I woke up much like I had when I was on my way to Cusco, still traveling. Needless to say, neither of us slept very well with the noise and the constant motion of the bus. But that was OK. On the road, we stopped at an American-themed rest stop, which I found both amazing and hilarious. They had all the postcard scenes across the country like the Statue of Liberty and the Grand Canyon. It made my patriotic heart swell with pride. But the most important thing this place had was coffee. A and I got big cups each, then headed back to the bus.
We watched Once Upon A Time in Hollywood as the landscape of Brazil passed outside our window. A few hours later, we arrived at the central bus station of Rio de Janeiro. We got our bags, then got an Uber over to our hostel. It was here that A brought something to my attention. I had my phone out on my lap and she suggested I put it away. It had never occured to me that someone might stop the driver or break a window at a stoplight, put a gun in my face and take my phone. It was a good lesson she taught me, being the victim of a violent robbery herself years before in Peru when someone put a gun to her side at a crosswalk and demanded her backpack.
We continued on the highway towards our hostel which was on the edge of town. Rio was incredibly impressive. It reminded me a lot of Hong Kong, where the urban planners seemed to accentuate the natural beauty of the surroundings. The highway on which we traveled even went through a giant boulder.
We arrived at the hostel, which was just up a small hill from the beach. We went inside and it was an absolutely gorgeous house that, like the rest of the city, melded with the landscape. The entrance of the house lead to a small corridor that went downhill, then a sharp right led to the first guest room. There was another long corridor with windows that looked out at a small garden, also going down hill to the other rooms. This then lead out to a courtyard next to an open kitchen and a patio. One more section down was the pool. This place was the absolute most gorgeous building I had stayed in on my voyage. The proprieter Stanislav, Stan for short, showed us our room. It was up a flight of stairs and had glass doors that looked out to the courtyard and pool. It was Brazillian hardwood floors and very tastefully decorated. Most importantly, there was a queen size bed.
A and I dropped our things, headed back down the hill to a supermarket we saw coming in, and bought some dinner and some wine. Then we came back and had a little feast. We went to bed soon after.
The next day, we got up and A made breakfast. As we were sitting there, Stan came over and joined us. I told him how much I loved his place. He was very appreciative. He asked me my line of work and I told him webdesign and digital marketing. His face lit up. He wanted me to look at a few ideas of his, promoting eco-tourism in Brazil. It was a good coversation.
Since we were in Rio and planned to go to the beach, A needed to take care of a few lady grooming issues. We found a place close to the beach and as she was having a spa day, I sat at a bar and had some drinks. It took about an hour and then she came and joined me.
After that, we headed to another beach bar where we got some cheese fries and a few more caparinhas. It was a busy bar and they had live music. It was just a careless midsummer day in Rio. I loved it.
After that we headed back to the hostel to rest up, change and head to the Lapa district. Lapa was like the French Quarter of Rio. There were a lot of bars, restaurants, and clubs. I called an Uber and it took about an hour to get there because Beyonce was in town and the traffic was nuts.
We arrive in Lapa, A was wearing a tight red dress and makeup, and was turning a few heads walking arm in arm with this gringo. We stopped at a bar on the corner where we got a beer and talked about what we wanted to do. We decided that to see everything, we would stop at several street carts for food and drinks. It was fantastic. We got some meat on a stick, some beer, and of course some caparinhas of varying varieties.
A wanted to dance, so we headed to a Samba club. One of the things I enjoyed very much about our relationship was that A and my personalities complimented each other’s well. I was a natural introvert and she was an natural extrovert. By the time we danced and moved outside to cool down a little, she garnered us an invite to join someone’s birthday party and they gave us some cake. It was lovely.
Now, South America has some pretty interesting habits when it comes to a night out. Here at this bar, they do not like the idea of money changing hands with bar tenders for some reason, much like in Argentina. Maybe it is because of the sticky fingers or just a better way of accounting, but one does not give money to the person who makes your drink. At this bar, they gave us a little card. When you ordered a drink, they took the number of the card, then made a tab. At the end of the night, they took your card and you paid the tab to the accountants in the back. Very strange. We danced with people, drank, danced more, drank more, then noticed it was 3 in the morning. We decided to call it a night.
Given my stature and experience with booze, I admit I was a little buzzed while A was completely hammered. We got an Uber and we were able to get home in 20 minutes. I helped get A to bed after we arrived.
The next day was a bit of a recovery day for both of us. We woke up late, found a convenience store closer to us and bought some sports drinks to help rehydrate. A made us lunch and then we headed down to the beach at the end of our street for the afternoon. We were feeling better, so we had a few drinks, came back up to the hostel, where she made dinner. We took a swim, then showered, then I did some work.
The next day, we headed to do a walking tour of downtown Rio. Unfortunately, A’s business superceeded the tour. Apparently, a lot had transpired in Peru before she joined me in Brazil. So had sold a lot of things, quit her job, broke her lease, and gave her dog away to a family. This business was in regards to the lease. Apparently, the uncool roommate, who we lovingly referred to as Cuntface, decided to use her skills as a social media coordinator to do a character assassination on A. Apparently, I was brought up as an impeachment of her character because I was white. Which I thought very odd. Anyway, A got a lawyer involved because this would affect her career. So, she made a cease and disist order which was in the process of being served when she came to Brazil. So, she needed to print out letters and send them back to Peru so her lawyer could serve the papers. Believe it or not, it took an incredibly long time in the middle of the financial district of Rio to find a place that could print a few documents.
Having missed the tour, we decided to go have a late lunch at a restaurant called Galeto Sat’s. It was considered am instatution in Copacabana and was of course introduced to me by Anthony Bourdain. I got half a chichen which was absolutely amazing. We walked around Copacabana and decided to try to make it a twofer for my Anthony list. We order no less than six Ubers before one finally decided to pick us up and take us to Barraca do Uruguai in Ipanema, the only food tent on the beach that serves Uruguyanan asado sandwiches. Unfortunately, it was closed due to the threat of rain.
Dejected, we consoled ourselves with going to the rooftop bar of Praia Ipanema Hotel where we had a drink, looked at the beautiful scenery, and then headed home. The next day was going to be a very early one.
We had decided that we were going to travel around the States together for a few months at the end of February. The plan was for A to go stay with a cousin in Miami to make some money, then I would join her after the full year of travel was complete, February 21st. To do this, A needed to renew her visa. Given the interesting relationship between the United States and Peru, with the nature of Narco-Trafficking and a history of communist terrorism, there were a whole lot of hoops that a Peruvian needed to jump through in order to get a visa. This included getting biometrically scanned and ID’s at a US Government office. There was one in Rio, so we made an appoitment and headed out early the next day.
It was here that when we arrived, she needed to get some more paperwork printed as they would not accept electronic copies. We searched for a place, then noticed right next door there was a guy offering print jobs for $10. Very pricey for just 3 pages, but the demand was inelastic. I was not allowed to come inside for her appointment, even though I was an American citizen, so I just hung out outside, looking up at Christ the Redeemer.
About an hour later, she came out, smile on her face. I knew the task had been completed. We got some breakfast, then decided what to do with the rest of the day. Since the weather looked OK, I pointed up to Christ. She noded and we headed to the jump off point.
Christ the Redeemer or in Portuguese Christo El Reventor is a statue that lords over all of Rio. It is on a mountain and stands over 100 ft high. It was installed between 1922 and 1931 and was really a work of many nations as French, Romanian, and of course Brazlian sculptors and engineers helped with its construction. The original design was to have a globe in one hand and a cross in the other, but at some point it was decided that Christ’s arms would just be outstretched serving as waiting for one to embrace him. It became not just a symbol of Rio, but of Brazil and claimed to be one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.
We bought our tickets, then had to take two vans to get to the top. Up the winding road, I threw on my iPod and listened to Kyrie by Mister Mr. I thought it appropriate. We arrived at the top and to my surprise, they had wifi. In the throng of people there, I tried to call my family, but sadly no one was available. The view from up there was utterly and absolutely amazing. It was a 360 degree view of Rio. There were even hangliders flying around. It was an incredibly sureal moment to be standing there, just like I had felt at the other wonders of the world I had seen so far. Believe it or not, there was even a small chapel at the base of the platform where Christ stood. I took a seat and just listened to the choral music playing while A walked around outside.
We had our fill of the wonder, then headed back back to Ipanema to try Barraca do Uruguai again. Again, it was closed. So, we just got some caparinhnas on the beach. Maybe it was the three strong caparhinas, maybe it was the sea air, maybe it was the way she looked at me and to me at this particular moment, maybe it was my being lost in thought about our time together, our times together, or an amalgm of all of these, but I told A that I loved her; a statement that I do not make lightly. She leaned in and kissed me. We kissed for a while. We got another round of caparinhas, walked arm in arm and danced when a street vendor played Sade’s No Ordinary Love, then caught an Uber back to the hostel.
The next day was another Admin Day as A needed to drop off her passport to be processed to get stamped to allow her entry to the US for the next 10 years. Again, I was not allowed to join her and no phones were allowed. A being A, she made a friend in line, Philip a Brazilian that asked if I could hold his phone. I agreed then headed to a coffee shop. I got a coffee, a pastry, then just kind of waited. A and Philip came back out and he wanted to buy us a coffee and some Brazilian Cheesy bred as a thank you. He was very nice.
Due to the fact we were so close, we headed to another Rio landmark, the Escadaria Selarón. This started in 1990 as a Chilean born, Jorge Selarón artist got tired of dilapidated steps outside of where he lived. So he began fixing and beautifying them by adding different tiles consisting of green, yellow, and blue colors representing the Brazilian flag. At first he was mocked by his neighbors for his efforts, but he found inspiration in it to the point of obsession. He began selling his art as a way to raise funds for his work. It was not long before it became a local hotspot, then a tourist attraction. People began adding their own tiles to the walls and pretty soon the steps were bursting with art, artists, and people. I first saw them when I watched Snoop Dogg and Pharell’s Beatiful music video.
We then headed back to our place as A was not feeling that well. She cooked us lunch, then we took a nap. After, we took a little swim in the pool. She was not feeling well still, so we went out and got some soup for her for dinner and some of my off brand Nyquil. She passed right out. I finished up my work and headed to bed soon after.
The next day, we packed up and headed from Stan’s wonderful hostel. Both he and we were very sad to go. It really was the most beautiful place I had stayed on my journey. A and I had some time to kill while we waited for her passport to be processed. She was also quite the social media maven and wanted to travel to a small beach town outside of Rio for a few days. A and I then headed to the bus station, the same that we entered the city to grab a bus.
After a quick three-hour ride, We arrived at the Arrial do Cabo bus station. It was evening and we trekked through the very small town to our hostel for the next few days. We arrived, were shown our room, a 12-topper comprised of four three-decker bunk beds, dropped off our things, and headed out.
Arrial do Cabo was a small town, but it was big on partying. They had party buses driving the streets, lots of bars spilling over, and many streetside restaurants. We found our way to a road that ran along the beach that had many bars and even a streetside Discoteca. We were very thirsty, so I sent A to talk to the bartender. He was very nice and since we were also very nice, he let me pour my own caipirinha. I tipped him 20 Reales (about $5) and he had no idea why I was giving him extra cash. I had A explain I was thanking him.
We drank and talked on the beach and started playing around, knocking each other into the sand. It was then a young woman came in from the beach and asked A if she was OK. In Portuguese, she said she was fine and that she and I, her boyfriend, were just playing. The woman nodded and walked off, watching us both as she went. I asked A what that was about. She said that given where we were, it was dark, and people were drinking, she would have not been surprised if this were a possibly date-rape spot. She said that even in fun places in South America, there is the potential for violence everywhere and that this woman just wanted to make sure she was OK. Again, as a man, this is something I never had to think about.
We headed back to the hostel thoroughly lubricated, got very sleepy in our empty room, and quickly went to bed.
I slept poorly, but that was OK as we did not have a lot planned for the day. We had the complimentary breakfast then headed out to the beach. Sadly, there was no sun, but plenty of rain and wind, so we headed back. A made us lunch, then we chilled. After the storm had passed, we grabbed some beers and walked around. It was night time and we were tired, so we both climbed into my bed on the floor and watched the utterly awful Squadron 6. We then headed to bed.
The next day, each of us got some bad news. Unfortunately, the phone company still had not fixed the issue I had with my number account being charged. A found out that her cousin could not work his magic on Cuntface’s cease and desist. She didn’t know what to do and had already incurred some debt trying to sue her. I offered to pay her legal fees of $300. She immediately perked up and kissed me. It was a good feeling to be able to help her. We then went to the beach.
It was crowded, but lovely. One of the interesting things about beaches in Brazil are the vendors. Having gone to the Jersey Shore more often then I would like to admit growing up, I knew all about the vendors of ice cream and cold drinks. However, Brazil kicked it up a few notches. Their vendors offered more than just sweet treats. Some walked around with hand held ovens offering fried cheese sticks. Some walked around with mini-bars offering caparinhas. Some walked around with different wares to sell like tshirts and hammocks. I am certain had be waited longer, someone would have walked by offering used car parts or health insurance.
We walked back to the hostel, cleaned up, and went to dinner. We came home and wen to bed.
The next day, I woke with the hot sun in my face, covered in sweat with the neighbor across the street banging on his car at 8 in the morning. A and I had breakfast. She then booked her tickets to fly to Miami. I had decided that I was not quite ready to go home and wanted to add four more countries to my world tour before I was finally to start a new adventure with A. I booked an insanely expensive ticket (at least more than I was used to) to Quito, Ecuador. I then realized what would the price of the ticket matter in five years.
After our small Admin tasks, we headed out to the beach so we could take some pictures for A to splash all over social media. We then headed home as my thighs were chaffing again like in Croatia. We went to the store to get some things for our journey back to Rio, had dinner, then watch the awfully terrible but strangely appealing White Chicks (A’s favorite movie for some reason) then headed to bed.
The next day we got up, and walked to the incredibly small bus station for our ride to Rio. I told her jokingly that I began questioning our relationship after A’s critique of one of my favorite comedies, Step Brothers. She said that it felt like they were making fun of mentally handicapped people. I said that if stupidity was a mental handicap, then most of the world should be institutionalized. We agreed to disagree.
We got back to the Rio bus station and caught an Uber to our new spot, a condo one block from Copacabana beach. It was a studio, but really all we needed. Since we were hungry, we decided to head back out to Barraca do Uruguai for one final attempt. Our persistence finally paid off. We took a seat at some chairs, had a few caparinhas, and some of the best sandwiches I had ever eaten. It had been a long day so we went back to the apartment and got very sleepy.
The next day, we got up and headed to get A’s newly OK’ed passport. We got some breakfast at a restauant then headed back to the condo and rested while we did a little work. This would be our last day together for a month, so we took the allotted umbrella, beach chairs, and cooler down to the beach where we both got incredibly drunk. At least for me, it was more than usual. We finished up our bottle of Cachaça that we had since Foz, and had between three to six caiparinas each provided by wandering beach barmen.
My memory got very hazy at this point. We packed up the beach and were both hungry so, on our way home, A ran into a McDonalds. While I was standing there, I vaguly understood the plaque etched into the side wall telling me that this was not only the first McDonalds in Brazil, but the first in South America.
We got back to the room and started to eat dinner. Unfortunately, my stomach thought there we already too many residents there and decided to evict them all. It really is an important moment in a relationship when you vomit in front of your significant other. If they are calm and comforting, they are keepers. If not, then it is time to reevaluate. Luckily for me, A was calm and comforting. After I was done painting the bathroom, I cleaned up, and came back out where we started to watch Vikings on the supplied Netflix, but we both soon passed out after.