRENDOUS! Crowds accumulate everywhere and build with each day. The population swells in those three days with tourists flooding in as well. So, now you have a little background of the atmosphere as we reached port.
The ship docked in Rio De Janeiro in the morning around 8am. Passengers, like us, had been on deck even earlier watching as our ship floated by Sugar Loaf Mountain and entered Puerto Maua. As soon as we received clearance to go ashore, passengers disembarked and loaded into tour buses galore. Then the traffic. OMG! Being in Rio on the first day of Carnival and needing transportation to anywhere in the city is asking for water in a desert. Hoofing it is your only measure for sanity, if you can. Otherwise, "Forgetaboutit"!!!
Rick and I had a tour booked on the first day. We spent the entire day from morning to early evening on our guided introduction to Rio.
We saw Corcovado (Christ the Redeemer statue), Pao de Azucar (Sugar Loaf Mountain), had a Brazilian lunch of meat carvings of all types delivered to your plate until you can't eat another bite and a drive by of Copacabana Beach. They were the highlights and offered some great photos and views of the famous city.
On our way back to the ship and nearer Copacabana, the crowds were heavier. Once we got back to the ship, we went back to our cabin, unloaded our backpacks then prepared to set out on foot and explore the port area. This was a rough port area outside the terminal and we were very cautious when walking around the streets but not feeling entirely safe. Under the disguise of night, everything seemed so pretty and inviting. The night air was sticky and hot.
The next day we were on our own as we decided to take a city bus to Copacabana Beach and see the sights along the way. It was another hot and humid day.
Rick was able to see some spots he remembered from childhood as Copacabana used to be his hangout as a child. Rick's memory brought us to the church he used to walk to as a boy and we also found the tunnel he walked through to get there every Sunday.
We strolled along the famous beach and enjoyed the beachside cafés watching people have fun.
It was exhausting and exciting all wrapped into one. We saw wild, crazy people in equally wacky costumes and face masks wondering the city in throngs and thongs.
We visited the Copacabana Palace Hotel where Rick used to have free access to swim in the pool as a kid.
Unfortunately, many areas in Rio were in various stages of crumbling, many vacant buildings along with demolition, dirt, homeless and trash everywhere. The sanitation department decided to go on strike beginning the first day of Carnival and this was an obvious, well planned stranglehold on the government. This created a very unsightly, dirty backdrop for many parts of the city. To add to the dilapidated, filthy atmosphere, the Favellas (shanty towns of the very poor) creeped further into the city in many places, including the port area. Passengers were warned many times to steer clear of the Favellas for safety reasons. So it created even more uneasiness. Except for the obvious wealthy parts of Rio, the rest of the city fell into ruin, filth and disrepair. I have to say that if Rio plans to represent FIFA and the 2016 Olympics, it has some HUGE barriers of organization and beautification to overcome. That being said, Rio has spice and lots of character with passionate people who truly take pride in their futball and family and seem to understand true happiness in simple ways.
We did find out that the Carnival floats are built and assembled in huge warehouses in the port vicinity. With luck, we saw several parts of floats being transported from some hidden locations around the port and carried on large flatbed semis down backstreets towards the Sambodromo.
Parties take place all over the city and big bands set up to give live concerts at certain hotspots making certain areas busier than others. The people follow the concerts and other people looking for the most action in town. And when they descend towards that destination, it is in huge crowds that spill into any open ground space available. In other words, it's CRAZY!!! This is as close as we got to the insanity by watching it from a tour bus that first day or city bus window the next day. We could not get close to the Sambodromo where the judging of the floats and dancers take place nor could we even attempt to find transportation once the Carnival was in full swing.
I am so happy that we saw Rio and visited the highlights of this interesting city. The golden rule of any traveler should be flexibility. That being said, Rio is a fascinating destination city full of color, contrasts and flavor in so many ways. However, during Carnival it may require more flexibility and lots of patience.Join us on our next port of call: South American Cruise 2014
No comments:
Post a Comment