What Rio has to offer on rainy days

It is a rainy afternoon here in Rio de Janeiro and now we are especially glad that our Bed&Breakfast Casa579 is such a cozy place. The guests sink into our comfortable sofas with a cup of steaming Brazilian coffee in their hand and ask us: “So, what does Rio de Janeiro has to offer on rainy days?” And this is one route we tell them…

Museu Nacional de Belas Artes

Even if you are not specifically an art lover, the National Museum of Fine Arts is a must-see. This Brazilian national heritage exhibits paintings and sculptures from Brazilian and international painters. Already the architecturally interesting building and Pedro Américo’s impressive Battle of Avaí are worth the visit. You will find yourself spending a good hour admiring the beautiful pieces that tell you a little more about Brazilian history.

Information

Adress: Av. Rio Branco, 199 - Centro (Metro stop: Cinelândia)

Opening hours: Tuesday-Friday: 10 a.m.-6 p.m.

                           Saturday, Sunday, holidays: 12-5 p.m.

Entrance fee: R$8 (half price tickets: R$4) free entrance on Sundays!

Visit the official website for more information.

Teatro Municipal

Just a two-minute walk from the National Museum of Fine Arts is the Municipal Theatre, one of the most important ones of the country which re-opened about a year ago after a thorough restoration. Luckily it was not hurt by the strucural collapse of the building in January of this year.The theatre will begin the season with the ballett Creation in May, choreographed by Uwe Scholz. If you are not interested in seeing a theatre performance, the interior design of the Municipal Theatre is still worth your time.

Information

Adress: Av. 13 de Maio 33 - Centro (Metro stop: Cinelândia)

Phone: 2332-9123

Please visit the official website for more information on the theatre performances.

Confeitaria Colombo 

After seeing the museum and the theatre, you will probably be looking for a nice café to sit down and have a hot coffee - the famous Confeitaria Colombo is exactly what you are looking for on a rainy day like today. Also named a historic site by the National Heritage council, the confectionary impresses with its large mirrors, the clean marble floor and the beautifully old chairs and tables. Opened 106 years ago, and with two branches in Barra Shopping and the Copacabana Fort, the elegant café is still today a meeting point for artists, politicians and intellectuals. 

Information

Adress: Rua Gonçalves Dias, 32 - Centro (Metro stop: Cinelândia)

For more background information and pictures please visit the official website.

How to start your rainy-day-trip from our B&B Casa579?

Take the bus 006 from the left corner of Rua Julio Otoni/Rua Alm. Alexandrino and get off at the corner of Avenida Rebública do Chile/Avenida Rio Branco. The National Museum of Fine Arts is on the left side of Av. Rio Branco. 

Größere Kartenansicht

Brazil's finest: Parque Nacional da Tijuca

  You have seen all the typical tourist attractions in the city, have enjoyed the beach but are now ready to see a different side of Rio de Janeiro? The famous Parque Nacional da Tijuca is exactly what you are looking for! Far away from the large buildings, the polluted air and the ongoing noise in the city, you find yourself in absolute silence - the contrast could not be more extreme.

When walking on small trails deep inside the Atlantic forest (mata atlântica), passing over gently splashing streams and hearing birds chirp, you will experience the natural beauty and diversity Brazil is so famous for. You emerge further into the forest and cannot help but feel your body fill with admiration and appreciation for this natural wonder. Being constantly surrounded by people, the Parque Nacional da Tijuca offers you the privacy that you long for after a few days in Rio.

So, what are you waiting for?

General Information:

Opening Hours: Every day from 08:00-17:00 (18:00 in the Brazilian summer)

Phone number: (021) 24922252/24922253

Hiking Tours:

You would like to fully experience the Atlantic forest but do not feel comfortable going by yourself? Book an exciting hiking tour with the company Rio Hiking and enjoy the view over Rio at the 3300-ft high summit. For more information please visit www.riohiking.com.br.

How to get to Alto da Boa Vista (main entrance) from Casa579:

• Walking: walk to Christ the Redeemer and from there walk straight into the forest
• Bus: take the 007 to the last stop Central, walk to Avenida Presidente Vargas and to the right until the bus stop. From there take any bus (301, 333, 308, 309, 345) that goes to Alto da Boa Vista
• Metro: take the metro Zona Norte to the last stop Saens Pena. From there take the bus 345 or 355 to Alto da Boa Vista

An alternative way to travel to Rio de Janeiro

Imagine you’re planning your trip to Rio de Janeiro. A few days before you leave you write down your packing list including the usual items: shirts, shorts, socks, underwear, a swimsuit, pyjamas, sandals, tennis shoes, etc. That is exactly what Jesse’s list looked like before he travelled from Georgia, United States, to Rio. However, when he arrived at Casa 579 the only thing he had with him was a tiny, plaid purse. So what happened to his initial packing list and what made Jesse do something so brave and odd?

“I was in San Sebastian, Spain, and was about to leave for Paris when I wanted to go to the beach one more time. I had already packed my bags and took two of them with me, one on each shoulder. When I arrived at the beach everyone looked at me because of my two big bags. It was very obvious that I was a tourist because no local would go to the beach with two big bags. I felt so strange and uncomfortable and that’s when I realized I didn’t want to travel with that much luggage anymore, it was just too annoying.”

Jesse’s dislike for travelling with too much luggage was strengthened even further when he arrived in Paris and met someone that influenced him in a major way…

“I was in Paris during my Europe trip”, tells Jesse, ”when I met a girl who was only travelling with a small purse. The clothes she was wearing were the only ones she had. She took two showers a day, washed her clothes at night so they would be dry in the morning, and whenever she needed something new, she bought it. I remember being so impressed by that and thinking ‘Wow, that is so brave!’. Ever since then, I wanted to do the exact same thing but it was always only in the back of my head. I actually didn’t plan on coming to Rio with just a purse. But when I wrote down my packing list I stopped at one point and thought ‘I don’t need any of this.’ So I took this random purse that I’ve had for three years and packed it.”

For most of us, travelling to a foreign country or pretty much anywhere with a tiny purse is simply unimaginable. What about all the essential items you need? Why would someone decide to travel without luggage?

“It’s very simple”, explains Jesse, “I don’t want to feel like a tourist, like a traveler. I want to mix with the local people. I want to feel like there actually is a possibility of me living here. Travelling without luggage is something that completely frees you up.”

By now you might be wondering what Jesse actually has in his tiny purse...

• his passport
• a wallet
  
• a small booklet with Portuguese phrases
• a camera
• a toothbrush and toothpaste
• a nail file
• a small journal to keep track of expenses
• another journal to take notes (“I enjoy writing”)
• about 20 condoms (“I heard American condoms are better than Brazilian ones…”)

“I should have brought more underwear and another pair of socks. And if I find a bigger purse on the way, I might buy it but it won’t be much bigger because I would get tired of carrying it.”

And what about Jesse’s next trip? Is that how he is going to travel from now on?

“I met a guy in France who was travelling with $ 5.00. He was dependent on the kindness of strangers. I am not sure if I have the courage to do it but we will see…”

Bonzolandia

„Tudo começou com o bondinho…“ says Getúlio. You might not know him in person, but if you have stayed at our pousada or if you have walked down the Rua Alexandrino towards Largo do Guimarães, I am sure you have seen his colorful bondinho and all of his handcrafts on your way. Getúlio, who is originally from Minas Gerais and moved to Rio as a 15-year old, has been at the same spot in Santa Teresa for 26 years creating his artwork from recycled materials only.

His outdoor atelier is filled with a variety of creative, interesting and quirky things – each of them unique. After working in a variety of areas, Getúlio finally settled down and built his bondinho in which he stores his material and creates his handcrafts until today.

“I get all my materials from the street. Anywhere I go, I find something. I take everything I think I could use for one of my next artworks.” Getúlio tries to economize even further by picking up nails wherever he can find them so his only expenses are paint and utensils. “I have always had a passion for art and simple things and the material itself inspire me. “ The inspiration of the tourists in Santa Teresa is very obvious in his portrayal of a foreign family who he tried to give weird and funny names. Even though Getúlio is working by himself, he is not alone thanks to the phone he installed in the middle of the mess in his tiny bondinho. His creativity is visible everywhere. Do you want a truly unique and authentic souvenir from Santa Teresa? Getúlio is your guy!

David Guetta heads New Year’s Eve “Reveillon @ Copacabana” line-up!

Finally. finally...the acts for New Years Eve at the world-famous Copacabana Beach Party have been confirmed with an interesting mix of Brazilian and International stars such as Beth Carvalho , top international DJ David Guetta and Samba School champions Beija-flor and Unidos da Tijuca. Here’s the line-up:
Main stage in front of Hotel Copacabana Palace
20:30 – Beth Carvalho
22:00 – O Rappa
00:00 – Fireworks Display!
00:20 – Latino
02:00 – DJ David Guetta
03:30 – Beija-flor Samba School


Stage 1 in front of Rua Santa Clara
19:00 – Baia
20:30 – Sargento Pimenta
22:15 – Moraes Moreira
00:00 – Fireworks Display!
00:20 – Blitz
00:15 – Unidos Tijuca and Mangueira Samba Schools
For more information about New Year, what to do and what to wear...check-out our blog post “Christmas and New Year in Rio de Janeiro”.

We’ll be dancing with David (Guetta) in front of the Main Stage....see you there!

Is Rio ready for Carnival 2012

Rio’s Carnival is always getting bigger and better and every year you can expect something new and this year it’s not only the Samba Schools that will be bringing something new to Carnival! This year the Sambadrome (“Sambódromo” in portuguese), where the Rio Carnival Parade takes place has been undergoing reconstruction and will be modernized in time for Carnival 2012 so everyone is waiting with bated breath to see if it really will be ready in time for one of the biggest shows on earth! The Sambodrome in Rio, originally designed by the world-famous architect Oscar Niemeyer in 1984, is the biggest stage on earth with every year each Samba School (and there are more than 70 in Rio!) taking 3-5,000 people down the Sambadrome “avenida” and up to 90,000 spectators watching the famous parades. The Sambadrome has never been as Oscar Niemeyer originally planned with some sectors having a restricted view and as it is to be used in the 2016 Olympics for the final of the Marathon big changes are needed to make it more symmetrical and increase capacity.


The plan is to accommodate an additional 18,000 people and have all sectors with unrestricted views of the avenida. Four new main buildings are under construction for sectors 2, 4, 6 and 8 with seats for all budgets: grandstands, open boxes or “frisas”, and luxury suites called “camarotes” (which sell for R$20,000-R$50,000 each!). Smaller buildings between the big grandstands blocks are being built for comfortable luxury suites with capacity of 60 people in each one of them.
So, the big question now is: Will the new stage be ready for Carnival 2012?! The Project Managers still maintain that the new Sambodrome will be finished in December 2011 and that it will be ready for visitors by January 8th, 2012 when the first Samba Schools take to the avenida for the start of the technical rehearsals in the run up to Carnival. Let’s hope they are right. It will be a momentous occasion as not only is December 15th Oscar Niemeyer’s birthday but having redesigned the Sambadrome at age 104, this celebration will be a special one for sure!

Christmas and New Year in Rio de Janeiro

In December, the city of Rio de Janeiro is filled with lights and Christmas decorations. The Cariocas – the Brazilians from Rio de Janeiro – enjoy their shopping and the colorful lights along the beaches and the unique decorations on the shopping malls attract not only children but also tourists from all over the world…. Also, for most Brazilians, Christmas time means family time. A time to get together and celebrate this special holiday. So don’t expect the biggest and loudest parties here in the “cidade maravilhosa”. But don’t worry, Rio is still a very special place to stay for Christmas. Where else would you find a floating Christmas tree?? In fact, a Christmas tree, according to the Guinness Book of World Records, that is the world’s largest floating Christmas tree, at 85-metres high and with over 3million electric bulbs?? Definitely only here in Rio de Janeiro.

On the other hand New Year (known as “Reveillon”) , isn’t quiet at all. New Year is the second largest event in Rio de Janeiro after the famous Carnival. The biggest New Year celebrations take place at the famous Copacabana beach where millions of people celebrate together and watch the amazing fireworks show that welcomes in the New Year. Be prepared for crowds of people ready for the biggest party of the year…cariocas and tourists…all together waiting for 2012…an experience you should experience at least once in a lifetime. Oh and the best thing about it is…it’s completely free! There are many stages set up along the beach, each with different acts with the biggest and best being in front of the Hotel Copacabana Palace. Acts already confirmed for this year are: Beth Carvalho, Seu Jorge and Latino with plenty more to come! The next big question is what to wear? It has always been tradition to dress in white but these days people wear other colours too and the meaning of the colour you wear that night means much more than you might think. It’s what you are wishing for the coming year… Gold brings wealth and luck… Green is for trust and hope… Pink of course for ladies…it brings you hope and true love… Orange will bring you happiness… Red for love, romance and elegance Blue is the color of calm and trust Yellow for creativity, intelligence and a lot a lot a lot of happiness… And last but not least…white…the color of prosperity and harmony

For those who prefer to see in 2012 a bit more exclusively….Here just some of the special parties going on:

Sugar Loaf Mountain: http://www.reveillonpaodeacucar.com.br

Hotel Intercontinental: http://www.reveilloncarioca.com.br

Jockey Club: http://www.reveillondocostabrava.com.br

Wherever you will celebrate the last day of the old year and the first of the new...Casa 579 already wishes you a good one and all the best for the year to come!