Feb 12 2024

Praia Vermelha: Bed Beach


Rio de Janeiro

… more pix vid on Google Maps

Out of cable car, turn right, we walked a few steps to the Red Beach.

The scene from the beach is beautiful: with Babilônia Hill to the right and Sugarloaf lording over on the left. It reminds me of  Sand Beach in Maine

It’s probably their local beach, small and dirty, compare to Copacabana beach, in size and cleanliness. And very crowded during the holiday.

The water is calmer than Copacabana beach but the swirls of garbage turn me off.

Our Uber came but drove off without stopping – not a nice thing. We then waited for 30 minutes for the next Uber to come.

 

 


Feb 12 2024

Parque Garota de Ipanema


Av. Francisco Bhering, 2-224 – Arpoador,
Rio de Janeiro, – RJ, 22080-050, Brazil

… more pix on Google Maps & TA

Parque Garota de Ipanema means Girl From Ipanema Park. Girl From Ipanema  was a song that won a Grammy in 1965.

We entered that park from Rue Francisco Otaviano street, where it has a few horses and more inside the park, with the police.

The park has direct access to Arpoador beach and Diabo beach. It was their holiday and we didn’t stay long to explore, other than to the beaches and soon left: both were so packed!


Feb 12 2024

Arpoador beach


Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

… more pix on Google Maps & TA

A smaller beach, west of Copacabana Beach with great sunset view. It’s an easy walk from Copacabana Fort.

We went there from Parque Garota de Ipanema, and walked a few steps east to Diabo beach.

It’s their holiday Monday, the beach is jammed with people. The waves are pretty strong to swim.

 

 


Feb 12 2024

Sugarloaf Cable Car 


Red Beach & Copacabana Beach

Av. Pasteur, 520 – Urca,
Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 22290-240, Brazil

… more pix & videos on Google Maps, TA

This is a must go: high atop the Sugarloaf (Pão de Açúcar), which is the small hill on the western side of the ocean/bay mouth. The mouth is nearly a mile wide mouth, the Atlantic Ocean to the south and the Guanabara Bay to the north.

To the west, under the Cristo Redentor / Christ the Redeemer’s feet, is the city of Rio. SDU airport, light colored buildings, shanty towns on the dark green hills, white beaches, little islands – the Bay is dotted by more than 130 islands. All are surrounded by gleaming waters, making it picturesquely enchanting.

The cable car has two stops: the first one is at Morro da Urca (elevation 722′ or 220m), and the second/last stop is at the summit, Sugarloaf mountain (not sure mountain is fitting here), with 1,299′ (396m) elevation.

The cable car operation opened in 1912. The four gondolas we were in, have no a/c.

The cafes at both stops have great views as well.

We left our hotel at 8:30, and again, seeing dressed up (or early dressed) crowds – the carnival is raging on. Many roads were closed. Heavy traffic jam made the drive an hour long ordeal.

We finally arrived at Praça General Tibúrcio / General Tibúrcio Square, where the entrance to the cablecar is at. There wasn’t any lines, both to the gondola and ticket window. But ticket pick up was a long affair, when they demanded our ID. For Pete’s sake, why selling online but not issuing digital ticket? Secondly, on the ticket site there wasn’t any warning that ID is needed for ticket pick up.

Once the physical tickets in hand, we got up quickly.

Stop 1 @ Morro da Urca


To my left shoulder, it’s Praia do Flamengo beach.

Stop 1 has Augusto Ferreira Ramos (1860-1939) statue, the engineer who dreamed up this project in 1908. Behind him is a hallowed Love sculpture. The helicopter tour starts and ends here too.

There are trails to Morro da Urca and Sugarloaf, if you prefer to hike, instead of paying for the cable car.

We’ve our breakfast here, watching a few planes land at SDU.


The bottom right corner is Urca. Top left is Praia de Botafogo beach.

Urca is a 7,000 resident neighborhood, traditional and wealthy. It was the first Portuguese settlement, established in 1565. The French came 12 years after, in 1577. Many hikers climb the 2.3 mile out-and-back trail that lead to the Stop 1 at the cable car.

The helicopter pad, with the Christ the Redeemer statue (we chose not to go) in the background. SDU is to the right in the middle of the photo.

Stop 2 @ the summit Sugarloaf Mountain

After breakfast, we slowly made our way to the summit. Again, no queue at the cable car station.

We’ve drinks at Clássico Beach Club and hike the heavily shaded downward spiral trail.

 

 


Feb 12 2024

Classico Beach Club – Urca


Sugarloaf Mountain, Rio de Janeiro

… more pix and videos on Google Maps, Yelp, TA.

Def will return.

Killer views of Copacabana Beach, Red Beach and beyond.

Good but slow service, which is fine for us.

We just had our breakfast at Stop one, could only have some drinks here.

  1. capuccino – coffee
  2. mate da casa – herb tea
  3. chopp sul Americana – draft  beer

People don’t mind sharing tables. As we wee about to leave, the young boy came after me, and pointing to us and then to the table. We’re grateful. They left shortly after.

Compare to our breakfast at the lower level, which was tranquil. Here is in constant motion, from the staff and customers.

It’s a free for all, in a sense that many freeloaders come by and take pictures and videos. Some linger considerable time – especially an Asians . I did ask one of them, who posed, changed head gears, sun glasses … “did you take may good picture? Not ordering any drinks?”
A young man in the group caught up quickly, “does that bother you?”
No it doesn’t. Why do I refuse a freak show?


Feb 12 2024

Diabo Beach


State of Rio de Janeiro

Praia do Diabo is a small beach, near the southern end of Copacabana Beach, or the Copacabana Fort. A stone throw away, however, the water is colder.

… more pix n videos on Google Maps

We went there from Garota de Ipanema, and Arpoador is to the southern tip, or at the bottom of the V. Monday is their holiday, at 5pm, it’s still packed solid.

We dip into the water and left, to Cafe 18 do Fort.


Feb 12 2024

Chon Kou 中国餐馆


Av. Atlântica, 3880 – Copacabana
Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 22070-002, Brazil

Will return.

… more pix on Google Maps, Yelp & TA

How did we end up here: we planed to have lunch at Emile. Google shows it opens 24/7 but when we got there at 2:50 – spent too much time at the top – Sugarloaf and Praia Vermelha. They said come back at 7.

So we walked toward south a few steps and saw a Spanish and Chinese restaurants. We picked the Spanish, oh how I would love to have paella. But the young maid said to me in a low voice: “just you know this is a Spanish, the Chinese is next door.”
So here we’re, the unwanted guests -:)

The location is excellent, on the second floor, looking out to the Copacabana Beach. A silver of Hotel Emile can be spotted from the windows.

The decor is 1972, the year they started in business.

The service is good, other than messed up order. My best guess is the language barrier – me not speaking Portuguese. Does Irene speak anything at all? Not really -:( …

We’ve pickled cucumbers, mapo tofu 麻婆豆腐and eggs with tomato 番茄炒鸡蛋. They totally forgot the cucumber and eggs tomatoes became eggs and ham. Their food is so much better than Canton. And this is the only meal that we finished everything, a small feast.

They’re kind enough to charge our phone – thank you.


Feb 12 2024

Café 18 do Forte


6:02pm, Feb 12, 2024

Copacabana Fort – Praça Cel. Eugênio Franco, 1 – Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 22070-020, Brazil

After Diabo beach, we stopped by here, one of two cafes inside the Fort. We’ve lunch at Colombo, and chose to have drinks here.

… more pix on Google Maps

It was sunset time. The copacabana Beach looks much calmer. We didn’t stay long because I wanted to do the paddle boarding – which I did.

The red wine came with corks and they poured me another glass. They were also very kind to lent me the charging box to refuel my phone.

Thanks.


Feb 12 2024

MDN Tabacaria


… so you know I don’t smoke

Av. Nossa Sra. de Copacabana, 314 A – Copacabana,
Rio de Janeiro – RJ, 22020-001, Brazil

Def will return.

… more pix and videos on Google Maps

What a send off for us.

The cigar bar is a bit trashy (bright light, tile floor, the noise …) but is the best thing In Copacabana neighborhood, from the staff to the customers. We really enjoyed our last night in Rio, thank you.

Copacabana Palace supposedly their best hotel but the hotel itself seems could use some TLC – a lot of it, and the neighborhood feels New York 23rd Street. Buildings around the CP look shabby.

When we came to this cigar lounge, we were overjoyed. So we decided to spend last night here.

We were out the whole day and phone battery charger was long gone. They were kind enough to charge my phone – so we can Uber home.

The young guy who served the humidor is handsome and polite. The young lady at the bar makes the best Tanqueray and Tonic: she added peppercorns!

A regular, who said he’s of Lebanese descent was helping us with translation, and let me try his hoka, which is also becoming more popular in Rio. The lounge serves decent food – from the food he ordered.

The one last round of drink, to send us off. I couldn’t drink any more, only tried a little – it was yummy. No I don’t remember it’s name

As the night going deep, the noisy level increased. By then we were ready to leave. It was just a relaxed night and thank you all for your hospitality.