Rio de Janeiro
Cidade maravilhosa, cidade olimpica
Rio 2016, Olympic city and excuse for this trip was windsurfer champion Gelly Skarlatou’s training for her fourth participation in the games. The timing couldn’t be more perfect, I was in desperate need of inspiration to design my new summer collection for vandazzz. I chose to join her before the big event as I wanted to catch the city unprepared, in its regular everyday rhythm. I hate it when I reach the other end of the world and end up drinking beers with American pensioners, although this did happen but significantly diversified. (to be continued)
Rio makes the headlines lately in a less than favorable manner with bad omens for its criminality or the Zika virus. I can’t say these are non-existent but with information and precaution this should not be a deterrent. The truth is no mosquito approached, either because I was lucky enough or maybe I should thank Sotiris with his fully “repellent” equipped pharmacy in Loutraki!
We arrived in Rio a cold evening and with full windsurf equipment as luggage, this is by no means a travel light circumstance. We sought refuge at the most elite nautical club of the city. An email was probably overlooked and we were denied access initially. Luckily Gelly is very sweet and convincing and probably got their soft side, so sleeping on the street over her board hugging the sail, was avoided. I was far from sweet after such a long trip and so I’m thankful for being saved by this athlete’s persistence and determination.
The next morning we woke up in an empty house in Urca, one of the safest neighborhoods, overlooking Pāo de Açucar and the Jesus statue which was a beautiful welcome. The sun was hesitant this first day but that didn’t faze us. We had breakfast at the neighborhood bakery. It’s obvious that Brazilians couldn’t care less about clean eating but there are always options and we got our scrambled eggs with mango on the side and a passion fruit juice, which was ammunition enough to march on.
We headed towards the city beaches, first stop was the (in)famous Copacabana. Empty due to the cloudy weather. This is the winter of the cariocas’ discontent and they only coordinate showing face with the sun. From Leme rock to the Fort this is one walk you should definitely walk. We then moved on to Arpoador, the cool surfer’s beach until we ended up being the girls in Ipanema. A small shower made us head inland and we found ourselves in the Ipanema fruit market. The salesmen treated us with all sorts of fruit and we gave in a game of exploring new tastes and learning Brazilian fruit names. We fell in love with fruta de conde and atemoia, two similar kinds of fruit, also known us sweet apples, even though there’s no resemblance to the common fruit. The skin is green and bumpy and inside it’s smooth white with some pits. They taste like heaven and I would consider moving to Rio just for that! As you can imagine we got as many mangos, papaya, passion fruit, watermelon, pineapple and bananas as we could carry and returned home satiated with our first taste of Rio. If you are a healthy food addict top of your list should be visiting a street fruit market or an hortifruti, the local horticultural supermarket which you’ll find in most neighborhoods. You’ll be pleasantly surprised by so many unknown amazonian varieties.
Next stop Açaí, the favorite superfood and we mean the fruit not the powder. The locals adore it, likewise the expats and the tourists even more so. I beg to differ as it’s served with either sugar or guaraná syrup, both make it too sweet for my taste and ruin its nutritional value. It’s served with tapioca or granola, which means even more sugar. I tried it in different places, hoping I’d find one I liked but it was all in vain. The locals go crazy for the Bebe Lanches and Balada Mix ones, but both locals and expats swear the best one is at Tacaca do Norte. I tried a plain one there, without sugar (ask for it as “puro”) and I must admit it was the best one, even though I had to borrow half a banana from Hong Kong’s windsurfer Hayley Chan and one from Gelly. I firmly believe that the taste would skyrocket if they blended açai with a frozen banana and some almonds and this would also justify its superfood title.
Having spent 2 weeks in Rio I came to the conclusion Brazilians love food and want to try everything and probably that’s why they are so many good buffet restaurants like the vegetarian Refeitorio Organico, a hidden gem in Botafogo. You get in front of a small door that leads to a long, narrow corridor, which you walk through thinking this must be a mistake. At the end there is a small yard and a semi-openair ground floor zen laidback restaurant with Buddhist decorum. Small stairs lead to the buffet on the upper level where things heat up in front of the abundant buffet that can make even the most demanding vegetarian cry: Amen! It has everything! Mouthwatering vegan sushi, hummus, guacamole, cous cous, meatless meatballs, tabuleh, tofu and various tropic grilled veggies and inspired salads. Bottomless value for money lunch that’s why it’s preferred by locals, expat connoisseurs and even Buddhist monks! http://www.refeitorioorganico.com.br/index.php
With so much food only surf can save us! Rio is a city on foot, mainly barefoot or with havaianas at least… Basic prerequisite is the sun and everyone swarms to the beaches, on bikes or skates and play beach volleyball, beach tennis, beach football, altinho (which is a sort of soccer game where the players pass the ball with the sole purpose of keeping it always high above ground) and of course there’s surf. You have to keep in mind that life is hard in the favelas and sports are the best outlet for all the local youth! So surf really does save us!
I spent an afternoon in Copacabana watching the young cariocas catching the wave that was hitting the Leme Rock with my fishermen friends and under the watchful gaze of Cristo Redendor who was playing peek a boo with a pink cloud.
As for myself, I caught waves in Recreio under the guidance of André, who, only while researching details for this article on the Surf n’ Stay website, I found out he was a former pro surfer. That sort of explains a lot. Before this little info came to notice, I thought Brazilians had made a deal with the devil so they could catch waves a lot easier than the rest of us and look a lot cooler doing so, or as cariocas say it was totally “irado”, from the little that I got to see, as he only caught waves when I was wiping out!
Recreio is a quiet suburb with beautiful beaches, suitable for all surf levels. Pedra do Pontal sets apart the two beaches, praia do Recreio on one side and praia da Macumba on the other. Further on there’s the beautiful Prainha where Surf n’ Stay informed me is a locals-only beach, but worry not you can avoid bullying at the hustle-free enchanting Grumari beach which is your next stop. It’s a natural reserve area and nothing beats the view from the line up, it’s a forest. On the weekends you should head there early, as access is prohibited when the beach is full to preserve the quiet and magic of this place. http://www.riosurfnstay.com
All this surfing must have made you starve, that’s why I suggest you try surfer’s hangout Natural do Recreio http://naturaldorecreio.com.br with a tasty food buffet, pay by the kilo, great style and laidback attitude. I tried an exquisite pumpkin burger, aubergine stuffed with tuna and the remarkable bobó (something between puree and soup based on yucca) with palm hearts. I bet that Kelly Slater agrees with me when I say this is the most rad food joint in Rio!
The most typical Brazilian dish is feijoada. It’s black beans cooked with meat. Luckily most restaurants offer vegetarian and pescatarian versions for us non-carnivores. I first tried it at Naturalie Bistro and organic vegetarian restaurant located in a miniature house in Botafogo. It has a very warm environment, friendly staff and amazing food. I sat at the long communal table, as I had read online that they promote socializing. Traveling with a pro athlete in training means traveling alone so I thought why not? When my poor knowledge of Spanish spoken with a Portuguese accent didn’t help much, the members of a posh Brazilian family rushed to my rescue and so I managed to order the relaxing juice with passion fruit, coconut water, chamomile and sweet herbs. I had a zucchini carpaccio with almond cheese as a starter and the tofu and pumpkin feijoda as a main course. It’s served with the Brazilian farofa, a sort of baked flour from yucca, which they made with carrot. My happy ending came in the form of a brownie from almonds and cacao with caramel made from nuts and banana icecream! https://www.facebook.com/Naturalie-Bistrô-638560862933216/
I tried another version of feijoada at Vegan Vegan, a restaurant without set menu and a different surprise every day. Theirs was just as tasty, made with mushrooms and burdock accompanied by a yummy banana farofa. My taste buds partied in the end with their ginger sorbet. http://www.veganvegan.com.br/index1.html
A less humble version of feijoada is served every sunday at Zazá bistro tropical. I went there with Tasos, who’s an expat on papers but a carioca at heart and so he knows best. It’s a small house in Ipanema with a brazilian ethnic decorum. We sat on its pleasant porch and enjoyed amazing cocktails. They recreate feijoada once a week with seafood, white instead of black beans and palm hearts. Bean soup can’t get more gourmet than this!
Bio carioca is another excellent vegetarian option in Copacabana. Try the taro root gnocchi and the palm hearts estrogonoff. It was there that I celebrated a year without coffee by enjoying a cold maté, borrowed from Argentina it’s the ideal comfort drink substitute for the freddo coffee. http://www.biocarioca.com.br/home
Geologically Rio is unique and you should be able to admire this phenomenon of a city from above. The best spots to do so are Pāo do Açucár, Corcovado where you find Cristo Redendor or if you happen to have heard the somewhat sexist yet funny upbeat song by Puff Daddy, Pharell and Lenny Kravitz «show me your soul» which says «you ain’t been in a helicopter flying round Jesus statue wit a mountain in Brazil» then this may have caused a major bucket list to do and you should rush to one of Rio’s heliports for the flight of your life. 1000% Cidade maravilhosa flying over the beaches, tropical forest and having eye contact with Christ himself. ! http://www.helisight.com.br
http://www.riobyhelicopter.com
Spend a sunset in Lagoa (lake) at Palaphita Kitch and sip on a strong caipirinha as you watch locals running, biking or skating around the lake till late…
At the other side of town after Arco do Lapa (the arches of the old aqueduct) you will walk up the colourful Saleron staircase and reach bohemian neighborhood Santa Teresa with impeccable views, small artsy and touristry shops, beautiful cafés and restaurants. If you are a pescatarian try Sobrenatural. Its grilled fish comes with a coconut milk sauce, grilled banana and baroa potato, best described as a mixture of potato, plantain, carrot and celery. Head to Cafecito for a Brazilian coffee or at Bar dos Descansados for a caipirinha. When you’re full from food, culture and ambience take the old tram to get back to the square. It’s free! http://restaurantesobrenatural.com.br
Another typical Brazilian dish is moqueca, a fish stew which I tried it in the long running Bar Urca which is part of the neighborhood’s tradition, known for it’s view from the street which overlooks the sun setting right next to Christ. http://www.barurca.com.br/?lang=en
In the same neighborhood you’ll find the exquisite Brasserie Julius. http://juliusbrasserie.com.br Julius is a Dutch who married the Brazilian Márcia. Together they mixed their relative cuisines and offer us mindblowing treats. The Olympic Dutch team were regulars, fans of its food and admirers of Gelly. It’s really moving seeing old and new Olympic and world champions from the 80’s up to date (especially her 2 New Zealanders champions and friends) and the youth of the sport admiring my athlete friend who will be representing Greece for the fourth time in these games. The respect and admiration of former and current athletes speaks for itself and I will say nothing more except that I was very emotional and proud when I saw her competing from a help boat at sea during a preolympic event. #respect #goGelly!!!
After the race we were starved and close to the Olympic marina happened to be “Tacaca do Norte” which was highly recommended for all who seek authentic experiences. And here comes the hard moment, when as a Greek I have to order to eat something called “tacaca”, translated as either the bad things or simply “crap”. It’s an Amazonian soup with shrimps. So far so good, but inside there is a diaphanous slime made from cassava, which if you’re not bold enough, you can easily avoid as it lingers in the bottom of the bowl, if you go for it you’ll see it has no particular taste. But the pivotal moment is when you get to the last ingredient, jambú, a green leaf with anesthetic effect. You’ve come this far, I think you should try it!
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Tacaca-Do-Norte-Flamengo/201853483240486
If you want some flair from old aristocratic Rio rush to the Copacabana Palace Hotel. Its Pergula restaurant has two sided views. Towards the poolside you can browse the posh hotel guests or on the street side you get a full Copacabana beach view. Exceptional food reasonably priced for such a hotel.
Ok, so by now you’re probably fed up with all this healthy food and you need a burger, then, for sure, Caverna is your highway to hell ticket! Even though my friends tried its original and speak of its merits, I stayed faithful to my nutritional habits and ordered the vegan one with beans, blackeyed peas, oats, mushrooms, spicy okra and chia bread. The menu changes every month so your vegan burger will be different! Don’t forget to try a cocktail or two and you’ll remember me as you drink them, on second thought I bet you’ll forget just about everything! http://www.caverna.net.br/#home
Next day you’ll need the natural remedy of coconut water, with its electrolytes working their magic. You’ll find them everywhere, all the beaches have stands that sell fresh coconuts, but, you’ll enjoy it better at the endless white sandy beach of Barra da Tijuca. It’s almost empty on weekdays which is a plus, so drink your coconut to get energized enough to walk to Reserva da Tijuca which is the last part of the beach minus the shadowing buildings as the area is environmentally protected and no construction is allowed.
If you are sporty then take the trail from Lage park on Corcovado to get to the statue of Christ. There I met Englishman in New York, Tom, who had finished the iron man challenge a few days before and would be running an ultra-marathon a few days later, it took him 1,5 hours to go up, I took the train… The park is part of the botanical garden, and among sky high palm trees you’ll find a beautiful neoclassical villa with a nice café and full Corcovado view.
If you come down from Corcovado by train stop over at Prana www.pranavegetariano.com for a falafel or whatever the chef was inspired to cook this day. Their Açaí is the tastiest, made with pineapple, banana and orange. Unfortunately this mixture contained sugar too. “But it’s organic sugar” the carioca insisted but “it’s still sugar”, I replied in fluent Portuguese and my 3 intensive survival skills lessons at http://www.falabrasilschool.com seemed to pay off.
Their methodology is innovative as they try to make you think and respond in portuguese as a child would without overthinking it! Their lesson is interactive, in and out of the classroom, you practice with unsuspicioned passers by on the streets of Rio. My american classmate Russel, a pensioned orchestra trumpet musician, and I learned all the fruit and veggies at hortifruti, got directions for wherever and ended up drinking beers while listening to out of tune cariocas serenading.
Another way to learn Portuguese is to take taxis. Make sure you know how the addresses are pronounced or have them written down so the drivers can read them as the Brazilian accent isn’t that easy to understand or recreate! You’ll be surprised how they manage to drive like maniacs in the chaotic streets of Rio and still keep their calm. You’ll probably be stuck on traffic but on the plus you’ll have some interesting conversations with them about Rio, the beaches and nudism or as they like to call it naturalism. FYI it’s not allowed on the beaches of Rio, only on designated areas and topless is also prohibited, the only thing allowed is the Brazilian thong! No matter what shape or size, here, the thong is never wrong…
Alternatively, take the bus, if you can handle some shaking they’ll take you just about everywhere for just 3,80$Reis.
And if you like shaking a lot then get information from the local sites about the next samba. Brazilians like to dance to live music on the streets, parks, multispaces, favelas or the home of the great samba schools… So what are you waiting for, partiú samba, let’s go!