This is the reward Brazil gave me at the end of my adventure. I arrived in Rio, a cidade mais lindo do mundo after a short detour to Manaus.
I laded at Santos Dumont airport, and enjoyed one of the most spectacular landings I ever had – the landing strip is surrounded by water, and the short runway requires that the pilot presses the brake pedal to the floor. From there I took a taxi and went to where I will spend the next days – the Cantagalo favela, located between Ipanema and Copacabana beaches. Apart from being five minutes away from Copacabana, the favela was one of the highlights of my stay, and it gave me the chance to get a taste of the real carioca life. This favela was among the first to be pacified under the program initiated in 2008 by the State Public Security Secretary and the Governor of Rio. Pacification means that drug dealers are chased out of the favelas by the police elite battalion (BOPE), and a permanent police force – the Unidade de Polícia Pacificadora – is located in the area. Now, there are several hostels in the neighborhood, unemployment is as low as five percent and the safety increased dramatically.
this is the view from the terrace of the hostel:
on the left is the favela and on the right the prime properties, overlooking Copacabana:
and a glimpse of the Sugarloaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar)
I spent the days touring the city, and visiting its landmarks:
the Cristo Redentor statue, sitting atop the Corcovado mountain overlooking the city
the Maracanã Stadium
the Sambódromo
Copacabana promenade…
In the afternoon the sky became cloudy, so I took some photos of the Christ statue among clouds:
After enjoying some aerial views of Rio from the Sugarloaf mountain…
I was walking along the beach and celebrated this wonderful adventure with an Agua de coco on the best beach in the world
Obrigado Brasil! Nós veremos um ao outro novamente.
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