Monday, 20 October 2014
It was about 6 pm when we left and it was already beginning to get dark. We walked to the Municipal Theatre, the exterior of the building is very beautiful. Just across the street from the Municipal Theatre was the National Library, which apparently contains books dating back to the times when King Dom Joao VI and the Portuguese royalty escaped from Portugal to Brazil. Unfortunately this was closed for some sort of renovation. Next to the National Library was the Museum of Fine Arts, which is in a beautiful old building. Opposite the National Library is Palacio Pedro Ernesto which today is the headquarters of the Municipal Council. There is a small square in front of this building, where the Cinelandia metro station is, and here there was a pretty monument which had something to do with independence because the date 1822 was on the monument.
Then we walked to the Lapa area, passing the Metropolitan Cathedral on the way. It was nice to see the cathedral at night. We walked passed the famous Lapa arches, and saw the Flying Circus, a square where various performances and shows take place. Lapa is supposed to be a happening party place, and there is a famous bistro here called Rio Senarium which has live samba and bossa nova songs, but tonight the streets were completely empty as if it was a ghost town, I think it's because of the public holiday. So then we walked towards the nearest metro station to take the metro back to Copacobana, and on the way, a kind lady told us to be careful because it is not safe to be in downtown at this time.
My first guide was right! And we were happily walking all around the place with our cameras and hand phones in plain sight, oblivious to the danger around us. It is very fortunate that nothing happened to us.This is the thing about guides, not just in Brazil but everywhere - I find that more often than not, they tend to tell you completely different things. What I write in this blog is based primarily on what my guides have told me, and it may well be wrong information.
The metro currently has 2 lines (I heard they are making more tracks for more lines in anticipation of the 2016 Olympics). One way costs 3.50 reals no matter which station you go to, and regardless of whether you change lines. We took the green line (a newer line) which stopped at Botafogo, and from there we had to change to the red line (the first and older line). Except that there did not appear to be anywhere to go to change to another line. We were discussing this when a kind Brazillian boy explained to us that although there are 2 lines, both trains run on the same track; so we get out of the green line train and wait at the same place for the red line train. Interesting. If that is the case, I don't know why they just don't have one single line that stops everywhere.
It started to rain when we reached Copacobana, and we found a small stall where we had a burger, and then we walked back to our respective hotels; Sebastian stays in Leblon whilst I am in Copacobana. Sebastian is also going to Petropolis tomorrow and since we both booked our tours at the same tour agency, I was pretty sure I would meet him again tomorrow. But we exchanged emails anyway "just in case". Sebastian likes to say that, along with "it's ok!". It is infectious.
I was feeling quite tired after the jungle trekking and the walk in downtown Rio, not to mention climbing the 110 steps, so I took a shower and went straight to bed, with slightly sore legs.
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