Eugene Holley, Jr.

The many worlds that this South American capital offers you
all the year long.

Cidade Marvilhosa
Rio de Janeiro is known as the “Cidade Marvilhosa” (marvelous city) thanks to its cool and cosmopolitan beaches Leme, Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon; and its world-famous Carnaval, which occurs in the last week of February. It marches with the pomp and pageantry of its Portuguese/Roman empire origins and swings with the African beat of the samba. To get to Carnaval requires booking no less than a year in advance.

But if you visit this Brazilian city of about six million people in November, when the temperature averages about 85 degrees, you might discover a Rio beyond Carnaval; a Rio of many worlds forged by five centuries of Amerindian, European, and African historical and cultural interaction. The city’s bairros (districts) offer a variety of contrasting landscapes and buildings.

There’s the neocolonial Parque das Ruinas (Ruins Park), the converted Murtinho Nobre Palace of Laurinda Santos in the hills of Santa Teresa, the sailboat and kayak friendly Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon, and the futuristic cylindrical, pyramid-shaped Metropolitan Cathedral in the Centro - the business district. 

Urbanity and Nature
Urbanity and nature have embraced since the city was founded January 1, 1502, by the Portuguese captain André Gonçalves Coelho, who christened the land surrounding Guanabara Bay “Rio de Janeiro” (River of January), because he thought he had discovered the estuary of a great river.

The 1,296-foot Sugarloaf Mountain (Pão de Azucar), which shadows the bay, offers a spectacular view of the city via its cable car ride. The Botanical Gardens house over 5,000 species of plants with a number of prize sculptures from Brazilian sculptor Mestre Valetim.

The highest destination of the forest is the 2,310-foot peak Corcovado (hunchback). Topping this mountain is the haunting 1931 statue of Christ the Redeemer, which rises 131 feet into the sky.

Old Brazilian Capital
Rio has many churches, like Our Lady of Candelaria Church, built in 1775, with its baroque and Byzantine architectural influences in the downtown district. The sparse, but equally impressive Our Lady of Rosario Church houses a moving moving slave museum.

From 1889 to 1960, Rio was the capital of Brazil and the seat of the Portuguese empire. The 2,200-seat Municipal Theater, which opened in 1909, is a neoclassic masterpiece designed like the Paris Opera House down to its Louis XV-style golden foyer. It’s the country’s most prestigious venue, and its lunch hour opera recitals are a moving feast of sound. The National Museum of Fine Arts, the Casa Franca-Brasil, and the dazzling Belle Époque decor of the Confeitaria Colombo Restaurant also show strong Gallic influences.

Culinary Rio
Then there’s the culinary Rio. Feijoada is the Brazilian version of African-American “soul food.” It’s a tasty dish made of pork, sausage, and beef served with farofa, fried onion and egg mixed with manioc flour and rice. Guaraná is the national soft drink that tastes like ginger ale with a pinch of strawberry. Then there’s churrasco (barbecue) which you can enjoy at excellent Churrascarias.

The people of Rio call themselves cariocas, and their festive character is best expressed by their energetic samba schools: large working class ensembles that represent the city’s neighborhoods during Carnaval. Try to observe a rehearsal of a samba school like the Unidos da Tijuca and you will be blown away by the power of the African-derived processional pulsations of the batería (percussion) section and the dazzling choreography of the dancers called passistas.

The best places to hear bossa nova are at the Garota de Ipanema and Toca do Vinicius. If you want some spicy Brazilian jazz, check out Ipanema’s Jazzmania, the Satchmo Jazz Bar in Botafogo, or the Rio Jazz Club in Copacabana. With its 500th anniversary in 2002, Rio is enduring and eternal for visitors.

Source: Hispanic Online Website

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