{"id":13113,"date":"2026-08-07T15:04:46","date_gmt":"2026-08-07T15:04:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/traveltales.ahot.online\/?p=13113"},"modified":"2026-08-07T15:07:57","modified_gmt":"2026-08-07T15:07:57","slug":"sa-rio-en","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/traveltales.ahot.online\/index.php\/2026\/08\/07\/sa-rio-en\/","title":{"rendered":"Rio de Janeiro, Brazil"},"content":{"rendered":"\t\t
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Rio de Janeiro 17.7.-24.7.2026<\/p>

We flew from Montevideo to Rio de Janeiro on a flight operated by the Chilean airline Sky. The flight was only half full, so we had plenty of room. The flight time was also shortened by about twenty minutes, so we landed in Rio a little after one o’clock in the afternoon.<\/p>

We had once again rented a two-bedroom apartment, since we weren\u2019t keen on spending six nights in a cramped hotel room. While looking at accommodations, we had also found hotels to be quite expensive, so an apartment like this was a more affordable option for us. Our apartment was located in the Tijuca neighborhood on a stretch of street that was closed off by a barrier and patrolled by security, so even though there seemed to be some homeless people in the area, this place felt really nice, peaceful, and safe. We could hear some noise from the main street in the apartment, but it wasn\u2019t as disruptive as it was in Buenos Aires, for example.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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As we approached Rio, it became clear just how huge the city is.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The airport was surprisingly quiet for a city with a population of over 6 million.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The airport in Rio was clear and well-organized.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Our street was a quiet, dead-end road.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Rio's apartment was really cozy.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The children's room even had a hanging swing.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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It was closer to four in the afternoon when we set out on our traditional \u201cdinner and groceries\u201d excursion. We chose a nearby Chinese restaurant, China Town, which had received really good reviews on Google. The restaurant turned out to be an excellent choice\u2014the food was delicious, and the portions were so generous that we still had leftovers in the fridge ready to eat the next day.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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This guy was getting around using more traditional horsepower. He clopped along smoothly amid the traffic.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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We got really big portions again!<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Even the big grocery store was just a ten-minute walk from our apartment. It was probably the only somewhat larger store in the area, because there were an absolutely staggering number of people shopping there. Since the aisles were quite narrow, shopping there was just like being in a Finnish grocery store during the worst Christmas rush! When we finally got our groceries on the counter and offered our cards to pay, that darn machine first rejected Marko\u2019s card, and then Jaana\u2019s as well. There was a sign on the wall of the store\u2014clearly written in English, too\u2014stating that they don\u2019t accept credit cards, but Jaana\u2019s Mastercard is just a debit card, and Marko\u2019s combination card naturally also has a debit feature. Despite that, both were declined. We hadn\u2019t enough cash to pay for the whole bill, so we had no choice but to leave some of our purchases at the store\u2019s checkout so we could pay our way out.<\/p>

On the way back, we spotted a bank and a row of ATMs on the other side of the road, so we decided to go there to withdraw money, since we\u2019d run into this payment issue with Mastercard before\u2014especially at grocery stores. Jaana, however, recalled that this was the same bank branch that hadn\u2019t accepted Marko\u2019s card in S\u00e3o Paulo either. Marko went to the ATM just to experience that this was indeed the case. Then Jaana went to try her luck, and this time, too, for some reason, the bank seemed to prefer Jaana\u2019s card over Marko\u2019s, and we were able to withdraw cash.<\/p>

It\u2019s been surprisingly difficult to use a debit card in these countries in general. We\u2019ve frequently encountered situations where a payment was rejected entirely, or at least had to be confirmed twice before it went through. Also, when paying at a store, even with a debit card, you often have to first select \u201ccredit\u201d as the payment method, followed by a second selection screen where you then have to choose \u201cdebit,\u201d and only then can you proceed to the actual payment transaction.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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A local shopping rush. It was a bit difficult to weave through the lines, since the aisles were only slightly wider than a shopping cart.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Apparently, even the locals think the tap water tastes too much like chlorine, because the selection of juice powder packets was huge. Now even the kids got to explore the wonderful world of Tang, which is a big hit\u2014especially in Africa\u2014particularly when playing with water purification tablets.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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On Saturday, we spent a laid-back day off. We slept in and didn\u2019t head to Copacabana Beach by subway until the afternoon to see what the scene would be like there on a Saturday. We didn\u2019t bring any swimwear with us, since the plan was just to take a short walk along the beach and soak up the atmosphere. Since it was the weekend, many locals had also made their way to the beach. People were playing a lot of beach volleyball and kicking a soccer ball around at the water\u2019s edge. Some people had even ventured into the ocean. Although daytime temperatures here are really warm even in winter (even on Saturday it was +27\u00b0C), the seawater is still only a little over twenty degrees. We dipped our toes in the water, too, and concluded that a Finn could manage to swim there. What limits swimming are the strong waves and ocean currents, as well as the beach that drops off quickly. There are some areas on the beach where the waves are a bit calmer, but if we do come back to the beach in our swimsuits, we\u2019ll definitely stick to areas where we can touch the bottom and keep our heads above the water.<\/p>

We stopped by a nearby ice cream shop to get some ice cream and ate it on Copacabana Beach, after which we decided to check out the other beach, Ipanema, as well. Although the internet said the beaches were supposed to be different, we didn\u2019t really notice much of a difference. Maybe there were slightly fewer street vendors on Ipanema Beach than on Copacabana, but otherwise the atmosphere seemed pretty much the same at both.<\/p>

From Ipanema Beach, we walked to the Leblon shopping center, since it was reasonably close to the beach. Downstairs at the mall, there was some kind of sing-along event going on, where two really talented musicians were playing and singing, and the audience could join in if they wanted to. Since the audience consisted mostly of older people, they naturally didn\u2019t really sing along to songs like \u201cShallow\u201d or \u201cI Say a Little Prayer,\u201d but when a classic Portuguese-language song we didn\u2019t recognize came on, the crowd erupted with joy and the singing rang out. There was a metro station right next to the shopping center, but since Uber was a faster way to get home, we decided to take it back to our place. Surprisingly, taking the metro was actually more expensive for our family of four than using Uber. Of course, the metro would have been cheaper if you were alone or used the metro ticket to travel all the way to the outskirts of the metro lines. When we bought metro tickets on the way to Copacabana, the single-ride tickets didn\u2019t seem to have any kind of zone system.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Kids on Copacabana Beach.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Copacabana's crescent-shaped beach is about 4 km long.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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The stretch of beach at Ipanema is approximately 2.5 km long.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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This shopping center, too, had a separate area set aside for people trading soccer cards.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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One could also go for a spinning class at the Leblon shopping center. Cleated cycling shoes seemed to be included in the price. <\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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On Sunday, we had to get up before six, since we had booked a full-day tour of Rio\u2019s main attractions. We were picked up in front of the Copacabana Palace Hotel on Copacabana Beach. It felt pretty extravagant standing there in front of the hotel waiting for our ride, since a night at that hotel cost over \u20ac600 for a double room. It would have been a bit too pricey for our family to stay there for about a week, since we would have needed two rooms every night.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Copacabana Palace is a five-star hotel.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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While we were waiting for our ride, we watched the people who had come to the fitness run event on the Copacabana beach boulevard. We heard the event is held every Sunday, when one side of the entire beach promenade is closed to cars so that people can enjoy their Sunday even more than usual by walking or running along the beach.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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You have to go for a run very early in the morning if you want to run in temperatures that are even somewhat bearable.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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When we were picked up, our first stop was the Christ the Redeemer statue (Cristo Redentor) in Tijuca National Park. We first drove up in our own car, and then took the national park\u2019s minibus to the statue at an elevation of 710 meters. Or, technically speaking, the ride ended a little lower down, since we still had to climb 200 steps to reach the statue. The other option would have been the elevator, but the line was so long that we decided to take the stairs instead.<\/p>

Including its pedestal, the statue stands 38 meters tall, so it looked quite impressive when standing at its base. To our surprise, we learned that there\u2019s a small chapel inside the statue\u2019s pedestal where you could, for example, get married or have your child baptized. Even during our visit, some kind of service was taking place in the tiny chapel, which was only a few square meters in size. You\u2019d have to think pretty carefully about who to invite to your wedding if you plan to get married there.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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If the statue was impressive, the scenery was certainly breathtaking as well. The only downside to the place was that, even though we were definitely among the first tourists of the morning, there were way too many people at the statue and in the surrounding area\u2014all of whom, of course, were trying to take the very best photo of themselves with the Christ statue. Pretty soon, we started to feel like heading off to a slightly less crowded spot.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Sugarloaf Mountain was clearly visible from the Christ statue.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The 13.2-kilometer-long Rio-Niter\u00f3i Bridge spans Guanabara Bay, connecting the cities of Rio de Janeiro and Niter\u00f3i.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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From the statue, we continued on to the Maracan\u00e3 soccer stadium (officially Est\u00e1dio Jornalista M\u00e1rio Filho), which can accommodate a modest 78,000 spectators at a time. This time, we just stopped by the stadium gates, but guided tours are also available there. As we continued on to the local cathedral, we also drove past the 700-meter-long Sambadrome, where during Carnival, various samba schools showcase their talents to the public. Of course, the samba schools also dance and play music along the street leading up to the venue, which is completely closed to traffic during Carnival. It would certainly be quite an experience to visit Rio during the Samba Carnival.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The Sambadrome can hold up to 90,000 spectators. Now, however, we could only marvel at it from behind a fence.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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When we read in the day\u2019s itinerary that we would be stopping by the cathedral, we imagined we\u2019d see another classically beautiful, ornate church. Instead, we drove right into the courtyard of a shockingly ugly, pyramid-shaped concrete building. The Catedral Metropolitana de S\u00e3o Sebasti\u00e3o is a massive concrete structure that can hold up to 20,000 people at once. Since we visited on a Sunday, a service was apparently underway in the cathedral, but attendance was rather sparse. We didn\u2019t bother going very far inside the cathedral for the sake of these proceedings, but we took photos from the doorway of the massive stained-glass windows that stretched from floor to ceiling. For all its ugliness, the cathedral turned out to be quite impressive after all.<\/p>

We also went to see the Selar\u00f3n Stairs, which connect the Lapa and Santa Teresa neighborhoods. Chilean-born artist Jorge Selar\u00f3n began the project to decorate the stairs in front of his home in 1990. The staircase has 250 steps covered with over 2,000 ceramic tiles from more than 60 countries. We hadn\u2019t heard of these stairs before, but our guide told us that music videos by for example U2 and Snoop Dogg had been filmed there.<\/p>

Next up was a lunch stop. This time, we ate at a traditional Brazilian buffet restaurant, where waiters circling the tables kept coming by to offer customers a variety of grilled meat options. We tried quite a few different kinds, and it was delicious. We were so focused on eating that we completely forgot to take any photos of our lunch.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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From the outside, the cathedral wasn't a particularly impressive-looking building.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Inside, however, the place was impressive in its own way.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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There were a few too many people on the steps of Selar\u00f3n for our liking.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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\"You should see this place during peak season,\" our guide remarked.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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After lunch, we headed out to take in the views from the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain. The trip is divided into two parts. First, we took a cable car up 220 meters to Urca Mountain, and from there the journey continued to the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain at an elevation of 400 meters. From there, too, there were magnificent views all around the city of Rio, just like from the Christ the Redeemer statue. Since our guided tour ended there, we decided to make our own way back to our apartment. So we no longer traveled with our group of 19 people; instead, when the group headed back down to the first peak, we stayed behind at the summit of Sugarloaf Mountain to admire the views.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Rio de Janeiro is built around many hills. The hillsides are usually home to favelas, the local slums.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Botafogo Bay, as seen from Sugarloaf Mountain.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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This photo, in turn, shows Copacabana, which is shaped like a crescent moon.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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A slightly different kind of sorting this time: we found a separate trash can for coconuts up on the mountain.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Members of the Arautos do Evangelho organization had also come to admire the scenery. The women\u2019s attire is primarily golden yellow, while the men\u2019s is white. The group is particularly famous for its excellent orchestras and choirs, which tour and perform in churches and at events.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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We could have taken a helicopter ride over Rio from the mountain. The ride was so expensive that we decided to skip it.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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When we returned from the mountain, we took an Uber to Gloria\u2019s Sunday market. Since we didn\u2019t set out until after four, the vendors were already slowly packing up their stalls when we arrived. We walked all the way to the end of the market area, though, because our guide had told us about a nearby park where there would be samba that evening. We found the park easily, but when we got there, there was only a local DJ playing music. We asked at one of the stalls if there would be samba later that evening. Since we were told yes, we stayed in the park to hang out and wait for the music to change. When not even a single samba dancer had shown up by six o\u2019clock, we decided to head back to our place. We\u2019d had a really long day because we\u2019d woken up at six in the morning, so none of us\u2014least of all Risto\u2014felt like staying in the park any longer to wait whether there was going to be a samba dance performance in addition to the live singers and sing-alongs. The locals, however, seemed to be enjoying themselves in the park. They were eating, drinking, and singing along with the various performers\u2014apparently local hit songs.<\/p>

We made it home just in time to watch Spain win the World Cup, much to the delight of the Brazilians. We had heard from our guide that not a single local would ever, even by accident, root for Argentina, since apparently the Argentine players had, at some point in the past, really messed with the Brazilians when playing against them. According to allegations\u2014which Maradona, for example, admitted were true years later\u2014the Argentine team\u2019s support staff had slipped Rohypnol into a Brazilian player\u2019s drink during the 1990 World Cup. You didn\u2019t have to read between the lines to understand our guide\u2019s opinion when he stated that if Argentina were playing against Satan, they would be rooting for Satan. The Argentine president may also have slightly dented his country\u2019s standing in the eyes of other South American nations when he remarked in 2021 that \u201cMexicans come from the Indians, Brazilians from the jungle, but we Argentines have come by ship from Europe.\u201d The atmosphere at matches between Argentina and Brazil is probably even a notch more intense than at the hockey matches between Finland and Sweden.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Local park party<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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There was a line of partygoers stretching all the way to the park gates.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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On Monday, we decided to spend the day at Copacabana Beach. Since it was a weekday\u2014and not exactly peak tourist season anyway\u2014the beach was relatively quiet compared to the weekend. We still weren\u2019t exactly alone there, but fortunately, it wasn\u2019t terribly crowded either. Of course, this also meant that all kinds of street vendors were very eager to haggle with us. This time, though, with the exception of the ice cream vendor, they came away empty-handed. The adults even ordered their own drinks from the same group from whom we rented our beach umbrellas and chairs. The sale of additional services was organized very efficiently. Along the beach promenade, there were numbered stalls every few dozen meters where you could get everything you needed. Each vendor had their own designated stretch of beach near their booth that they served. Beach gear, drinks, and food items, along with their prices, were all clearly displayed on laminated brochures that they left for customers on a small beach table. Beach chairs and umbrellas were marked with the vendor\u2019s number, and the vendors would periodically make the rounds in their area to take additional orders. Competition kept prices low; they were fixed and clearly displayed, and did not depend on how touristy you looked. For example, a massive 700-milliliter caipirinha cost 5.5 euros. The same competitiom applied to the numerous small restaurants along the beach promenade, where prices seemed to remain in the same range even in the evening, after the beach had emptied out.<\/p>

After a bit of getting used to, the seawater turned out to be surprisingly warm, so Marko and the kids spent quite a while playing in the water, even in the really strong waves. Jaana stayed on the beach watching the trio splashing around in the waves, since you can\u2019t risk leaving your belongings unattended on the beach because of thieves. We rented four chairs and two beach umbrellas, although two of the chairs ended up being pretty much useless, since the kids spent most of their time either in the water or on the sand. The afternoon at the beach was really nice and relaxed, and we didn\u2019t head back to our apartment until the sun started to set. The ride to the beach by Uber took about 25 minutes without any major traffic, but the return trip took nearly 45 minutes due to traffic.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The adults have tried to follow these instructions throughout the entire trip.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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In Brazil, you can probably get a caipirinha just about anywhere.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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There were smaller ones...<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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...and some slightly bigger waves.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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That evening, Marko stopped by the local store to stock up the fridge a bit, and witnessed firsthand how a thief on a motorcycle tried to snatch a cell phone from the hand of a man talking on the phone at the side of the road. This time, the thief came away empty-handed, as the man managed to hold on to his phone tightly enough. This was, however, a good reminder that warnings about various types of theft here are not given in vain, and that people are advised to keep a close eye on their belongings while out on the streets.<\/p>

For Tuesday, we had booked a tour of Rio de Janeiro\u2019s most famous and largest favela, Rocinha. Our guide was Carlos, who had lived in that very favela his entire life. Even on the drive to Rocinha, we learned that the word \u201cfavela\u201d is actually the name of a certain shrub or tree, and that\u2019s where the term \u201cfavela\u201d comes from when referring to Brazil\u2019s slums. The first residents of the favelas were slaves freed in the late 1800s and early 1900s, as well as soldiers who did not receive the wages or housing they had been promised after the war. They settled on the steep hills of Rio de Janeiro because they could not afford the city\u2019s official housing. According to Carlos, back then, when these people described where they lived, they would say they lived on the hillside beneath the favela trees. Eventually, the term \u201cfavela\u201d became established to mean a slum.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Risto and Carlos in Rocinha<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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A stark contrast in living standards: a favela on the hillside, the wealthy on the beach.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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No new houses can be built in Rocinha. If more living space is needed, the dwellings must be expanded upward.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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There are several slums in Rio, but Rocinha is by far the most developed and largest of them (approx. 160,000 residents). Rocinha has four schools, a hospital, a couple of medical clinics, a police station, banks, and many small businesses\u2014from shops to barbershops and gyms. So it\u2019s like a small city within a city. Public transportation, such as buses and motorcycle taxis, runs frequently up and down Rocinha\u2019s streets. Most homes have electricity, running water, and a toilet, and garbage collection takes place daily; nevertheless, at least according to Carlos, the amount of trash is sometimes a major problem. A significant advantage of Rocinha is its location in southern Rio, home to Copacabana and a large portion of Rio\u2019s service sector jobs. According to Carlos, the vast majority of Rocinha\u2019s residents work in the surrounding areas, and their commutes are quick thanks to public transportation. The jobs are mainly low-skilled positions, such as cleaning, transportation, or sales, but jobs like these are apparently quite readily available. Many of the favelas are located much further out on the city\u2019s outskirts, from which the commute to southern Rio can take a couple of hours each way, at least during rush hour. The economic situation and employment rates in other favelas are likely to be generally quite a bit worse than in Rocinha. People rarely move away from Rocinha, even though some might afford to do so.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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A bunch of motorcycle taxis waiting for customers. Also note the interesting electric cabling in Rocinha.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Since the favelas are built on hillsides, you get a stair workout for free every day just by walking around there.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Motorcycle taxis are a common mode of transportation on the narrow streets of the favelas.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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You can also get to Rocinha by local bus if you wish.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Carlos had nothing good to say about the school system. He explained that the schools in Rocinha are public schools where children attend classes for only a couple of hours a day. The differences between public and private schools in Rio\u2014and probably throughout Brazil as well\u2014are reportedly enormous. Carlos mentioned that even his middle school-aged daughter still can\u2019t read or write properly, and he has to constantly help her with her studies. That\u2019s because they don\u2019t receive adequate instruction at school. Many children attend school just for the free lunch, and once they\u2019ve had it, they leave. We, too, walked past a school building, but there wasn\u2019t a single child or teacher in sight.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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The school building in Rocinha wasn't very inviting.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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There was a surprisingly wide variety of shops and services in Rocinha.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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While walking with Carlos, we felt very safe in the narrow alleys of the favela. However, it\u2019s probably not a good idea to go into the area alone, since the whole place is such a maze without official street names and you\u2019d get lost in no time. When we wondered how the residents of Rocinha receive their mail, Carlos explained that people living in the narrow alleys use the names of the larger streets that run through Rocinha as their addresses and pick up their mail from the buildings located along those streets.<\/p>

Another reason why tourists shouldn\u2019t wander around Rocinha alone is the area\u2019s unstable situation. Although Carlos said that, as a general rule, the area is safe and the community looks out for its own, clashes between the police and drug cartels, for example, can lead to shootouts in certain areas. There are also many incidents of pickpocketing, muggings, and thefts of cameras and cell phones in the area. However, tourists on guided tours are generally not robbed, as tourists are an important source of income for the favelas. We, too, left a few reals in Rocinha when we sponsored a local capoeira school (a debit card would have worked there for tipping as well), ate what were perhaps the best empanadas ever, supported a local rapper by buying homemade sweets from him (Ronja also started following him on Instagram), and stopped for some sodas at a local bar. The total amount of money we spent wasn\u2019t much, but it\u2019s important to remember that the average monthly wage for working people in the area is about $200. For them, every cent a tourist brings makes a difference.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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There were some alleys where you wouldn't even have been able to ride a motorcycle.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The youngest performer at the capoeira school was barely ten years old.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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At Rocinha, we had probably the best empanadas of our entire trip.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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This rapper goes by the username bioblack_021 on Instagram.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Both photos were taken at the same location. This one shows the flipside of the coin.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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On the other side of the bridge began the so-called \"better\" residential area.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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After the favela tour, we returned to Copacabana Beach, where we had dinner at one of the small restaurants along the beach. The restaurant\u2019s menu was quite extensive, but Marko and Jaana admittedly got a bit of a \u201cCuba vibe\u201d when, as we were ordering, the server kept telling us, one dish at a time, that it wasn\u2019t available at the moment. In the end, though, we managed to place our orders, and the food was delicious. The food was also surprisingly affordable, considering the restaurant was located in a prime spot right by the beach. For example, the shrimp pasta\u2014which was packed with shrimp\u2014cost only \u20ac12. At that price, you\u2019d only get to look at shrimp in Finland!<\/p>

In the evening, Risto and Marko stopped by a barbershop near our apartment to get their hair cut\u2014it had grown quite long during the trip. Risto went with a style modeled after some soccer player whose name was at least unknown to Jaana, while Marko stuck with his familiar and safe crew cut. The haircuts weren\u2019t very expensive either\u201435 reals, or about six euros per head.<\/p>

To celebrate our last full day of vacation here in Rio, we set out to explore the offerings of Rio de Janeiro\u2019s famous caf\u00e9, Confeitaria Colombo. The place was founded back in 1894 and is certainly just as magnificent as Caf\u00e9 Tortoni in Buenos Aires. The walls on the lower level of Colombo feature eight enormous crystal mirrors. The mirrors were originally imported from Belgium and are framed by beautiful hand-carved frames. The stunning stained-glass window on the ceiling also deserves a special mention. Confeitaria Colombo spans two floors, but the upper floor serves meals, while the lower floor focuses on caf\u00e9 items, savory snacks, and brunch.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Confeitaria Colombo has been in business in Rio de Janeiro for over 130 years.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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At least the caf\u00e9 on the street level was packed. We didn't go upstairs, but it looked like there were plenty of people there, too.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The stained-glass window in the ceiling was large and beautiful.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The selection of treats at the place was truly extensive, and the sweetness level was pretty much off the charts. Risto played it safe and ordered a serving of ice cream, which he knew for sure he\u2019d enjoy. Ronja indulged in a brownie, Marko had a tiramisu slice, and a lemon cake was served to Jaana. Jaana\u2019s signature cappuccino was topped with a generous amount of cinnamon-spiced whipped cream, and in Marko\u2019s hot chocolate, the spoon practically stood upright on its own. That\u2019s how thick and creamy the hot chocolate was.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Cocoa or melted chocolate?<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
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After we finished our treats, we continued on to Copacabana Beach. We had promised the kids another day at the beach, since Risto, in particular, loved playing in the waves. The waves were perhaps a little bigger than last time, and a red flag was flying on the beach instead of a yellow one. Despite the red flag, it was safe to play in the surf near the shore, since even Risto could touch the bottom the whole time. It probably wouldn\u2019t have been a good idea to go any deeper, even though a lone person seemed to be paddling on a SUP board quite far away.<\/p>

We rented beach chairs and umbrellas from the same group as last time, since we\u2019d been satisfied with their service before. This time, though, we only rented two beach chairs, because we\u2019d learned from our previous experience that we practically didn\u2019t need any chairs for the kids. We also ended up having to close the two beach umbrellas we had rented, because the wind on the beach picked up so strongly for a moment that it even blew one of our open umbrellas away.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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\"Children Playing on the Beach,\" after a painting by Edelfelt<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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For dinner, we went to a pasta place near the beach, and then we had to head back to the apartment to pack our things for the final leg of the trip. Once again, the trip back from downtown took considerably longer than the trip in the other direction. We\u2019ve concluded, however, that this is because the main road that cars take when heading to the beach is, for one reason or another, closed to traffic traveling in the opposite direction. As a result, cars have to weave through the narrow side streets, which causes traffic congestion. The only vehicles that manage to move smoothly even in heavy traffic are scooters and motorcycles. They zip in and out between cars, constantly honking their horns. Hopefully, drivers who change lanes in quite an unpredictable manner will at least somehow notice that a motorcycle is coming up from behind and that it\u2019s not exactly the best time to change lanes. There are almost always two people riding on a motorcycle. At least they\u2019re wearing helmets, but T-shirts, shorts, and flip-flops don\u2019t offer much protection if a car suddenly swerves out in front of them from the adjacent lane. It\u2019s a miracle we haven\u2019t seen a single crash yet. With traffic like this, they\u2019re bound to happen every day!<\/p>

The bus back to S\u00e3o Paulo departed from a terminal that was only a 10-minute drive from our place. So we didn\u2019t have to get up too early to catch the 11:00 bus operated by Aguia Branca. This time the bus was single-decker, but the seats were once again nice and soft and wide. The trip was scheduled to take 6.5 hours, which isn\u2019t exactly a fast average speed for a 300-kilometer journey. However, we\u2019d chosen the bus over flying because that way we\u2019d get to see a bit more of the scenery. Since it was a long trip, it also included a 30-minute lunch break. So everything sounded great as we set off on the bus toward S\u00e3o Paulo.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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This time, our bus had only one deck.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Right from the start, we got stuck in traffic, which was apparently caused by various road construction projects in the suburbs. Once we got past that, the trip went quite smoothly for a while, until we reached a more mountainous area where a massive road construction project was underway. Jaana looked up online to find out what the project was all about. Apparently, once completed, this massive project is intended to eliminate the worst bottlenecks on the mountainous route and improve road safety. Four lanes will be built in both directions, and a total of 24 viaducts and exit ramps for vehicles with brake failures will be constructed along the route.\u00a0<\/p>

We ended up sitting in that traffic jam for a really long time. At this point, we were already starting to wonder whether the estimated 6.5-hour travel time would hold up. When, about four hours after we set out, we stopped at a gas station-like place called Graal to eat, it became painfully clear that we wouldn\u2019t arrive in S\u00e3o Paulo by 17:30.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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There were kilometers upon kilometers of this kind of suburban area.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The Serra das Araras road project is expected to be fully completed in March 2027. We are cautiously skeptical that the schedule will be met...<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The dining area at the rest stop was set up in a really interesting way. To enter the area, you had to take a numbered plastic token from a vending machine and walk through the gates. Then, once inside, you could choose the food you wanted, which was entered into the cash register system using the token\u2019s number code. After finishing your meal, you could only leave the area once you\u2019d paid for your food at another register and slipped the token into the machine to open the gates.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Apparently, this is where the famous Holy Grail can be found.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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You could choose whatever you wanted from the fast-food restaurants or the buffet counter in the area. You didn't have to pay yet.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Payment was made only after the meal, using the plastic card shown in the photo. Risto chose empanadas for lunch.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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After the lunch break, the journey continued for several more hours, and we finally arrived at the S\u00e3o Paulo bus station at 19:30, after an 8.5-hour trip. From the bus station, we ordered an Uber to the airport hotel, and the ride took another half hour. Since we arrived so late, the hotel restaurant had already closed. However, we were able to order food through room service, so that\u2019s what we did. That was probably the first time ever we\u2019d ordered anything through room service. The hotel\u2019s room service wasn\u2019t exactly lightning-fast, so it wasn\u2019t until around 22:30 that we\u2019d all finished eating and were ready for bed.\u00a0<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Along the way, we saw several Statues of Liberty. Google told us that the statue was connected to the Havan department store chain behind it.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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The room service portions were also large.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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On Friday, we simply took an Uber to the airport and began our rather long journey home. The first flight, on Turkish Airlines from S\u00e3o Paulo to Istanbul, lasted a little over 12 hours. Risto and Ronja had actually drawn up a written plan for the trip, and their plans held up pretty well\u2014even when it came to sleep. Risto must have slept for at least 6 hours during the flight, and Ronja slept for a few hours as well. Jaana and Marko didn\u2019t sleep, so they managed to watch quite a few movies on the plane\u2019s in-flight entertainment system during that time. We had a 3-hour layover in Istanbul, and the flight to Helsinki departed at 15:05. None of us slept on this flight, so by the time we finally got home at 20:15 on Saturday evening, the adults in the family had been awake for nearly 30 hours straight, and even the kids had only managed a few hours of sleep in between.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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Risto's morning workout before boarding the plane.<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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Our self-made travel buddies heading to the lounge at Guarulhos Airport to grab a snack before our flight departs. The tie-in deals between credit card companies and lounge operators really are collaboration at its finest!<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t
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All in all, this summer vacation trip was a real success. Everything went according to plan, and many of our destinations were pleasant surprises. For example, we\u2019d been a bit skeptical about visiting the capitals of Paraguay and Uruguay, but they were nice and Ronja especially liked Montevideo. We all agreed that, despite the heat, the Amazon and Pantanal regions were the highlights of the trip. For Marko, though, spending the night in a \u201ccrappy blanket\u201d\u2014that is, a hammock\u2014was a minor downside to the Amazon. In addition to the nature destinations, Marko and Risto also fell in love with Rio. Jaana, on the other hand, liked Buenos Aires. Getting around with Uber was surprisingly easy, so we didn\u2019t have to haggle with local taxi drivers over fares. We didn\u2019t use a traditional taxi even once; instead, we took a total of 56 Uber rides. For the most part, the fares were cheap (\u20ac5\u201310), with the exception of the ride from the Montevideo airport and the longer ride from S\u00e3o Paulo to Viracopos Airport. That said, that ride was also almost 100 km long.<\/p>

Since we\u2019ve been taking these kinds of longer vacation trips for a long time, we\u2019ve noticed how technological advancements have made traveling much easier. We\u2019ve used Google\u2019s offline maps on our trips before, but a new and useful feature this time was Google Translate\u2019s offline languages, which we could download to our phones to make it easier to communicate in places without an internet connection. Both adults also purchased an eSIM card from Airalo for their phones, which provided 5 GB of data for \u20ac20. This amount was more than enough for us to order Ubers and communicate with private accommodation hosts or tour operators in places where there was no Wi-Fi connection. In theory, various eSIM cards have been available for at least 5\u20136 years now, but we hadn\u2019t used them before. Recently, eSIM support in cell phones has expanded from flagship models to more mainstream devices. Another significant improvement is that, in addition to country-specific eSIM cards, regional cards are now available that cover, for example, all of South America. This meant we didn\u2019t always have to get a new eSIM card every time we arrived in a new country. Loading the card onto the phone was so easy that even Jaana was able to do it herself.<\/p>

We\u2019ve also booked most of our guided tours in various destinations through platforms like TripAdvisor, Viator, or GetYourGuide. These platforms now let you book tours from even very small tour operators, and the advantage is that paying through them is much easier. In fact, in many places we ran into the problem that, for one reason or another, a European Mastercard didn’t work as a payment method. Sometimes the card was even declined at a store, and we had to pay in cash. Confusingly, Azul, one of Brazil\u2019s largest airlines, didn\u2019t accept our cards as a form of payment at all. Before leaving on the trip, Marko had tried to book flights directly through the airline\u2019s own website. Despite numerous attempts, he was unable to do so. So this wasn\u2019t just a temporary glitch on the airline\u2019s website. Fortunately, we were able to book the flights through Booking.com, and our cards have always been accepted on that platform.<\/p>

This brings us to the point that it\u2019s always a good idea to carry multiple bank cards when traveling. We had four of them with us. Usually, at least one of them was accepted as a payment method, but not always. For this reason, it\u2019s also a good idea to carry some cash. We had brought along both euros and dollars. We used them to pay for some accommodations and also exchanged them for local currency at currency exchange counters. Usually, we\u2019ve withdrawn local cash from ATMs, but that doesn\u2019t always work, so it\u2019s a good idea to bring a little extra cash just in case. Since the biggest expenses, such as flights and accommodations, are usually paid for in advance, you don\u2019t need to carry such a large amount of cash that you\u2019d be constantly stressing about it.<\/p>

South America was a really great travel destination, and even though it was winter there, the daytime temperatures were still comfortable for someone from Finland. The locals were friendly, and the food was relatively inexpensive and really tasty. The only thing that proved a bit tricky at times was finding decent yogurt, since it doesn\u2019t seem to be part of the locals\u2019 breakfast or snack repertoire. We had booked our accommodations in advance so that most of them also had a washing machine. This meant we only needed to bring about a week\u2019s worth of clothes at a time (except for Ronja, who needs to have the perfect outfit for every occasion, plus a few extras in case her mood changes), so our luggage fit perfectly into our backpacks. This time, in addition to our jackets, we also had to bring several pairs of shoes, since we needed sneakers for getting around in the Amazon and the Pantanal\u2014ones that could get wet and muddy. Now we\u2019ve seen part of this continent, but we\u2019ll definitely be back there again someday. Looking forward to new adventures!<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t

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During this trip, the kids learned at least one thing: it\u2019s not a good idea to give out your personal information on just any website. Pertti Pibelssi, Jossu Possu, Kille K\u00e4lli and Herra Kikkeli have traveled extensively with us throughout South America. Pictured here is the login screen for the free Wi-Fi at Viracopos Airport, which asks all sorts of unnecessary questions. Take that, you phishers!<\/figcaption>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/figure>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/section>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Our last stop was Rio de Janeiro. Even though we weren’t there during Carnival, there was plenty to do in the city. And we even got to go to the beach, even though it was winter there.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":12853,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[17],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-13113","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-south-america-2026-en"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/traveltales.ahot.online\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13113","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/traveltales.ahot.online\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/traveltales.ahot.online\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traveltales.ahot.online\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traveltales.ahot.online\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=13113"}],"version-history":[{"count":20,"href":"https:\/\/traveltales.ahot.online\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13113\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":13154,"href":"https:\/\/traveltales.ahot.online\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/13113\/revisions\/13154"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traveltales.ahot.online\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12853"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/traveltales.ahot.online\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=13113"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traveltales.ahot.online\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=13113"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/traveltales.ahot.online\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=13113"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}