Christ the Redeemer
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - Day 2
Long story short: I had planned to have a relaxing rest focused agenda on our first day in Rio de Janeiro so that we could recover from our overnight flight and become accustomed to it's "vibe" before our planned adventure out into the city. BUT, because of our flight mishap...that all went out the window. Our day and a half of Rio was cut down to only a half day.
Long story long: Fueled by a strong desire for adventure, (read: coffee and stubbornness) we headed out into Rio to explore. Katie and I hopped in an Uber and made our way to our first destination: Christ the Redeemer. Today was a special day for us because it meant we have now been to 5/7 continents and seen 3/7 "New World Wonders". The statue stands nearly 100 feet tall, on the top of Corcovado which steeply juts 2300 feet up from sea level. Other than that, all I can really say is, "that's a big Jesus." The weather was overcast, but it added an interesting ambiance to the experience. We opted to take the train down and promptly hopped in another Uber that took us to Ipanema Hippie Market. It wasn't unlike an 'Art in the Park' except perhaps more Latin flair. Katie and I would soon find ourselves walking down Ipanema beach which then was followed by walking down Copacabana beach a bit. The weather continued being grey and the waters were rough, but it didn't detract much from these beautiful beaches. It probably accentuated them for us as there weren't as many people as I thought there would be. It was around this time that we began feeling a bit peckish and decided on a Brazilian steakhouse. Needless to say, it was delicious.
A Note On Safety In Rio:
I figured I would talk about this a little bit since it was such a big aspect of my research into Rio.
Did Katie and I feel safe? Mostly, yes. We did have an incident at the end of our meal which wasn't pleasant. Essentially a guy on the street stood outside the window we were sitting near and was pointing to our food and talking to us in Portuguese. It was a bit odd. I could tell our wait staff was upset, but they didn't directly intervene at our table. The guy on the street started to get upset and walked over to the entrance of the restaurant where two waiters posted up to keep him from walking in. They talked for a bit, but I couldn't hear and/or speak Portuguese at that moment. After a bit he walked back to our window and continued grabbing and talking at us. People around the restaurant were all watching out of the corner of their eyes and I am sure my face was beet red, it was rather embarrassing. At one point a guy at an adjacent table started to tell him off. Pretty uncomfortable at this point. I thanked the fella, then paid our check, and booked an Uber home. Even after everything else, that guy was still at our window at this point, so when our Uber got there we gave the guy our food -- he promptly left -- and we exited the restaurant and quickly got into the Uber. But really that was the only incident that made us uncomfortable for our time here. Granted we were only here for about a half day.
So...is it safe? Would you recommend it? Yes and no. It is definitely worth coming here as long as you are willing to do your research so you are prepared and safe. If you are interested in a place where you don't have to worry about being aware of your surroundings all the time, then maybe Rio isn't for you. So if you are dead set on visiting Rio (like we were) and everyone tells you it's not safe and not recommended (like most people do), then you will do your own homework and learn how to visit Rio safely (like we did).
How we stayed Safe:
Uber: It's mostly autonomous (driver can't physically profile you before accepting fair)
Learn neighborhood boundaries and which neighborhoods you can and can't visit.
Don't wear anything that makes it look like you have any money. Basically, look like you are going to the beach. I wore my shirt inside out because it had English (Sunflower Bike Shop) on it. We did not wear our wedding rings, my watch, or any jewelry (but did see plenty of people wearing jewelry). I also kept my camera in a small backpack and did not walk around with it out for very long when I wanted to take a picture. In the market or any other crowded place, I would keep a close eye (hand really) on my phone and my wallet. My wallet only had $30 cash and two expired credit cards in case we got mugged. Katie did not carry a purse.
Be mindful of where people are and where the exits are.
We were home just after dark.
