Things to do Archives - Page 4 of 7

Photo Post: A walk around Pão de Açúcar

15/02/2013/5 Comments/in Things to do

After all the mayhem of carnival I decided on Wednesday that what I needed was a nice tranquil walk in peaceful surroundings. I had heard that there is a path that goes around Pão de Açúcar and unlike many of the hikes in Rio, this was an easy stroll without any steep slopes – perfect for my carnival-weary body! You pick the track up just next to Praia Vermelha, not far from where the cable car takes you up to the top of Pão de Açúcar.

There are plenty of more taxing hikes that actually take you some of the way up the Sugarloaf or its neighbouring hills, but I opted for the super-easy path which I had heard was a little over 4km. In the end it turned out to be even easier as after around 2.5km there was a sign warning people not to go any further without a guide. I expect it is quite possible without a guide, but I was feeling intensely lazy and only wearing flip-flops so I was quite happy to turn around and stroll back the way I had come.

Even on this fairly short walk I spotted all kinds of interesting sights along the way.

As I set off on my leisurely stroll, I looked back through the leafy branches and caught sight of the hectic scenes back at Praia Vermelha (Red Beach).

Climb Dois Irmãos

06/01/2013/13 Comments/in Things to do

Hi everyone, how’s your weekend going? Those of you who follow the Eat Rio Facebook page will know that last weekend, Mrs Eat Rio and I went on a bit of an adventure. We climbed the larger of the Dois Irmãos!

Dois Irmãos, the iconic pair of mountains that sit at the end of Leblon beach. We went up the taller one on the left, commonly known as Irmão Maior – bigger brother.

It was awesome! Seriously, the views were incredible, we saw loads of amazingly bright butterflies, the walk through Vidigal was interesting – all in all it was a great day out!

So, why am I telling you this? Am I gloating? Well, yes, partly it is gloating. But also I thought I’d add it to my list of things to do in Rio!

Rio rocks

16/06/2012/5 Comments/in Things to do

You know how it is – you turn a corner, start crossing the road and glance to your right:

Hmmm, ugly buildings, tree covered hills – nothing unusual here.

You glance to the left:

Top 5 tips for Carnival costume

16/02/2012/4 Comments/in Musings, Things to do

Having had a little time to think about it, I realised that the one thing I didn’t do in yesterday’s post is differentiate between blocos and the main procession thing that everyone thinks of when they hear “Carnival in Rio”. The big procession thing is called Desfile das Escolas de Samba (Procession of the Samba Schools). It’s the thing you see on the news each year, held in the Sambadrome – a big long street, lined with masses of tiered seating:

The main procession, as seen here in the film Rio

I haven’t been to this thing – tickets are really expensive and to be honest, I’m not that keen. Don’t get me wrong, it looks spectacular and I definitely want to see it one day, but just sitting there watching from the side seems a bit passive, you know? Maybe I’ll go in a few years when I’m older and richer.

So if you’re not at the Sambadrome, you should be at a bloco, and if you’re at a bloco then you should have an outfit!

What’s a ‘Bloco’ and what should I expect?

15/02/2012/4 Comments/in Musings, Things to do

Hooray! Carnaval (that’s the Portuguese spelling) season is well and truly under way! I’ve been posting up a few photos from the bloco I went to last Sunday on the Eat Rio Facebook page, but I think it’s time I said a little more about this quintessentially Brazilian festival.

Timoneiras da Viola – the bloco I visited last Sunday. It was great!

The main days of Carnaval are from Saturday to Wednesday – the exact date changes each year (the closing Wednesday is Ash Wednesday). This year it will run from 17th-21st February. I say “main days” because Carnaval actually kicked off weeks ago!

Archive for category: Things to do