Three (and a bit) days in Rio

My Rio Schedule:

  • Day 1 – Arrive in the afternoon/evening.
  • Day 2 – A free day.
  • Day 3 – Tickets for the Paralympic Athletics in the morning.
  • Day 4 – Tickets for the Paralympic wheelchair basketball.
  • Day 5 – Fly to Buenos Aires.

Day 1

My flight landed late in the afternoon so I took a taxi from the airport to my hotel on the famous Copacabana Beach.

My first impressions? Rio wasn’t quite what I had expected… The streets were wet from rain and the sky was cloudy and grey. I set out in search of food. Everything seemed pretty quiet and the beach huts looked closed. There were a couple of dodgy looking characters around, and I couldn’t see any shops or restaurants.

Oh god. Was this a mistake? Should I just have cancelled the trip when I found out Vicki couldn’t make it?

I freaked out. It was all a bit overwhelming. I was exhausted. I went back to my hotel. I didn’t eat any food. I went to sleep.

Copacabana Beach

Day 2

A new day. A fresh start. It was still a little grey, but I wasn’t going to let that stop me. It was warm. I woke up early and did some research. Where was I? What should I do? I discovered there was a free walking tour starting in a few hours time. I’d never done one of these before, but I had nothing to lose. So armed with googlemaps I set off.

The freewalkertours was great! After meeting our guide, doing introdcutions and getting an explanation as to how the tour would operate, we got started.

The first stops was the Colombo Bakery (the most famous bakery in Rio) where I had a delicious chocolate Brigadeiro.

Then we went through the old commercial part of the city, the XV square, the imperial palace, the Municipal Theatre, the National Library and into Lapa before ending at the famous Selarón Stairs.

The walking tour lasted around three hours and was a great introduction to the city, the culture and the way of life. It was also free (except tips to the guide) and I met a bunch of fabulous people! Including Claudia, who I hung out with the rest of my time in Rio. Later that day, Claudia and I set off for the Maracana stadium. It was closed, but we did find some cheap tickets for the Paralympic Table Tennis and had an adventure travelling across the city on a local bus on our way.

Day 3

I booked a Favela Tour. I heard about Favelas on my previous walking tour. Not somewhere for tourists to go alone, but an insight into another side of Rio life. I found this tour of the Rocinah Favela which was led by a local from the Favela. It was super easy to organise by WhatsApp and the group met a few blocks from my hotel. We took a local bus to the Favela and then walked from the top to the bottom. It was an incredible view into a very different way of life.

Then it was off to the Olympic Stadium. Claudia took my spare ticket and we had a fabulous afternoon. The sun came out, the stadium was huge and had a great atmosphere. One of the UK athletes won a medal too! Afterwards we headed to a Brazilian BBQ restaurant for lots of meat!

Day 4

Time for the wheelchair basketball in the Olympic Park. The sun was shining and the atmosphere was electric. What I loved most about the Paralympics is the amount of local people that attended. I can’t remember who won or lost the games, but I can still remember the sense of energy in the room. And it didn’t stop there. After the games, we headed into the Olympic Park where there was a huge stage with local samba bands, people drinking beer, dancing samba and really just having a mini Carnival. Who were we if we didn’t join in?! We spent the whole day there. Loved it.

Day 5

I was leaving today, and realised I hadn’t actually done either of the main sites; Christ the Redeemer or Sugar Loaf Mountain. But I was coming back here at the end of my tour in South America, so there was still time. That said, I woke up early and the sun was shining so I checked googlemaps and jumped on a local bus in search of Christ the Redeemer. It’s not hard to see – it’s huge, but navigating the the right entry location was slightly more tricky. Thanks to GoogleTranslate and my ability to smile and ask for help, I found it. I was at the entrance by 9am – and I’d definitely recommend getting there early. Even early on a queue had formed and there was lots of people. The advantage of lots of people being around, is there were plenty of people to ask to take photos!

After admiring the view, I jumped back on the bus to spend my last few hours sitting on my new Rio beach throw, absorbing the atmosphere, enjoying the sunshine, and drinking some fresh coconut water.

So after a rocky start, Rio turned out to be amazing. A fascinating city with so much history and so many sides. Beautiful people both in terms of spirit and appearance. Stunning natural beauty too. I was excited about coming back at the end of my trip for a few extra days.

How I fell into the world of small group travel

“Sazzle, I’ll be in Rio in August, why don’t you meet me? “

That’s how it started. In 2016. My best friend Vicki was travelling in Asia, and planning to head to South America next. She asked me if I fancied joining her Rio for a few weeks in August. It wasn’t a hard decision!

My job at the time meant I could only go for a few weeks, and I was restricted in when I could actually take time off. But it turned out that we could arrive in Rio at the same time as the Paralympics. So I booked my flights.

I’d been to Bogota in Colombia on a work trip a few months earlier, but never really thought much more about South America. We made some plans for a few essential activities that were non-negotiable; Copacabana Beach, Paralympic games, and Igazu Falls. That’s when things changed…

Vicki had to return back to the UK and cut her travels short. And I had a decision to make; cancel my trip, or go on my own.

I was anxious about spending three weeks on my own. My mum had done a few group tours in the past, but I wasn’t sure they were for me. Would they be restrictive? Would there be anyone my age? I mean, I can get on with almost anyone, but I was still a bit unsure. Vicki had done a group tour at the start of her travels in Asia, and met some people she continued to travel with. She said I’d probably be okay!

A few days later, I found an tour with company called Intrepid Travel. In all honesty it was the only tour that fit in with my dates; starting in Buenos Aires five days after I arrived in Rio, and finishing in Rio, the day before my flight home. I booked it.

Feeling more confident about having some company, I would still had some time on my own in Rio at the start. And had to get to Buenos Aires in time for my tour. Well I travel internationally for work, so figured I’d plan this the same way! I already had tickets to the Paralympic Athletics and Basketball. Hurrah – some structure. I booked a flight to BA in time to meet my tour group. And booked a hotel on Copacabana beach.

Then I started researching… how to spend 3 days in Rio?

What would you do with three days in Rio?

Look out for my next blog to find out what I got up to in Rio.

The World Is Your Oyster

A few years ago, my best friend sent me a card to cheer me up when I was going through a tough time. It said ‘the world is your oyster’. And it really is!

Pretty much anyone who has known me for more than 20 minutes knows that I plan to take a 12-month career break in 2023. Travelling the world, I intend on doing a fair bit of hiking, and also want to be as green as possible. So as much as possible is overland.

Here are my current thoughts?

  • Leg 1 – Coventry (where I currently live) to Moscow. Leaving the UK to go through Belgium, Germany, Poland, Lithuania, Latvia, Estonia and then into Russia.
  • Leg 2 – The trans-Mongolian train: I’ve been dreaming about this journey for years. I’ll be taking the famous train from Moscow to Beijing, China. I’ll break up my journey to explore Lake Baikal and the Mongolian Outback.
  • Leg 3 – China to Nepal: I’ve been to China a few times, but only for work. This is my chance to get under the skin and see what this country offers. Before boarding the highest trainline in the world to Tibet, and onward to Nepal.
  • Leg 4 – The Mountains: I plan to spend two months here in the Himalayas. Exploring the Everest and Annapurna regions.
  • Leg 5 – New Zealand: My first flight will take me to New Zealand.
  • Leg 6 – The South Pacific: Hoping to do some sailing around this most beautiful part of the word.
  • Leg 7 – South America: This is what its all leading up to. I plan to spend six months here. I’ve spent some time in South America already – but the melting pot of landscapes is calling me back…

So for the next few years I’ll be getting ready. Exploring possible routes, saving money and trying to get myself in the best possible shape (which will take every ounce of will I have!) I read if you write your goals down, you’re more likely to achieve them. And if you tell someone, you have to make them happen. Getting under the skin of a place interests me; the people, the music, the sites, and of course the food – the culture.

So can you help me?

  • Have you been to any of these places, please tell me your suggestions.
  • Are you travelling solo in your mid-thirties? Any tips?

Before I set off, I have a fair bit of saving up to do. Also, if i’m going to hike the Himalayas… and jump on to top bunks in hostels, I need to get in physical shape too. That’s what I’ll be focusing on first.