Off-Track Backpacking » Rio

Read Our Guest Post of The World Reviewer Today!

offtrackbackpacking — Fri, 24 Sep 2010 11:26:30 +0000

My guest post on my hang-gliding experience in Rio last winter was featured on the World Reviewer today. Read all about it here.

Enjoy the weekend!

Samba in Rio

Tanya C — Fri, 05 Feb 2010 08:01:07 +0000

On my first night in Rio, I met 5 friendly Brazilian girls from Porto Alegre in my dorm at the hostel. After chatting for a while, they asked me to join them that night. They were going to Carioca da Gema, a famous Samba club in Lapa (Rio). And so, after meeting up with my friend Eric who I had met in Manaus the previous week, we went to go meet up the girls!

Check out the vibe in Carioca da Gema. I suggest you go there if you’re in Rio. The place was filled with Brazilians.. it was awesome! I feel like dancing everytime I watch it!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RjNbFszwdOk]

Hang-Gliding in Rio

Tanya C — Mon, 25 Jan 2010 08:37:42 +0000

Rio de Janeiro is a city filled with places to see and things to do: ride on the cable car of Pão de Açúcar, watch the sunset from Arpoador, bike-ride around the lagoa, hop on a tram in Santa Teresa, visit the National Park of Tijuca, party in Lapa and of course, sunbathe on the famous beaches of Copacabana, Leme, Ipanema and Leblon. But what better way to experience Rio than from a bird-eye view? This being said, Rio is famous for one activity- an activity called HANG-GLIDING.

Hang-gliding is a sport where a pilot flies an unmotorized aircraft called a hang-glider. The pilot and passenger are both attached to the frame of the hang-glider using a harness.

Hang-gliding is popular in Rio due to the numerous hills surrounding the city. The normal price to hang-glide is R$240. Depending on the conditions, the ride can last anywhere between 10 to 20 minutes. Hang-glides take off from Pedra Bonita, on the edge of Tijuca National Park and 520m above the beach of Sao Conrado. You’ll fly over the forest and ocean as well as alongside the mountains before landing directly on the beach of Sao Conrado.

I think everyone should go hang-gliding when visiting Rio! The scariest part is take-off. You need to wait for the right winds and once they come, you need to run towards the cliff and then fly off! Check it out!

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j5hDT0q_Asw]

And oviously, once you’re up the in the air, the feeling is simply awesome! The view is gorgeous and the feeling of being up there is even better.

Hang-Gliding in Rio

Reveillon 2010 in Rio

Tanya C — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 09:03:10 +0000

As I think back at my 3 weeks in Brasil, I try pinching myself to make sure it wasn’t all a dream. The Amazon, Rio & Bahia, 3 weeks in 3 totally different places… and must I mention that I had the time of my life. It’s hard to believe this trip finally happened, after almost 2 years of waiting. And I can reassure you that I will be returning in the near future.

A special moment during the trip was definitely to spend New Year’s Eve (Reveillon) on Copacabana beach in Rio. But let’s backtrack a little. When I first arrived in Rio after spending a week in the Amazon, I was experiencing culture shock. Going from such a serene and peaceful place like the Amazon and to arrive into a bustling South American big city threw me off track a little. After a few days in Rio, I finally became friends with the people I would share the beginning of 2010 with.

I met Vinnie in the room at the hostel. As a solo American backpacker traveling through South America after spending a few months living in Mexico, we almost instantly became friends. Then, as I returned to my room one afternoon, I met our 3 new friends, Felipe, Pablo and Diego from Argentina. They were on Holidays for 2 weeks in Rio & surroundings. I met another fellow Canadian friend in the hostel named Cam (like the camcorder!) with whom we spent NYE with.

On December 31st, 2009, we woke up disappointed, to rain. We had breakfast and supported each other morally by saying that the rain would not ruin the night we’ve all been waiting for. I spent the early day shopping with Vinnie. We both wanted to buy something white to wear as it’s the traditional way to spend NYE on the beach. White represents peace. We went as far as to buy white ponchos because we were convinced to have fun no matter what the weather would be like. I guess you can say we were extremely lucky because the sky started clearing up around 3 or 4pm. By then, it was time to get ready for the night’s celebration. We went to buy some alcohol and of course, Champagne for the strike of midnight. We then went back to the hostel to get into our white clothes and met up with the rest of our friends.

As we walked to Copacabana beach, there were hundreds, thousands or even millions of people. It was craziness! We picked a spot on the beach and stayed there the entire night. There were stages which offered the spectators great shows throughout the night. We had a great time socializing and dancing. And then… the countdown to January 1st 2010 began…

[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rInaF4NTeCM]

This was without a doubt the best NYE ever. A very simple one- bathing suit, white dress, beach, fireworks- but most importantly, I was surrounded by great people. I will forever remember Reveillon 2010 on Copacabana beach in Rio de Janeiro.