Brazil Sep2020 Sightseeing
Sightseeing in Sao Paulo and Rio de Janeiro and some general notes.
Few tourists, no queues. At Sugarloaf and Christ the Redeemer there are installations where hundreds of people can wait for hours, I got in instantly.
Sun is north middays. I have never been that far south of the equator. When planning trips, I consider position of sun (sun shining on places I want to see, not standing behind the place). Sao Paulo cathedral façade points north, and sun shining on it was a surprise.
Thu10sep2020 arrive in Sao Paulo
Arrive in GRU (Sao Paulo international airport). No signs of bus 316 (that would pass my hotel in Rua Augusta), take bus 257 to Tatuape metro station, metro to hotel.
Rest in room, get money from ATM in Frei Caneca shopping center, get SIM-card.
Fri11sep2020
Walk in town: Cathedral open, but crypta closed (and no note when it will be open, and staff didn't know either or language barrier).
Clothes shopping at Rua 25 de Março market. Lunch at Municipal Market.
Sat12sep2020
Walk to Avenida Paulista. MASP (Museum of Art Sao Paulo) closed.
Hotel Unique open, have a drink. Outside area only for hotel guests, spot the pool with red tiles.
Ibirapuera park is closed on Sat and Sun. Brain-dead opening times! People on lawn outside park. This food card accepts payment by credit or debit card and the food is illuminated by an incandescent gas mantle (even during day, one is shining under "credito"). I haven't seen any from close (only from far, there are still a few operational incandescent gas mantle street lamps in Berlin and London).
Sun13sep2020
Stay in (internet on mobile phone). Evening and night gay saunas.
Mon14sep2020 Temple of Solomon.
I learnt of this place only after my arrival in Sao Paulo. This temple/church is so big, and surrounded by secular buildings, that I couldn't get away far enough to take a picture in full, here one from internet to give an idea of its size.
Temple of Solomon main door with mirror image of church across the road:
There is an information with English-speaking staff. I take the guided tour (40 BRL, just the guide and I, 10:20-11:30) which explains the biblical history (but not in the main building, only in side buildings).
Entry to main building is free, through underground parking lot. You have to leave your phone and camera at reception (i.e. you put it in a tray and they put it in a locker and give you the key, no photography allowed inside), then go through metal detector. No shorts or flip-flops allowed. There is a plaque that says there are 9549 seats. I resist the temptation to count. The rows of seats are not straight, number of seats vary by row, so you can’t calculate the number easily.
I get into a religious event (that started 12 and explains the many visitors around 11:45), a real show! Leave 12:35 while it’s still going, now underground entrance area empty.
To Tietê Bus Terminal to buy a ticket to Rio de Janeiro for tomorrow.
Tue15sep2020
Bus to Rio de Janeiro. Departure schedule 10:00, real 10:15. Lunch break at Graal 12:38-13:20. Arrive in Rio new bus station 16:55, public transport to Copacabana, in hotel room 18:10.
Wed16sep2020
Walk to Sugarloaf base station. By chance pass geological museum, closed during covid.
Near Sugarloaf cablecar base station, a tourist guide approaches me and tells me it’s closed today. Does that sound familiar? (A common scam at Grand Palace in Bangkok). I saw cablecars going up and down, but when I get to the entrance/cashier, it’s indeed closed! The cablecars are going empty.
Another tourist guide can specify: Sugarloaf is closed Tue and Wed for disinfection. He speaks good English and gives off good vibes, so I follow his suggestion for a tour for 200 BRL with his car of Christ the Redeemer, Lapa viaduct and cathedral and Selarón steps.
Drive by his car to parking/cashier Christ the Redeemer, entry 33.50 BRL. No wait, van to top. Platform around statue busy, clouds partially cover view of statue and Sugarloaf. During the half hour I was on top, only short moments where I could take okay pictures.
Sugarloaf as seen from Christ the Redeemer. Before
going to Brazil, I had the misconception that Christ the Redeemer is on
sugarloaf mountain, and my father thought so as well.
One of the 7 new wonders of the world https://world.new7wonders.com/wonders/christ-redeemer-1931-rio-de-janeiro-brazil/. The location is indeed spectacular, but it's not the highest statue of Christ https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Liste_der_höchsten_Christusstatuen and the statue of Christ in Vung Tau https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christ_of_Vũng_Tàu is not only taller, you can climb up to a balcony on the shoulders.
On return pass Lapa arches and stop at cathedral, but not open to visitors 15:30. Selarón steps all fine.
I’ve
never been a friend of guided tours (even though it’s just me, but when
going by car everything passes too quickly) and this encounter confirms
once again that I’m better off on my own. I could have done cheaper and
more adapted to my style of traveling (walking and Corcovado rack
railway up to Christ the Redeemer instead of driving), but Sugarloaf
closed caught me without a plan what else to do, and the tourist guide
was my best option, else the entire day would have been wasted.
Thu17sep2020 Sugarloaf
Sugarloaf
ticket 116 BRL, no queue. Later I learned that you can climb Urca
mountain (intermediate station, 220 m above sea level) for free and pay
less for cablecar from there to Sugarloaf.
Afternoon walk in town.
Fri18sep2020 Pedra da Gavea
There
are some interesting rocks and hiking trails around Rio. Pedra da Gavea
is easily accessible by public transport and at 844 m above sea level
(trail starts at 70m) just right for some exercise.
There were
reports that carrasqueira can only be passed by people with experience
in rock climbing, other reports say everyone can pass. When I was there,
I saw people going up and down, but for me, without experience, it
would have been too dangerous. But fortunately, there was an
entrepreneur who put up ropes and brought climbing gear to help people
like me up and down for 50 BRL. Saved my day!
Sat19sep2020
Laundry. Stay in for internet on my mobile phone. Gay saunas evening/night.
Sun20sep2020
Walk
in town. Lapa arches (former aquaeduct, now tram line). Cathedral no entry 11:45 (again!). Have a look at
tram. Tram is going, but it’s starting to rain, and weather reports
says rain all day, return and spend rest of the day in my room.
Lapa arches and cathedral (cone rump) behind.
Town center is indeed very quiet on the weekend. Few cars and people, and those I saw were mostly resident homeless.
Mon21sep2020 Morro do Pontal
Today covered sky, but no rain in weather report. Metro and bus to Recreio dos Bandeirantes. There is a rock that forms a peninsula (or insula at high tide) and can be climbed.
Tue22sep2020 Medium rain all day, evening dry. Going out for dinner the only time I left my room.
Wed23sep2020
Check out noon and spend some hours at internet corner before going (metro and bus) to airport for my flight 19:05.
Summary
Something for everyone: museums (albeit closed), churches, beaches (not covered because not my area of interest), architecture, rocks and mountains. Covered some interesting places and learnt about many more while I was there. Enough left to fill another two-week-holiday.
Copyright 2020 ChristianPFC
Thanks for the great report! "I resist the temptation to count": You must be getting old, lol.
ReplyDeleteGuy atop of Pedra de Gavea looks great but unfortunately seem to be taken already by the girl
ReplyDelete