Friday, November 18, 2022

South America Trip - Day 22

Yesterday’s cold really threw me for a loop… Fortunately, I woke up this morning (0615) fully rested. Not wanting to spend anymore time in my room, I went downstairs early and, when I found the restaurant wasn’t open for breakfast yet, walked a few blocks north to find a pharmacy. I located one (DrogaRaia) that was actually open 24 hours and, after some assistance with Google Translate, bought some Halls cough drops (0650). Back at the hotel, I ate a filling breakfast (eggs, sausages, yogurt, pastries and cheese bread). I felt much better this morning and decided that I would stick to my original plan of visiting Pao de Acucar (Sugarloaf). For the last three days, I’d been attempting to make a ticket purchase (unsuccessfully) on the Parque Bondindo website so figured I would get an early start in case I had problems getting a ride on the gondola lift. My Uber (with Andre, 0750) got me to the park entrance just before 0800, when operations were supposed to begin. However, it soon became clear that the gondolas didn’t start running on Fridays until later - I eventually figured out that the first one departed at 0900. Since I had time to kill, I tried the website again and was actually able to buy a ticket (0820). This proved to be fortuitous, since there were separate queues for people with and without tickets. As a result, I was one of the first people to get into the park when they opened and soon found myself riding a gondola from Praia Vermelha up to Morro da Urca. The views were spectacular and the ride was quick. At the first stop of the journey to the top of Sugarloaf, I explored briefly in the area near the two gondola lift entrances and marveled at several amazing views of Rio. One of the most interesting things I saw was the huge turn that aircraft had to make when taking off from Aeropuerto Santos Dumont - southbound departures had Sugarloaf right on the nose as they got airborne! A little bit later, I walked to the north end of the Morro And boarded the second gondola that would take me the rest of the way to the top of Sugarloaf. On top of the second hill, there was a pleasant breeze and even better views of the surrounding city. There were many shops and bistros there too - I imagine it would be a very nice date to bring someone to the top of Sugarloaf at sunset time and enjoy a caipirinha or other cocktail… Not wanting my visit to end immediately, I took a walk on several different stairways and jungle covered walkways that ringed the Morro. Before long, however, I ran out of things to do and pictures to take so I made my way back to the gondola entrance and returned to Morro da Urca. By this point, it was getting busier and warmer and I was ready to try another activity. One more gondola ride, took me to the base of the entire system, and I was soon standing on the street. Using suggestions from my guidebook, I next explored the area near Praia Vermelha and then walked down the northern side of the Urca waterfront. This side-trip took me on on a route that was directly opposite (across Enseada de Botofogo and Baia de Guanabara) from where I’ve been walking yesterday (Flamengo). After stopping at Igrejs de Nossa Senhora do Brasil and Praia da Urca, I backtracked to Avenida Pasteur and ordered another Uber. My driver (Joao) found me and then made a great move across four lanes of traffic to get us quickly on our way to Jardim Botanico. I arrived at (1135) and (with help) quickly found the ticket booth (1145). A nice lady gave me a detailed map in English and I began to explore the shaded groves and pretty gardens that filled the area within the walls. From several angles, I saw the nearby (as the crow flies) Christ the Redeemer statue. I rested happily on benches, filled up on water from natural fountains, watched monkeys playing and took a break at a little café (1230). By this point, the temperatures had, once again, risen into the high 80s and I had to decide what to do next. Nearby, was the neighborhood of Lagoa - while I’d seen the Lake briefly during an Uber ride yesterday, I hoped to get a closer view. However, my navigation was not quite as good as I would’ve liked, and there were several private properties along the west side of the lake. This meant that I soon found myself, instead, in the neighborhood of Leblon. Figuring I’d probably do better if I just headed straight to the beach, I continued south on Avenida Bartolomeu Mitre. Once I was near the sand (far west side of Leblon-Ipanema, near Posto 11), I found images that were completely different than just a few days before. So many people were on the beach! Of course, there were many bathers but there were also people playing handball and some sort of soccer volleyball. And there were so many pop-up vendors near the people on the sand, selling drinks and snacks and swimwear. I realized at that moment that I was about four miles from my hotel and still had to walk - fully exposed to the sun - a long way. The sun-bronzed and leathered bodies of the Cariocas nearby seemed like a cautionary tale but I kept going. During this phase, I also denied myself several drinks that seemed inviting - I knew that if I sat down I’d never get moving again. Ultimately, I reached Hotel Mercure at around 1420, having walked over 11 miles around the city. I realize it would take weeks of exploring to truly appreciate Rio but it does feel good to have seen glimpses of so much of it! Once again, I rolled into a siesta period, hoping for a second wind to enjoy my last night in Brazil. Today’s rest seemed to go better (no nap needed) and I felt ready to go to dinner by about 1800. I’d seen a burger place to the west called “Bob’s” and decided to check out the Brazilian version of fast food. The evening was already cooler as I walked and, after ordering the “Big Bob” (1815), I sat down to dinner (double patty burger, chicken fries, banana-caramel shake) on their patio. Up until today, I’d been approached by panhandlers only a few times during this trip - most were friendly and smiling. During this meal, however, one came upon me from behind and seemed unwilling to just give up after my first “nao.” I was startled (more than anything else) and was a bit short with him. Afterwards, I walked across Avenida Atlantica and proceeded down to the beach. The sky was clear and I could see all the prominent landmarks for miles in every direction. It didn’t occur to me until later that I should have scanned the southern skies, once more, in search of the elusive Southern Cross… I watched more “Fut-Volei” and handball while dipping my toes once more in the Copacabana surf. Near my hotel, I decided to return to Mar de Copa for one more adult beverage. I’d been seeing people ordering a drink (“coco”) that seemed to be entirely comprised of a giant coconut so I got one too. It turned out to include an almost unlimited amount of coconut milk - tasty and hydrating. After that, I ordered one more caipirinha - it hit the spot! Meanwhile, I watched what appeared to be informal tournaments of the beach sports near the volleyball nets and secretly cheered on the different duos of players in range. By 2000, I was tired and decided to head back to the hotel (2000). At the front door, I encountered a young lady who seemed annoyed (much more than I expected) that I couldn’t respond in Portuguese to whatever she wanted. By her (over)reaction, I can only conclude that I dodged a big bullet in several ways… In my room, I watched movies on my phone until it was time for bed (2300). Last night in Rio…