09 Jun RIO DE JANEIRO – 7 JUNE 2019 – I AM FAMILY IN RIO

I think Rio is one of the most beautiful cities in the world. 

You could not possibly not fall in love with Rio. When you watch it from above from Dona Marta observatory, you find yourself smiling just like when you were stupidly falling in love. 

We woke up as we went to bed, in sounds of waves and plastic chairs. In the evening they put them away, in the morning they put them back, every time with noise. The chairs of the side-of-the-road vendors, I mean, the waves come and go without a boss. 

We didn’t put up our kitchen, we went for breakfast like some wealthy retirees, at a chic coffee shop. 

I said it before that we may sleep in a car, but we have a big courtyard, we live downtown and we feast like kings. On our way back we stopped at Sugar Loaf to ask about tickets. 

A nice guy approached us and proposed a wonderful deal. 

He said he would take us with his new car to the statue of Christ the Redeemer, stop us on the way at the Dona Marta observatory, we would go through the old neighborhood of Santa Teresa, then the Cathedral of Rio, we would walk down the 215 ceramic-paved steps of the Chilean Selaron and dine in favela Cerro Corá in the house of a friend of his. 

And all these for no more than $50. 

He made sure we understood the price didn’t include the entrance fee at the statue and the price of the dinner. 

You know what, I couldn’t say no. 

We rushed to feed the animals and then lock them in the car placed strategically in the shade and then we left with Mr. Nilton. 

I won’t say anything more because the pictures will speak for themselves. 

The nasty thing at the tourist attractions are the selfie sticks, so many of them. 

It looks like a swords fight in front of Jesus Christ who, with arms wide open, seems to say “Relax, people, I am here and have no plans to leave!”.

What many don’t know about the statue of Christ the Redeemer, is that his head was drawn and sculpted by the Romanian sculptor Gheorghe Leonida. 

I bet you didn’t know that!

The meal prepared by Juliana and the atmosphere in her house exceeded our expectations by far. 

The meal consisted of French fries, rice, feijoada, fish moqueca, grilled chicken, fried and scrambled eggs, farofa and tapioca gnocchi with tomato and cheese sauce. 

A feast for only $3 a person. 

We ate as if it was our first meal since the Romanian revolution in 1989, that’s how much we liked it. 

After 5 hours of wandering Mr Nilton took us home. 

The pets were waiting peacefully sleeping. 

We set them free and left for the beach. 

Followed by them!

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CU FAMILIA IN RIO

Rio cred ca este unul dintre cele mai frumoase orase din lume. 

Nu, n-ai cum sa nu te indragostesti de Rio, n-ai cum! Pai cand te uiti la el de sus de la observatorul Dona Marta, te trezesti ca zambesti a prost de o juma’ de ora, cam ca atunci cand esti indragostit lulea. 

Ne-am trezit cum ne-am culcat, cu zgomot de valuri si scaune de plastic. Seara se strang, dimineata se aseaza din nou, cu zgomot de fiecare data.  

La scaunele vanzatorilor ambulanti ma refer, valurile vin si pleaca fara patron. 

N-am deschis bucataria proprie si am plecat cu totii sa dejunam ca pensionarii bogati, la o cafenea chic. 

Am mai zis eu ca dormim prin parcari si in masina dar avem o curte mare, stam in centru si mancam ca regii. 

Inspre casa, am trecut pe la muntele Paine de Zahar, sa vedem care-i treaba cu biletele de teleferic. 

Un nene dragut ne-a acostat si ne-a propus cea mai buna afacere. El a zis ca ne duce cu masina lui noua, la statuia lui Cristos Mantuitorul, ne opreste in drum la observatorul Dona Marta, vom trece si prin vechiul cartier Santa Teresa, vom continua cu catedrala din Rio, vom cobora cele 215 trepte de ceramica ale Chilialunui Selaron si vom incheia cu o cina in favela Cerro Corá in casa unui prieten de-al lui. 

Toate astea pentru nu mai mult nici mai putin de 50$. 

Precizeaza nenea Nilton ca pretul nu include intrarea la Cristos si nici masa din favela. 

Stiti ceva, n-am putut ca sa-l refuz. 

Am fugit sa dam de mancare la animale dupa care sa le inchidem in masina pusa strategic la umbra, dupa care sa dam bice cailor putere lui nenea Nilton. 

Nu mai zic nimic pentru ca pozele vorbeste!

Ce-i nasol la obiectivele turistice sunt selfie-stick-urile, extrem de multe. 

De departe pare o lupta de capa si spada in fata lui Cristos, care cu mainile-i intinse parca spune: “Calmati-va oameni buni, nu plec de aici!”

Ce nu stiu multi despre statuia lui Cristos din Rio este faptul ca, capul a fost desenat si sculptat de sculptorul roman Gheorghe Leonida. 

Pun pariu ca nu stiati! 

Mancarea facuta de Juliana si atmosfera din casa ei, ne-a depasit cu mult asteptarile. Ce ne-a pus pe masa au fost: cartofi pai, orez, feijoada, moqueca de peste, piept de pui la gratar, oua prajite si omleta, farofa si gnochi de manioca cu sos de rosi si branza. 

Un festin, totul pentru numai 3$ de persoana. 

Am mancat de parca nu vazusem mancare de la Revolutia Romana din ’89, asa mult ne-a placut. 

Dupa 5 ore de plimbari, nenea Nilton ne-a lasat acasa. 

Animalele ne asteptau dormind, inchise. 

Le-am eliberat si am fugit pe plaja. 

Ne-au urmat!