Rio 2016 (Part-10)

Sugarloaf Mountain (Portuguese: Pão de Açúcar pronounced [ˈpɐ̃w̃ d͡ʒi aˈsukaʁ]) is a peak situated in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, at the mouth of Guanabara Bay on a peninsula that juts out into the Atlantic Ocean. Rising 396 m (1,299 ft) above the harbor, its name is said to refer to its resemblance to the traditional shape of concentrated refined loaf sugar. It is known worldwide for its cableway and panoramic views of the city.

Sugarloaf

The name "Sugarloaf" was coined in the 16th century by the Portuguese during the heyday of sugar cane trade in Brazil. According to historian Vieira Fazenda, blocks of sugar were placed in conical molds made of clay to be transported on ships. The shape given by these molds was similar to the peak, hence the name. “WIKI”

On the cable car...

The first leg of the trip is from Avenida Pasteur in Praia Vermelha, the Red Beach District, which takes you to the top of Urca Mountain. The one kilometer ride gives you the first aerial view of Copacabana, the Christ statue, Niteroi Bridge and Guanabara Bay. There are some gift shops, restaurants and a small theater with informational videos. Don’t forget to carry your camera to record some of the most spectacular views of the region. There a number of trials through the thick vegetation and natural observation posts put up at different heights.

Sugarloaf

The second cable car takes you from Urca to the top of Sugarloaf with an amazing 360-degree view of the region. You can sit down and enjoy the view from one of the fast-food shops around the area. Alternatively, you can follow a trail around the top of the hill. Be there at sunset and you will be treated to the most spectacular scenery on the planet. Undoubtedly, the overlooks on Sugarloaf provide some jaw-dropping views of the ocean and the city as well. Those sensitive to heights better beware.

Sugarloaf

“Sugarloaf” is a must go/visit not only for tourist but also for travelers. There are two ways you can climb. You can take a cable car or you can hike. You don’t have to pay anything if you hike however if you wanna take a cable car you need to pay.

View from the cable car

We wanted to see the sunset from the top of the mountain so we decided to go there after lunch. Shakib was available so he decided to join us.

View from the top 

This is where Razan Bhai got upset again. We decided to go by cable car and adult ticket costs R$71.00 & Student/under age ticket costs only R$35.00. I paid the student price and Shakib paid the same as we used student ID card. However Razon Bhai had to pay the full price. He was so upset.

Take two paths cable car to peak, it is amazing. If you really want to spend time for watching sunset, remember to bring jacket as strong wind there. Generally, two and half hours is enough much there for sight-seeing and shopping at shops there.

Sugarloaf

Cable cars run every 20 minutes. The first cable car up departs at 8:10am and the last cable car up departs at 8pm. The last car down departs from the summit at 8:40pm. The box office where you exchange your voucher is open between 8am and 7:50pm.

View from the top

Although Razon Bhai was upset due to paying full price however after seeing the view from the cable car he calm himself down. The view was spectacular and hard to describe.

Sugarfie...

We went to the first mountain and stayed there for half an hour and enjoyed the view. We then took another car to the second mountain. View from Second Mountain was even more jaw-dropping. Someone said million dollar view however I think it’s a billion dollar view.

We stayed at the second mountain about an hour. Shakib decided to leave as he has some other plans. I and Razon Bhai decided to hike on our way back however after hiking about 20 minutes we became so tired. Weather was so hot and humid.

On top of the Mountain

Million dollar view

We came back to the first mountain and stayed there for couple of hours to observe the sunset however we had to leave just before the sunset as we were so tired.

The view

A day well spent. Slowly all places in Rio are being ticket off from my list. We were happy to see the progress.

< To Be Continued >

Rio 2016 (Part-9)

Niterói is a municipality of the state of Rio de Janeiro in the southeast region of Brazil. It lies across Guanabara Bay facing the city of Rio de Janeiro and forms part of the Rio de Janeiro Metropolitan Area. It was the state capital, as marked by its golden mural crown, from 1834 to 1894 and again from 1903 to 1975. It has an estimated population of 487,327 inhabitants (2010) and an area of 129.375 km (80.39 mi), making it the second most populous city in the state. It has the highest Human Development Index of the state. The city has the nicknames of Nikity, Nicki City and the Smile City [Cidade Sorriso)].

Our ride to Niterói

Studies by the Getulio Vargas Foundation in June 2011 classified Niterói as the richest city of Brazil, with 55.7% of the population included in class A. Considering the classes A and B, Niterói also appears in the first place, with 85.9% of the population in these classes. “WIKI”

Ferry 

Júlia [my colleague] informed us in the other day that she is from Niterói. She also told us that it’s a beautiful island and a must go attraction for everyone. So we decided to pay a visit to this beautiful city. Next day [on 28^th August 2016] I and Razon Bhai took a ferry from the central ferry station of Rio named “Porto Maravilha”.

On Board selfie...

The ferry station was not far from our hill top apartment. To get to Niterói, we took the Rio-Charitas catamaran ferry from Praça XV in Centro to the far side of Guanabara Bay, near the outcrop known as Morro de Pico. From here one can walk around to the markets and a shopping mall, and find buses or taxis to the next destination. The return ferry leaves from the center and arrives back at Praça XV in around 15 minutes.

At Niterói

If bus travel is preferred, or, if Praça XV is inconvenient for the final destination, then you can take a bus over the Rio-Niterói bridge, from which, on a clear day, the views are spectacular. The more modern, air conditioned ‘1001’ buses (761D, 751D and 741D) make stops all over Rio and cost R$5. However, during rain storms or rush hour, the bridge can become extremely congested, making the ferry the best option. On our way back we wanted to take the bus however we could not find the bus stop.

Niterói...

However ferry is much cheaper than bus and it costs around R$2.8. However we used Rio card given by Rio 2016 Organizing Committee. It was free and we were allowed to use in almost all forms of public transports. Life was much easier with Rio Card.

Niterói from the ferry...

Also it was very hot and tiring. We walked from one side to other side of the city. Tried some local street foods on our way back to the ferry station. As it was very hot we were not brave enough to go to the other part of the city where the Oscar Niemeyer designed Museum of Contemporary Art is located. This is one of Niterói’s most famous sights. We decided to visit Niterói with Júlia again however did not get the time unfortunately. 

Niterói

Along the coast, Niterói is blessed with endless, often empty beaches. Cleaner and less crowded than Copacabana or Ipanema, Niterói’s shores attract a loyal number of families, students and sports enthusiasts. As well as surfing and stand-up paddle boarding, extreme water sports such as wakesurfing, wakeboarding and skimboarding are increasingly popular. However unfortunately we did not get the chance to experience any of these. Hopefully next time…

Colombia House...

As our dream of using a bus for our return faded we used the same route. Took another ferry to return to mainland of Rio.

Our ride home...

However from the ferry station we took a VLT [Light rail system built for 2016 summer Olympic Games.

< To Be Continued >

Rio 2016 (Part-8)

And we still had few more days before we fly to Iguazu. However we had to complete some formalities like collecting uniforms and attending venue specific training. So the next day we decided to collect our Paralympic uniforms and do some shopping i.e. eggs, noodles and breads. That’s right we ate homemade egg burgers or noodles most of the nights at our apartment during our time at Rio as did not want to waste our valuable time cooking.

Summary of 26th August 2016

Our venue specific training was scheduled on 26^th & 27^th August 2016 in the morning. As mentioned earlier I was part of Event Management Team and my training was scheduled for both Olympic Stadium famous Maracanã Stadium. I was so excited as I heard so many stories about Maracanã.

Ipanema

Our venue specific training finished just after lunch and decided to go fishing at famous Ipanema Beach. Razon Bhai was part of International Relation Team and he also finished after lunch. I invited him to join me in my fishing adventure. He agreed and we decided to meet at Central Station.

London 2012 in Rio

 Weather in Rio is mostly warm and an average sunshine hour in August is around 7 so we had plenty of time to enjoy. Fishing by the coastline was not easy for me as I never had that experience before. We borrowed someone else’s equipment and tried fishing for about half an hour. Well taking pictures was our first priority. We had a good time at the beach.

Fishing at Ipanema

Next day was our final day of training. Training for this kind of international events are similar except the cultural integration part where they generally show the do’s and don’ts. Our training finished just after lunch and Bruno & Júlia invited us to join them. They wanted to go to Ipanema again. Ipanema is a place where you can go every day.

Beautiful Ipnema..

On our way to Ipanema we decided to taste some traditional foods and juice from exotic fruits of Brazil. Rio sucos is known as Juice Bar. As the weather is generally hot in Rio you will find a juice bar at every single street of Rio and the prices are not that expensive. With 2 to 7 Brazilian reais (Real) you will get about 250 ml to 500 ml pure and fresh juice.

The website Toda Brazil lists 146 fruits grown in Brazil. The count runs to 14 before you're even out of the A's: abacate (avocado), abacaxi (pineapple), abiu, abricó, açaí, acerola, akee, ameixa, amêndoa, amora, anonáceas, araçá, atemoya, avelã.

We. At Ipanema...

I always brought the mixed (mixed with different types of fruits) one. Unlike Taipei, Taiwan you can eat and drink at every public transportation systems in Rio. So we always brought at least a drink whenever I was in the Metro.

Porção de Pastel

A day well spent…..

Coxinha

< To Be Continued >