rio de janeiro: the city that never stops talking
walking into rio is like stepping onto a stage where the script keeps changing. the weather? someone told me it's 20.3°c right now, but it feels like 20.81°c. humidity's at 93%, so if you're not used to that, prepare to feel like you're breathing through a wet sponge. i just checked and it's humid and warm there right now, hope you like that kind of thing.
i heard from a street vendor near copacabana that the best acarajé in town is sold out by 2pm, so get there early or you'll be stuck with tourist-trap paste.
if you get bored, niterói and são gonçalo are just a short drive away, and the ferry ride across guanabara bay is half the fun. someone told me the sunset from the niterói side beats ipanema's any day, but i haven't tested that rumor yet.
"don't trust the guys selling caipirinhas on the beach," a local artist warned me. "they water it down and charge you triple."
i wandered into a boteco in lapa where the samba was so loud my teeth rattled. the owner, a tiny woman with a voice like gravel, said the secret to her feijoada is a splash of cachaça in the beans. i'm not sure i believe her, but i ate three bowls anyway.
overheard gossip: the street art in santa teresa is better than any museum, but watch your pockets-pickpockets there move like shadows.
i met a guy from belgium who swore the best view of christ the redeemer is from the back of a motorcycle, not the tram. he also said the line at pão de açúcar is shorter at 7am, but i slept through that tip.
"if you want real brazilian coffee, skip the chains and go to a bodega," a barista told me. "they use beans they roast themselves."
for more on rio's hidden spots, check out tripadvisor's guide or yelp's top-rated botecos. if you're into street art, this local blog has a killer map of santa teresa's murals.
rio doesn't whisper; it shouts, sings, and sometimes argues with itself. you either keep up or get left behind.
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