Rio de Janeiro - Brazil #1
Pousada Casa Alegre, Santa Teresa, Rio
Living in Buenos Aires it's often so easy to forget you're in Latin America - the continent inspiring fiction and poetry from so many Latin American greats….When I travelled through much of South America twenty years ago I vividly remember feeling it was such a spiritual, magical place, so different to anywhere i'd ever been and almost impossible to categorise or relate to. But that is what i loved about it - the kind of mysticism and other worldly-ness that I was searching for at that age. Driving over the border into parched, desert-like southern Bolivia felt like a different world to the one i'd been experiencing (and not particularly enjoying) in Buenos Aires.
So I was thrilled to leave the all too familiar European-ness of Buenos Aires and head to Rio, my first time in Brazil proper (apart from a day on the Brazilian side of the Iguacu Falls). The chaos, the traffic, the noise and the sheer size of Rio hits you as you enter the city - it gives a totally new meaning to city sprawl. But it also felt comfortably familiar. After over a decade in Africa - this felt more like home - the colour, the vibrancy, the eclectic mix of people and of course the mayhem.
We trawled through numerous options on Ipanema and Copacabana before a friend here in Buenos Aires suggested we try a pousada and head up into the hills to the barrio of Santa Teresa. And it's in Santa Teresa that we found Casa Alegre - a wonderful pousada with colourful, stylish rooms, hammocks perfect for lounging on the balcony, an eclectic display of art and the perfect patio for long breakfasts.
The narrow, cobbled streets of Santa Teresa and local cafes, bars and restaurants make staying in what can be a dauntingly huge city, much more relaxing and laid-back. It's set up for visitors, yet feels local and friendly. Barely anyone speaks English and to my surprise Spanish wasn't very widely understood either…but you get by in pigeon Portuguese with a smattering of Spanish thrown in.
After we'd been up to the statue of Christ, enjoyed lounging and swimming on Ipanema (and sampled the compulsory beach-side caipirinhas) we headed over to the cool, understated neighbourhood of Urca. It's hard to believe that the quiet coves here with clear blue waters and clean white sands are to be found on the edge of a pulsating metropolis of over 6 million people.
The people are warm, friendly and fun - the kids made friends in seconds, helped of course by the universal round thing that transcends language, nationality and religion...
Yes, we added Rio to our list of top cities in the world and I have no doubt we'll be back.