A Midwesterner’s First Impressions of Rio
Words and Photos by Matt Dursum
Rio, a city as alluring as it is intimidating, has always been on my bucket list. From listening to the melodies of Gal Costa to watching scenes of musician Seu Jorge play a bus driver in 2002’s cinematic masterpiece, The City of God, it has enticed me throughout my upbringing. Now, in April 2023, I finally get to experience Rio.
Rio de Janeiro, known globally as Rio, is a bustling Brazilian metropolis that’s one of the most famous cities on the planet. It has a population of over 6 million people. Within its vibrant culture, stunning beaches and breathtaking landscapes are endless nooks and crannies hiding relics of history, food, art, and music. Yet, throughout the city’s veins run poverty and crime, the inescapable symptoms of having one of the largest income gaps on earth.
Flying into Rio
In the afternoon we touch down at Santos Dumont airport, Rio’s old international hub. We grab an Uber and slip into Copacabana, put our stuff away, and head out to see the famous neighborhood by the crescent-shaped beach.
Immortalized in songs, literature, and film, Copacabana is legendary. We start at a beachside kiosk with some caipirinhas, a cocktail featuring fresh squeezed lime juice, sugar, and muddled limes, bathing in a healthy dose of cachaça, Brazil’s signature sugarcane based spirit. Then, we get to business doing what Copacabana is known for—people watching.
Downtown
Founded in 1565 by the Portuguese, Rio de Janeiro has a complex history steeped in a mixture of cultures. Like most cities in the Americas, Rio developed in the shadows of slavery and colonialism. Through this dark past has come art, music, dance, and food so expressive and heart wrenchingly beautiful that they’ve enchanted the entire world.
We head downtown, to the center of it all. Here, art forms like Capoeira, the Afro-Brazilian martial art disguised as a dance, and samba developed. Within the mix of museums, galleries, and cultural centers is the colonial architecture. Centuries old facades, graffitied and abandoned in some parts to return to the jungles of the Atlantic Forest. Overlaying the historical center are the skyscrapers and mountains carved with colorful favelas. All together, it’s a scene like nothing else on earth.
We walk around the crowded streets dodging people carrying produce, busy executives, and panhandlers and duck into the Royal Portuguese Reading Room. Once you enter this public library, you’re encircled by millions of books stacked along several floors. Since the mid-19th century, this library has stood as the largest collection of Portuguese literary work outside of Portugal.
The Wonderful Brazilian Buffets
After our visit to the library, we go for a buffet. Brazilian buffets are not what we are used to elsewhere in the world. They are ubiquitous to every section of Brazil and its society, from the super rich to the working class and serve a smorgasbord of healthy veggie-heavy options, Brazilian classics, and even sushi.
We load up on the classics: Brazilian collard greens, farofa (toasted cassava flour), feijoada—Brazilian bean stew, rice, beans, fish stews, and a mound of other leafy green veggies, all washed down by cold yerba mate. The Brazilian buffet is healthy, easy, and simple. You go in, load up your plate, weigh it, pay, sit down and eat, and go back to work. The clientele rotates throughout the day until they close or run out of food.
The World Wonders
One of the most iconic landmarks of Rio de Janeiro is the Christ the Redeemer statue, which is one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. It stands tall atop Corcovado Mountain, overlooking another natural wonder, Guanabara Bay. Built in 1931, this 98-foot statue has become a symbol of Brazil. The view from the top of Corcovado Mountain is breathtaking, with panoramic views of the city and the surrounding mountains.
After braving the crowds and seeing the monument, we do what any sensible people would do, go grab a beer overlooking the city. A charming thing about Brazil is that if you speak a little Portuguese, you speak enough. Soon we find ourselves in the middle of a group of Brazilian couples laughing and sharing stories of our homes, families, and opinions of Rio. After relaxing with our newfound acquaintances, we set off to see more monuments.
Next up is Sugar Loaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar). This towering granite peak is one of the most iconic landmarks in Rio. We grab a cable car that takes us up to Morro da Urca, a smaller peak and another one to Sugar Loaf. Overlooking Guanabara Bay, the cable car is an icon in-and-of-itself. The view is like something we couldn’t imagine and in awe we spend hours hiking around the landmarks in the forested periphery, watching monkeys and hawks. We gaze intently at the city spread out around us, like octopus legs wrapping around a mountainous tropical jungle. Rio is the most beautiful city on earth.
A City of Gardens
Surrounding the lake Rodrigo de Freitas are the upscale neighborhoods of Ipanema, Leblon, and Lagoa. We set out, first to walk around the famous beaches of Ipanema and then to Rio’s fantastic Botanical Garden.
I’ve been to many botanical gardens in my lifetime, but this place is something special. Manicured yet wild, thousands of species of plants from around the world, including the Amazon rainforest, grow in abundance here. Large jackfruit hang down, just beckoning a forager like me to crack one open. Brought from Asia by the Portuguese colonizers hundreds of years ago, jackfruit and hundreds of other fruit species from around the world have become naturalized here in Brazil.
Walking around the endless paths, we lose ourselves in the natural spaces and architecture. Suddenly, we find ourselves at the far end of the park. Three security guards and a man are gathered talking loudly and taking pictures. I walk down and in Portuguese ask them what type of birds they’re taking pictures of. They smile. “Não não, olhar, há uma cobra bem na sua frente—Look, there’s a snake right in front of you.” I look and see a wild boa constrictor lazily pass me by.
We end the day by walking through the famous palace grounds of Parque Lage. Similar to the Botanical Gardens, Parque Lage is filled with native and exotic plants. Scattered throughout the park are a mix of medieval inspired towers and hollowed out caves full of aquariums and streams.
Two Sides of a Beautiful Coin
Besides its beaches, art, food, and landmarks, the world knows Rio for its ground-shaking nightlife and music scene. Bars, nightclubs, and music venues, offering a diverse range of options from samba clubs to electronic dance parties make this city a late-night heaven. Aside from caipirinhas on the beach, we decide to stay home and relax once the evening begins.
Despite its beauty and culture, Rio de Janeiro is not without its challenges. The city struggles with crime and violence. Even if you’re careful, being in the wrong place at the wrong time can be costly. However, the city continues to draw visitors from around the world, eager to experience its energy. Even locals, living day-to-day, being watchful of their surroundings, have a deep love and respect for their city.
Rio is a city that has something for everyone. It’s loud, funky, gorgeous, and multi-layered. Whether you are interested in history, culture, or simply soaking up the sun on one of its stunning beaches, this vibrant city will leave a lasting impression. It deserves every ounce of infatuation, respect, and amazement it has gained over the centuries.