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Last week we decided that, after all the shooting, robbing, noise and chaos of life in Lapa, enough was enough. It was time we found a flat in Copacabana.
We began our usual net search and contacted countless landlords in Ipanema, Botafogo and Copacabana, mostly using Google translate and Alugal Temporada. All we received in response were owners of small over-priced studios; most at around BR$3000 (£1100) per month, which we can’t justify whilst out here volunteering. As luck would have it however, whilst visiting a ‘cambio’ money exchange place called ‘Blame it on Rio’ to change some money, I got chatting to the owner Bobby, who is super friendly chap from New York. I mentioned I was looking
Continue reading Finding a flat to rent in Copacabana
Last night, Sean and I went to the Maracanã to watch Flamengo play Botafogo in the Carioca cup final. This is a bit like the English FA cup, but only with teams from Rio. The Maracanã is a fabulous stadium. Built to host the World Cup in 1950, then upgraded for the Pan America games, it’s perhaps on par with Camp Neu, Barcelona’s famous ground for size, and Fratton Park, Portsmouth’s shabby ground for facilities.
We bought the tickets the day before through tiny holes in a concrete bullet proof shelter outside the ground. Tickets were BR$50 each for seats in the green or yellow areas – the best bits behind the goals – where vast swathes of fans sing
Continue reading Flamengo vs Botafogo at the Maracana
Last night a 20 year old man was shot dead outside the front gate of my flat on Rua da Lapa, Rio.
Marju and I were woken at 6am by 8 to 10 massive gun shots resonating through our building. At first I tried to pass the noise off as fireworks, but clearly it wasn’t. Once the shooting had stopped, we lay silently in bed before nervously venturing to the window to see what was happening.
Everything seemed pretty normal with a few people strolling down the street and the light slowly creeping in over the airport, however, within a minute, from all three roads approaching the building came a stream of maybe 10 or 15 blue Rio
Continue reading Man shot dead in Lapa, Rio de Janeiro
I’m having a great time living in Rio. It’s an awesome experience. Learning Portuguese, working in a Favela, laying under Rio’s beautiful sun – even getting soaked by the Rio rain has been enjoyable. Rio really is a fantastic place to live. But. I’m so sorry, I really can’t wait to get away from here.
Brazil is just such a frustrating country. From the outside it appears Brazil is so developed and little different to the UK; General good cleanliness, all the mod-cons, people dressed well & busy working. Only, once you live here, the real side of Brasil rears it’s ugly head and shows you just how different it is.
As I mentioned in a previous post,
Continue reading Learn some manners Brazil!
Yesterday we went into the Favelas right at the top of Santa Tereza to carry out my first truly worth-while, highly rewarding yet backbreaking piece of charity work.
Marju and I helped clear the mud which had fallen into the community hall of a centre in Santa Tereza, along with around 15 others. The mud was thick and gloopy and everywhere. We had only 2 wheel barrows – both (as is standard for Brazil) made from Aluminium (everything is here) – one of which broke half way through the day. We scooped the mud up and removed it from the hall, before hosing down and sweeping the floor of the concrete football pitch with these pooly made wooden water-pushers. The
Continue reading Clearing Rio’s landslides
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