After a fairly bumpy taxi ride with my new mate Connor (we got asked to get out of the taxi at a petrol station after he'd told me of his friend who was held at gunpoint by a taxi driver) the check in at the hostel was very smooth. My plan to nap when I arrived went straight out the window as there was free breakfast (including incredible banana cake and eggy bread) in half an hour and fellow travelers,arriving that morning, to get to know.
An instant group of solo travelers formed, all looking for someone to explore the city with and, it seemed, we were all either very easy going or interested in similar things and so my suggestion of doing a walking tour of the old city was quickly taken up and an impromptu stroll to the nearest beach (Flamengo) was proposed to fill the time before it started. I felt quite proud of myself for being so spontaneous within the first few hours of my trip.
The first day continued to whizz by (considering I still hadn't slept since leaving home) as our guide, David, from the hostel showed us around Lapa and the historical centre as history - including a large amount of European facts we probably should have known - flowed from his mouth. The Escadaria Selaron (the iconic tiled staircase in Lapa), the Novo Catedral (like a 60s tower block crossed with a Mayan temple) and the Palacio Tiradentes (the old Houses of Parliament) were particular highlights as we ran after David and lost a few dawdlers on the way. The tour ended with a ride on the 5-day-old tram built for the Olympics and a meaty feast of Churassco (grilled meats with rice, chips and a sprinkle of salad - a cursory nod to healthy eating). I was rather pleased with Rio so far!
Disappointments soon followed in the form of a cloudy, dull copacabana beach and a walk along it that ended abruptly when one of my companions had to fight off a guy attempting to rob her necklace. At this point going with the flow felt like more of a necessity, as I went along with a walk down a stormy looking beach for fear of going it alone back to the hostel. The inevitable flocking together of solo travelers can also prove inefficient, I've already found, when waiting for everyone to
be ready to leave or getting everyone through a ticket barrier.
But it does make for a fun night out, as I discovered on my first night. The free-poured hostel caipirinhas were followed by an escorted walk to a club in Lapa with David, where more caipirinhas helped us find our flow on the dance floor. We were a great dance troupe - each of us with an individual style and when the samba dancers arrived both the girls and guys couldn't wait to shake their thing with the exotic half naked vision of a woman! Unfortunately I don't have any pictures of the night to illustrate how beautiful she was or how fast her footwork was as, as a precaution, we were told not to take our cameras or phones. (Great advice considering the one guy who ignored the advice got mugged by a transvestite).
The night out was anything but a let down and the main tourist attractions I accomplished in the next few days followed suit. The view from Christ the redeemer was worth the crowds we fought through/stepped over for our selfie-taking exploits and my meander around Santa Teresa with Martina from Slovenia was charming, in part, due to our lack of a good map forcing us to amble through the quiet streets and stumble across the faded mansions we'd read about. A spontaneous trip up Pao de Acucar (sugar loaf) was squeezed in when Martina realised her flight left Rio in 3hrs as we walked past the bus stop that lead to the cable car up there. Despite the hazy view of the city it was a fun ride above the rock climbers and beaches below.
After all this hopping on and off buses and metros and a great introduction to collective solo travel I felt ready to venture out alone for the first time. Just me and my backpack made it to my next hostel in Copacabana, via the metro and a confusing convo with a local whom I gathered was offering to help me find a room. I checked in, found a supermarket and wandered onto the beach only to bump into the other girls, i'd briefly been introduced to the day before, on the sand. My solo travel plans were out the window and impromptu friend-making began once more.
N.b see my 'Discovering Rio' album on Facebook for accompanying pictures, trying to add photos to the blog has taken atleast an hour and still not working!
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