Cuidade Maravilhosa, as it is referred to by many Brazilians, is truly the most remarkable city I have ever visited. The well-deserved moniker stems from the incredible diversity of attractions and events, as well as the beautiful landscapes in every direction.

To understand what makes Rio such an awe-inspiring place, it needs to be looked at as you would an artist’s canvas. The sun, sea and parties paint a bright and vibrant picture. Alone, this makes for a great image, but to appreciate the city in a way it deserves, you cannot ignore the dark hues that cloud around the edges and streak through the painting, like veins through a human body.

The city is filled with areas that are not safe to walk alone, even in the day time. The favelas vary in levels of danger, but none would be considered a smart choice to enter. The poverty here is very real and there are many reports of tourists accidentally entering the wrong territory, with it being the last accident they ever make.

Follow the rules

But with this danger is a charm that is unique to Rio. There are rules. If you follow the rules, you will get along fine. If you don’t, you may struggle.

One rule I’ve found is just use Uber. It’s the cheapest method of transport, less hassle than taxis, and there is no confusion over payment at the end.

Upon arriving at the airport, I hopped in a taxi after agreeing a fee. When we arrived, this fee had now been changed to almost double. The driver grabbed my bag and I had a bit of a scramble with him. In the midst of all this, I dug into my pocket and grabbed a couple of 2BR notes from my pocket (the equivalent to about 80p) and chucked them onto his lap. In his hesitation over grabbing the notes or continuing to wrestle me, I kicked the door open and jumped out. I didn’t look back.

Since then, I’ve used Uber wherever possible. It’s not an infallible system, but it works and is relatively safe and inexpensive.
Hot edit: I’ve since been informed by a friend of mine that our Uber back from Lapa, on a Friday night, cost about £40. So maybe not inexpensive after all…

More than just a place to rest

I stayed at Che Lagarto Hostel in Ipanema. The location is ideal. A few minutes from the beach and in a good area of the city. The rooms are basic, but nothing less than expected. The staff are as friendly as you could ever want. I actually joined one staff member on a trip to the gym, where he regaled stories from his time in Rio, including some sexual encounters that I will not type out for everyone’s sake.

The hostel has been packed every night with a mix of nationalities. French, Irish, Chilean, Brazilian, but mostly Argentinians who are coming across for their summer holidays, in the same way British people use Ibiza. As the whitest guy, with the smallest grasp of Spanish in the hostel, I have been referred to as Gringo for ease.

There has been some interesting nights and a few mishaps. Two people have fallen off top bunks, in separate incidents, and needed hospital treatment. Being in a top bunk myself, I’ve been sweating nervously that my time may be about to come.

Maybe as an offering to the hostel gods, I’ve managed to smash my phone on the cobbled streets outside while drinking. Hopefully, this satiates their thirst for faces hitting tile.

My little first aid kit has been used a few times already and I haven’t even left the first city on my travels.

Feeling hungry?

Some of the food and drink experiences I have had out here have been nothing short of perfect. Carpaccios, empanadas, caipirinhas, picanha steak, truffled fries, dumplings: it’s all been wonderful.

The only disappointing experience with food was when trying the traditional feijoada, a pork and black bean stew dish. The dish was fine, except for the ‘meat’. A friend and I spent far too long trying to work out what the meat was. Suggestions of tail, neck and eyeballs all came out, but we never found out. It was extremely fatty, but there didn’t seem to be much actual meat and some of the cuts were suspiciously shaped. We did our best but could not finish it.

Aside from that, I cannot speak highly enough of the food. Everything has been of a high quality and freshly made. From high end restaurants to street vendors, there is a great array of choices for everyone. My personal favourite spot, although expensive, was ViaSete, a modern restaurant not far from the hostel.

In terms of drinks, the caipirinha reigns supreme. A delightful cocktail that is traditionally made with cachaça and offers the necessary refreshment for a hot summer day.

I’ve had several varieties, including a cashew caipi, a passion fruit caipi, and a ginger, honey and black pepper caipi. Honestly, the traditional lime caipi is still the best, but it would be criminal not to try a few different types.

The local beer is quite dry and lacks real flavour, but it’s good if you are looking for something to wash down a meal or sip in the sunshine.

Contrasting worlds

A fellow traveller and I visited Lapa at night, to view the world-famous Escadaria Selarón, with the timing being perfect to avoid throngs of tourists. Jorge Selarón’s passion-driven story behind creating these steps shows exactly the spirit that can be found in Rio and it’s a feature that cannot be missed.

Walking up this psychedelic mosaic steps, you can almost forget the dangers of the area. Almost. As the only people on the steps at this time, alarm bells began ringing when we saw two figures shifting up towards you, slowly eyeballing you. Luckily for us, the two figures broke into a U.S.-accented dialogue and we got chatting before parting ways.

Being unaware of the nearby favela, we passed up through the gates at the top of the steps. Immediately, there was an uneasy feeling. The contrast from the dazzling steps as we passed into the grey, murky backstreets of Lapa was ominous. On the steps, the predominant sound is music coming from the bars at the bottom. Through the gates, this music is lost and instead the sound of waste pickers dragging bags along behind them can be heard, with the distinctive clink of aluminium cans. The homeless line the streets, sleeping under blankets and archways. We continued to walk, curiosity driving us forward and eventually came to an Irish pub — not a place I expected to visit.

It had just opened for the evening and the two ladies inside, the manager and another employee, were so hospitable. They invited us in, explained a bit about the area, and sat with us as we had a drink. Their main advice: go back to the steps and go back to Lapa’s main street. This backstreet was not safe for us to be walking down. Despite all this, it was a great opportunity to meet some locals and get to know a bit more about the darker side of Rio.

The next time I experienced Lapa was also at night. I went in with some Chilean friends on a Friday night. Lapa on a Friday night is carnage. Once again, follow the rules. Don’t leave the main strip and do not pass the arches.

Having realised that the friends I was with had different plans to me, I left the bar they were in and went in search of some other people I knew. Needle in a haystack is an understatement. Imagine walking through crowded streets, having finished a few caipis already, in an unknown place, searching for people that you met once or twice and can’t remember the names of.

Luckily I had a couple of numbers, but in my search I wandered past the arches. As a true gringo out here, I stood out like a sore thumb. I had eyes on me and rushed through the streets to get back ‘onside’.

After a sketchy few minutes, I made it back through the arches and eventually found the people I was looking for. A crazy night of samba and MPB (música popular brasileira) ensued at Leviano Bar – a fantastic bar/club with the atmosphere expected of Rio’s nightlife.

And there’s some quite okay sights…

Cristo Redentor was special. The queues up slippery stone steps were tiresome and the weather wasn’t the best to take photos of the landscape, but there is a powerful aura that surrounds the big man and it creates a fervour across the crowds.

I don’t consider myself religious, but I was raised Catholic and enjoy visiting religious sites in my travels. This is one of the more impressive sites and quite rightly a modern Wonder of the World. It isn’t just something to visit. The statue overlooks the entirety of Rio. You can see it from various places, giving a divine presence to the backdrop of many photos.

If you do visit, make sure you run around the back of the statue. An intimate little church is embedded in the plinth that he stands upon and most tourists miss this, unaware of its existence.

The botanical gardens were a big favourite of mine too. The fauna and the serene atmosphere took the edge off a strong hangover and not even heavy rain could dampen the experience. The variety of art, statues and wildlife meant we stayed for several hours, trying to see every corner of the park.

I didn’t visit Sugarloaf mountain, but I may sneak back to Rio before leaving South America because it was recommended by everyone who went.

Obrigado, Rio

All in all, Rio de Janeiro was unforgettable. A first stop in my journey but I will be visiting again. If that’s in a few months, or a few years, it doesn’t matter, but it combines scenic landscapes with a sprawling metropolis and the whole city breathes South American soul. A marvellous city indeed.