Around The World Plea
To help my novel come to life, I’m looking for people’s personal accounts of their holidays in a city anywhere in the world, and their best recommendations, or what they did that was the highlight of their holiday (excluding tourist hot-spots).
It needs to be unique, something no one has ever written about, and must not be a tourist hot-spot. It needs to be a new discovery of some sort, and a personal recommendation, or meaningful.
So, if you have any personal travel recommendations (i.e. brilliant small cafe in an alley tucked away in Paris, or a bed and breakfast not seen in any travel guide but was worth checking into), then post your stories here. All are welcome. Need stories from all over the globe.
Richard de Paula 9:17 am on February 28, 2012 Permalink |
The year was 2008, and for the better half of it I lived in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. My ticket there was a study-abroad program hosted by my university, but believe me when I tell you my motives for making the trip are so numerous and complex that I could save it for another story entirely.
This particular story is about a mountain in Rio de Janeiro. I went with some friends and an entire group of capoeiristas (practitioners of a Brazilian martial art) to hike up a mountain called Pedra da Gávea, which lies in the city and state of Rio de Janeiro, between”Barra da Tijuca” and “Gávea”. This particular mountain is one of the larger ones in Rio, and the entire trip (up to the top and back down) lasted about six hours, if memory serves me right.
We left early – or, at least, about as early as one can get on Brazilian-time (probably around 10am?), and we met up near a bridge at the foot of the mountain. The lush greenery of Rio’s tropical climate was made complete with a small flowing river and one or two small waterfalls. The temperatures around this time of year (around April or May) tended to still be very warm, and by noon, we were covered in sun.
Most of the males trekked the path shirtless, and the females in workout clothes or bikinis. It was just too hot otherwise. Most of us packed light; a few snacks, and lots of water. (I brought “light reading” – Paulo Coelho’s Brida)
The paths were mostly straight-forward, save for the dodging of a few trees or stepping over their roots.. By the time we had gotten half-way up, we could already see the clouds forming at our level. We stood on a rock for a small break, enjoying the scenery, rehydrating, and taking pictures. [Random fact: It was here that I earned my Brazilian capoeira nickname: Shaolin. Probably for my long hair, or probably for my attempts at meditation. Nah, it was the long hair.]
As he hiked higher, we came to a point which required a little mountain-climbing. There were ropes hanging down over the edges – mainly used by those who were trying to get down. There were also plenty of crevices and cracks in the rocks to make climbing it accessible even for the less experienced and less confident. Once everyone was up and over, we continued, occassionally taking small breaks. (In a large group, you can only go as fast as the weakest link~).
As we neared the top I and two friends went ahead to get there first. It wasn’t that we were racing or anything. It “could” be explained as just sheer excitement for achieving such an “high” accomplishment. However, for the three of us… we all felt something different. It was almost spiritual, a sort of “Zen” feeling at the top of this mountain… and we just felt like soaking it up. Even the air was different; but then again, naturally, it should be. The contrast between the thick, humid, tropical air at the base of the mountain vs. the crisper, clearer air at the top was very obvious..
The view from up here was nothing short of breathtaking. On one side, there was a clear view of the various neighborhoods of Rio de Janeiro and the huge “Lagoa” (lake) in the middle of the city, and it was easy to capture the entirety of the beach that ran along Gávea, Leblon, Ipanema, and even up to Copacabana. On the other was the side that captured Barra da Tijuca, where one could get a picturesque view of the city’s circular design, where all roads met at a center. We were so high, in fact, that even a plane flying below us looked small. (Note: not a commercial airliner). The stratus clouds below us also seemed somewhat distant.
And yet, there’s more to this adventure. Near the top, on the side opposite where we climbed up from, there was visible a small cave attached to the edge of the mountain. This cave could be reached by scaling the mountain on a thin gap of rock that ran ~2 ft away from the wall of the mountain, allowing for a fairly safe (though likely jitter inducing or adrenaline pumping) scale along the mountain. -Just make sure to lean into the mountain.
Naturally, once most of us reached the cave, we had to take pictures and once again enjoy the scenery. Then it was back up the scaling to return to the top before heading back down the mountain. Down the small rock-climbing portion. Down past the trees and roots. Past the waterfall. Past a bunch of loose dogs. And back to the base, only to vaguely relive the experience through chatter over a nice, refreshing cup/bowl of cold açaí. With granola.
That hike is one that I would love to do again, and one that I would highly recommend to anyone traveling to Rio de Janeiro and looking for something outside of the normal “tourist attractions”. Word of advice, though: if you can, take a Brazilian with you… or at least a hiking partner or two. There are a couple of reasons for this (knowledge of the trail, having someone to share the experience with, etc), but one reason a foreigner might consider is that the mountain isn’t too far from a “favela” (Brazilian slum). Always good to go places with buddies, either way.
Cheers, and Happy Hiking!
RPd