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AN OPEN LOVE LETTER TO RIO DE JANEIRO

Julette Alon
Nov 23, 2015
7 min read

Dear Rio de Janeiro,

It's been a year since I traveled to my dream continent, South America, and yet the feelings I felt when I first set foot on this incredibly diverse part of the world are still as fresh to me as they were on day one. You will forever be on the top of my travel list as one of the most amazing places on earth. It took me a while to get to you - crisscrossing parts of the globe first before finally setting foot in my #1 destination. You made the 31-hour flight to this part of the world bearable. My excitement was palpable.

Like all great love affairs, the wait was all worth it. And like all great loves, oh how I love thee! Let me count the ways ....

The Marchesa Travels: Solo Female Flashpacking Adventures

ABOVE: Giddy with happiness at finally setting foot in my top destination :-). BELOW: Whatta view, right?!

1. CRISTO REDENTOR. I remember feeling incredibly excited to finally see your world-famous icon - the one landmark that represented you if you could only use one image. The waiting time to get in is infamous, but nothing could deter us from visiting it. Not the stifling Brazilian heat nor the hordes of travelers and locals like who all wanted a peek at the welcoming Christ statue standing atop the equally-renowned Corcovado Mountain. It's a spectacle to see it up close and personal! Seeing it was like an affirmation of why I want to travel to as many places as possible in this lifetime - to continue feeling that AWE and WONDER at the world. Travel is almost like a spritual experience for me and you, Rio, reignited my love for everything that's beautiful in this world.

2. PÃO DE AÇÚCAR. No wonder you call this SugarLoaf Mountain - I mean... after riding in the cable cars, the panoramic views that awaited the patient traveler were pretty sweet! I guess this sight was relatively easy to experience vs. Cristo Redentor - not much of a queue when we were there, so that was a relief. Your iconic cable cars took us on a scenic ride to the top after a few minutes of ascending a dizzying height and that further heightened my anticipation. I like my great loves like that: quiet and unassumming, waiting patiently. I can be a jealous lover at times, but I didn't mind sharing your views with everyone else. Too beautiful not to share! No wonder many travelers consider you as one of their all-time favorite destinations: the views alone are worth the jaunt to this part of the world!

Cityscape punctuated with mountains, beaches, and cable cars

The Botafogo from atop Sugarloaf Mountain: Christ the Redeemer is at the far left, covered in fog.

3. ESCADARIA SELARON. See, I'm not the only one who has fallen in love with you. These wildly colorful Selaron steps are a testament to how loveable you are! Chilean artist Jorge Selaron's labor of love for Brazil since 1990 till his death in 2013: 250 steps, 2,000 tiles from over 60 countries! The explosion of colors was titillating - truly an amazing feat of human artistry! I represents an aspect of carioca culture that permeates your every nook & crany, Rio: multi-cultural, colorful, and wildly fascinating! Regardless of the fact that your famous landmark is also home to several homeless locals (sad reality in cities everywhere, you see), visiting it was worth it to pay respect to Selaron's intense love for your cariocas.

This national landmark also plays host to many of Rio's homeless

4. ARPOADOR. Have I ever told you how pretty your beaches are? Oh, several times? Did I tell you how much I loved my afternoon on this city surf spot that divides Ipanema and Copacabana? It's the must-go to place for your best sunsets, Rio! Your stunning sunset reminded me that this universe's grand architect has a thing for beauty. Coming to this spot made me fall in love with you even more. The scene, when the sun casts golden embers across your famous shorelines, is enough to make an adult woman weep in happiness at all. that. beauty. ;-) Locals who were watching the sunset with me mentioned that it gets them every. single. time. See, Rio, you have that effect on travelers and locals alike.

I mean.... no words. No words at all.

5. JARDIM BOTANICO. Who knew that taking public transportation in your streets would deepen my love for you, Rio? Sure, many have warned me about the dangers of your streets and highways - especially to non-locals like me, but riding the bus to and from one of your lush gardens provided me with a better insight of how cariocas lived every day. I realized that you and my home country, the Philippines, are similar in so many ways. Many travelers skip your parks, but I found it to be fascinating and beautiful, too. Jardim Botanico was a far cry from the hustle & bustle of Copacabana and Ipanema - I found in you, a peaceful enclave, a respite from the big, bad, busy city. It was easy for me to lose myself in your serene side, a side not most people see. It's really true what they say that when you love someone, you'd be willing to go to places most people wouldn't go to.

Catch me if you can! Literally getting lost in the midst of these massive pond plants! ;-)

6. SAO CONRADO HANG GLIDING. l also saw your wild side, Rio. And let's just say, it was one hell of a ride! Another goal ticked off my ever-expanding list. Seeing your coastlines and hillsides from above was one of my best times with you. The views when we hang-glided off Sao Conrado were just sublime - I felt free as a bird, no matter how cliche that sounds. The way you were showing off that day, Rio, I'd think you were jealous that I thought my tandem pilot was charming! ;-) Don't worry, he doesn't hold a candle to you!

See how deliriously happy I am to see you from above, Rio? :-)

7. FAVELA ROCINHA. Like all great loves, I saw your not-so rosy side, too, Rio. But that's ok, because love is an acceptance of everything, right? Both the good and the bad, the pretty and the ugly sides. See how much I love you, Rio? I spent my actual birthday inside this labyrinth and certainly made it one for the books. All I knew about your favelas were from the movie, Cidade de Deus. That day, I got the chance to explore Rocinha, one of your biggest pacified favelas (slums). Despite squalid conditions and the occasional fireworks / gunshots from another favela (harsh reality, unfortunately), this thriving microcosm of Brazilian society is so alive: samba music & laughter of kids everywhere! It was a humbling and eye-opening experience: living proof that underneath all the glitz and glamor that you are also known for, a certain level of squalor exists alongside it. The real you is not Ipanema or Copacabana - the real you exists high up on the hills and shows everyone the glaring disparity between the rich and the poor (according to economists, 95% of your favela population lives way below the poverty line). One of our guides told us that it's easy to spot the poor - just look up from the beach and you'll find them. Experiencing Rocinha myself, no matter how quick, I still sensed that indomitable human spirit all around: even in the toughest of times, cariocas will always find a way to laugh - or in your case, dance. Because dance is LIFE for the cariocas.

8. CARIOCAS. One of the best things about you, Rio, are your locals! Their colorful way of life is a heady mix of their intense love for music and dance, their fervent obsession with the samba, their resilience in the midst of poverty, their lovely smiles even in the most desperate situations, their nonchalant confidence on the beach that makes them oh-so-sexy, and their overall intensity that's both intimidating yet wildly attractive! I wanted (and still want!) to be a carioca; so much so I read and took to heart Priscilla Ann Goslin's advice in her book, "How to be a Carioca" - you know, if only to be a part of your life in a deeper way.

Oh those carioca smiles!

9. GAROTA DE IPANEMA. You make it hard to miss this iconic restaurant: Antonio Carlos Jobim memorabilia! "Girl from Ipanema" song sheets! Mouth-watering beef parillas! Refreshing Caipirinhas! Enough to make even the most jaded traveler visit this yes, touristy - but also, very historical cafe. Like my obsession for Amelie in Paris, I just had to make a beeline for this restaurant, have lunch there, and revel in its colorful history (don't worry about my obsession for Amelie, Rio, everything about you is tops in my books!).

10. PRAIA IPANEMA. Undoubtedly, the sexiest beach in the world. There's something about it that makes me think of sex, samba, and sultry people. Maybe it's the fiery weather that fires up every sunseeker's body, or the sight of waves upon waves of beautiful cariocas playing on its golden sands.... Or maybe it's just the cachaca from all the glasses of caipirinha I consumed that played with my logic and emotions. ;-) Whatever it was, Ipanema Beach is a personal favorite. Don't ever change, Ipanema.

Overdosing on Caipirinhas at my fabulous hotel, the Cesar Park Ipanema, fronting the iconic Ipanema Beach!

I don't question why many call you Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvelous City): it was the most intoxicating experience to be able to spend my birthday with you, a legend of a city if there ever was one in this part of the world. To quote Beyonce (because Queen Bey is never wrong!), it was like being drunk in love with you. ;-) Whenever I meet someone now who was able to know you intimately, I immediately ask them when the exact moment they fell truly, madly, deeply, head-over-heels in love with you, Rio. For me, it was during my first bus ride through the city, when I first saw your glittering seas and hills. Visiting you was truly a dream come true.