On the second day of our trip we decided to visit Christ.

Cristo Redentor is a famous monument in Rio that is located on top of a mountain called Corcovado. We wanted to start our trip with a big picture view of the city so we hiked to the top of it to take a peak.

 

Here is my journal entry from that day:

07.12 We walked up a mountain and found god.

Literally we hiked up Corcovado and found Christ the redeemer, Cristo Redentor. We felt the journey would be more authentic if we traveled up the mountain via foot rather then bus or train. Everyone told us tat we were crazy and we couldn´t do it. But you know, sometimes the things you do for god are crazy. Okay, that was a joke. We did not hike the mountain to see Christ, although, that was cool. Side note: boy does Christ know how to make money, position yourself on top of a mountain with your arms open like: hey, what´s up, and you will really drive in the tourist and the cash flow. Even if you walk all the way up the mountain they still make you pay 23 reals to get in. And, as you are walking up the stairs to the monument (after you pay to enter), you pass by not one, not two, but three gift shops and cafes where you can buy Jesus shot glasses, Jesus bottle openers and other holy paraphernalia. (Of course I bought a Christ shot glass). I am making jokes but the statue was impressive, 98 ft tall and 26 feet wide, constructed between 1922 and 1931. From almost anywhere in the city you can look up and see it, I wonder what effect this statue has on the people of Rio, the statue is clearly visible at night – lit up like a the flame of a candle.

 

Anyway, so the purpose of the hike was to check out the views and to get a feel of the landscape of Rio. It was amazing. The hike illustrated what I like to call the curves of Brazil. The rolling hills and cities that roll with the hills. Some nestled in the cleavage of the mountains, some creeping up the sides and up to the tippy tops of the mounds. Close to the water starts the urbanization. Trees and vegetation fill the spaces in between pockets of city. It looks almost like the city is communicating with the mountains, like they made an agreement to respect each other. The Mountains, the city, and the waves all rolling together. Waves of water, waves of people, waves of earth, and waves of trees. Even Roberto Burle Marx captured the waves, or curves of Rio in his designs. Rio is a city with huge ups and downs, very much good, and very much bad, favelas and mansions, poor and rich, crime and compassion, city and natural landscape. I wonder how the dramatic landscape effects the culture, does it influence the drama?

Other thoughts form the hike:

We went to find god and found some friends instead, as we were walking back down the mountain      we ran into this cute Australian couple – Karina and Phil and two guys that they were with, Kit – a nomad from Singamore, not really a nomad but he has been traveling for the past 14 months, and Dante from California. We ended up going out with them later that night and had a really great time. Hopefully I will get to see them again – they were all inspirational in different ways. The Australian couple are in love and sold all of their belongings, quit their jobs and are traveling together. Kit has been traveling for over a year and truly goes with the flow. It is refreshing to meet people with different life styles and inspires you to follow your heart.

 

Hello everyone, sorry it has been awhile since my last post! I was caught up in the travels, good news is that I have been journaling by hand and have been taking photos so I have a lot to share with you! I have been in Brazil for about a week now and I will use this post to give context and a backround into my travels and where I am at.

Mindset:

I want to start off this blog post with a discussion of one of the most important lessons I have learned so far. That lesson is to stay open. My trip so far has been nothing but amazing and I think that is because I have focused on keeping an open mind and an open heart throughout my journey. What I mean by this is that when entering a new culture, not knowing the language, not knowing the food, not knowing the cultural nuances and rules can be scary. It is very easy to get stuck in a state of fear. But it is the not knowing that makes exploring a new place so much fun, and approaching a new place with openess, curosity, and caution is what leads to great experienecs. I have to say that I am lucky to have my friend Sam with me to guide me, she is from a different part of Brazil and has insight into the culture. I am also very fortunate to have befriended these two amazing girls from the hostel who have been so lovely, fun and helpful. With the guidance of these 3 amazing ladies I have felt confident in my explorations – with just enough information to stay curious and safe but not to pass judgement.

Setting:

The hostel that we are staying at is an adorable hostel called Cafe Rio Hostel located on a charming street called Rua Alice in a working class neighborhood in Rio called Laranjeiras. I have started to make myself at home in the hostel and in the neighborhood. The hostel has a tiny balcony outside the livingroom space that peaks out onto the street and I have enjoyed writing, reading, and drinking coffee on the balcony while watching the life on the street as if it is a movie. While the street appears quaint at first, it is surprisingly lively. There is a acrobatic studio located just across the street from us, some sort of theather next to the studio, down the street is two bars, a small grocery with fresh baked goods, and a public space filled with street art. Our street runs perpendicular to a busy street called R. das Laranjeiras, this is the street we walk on to get to the metro, which is about a 20 min walk away from the hostel. On the walk towards the metro is my favorite cafe alled Moviola. It is a cafe, a bar, and a record, book, and movie store. The thai soup – while not tradional Bralizan food – is amazing. The waiter from the cafe invited Sam and I over to a gathering he is having at his house with his friends – he will be cooking tradional Bralizan food and I can not wait to try it – I told him I am vegetarian so it will be nice to try tradional Bralizan food without worrying about meat. I will do another post about food later on.

Me in my nook at the hostel. 

Our street .

Project:

So Sam and I are here in Rio to do a landscape architecutre project. I have spent the first week of my travels observing the city and looking for inspiration. I have found the inspiration – it was something I was not expecting to find, but like I said – the key is keeping an open mind – the inspiration is street art. All over Brazil, in each of the neighborhoods that we have traveled through so far – there has been amazing street art. Art that is beautiful, poetic, and meaningful. Art that is accessible to everyone in the city and art that is dynamic, in flux, and constantly changing. I have been drawn to the street art and found special meaning and magic in it. Street art – art in landscapes – is going to influence by project and my stay here. I think that culture in Rio and the landscape in Rio is reflected in the street art that is seen throughout the city and I am looking forward to futhering my exploration of this art.

Street art in Rio: it says:

O poder esta nas mãos dos que se doam. A humildade liberta ! S’entregue ao amor ao mar à dor. A luz esta em tudo e …

Translation:
The power is in the hands of those who give themselves. Humility liberates. Give yourself to love, to the sea, to pain. The light is in all, and …

Further post to come will be about food, Christ, landscape, and street art, stay tunned.

Also I would like to apolgize for spelling errors, – spelling is my weakness and the hostel computer spell check is for portuguese.

Untill next time.

Chão