Daily Life in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Recent Inquiries & Responses: 4

Question:

I am coming to Rio for a law school study abroad program for one month.  The program is putting is up in Copacabana in Post 5 somewhat close to the Cantagalo Subway station.  However, everything I read about copacabana says it is incredibly dangerous for foreigners and it is really not a question of if you get mugged but when.  Do you have any specific knowledge about the Post 5 area of copacabana and how safe it is?  I will of course take all precautions necesarry not to become a victim but I am quite worried.  Also, my girlfriend will be with me with me and she likes to run.  Is it safe for her to run alone in the mornings along the beach?  Will it be okay for her to wander around alone at all during the day?  Any specific advice on how to protect ourselves while in Rio?

My Response:

When I first arrived in Rio, I walked from Ipanema/Leblon to Copacabana and back four days per week (to school and back). Never once did I have an issue, but often times I was concerned for my safety/creeped out by certain people.  I suggest sticking to the beach street as much as possible.
I feel that if you take strides to blend in, you can easily live in this area without issue. However, I also hear stories about people being mugged in Copa within 3 hours of arriving from the airport, and so will you (hear of such things). Sometimes it is luck of the draw, but I have been fortunate to have good experiences, as have most of the expats I know here.

I feel it would be perfectly safe for your girlfriend to run along the beach path in the morning, this is a highly populated area and there are tourist police everywhere. It is actually very safe to walk around on the beach street at night as well (but don't go down to the water itself at night).  There is a market set up on the beach street every night and as a result, lots of people. Meaningm, safer. As I mentioned, I walked in this area almost every day, alone, when I first moved to Rio and did not have a problem and so I hope she will not, either.

To give you some specific advice:
1) Try to dress like a local. This means for your girlfriend - actually wearing jewellery (just not expensive jewellery).
2) I think body language is the biggest giveaway when it comes to identifying tourists. Try and look as though you know where you are going (even if you don't), and try to master the "blank stare" most people have on their faces at all times.  I think that many times people are targeted because they are gawking at everything - obvious tourists. To be fair, there is a lot to gawk at here...
3) Don't carry a lot of bags around at any times. This includes groceries. Locals do not do this, they have them delivered. Unless it is just a couple of bags, have them delivered as to not stand out.
4) Vary routines (especially her, with being alone during the day).
5) Always, always, always comply if you are robbed. Do not resist!! This is the only way to be safe.
6) VERY IMPORTANT: Familiarize yourselves IMMEDIATELY as to where the favelas are in your neighbourhood (there are a few) and steer clear of them).

I find the zona sul easy to navigate - being that there are so many landmarks, etc. which is good.

While I Was Away

Something changed in Ipanema...

Anyone know what is missing from this photo? (Ie something that used to be there isn't anymore!)

Also - anyone know why?

The Magic Mountain Man

One of my friends lives in Lagoa, sort of across from Ipanema, in a building that backs onto a mountain. From her apartment, the views are spectacular, a view of Christo from nearly every room, the beautiful lake, the ocean off in the distance, and Dois Irmaos. She hosted my baby shower when Canadoca was born and my mom and sister still  mention the views on a regular basis.

However, as I've mentioned once or twice before, one never knows quite what to expect in Rio. The views she has the opportunity to take in are not limited to these panoramic scenes.

One day, she was looking out the window towards the mountain and she saw a man. Er, maybe I should mention that he was NAKED. At the time, she thought he may have hung himself in fact, but it turned out he was just doing some sort of yoga pose or exercise.

Knowing that it would be difficult for people to picture this naked mountain man, she decided to document the experience.

I thought about blurrinng these photos in select places but then decided that it would be best to show the mountain man in his true form. You know, maintain some sort of "journalistic integrity". Consider this your warning that there is FULL FRONTAL male nudity below.

 

It wouldn't be the last time she saw the mountain man. He reappears every once in a while, showing off his moves (he exercises in the nude on the mountain). My friend who sees the mountain man speculates that he does have to pick and choose which times of year to appear, as he wouldn't want to get a, well, sunburn...

So after hearing about this mountain man for over a year we were all quite tickled to see that he'd made the paper:

 

The article calls him the hermit of the lake, claims he lives alone in a cave, climbs trees to pick fruit, and is disconnected when spoken to (talks about God and the Devil).

My Centro Tour

While our guests were here I had to take them on my "famous" tour of centro that I take my guests on.

As a sidenote: Canadoca stayed with her dad at the office while we did the tour. At which time it was determined that she prefers the lifestyle of "expat princess" to "corporate hotshot".  She didn't like it at the office....

Generally I take the guests to the Escadaria Selaron, go to Mr.DRL's office, take them into the markets on Rua Buenos Aires, stop in at some havaiana shops and churches and random stores, go to the Portuguese Reading Room, go to Colombo for a snack or pastry, go to the bonde station, ride the bonde to Santa Teresa, go to Aprizavel or someplace for lunch and maybe a few shops. Other deviations include going to the cathedral, etc.

Here are some shots my most recent guests took on their tour:

 

Some Rio Graffiti

 

Cathedral view from Lapa

 

The markets

 

 

 

 

The tour is never complete without a stop at Colombo for either a dessert or salgado...

The Canal

It occurred to me the other day that I hadn't ever written about the canal.

It divides Ipanema and Leblon, running from the heavily polluted lagoa to the ocean. It smells a little different every day, and you never know what to expect while crossing it - who you might encounter, what you might see...

 

Sometimes there are people fishing in the water. I tell myself they are fishing for bait. 

There are frequently bulldozers working in the area piling up sand. I'm not sure what this is all about.

Great Lunch Spot!

The other day, after a long walk through Jardim Botanico, a group of us went for lunch here: Da Graca

Here, R$15 gets you a fantastic lunch - delicious grilled chicken, fish or filet mignon with salad, potatoes, rice and beans and it was fantastic. GO!

Parque Lage write-up

Here is a cute little write-up on one of my favorite spots in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Parque Lage! Check it out here...
 

Shoulda gone for sushi (earlier in the night)...

It has come to my attention that Matthew McConaughey and Camila Alves were in my hood on Friday night.  As in about 2 blocks from my house, people....

Here is a photo which I poached from www.gossipgirls.com Please don't sue me.

They had dinner at sushi leblon, which is one of our favorite spots.  We actually were just down the same street that night, meeting friends for drinks.  We even grabbed a KONI later (see, we ate sushi too... Just like a block away...)

In my neighbourhood, the paparazzi are often lurking around, taking photos of people who I have never seen before (Brazilian stars). Being that I have no idea who these people are, they don't really get any special treatment from me.  But Matthew McConaughey, yeah I think I'd recognize him.

They also ate at Zozo at the base of the sugarloaf gondola, another one of my favorite spots (and incidentally, where I told my dad he was going to be a Gramps!)...

Apparently they stayed at the Hotel Fasano down the beach in Ipanema/Arpoador.

Cost of living: Real prices

I have been meaning to do this post for awhile and will likely follow it up from time to time, but it seemed especially timely now given the amount of attention in the media recently given to the cost of living in Brazil (Rio is the fourth most expensive city in all of the America's... people find this very difficult to believe!)

Obviously there are some extremely cheap accommodations available as well, given that the average Brazilian makes less than R$600 per month.  So to average things out.... this means that the high end accommodations are, well, excessive in price.

Here are some current real estate rental listings in a few neighbourhoods in Rio...

I must say there are some much better deals out there right now than there were in March....

Botafogo: $R1,550 per month (with taxes & condo fees, etc.) - apartamento - 1 bedroom. 
zap.com.br

Barra de Tijuca: $R5,000 per month (with taxes & condo fees, etc.) - house - 327 square meters - 3 bedrooms + 1 suite.
www.jtavares.com.br

Copacabana: $R4,100 per month (with taxes & condo fees, etc.) - apartamento - 150 square meters - 3 bedrooms. 
www.jtavares.com.br

Ipanema: $R3200 per month (with taxes & condo fees, etc.) - apartamento - 140 square meters - 4 bedrooms.
zap.com.br

Leblon: $R6,300 per month (with taxes & condo fees, etc.) - apartamento - 172 square meters - 3 bedrooms.
www.jtavares.com.br

Scared.

After all of the warnings we've had (and our visitors have had), and our feeling very comfortable in Rio, living here for 4 months without any incident whatsoever... I had the scariest moment of my time in Brazil (and maybe of my life, today).

Four girls in Centro, checking out the markets, a bit overdressed as we planned to take the Bonde to Santa Teresa then go out for dinner and maybe dancing later...

Four blocks into the market, we see a military police vehicle with four officers in it, machine guns pointed outwards.  Unsettling yes, not what we're used to at all, but we did not feel threatened.  One of the girls I was with commented that the officers had been staring and glaring at us. It was faced in a direction away from us, so we did not think much of it.

Fast forward to two blocks later when we realize that the military vehicle has turned around (a feat in centro, with its narrow little streets! But I guess anything is possible when you have four machine guns aimed at the crowd), and followed us down the street. 

I made eye contact with the officer in the front passenger seat as the vehicle neared us and what I saw frightened me more than I have probably ever felt in my life.  The look was of pure hatred, and evil, and the glare continued as the vehicle slowly passed by, guns pointed out.  I had one of those "feelings" -we have to get out of here NOW.  It was so intense I almost started crying.

I don't care to speculate about what I feel may have happened had we not immediately left, but all I can say is that I don't think I've ever had such a strong instinct, and I previously did not fully appreciate what the citizens of Rio are dealing with in terms of the "other gang" - the military police.

What made it so scary: we had an indication that they may have wanted to mess with us (by taking what must have been an enormous amount of effort in turning around, following us, staring, glaring, and apparently even yelling out to us at one point - though I did not hear it), and there would have been absolutely nothing anyone could or would have done about it.  Because they are the military police. Heavily armed.  In a  "position of trust" - the scariest concept of all.

We take this for granted back home. 

New & Notable in the Neighbourhood

Three "new "places in my neighbourhood of Leblon - one brand new & open, one with a new facelift, and one yet-to-open.

First - Fratelli la Bufala - just opened last week on the corner of Rua Rita Ludolf and General San Martin.  We went to the opening - a little champagne reception - which was very nice.  Although I'd just eaten and didn't try the food, I am very temped to go back soon.  Fratelli da Bufala is an Italian chain specializing in true Neapolitan Pizza, and claims to have the best pizza in the world.  I am currently reading Eat Pray Love and the authentic Italian pizza descriptions are amazing so I am excited to try this... The chain is based in Naples and has more than 20 locations across Europe, and is also now in the US, and of course in Rio de Janeiro.  The company apparently has a pizza school for its chefs in Naples, along with its own mozzarella factory.

Second - the Ritz Plaza Hotel, Leblon has just revealed its new renovations - located on Av. Ataulfo de Paiva.

Third - Toulon- a great clothing store - is opening a storefront location in Leblon, on Ataulfo de Paiva as well.

Santa Teresa

One of the many reasons that Rio is never boring - the wide variety of neighbourhoods to explore.  In Leblon, where we live, everything is quite modern.  Santa Teresa, just a few short miles away, feels almost as though it's still in a different century. In a good way.

 

On Saturday we rode the Bonde up to Santa Teresa with some of my husband's colleagues. The Bonde ride is an experience in itself and I really feel it is a must - see for everyone who comes to Rio.  It is an experience that allows you to see so much of the city and its people, homes, etc. Also a really cheap (R$1) roller coaster. 

The bonde is smaller than I expected - just one little street car, which runs on the same road as the cars.  And that road is windy.  And very steep. Which means that the bonde comes to a sudden halt frequently along the journey. Oh, and you can just hang off the sides of the bonde... and did I mention it also goes right over the aqueduct, pretty much unprotected? We all agreed that pretty much everything about the ride would just not fly back home... but that's the best part!

Apparently there is a movement to privatize the bonde... and Santa Teresa's citizens are not impressed.  We grabbed a quick shot of a demonstration - small and peaceful, from what we could gather - against privatizing the Bonde while we were out and about.

We stopped for an amazing lunch at Aprazivel, which comes highly recommended by Mr. DRL's coworkers, and now I see why!

In fact I will add it to my top 10 best restaurants in Rio list just as soon as I get around to it (I need to add about 30 restaurants to my different Rio restaurant categories... oops.)

The food was fantastic - a fusion of traditional Brazilian dishes and contemporary - but the views and atmosphere are even better.

It's quite a hike up to the restaurant, I would recommend making a reservation to avoid disappointment (see link above).  And there are cute tables in tree houses - request one of those!

The staff is funny too. 

GO!

Next time I am in Santa Teresa (which will probably be soon as I have more visitors coming and I think everyone NEEDS to go there) I plan to check out the Asian restaurant.  Also I would like to see some of the art in Santa Teresa that everyone raves about.

 

Real Estate/wintering in Rio

I think these folks have the right idea...

Good News for Brazil on the Good News Network

I just found this fantastic news blog, The Good News Network and low and behold they had something to say about Brazil. 

Click here to watch a video on Lula's new $1.6 Billion project to increase infrastructure in the favelas (streets, lighting, even cable car links). Construction has begun in Rio's Complexo de Alemao.

March 14 - The Apartment Hunt Continues

Finding an apartment in Rio is not an easy task!

We were not prepared for how expensive it is to rent a place in Ipanema/Leblon!! (I am talking 2-3 times what we expected.... yikes!) The prices are probably comparable to renting a place in London.  (Thanks to my sister for that comparison this morning !) Here is an article about buying real estate in Leblon.

Location is everything here and it is amazing at how prices vary from neighbourhood to neighbourhood (with the variation in prices come variation in safety, quality of life, access to amenities and of course... proximity to the beach).

Part of it of course is the fact that the Brazillian Real has increased in value against the Canadian Dollar, driving down our buying power.

Expense aside, being that we are in a very dangerous city, being comfortable at home takes on a whole new meaning (especially when unless you are out at a nice restaurant, or lounge, the gym, or someone's home, you really should be at home after dark, not a lot of other places are safe.  And it gets dark at 5:30...)

As with everything else these days: "When in Rio..."

March 10 - First Weekend in Rio and House Hunting Already

We spent Saturday of our first weekend in Rio out in Barra de Tijuca (in Portuguese, R's are pronounced like H's), a community about 15 minutes from where we are staying in Ipanema near Leblon (which is about 25 minutes from my husband's office).

Barra is "the Miami of Rio" - very modern (even has a Wal-Mart) by Brazilian standards, many shopping malls including South America's largest which has its own statue of liberty, family oriented, etc.  Depending on the source you talk to - safer than Ipanema/Leblon where we are staying right now, less densely populated.  30 km of beautiful beach. But it would mean my husband would commute a minimum of an hour and a half a day (and up to 3 hrs a day on a regular basis) to and from work, something we are not accustomed to.  Although he would have a driver so could potentially do a bit of work in the car via blackberry. 

Other downsides: during severe rainstorms, the road to Barra can be inaccessible.  Rocinha (South America's largest favela) is located along the road to Barra as well.

Upside: Living like kings - you can get a great apartment for about half of what it would cost in Ipanema/Leblon/Lagoa. Real estate is not cheap in those areas.

There are many pro's and con's to weigh and our decision will depend on where we can find a fantastic apartment... some photos of this one for you to check out in the meantime to see what the apartamentos look like.  Barra is a bit away from the action, which we see as both a positive and negative, depending on what exactly that action is...