The average brazilian speaks no english at all, specially the old fish that you want at yhe table. Young guys might scratch some and be very friendly at you. That's what I think is a interesting part of Brazil (specially outside of Rio): we don't have many foreigners living here, so you'll be treated very well and attract attention

Ok looks like I have to come to Rio to grind during these Canadian winter months. If anyone has some infos on apartment rentals in Leblon or Ipanema, or if grinding/travelling there during same mounts please PM!

Bumping old thread.

I visited Barra da Tijuca a couple days ago and on the way back we passed through São Conrado and I noticed there was a favela right next to the metro that looked interested. So I asked my girlfriend if she wanted to visit and she agreed. I left behind my main cell, IDs, and credit cards and the plan was just to pop out of the metro, take a couple pics and then head away from the favela towards the beach.

When you exit the metro there’s a bridge nearby that offers a decent vantage point for pics.

This is the direction towards the beach, and away from the favela:



And here is looking towards the favela:



When we got down off the bridge I was ready to head towards the beach but my gf asked if I wanted to check out the entrance to the favela so I agreed. We walked about 4 or 5 blocks, checked out a mini park, and I snapped a couple pics, but didn’t want to go too crazy.




To be honest, it didn’t look all that different from other lower class areas in Latin America, it was jam packed with stores and restaurants and food stands, there was even a bar that looked pretty awesome and a place I’d grab a drink. My gf and I agreed that it didn’t feel all that unsafe. She grew up in a lower class area of CDMX and I think I’ve been a bit de-sensitized to this type of stuff after almost 3 years in Latin America so it didn’t seem too out of the ordinary for me.

The main thing that is tough to deal with is the constant, non-stop noise. After we left that area it was such a relief to finally be able to hear yourself think again. And obviously the feeling of being crammed in like a sardine with little in the way of the privacy.

After about 20 minutes walking around the favela, we headed back towards the beach. So crazy that in a 10 minute walk you could see it all: favela, walk through a mercado with more middle-class people, and finally arrive to the beach, dotted by upper class luxurious high-rises.

The beach is actually pretty elite and pretty peaceful compared to the nearby touristy places, might be a good spot if you aren’t too put off by a nearby favela. We were rewarded for our trip with a nice sunset:

Very cool stuff

Rio favela adventures part 2.

There’s a 30 minute hiking trail to top of the Dois Irmaõs hills/mtns. But to get there you have to take an Uber to the entrance of Vidigal Favela and then from there take a motorbike thru the favela to the top, where the short trail begins.

Along the way you have a pretty incredible view of Rocinha Favela, then when you reach the peak, some pretty epic views of Leblon and Ipanema Beaches and a large portion of Zona Sul in Rio.





Once we returned to the top of the favela, we were down for a little exploring. The people were ridiculously nice and once again it looked like your typical LatAm lower class barrio. There was even a pretty badass soccer field. We were hungry and grabbed a meal at a touristy club/restaurant that they had set up with a watered down view of what we saw. Looked like a popular spot for upper class Brazilians.

stunning views

If you're a real beach bum check out arraial de cabo

Great thread. Reminds me of flying out to Rio on Christmas Day a few years back to see my brother, who was traveling round the world.

Having my 'Christmas dinner' on the plane wasn't a highlight!



But going from cold, wet, England, to spending Christmas Day on Copacabana beach, where it was too hot to walk on the sand unless it's been hosed down, was incredible (until my pasty ass got cooked in about 5min!)