Author: Ariana Goffe

There’s no place like Rio

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If I close my eyes and click my heels three times, will I wake up on Praia de Ipanema drinking fresh coconut water, tasting the salt from the Atlantic Ocean and staring out at the mountainous coastline of Rio de Janeiro? Will I hear the sounds of locals playing beach volley and vendors walking around trying to sell their jewelry, umbrellas, caiparinhas, or beach wraps? Will I feel the hot Brazilian summer sun on my face and the soft sand between my toes? There’s no place like Rio, and it’s all but a beautiful memory now.

As I sit here in Columbus looking out the window at a landscape that was covered in snow just yesterday, I can’t keep my mind from wandering back to those 85 degree days when I was able to walk around in a sundress and flip flops. So many images flash through my mind like walking on the Portuguese stone-covered sidewalks, sketching on top of Pao de Acucar while listening to Brazilian music coming from an island down below, hiking through Sitio Roberto Burle Marx being submerged in the most incredible variety of plant life and swatting at blood-thirsty mosquitoes, walking around downtown admiring the grand architecture, taking a stroll through Parque do Flamengo before stuffing myself almost too full at Porcao, watching a lightning storm behind Cristo Redentor from the hotel rooftop, the list could go on forever.

Every day was filled with such new and different experiences, and with each one I told myself “this is it, it can’t get any better.” I was proven wrong every single time. I really had that “this is it” moment on the last night; I was sitting on the rock at Praia de Ipanema watching the sun disappear beyond the horizon with some friends that I never expected to become so close with. It was so surreal, and a memory I hope never escapes my mind. The trip could have ended at that moment and I would have been satisfied because it couldn’t possibly get any better. I truly thought I was right until we went to a Samba dance club downtown where locals taught us how to Samba and we danced the night away to a wonderful live singer.

I had grand finale of “this is it” moments the next morning on the bus to the airport as Vanesa sang to us “The Girl from Ipanema.” I soaked in every last view of the mountains, beaches, and neighborhoods I possibly could. I don’t think I will ever hear a version of that song that will sound as good as it did when Vanesa sang it to us on our last drive out of Rio.

Before I get too carried away, I will end by saying this trip to Rio de Janeiro was one of the most phenomenal experiences I have yet to be a part of; it has opened my mind to the world outside of the US and only increased my desires to experience as much as I possibly can. I have gained the confidence I was seeking to be a successful international traveler and I proved to my family and to myself that if I put my mind to it, traveling is a very real and possible thing and I don’t plan to stop anytime soon.

Nevertheless, there is no place like Rio de Janeiro.

 

Tchau-

Planes, Trains, and Automobiles

There are so many different modes of transportation here and every mode seems so common and frequently used. Yesterday alone we traveled by bus, metro, boat, and foot. Throughout the week we have also traveled by taxi, cable car, and of course by plane. Today we added train to our list after visiting Cristo Redentor. Other modes of transportation I have noticed have been car, bicycle, skateboard/penny board, and tons of motorcycles. It’s interesting to see the differences between here and Columbus or America in general; in America the pedestrians typically have the right-of-way even if they don’t ACTUALLY have the right-of-way. Cars and buses are always looking out for pedestrians in the U.S. Here it is quite the opposite. Our tour guide Vanessa told us on the first day to be extra cautious when using crosswalks because the drivers do not care for pedestrians, in fact they “treat us as bowling pins.”

The buses are something special to take note of, I can’t quite get over how fast the bus drivers make turns, and how confident the drivers are to fit down streets so narrow I never would’ve imagined possible.

One of my favorite things I’ve noticed about this city is the abundance/normality of VW hippie vans. That is my dream car to have during my 20s and it’s odd to see so many of them here compared to America, even many of the construction/commercial trucks are VW. I’ve also enjoyed watching the flow of traffic. It seems everyone is in a rush and cuts other people off, but since everyone is on that same page it feels like drivers are looking out for eachother while trying to cut eachother off so it works just fine. I probably wouldn’t be very confident driving through here, though..

The gas stations along Ipanema Beach are just a few pumps placed in the middle divider between the two directions of traffic, so cars can simply pull off, fill up, and continue on. I think this is a very efficient plan especially for a street as busy as the one off of Ipanema. I’ve seen this in a few other areas of the city.

Now all I need to do is find a nice Brazilian to give me a ride through the city on their motorcycle! (Just kidding)

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Feira Hippie de Ipanema

It’s so nice waking up to the sounds of birds chirping and looking out to see the sun shining. The view from our hotel is marvelous; we can see tall buildings down our street with a small mountain peeking through in the distance, but the most spectacular view is that of the canopy of trees along the streets below. Frank made a good comment when we first got a tour of the neighborhood: “it’s like New York, with trees.” The canopy of trees makes a significant difference when walking down the streets here and makes the 90 degree sun feel much cooler.

As I reflect on Day 2 (yesterday), I think of how lucky we were to be able to experience different parts of their culuture at the beach and at the Feira Hippie de Ipanema. At the Hippie Fair I was able to find an assortment of things to bring back home to the family and friends that helped me get here. Most of the vendors spoke little to no English, so it was challenging trying to negotiate with some people. I learned that while it’s always beneficial for you to try getting items for less Reals (as most of the vendors are expecting you to do), there are some things worth paying full price for and not offending the vendor, such as handcrafted art pieces or the handmade pants I bought (see picture). The Portuguese language is very beautiful; it sounds as if each person has found their own rhythm when they speak, it’s very melodic and I am inspired to pick up another language soon.image

Pão de Açùcar

Day One: Success!

*Unfortunately the wifi in our hotel is nothing too spectacular so posting my blog entry from yesterday is a bit delayed.*

Today we rode to the top of Pão de Açùcar (Sugarloaf Mountain). We got breathtaking views of the city and the geography of the area. I learned my new favorite way to eat ice cream – add many different types of fruit first (I got pineapple, banana, watermelon, and kiwi), then add a small dip of vanilla ice cream and top it with crushed peanuts. Muito delicioso!

Upon arriving at the top of the mountain, I explored a little and soaked in the views. The buildings seemed minuscule compared to the massive morros (mountains). It’s truly mind blowing to see a city that is home to millions of people be so dense and compact as the built environment weaves around the bases of the mountains, sometimes even climbing up the sides. I will have this view in the back of my head throughout the rest of the week as we travel on the ground and learn about the city more in depth.

A few of us wandered on a trail for a while until we reached a bench overlooking the water and some small mountains and buildings in the distance. We heard Brazilian music being played on the ground below and decided it was the perfect spot to stop and sketch for a while. As I was sketching, clouds began rolling in. I would look at my paper to sketch a coastline and look back up to see nothing but whiteness (compare sketch to photo below). It really put it in perspective how high up we were, we were literally sitting in a cloud! I still can’t believe the cable cars used to reach the top of the mountain were built in 1913..

 

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Tchau!

Where there’s a will, there’s a way!

My sister has always said “where there’s a will, there’s a way.” Ever since Aimee introduced the Rio trip at the Knowlton all school meeting in the beginning of the year I have been determined to be a part of it. I had to work through some obstacles, but I’m currently sitting on a plane headed toward Atlanta so I’d say it was a success!

I participated in the SERVitecture spring break trip to Toronto and Buffalo last year, and we got so much snow that Habitat for Humanity gave us a snow day; needless to say I am 110% ready for a destination where the sun is shining and winter coats aren’t necessary. ☀️
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So I got a really nice free water bottle the other day from the Sustainability Fair on campus, and I forgot to completely empty it before going through security at the Columbus airport. There was only a sip or two left in the bottle and I was lucky enough that the woman checking my bag let me keep it… I guess Friday the 13th isn’t starting out too horribly!

I can’t wait to land because it’s too bright to stare out the window, I’m too excited to sleep, and the sooner we land the sooner we take off for Rio! Wooooo! I’m so excited to share this experience with you all, and here’s a shoutout to the Rio Trio Plus One from your awesome Team Captain:)

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