Takeoff To Rio De Janiero

Running around Rio was an experience to remember!

I woke up this morning thinking I was going to have a layover somewhere in South Georgia and Greensboro, NC – you know just a low key, boring work trip that I wasn’t really looking forward to, but then I got a phone call from scheduling saying I was going to Rio tonight instead! The ideas of what I should do while there started rushing in!

I immediately got on Pinterest and instagram, pretty much where I find all my inspo (I’m not really a good search gal because the recommended spots are always so touristy), and I started making a list!

Paragliding was at the top of that list. Thrill seeker here… So I asked everyone on my crew that night if they wanted to join and they said a big, fat no and the weather wasn’t looking all that great for my time in Rio anyways, so I decided on these spots below:

1. Parque  Lange – this is a 100% absolute must see if you like to get off the beaten path of the major tourist sites, but still feel like you are right in the center of the magic in a city. Parque Lange is a major hidden gem in the city’s botanical jardin and very “instaworthy”. There is an outside cafe, that I definitely recommend indulging in and taking in the setting of this relaxing spot. Not to mention you can see the Christ the Redeemer statue off in the distance from this spot.
2. Real Gabinete Português de Leitura- talk about feeling like real live Belle stepping foot into the Beast’s library. This is a true library, so of course you have to stay quiet, but it is so worth visiting just to see its beauty! The part of town this is in is also fun to walk around; they had a market going on that sold a lot of the typical tourist items, almost like what you would find in a Chinatown area.
3. Santa Teresa Escadaria Selarón- these steps were built in 1990 out of fragments of colorful tiles and are now a famous site to go visit while in Rio. The 215 steps have tiles from over 60+ countries and is truly a work of art. Have fun trying to take a photo without getting photo bombed though; it is usually a packed sight. Also, I should add, I didn’t find walking to this part of town to be the safest. Just an FYI, since I ended up having to run away from a man trying to steal my purse. Uber will drop you off in front of the cafe / stairs and that will be a safer area to go enjoy the steps.

We also visited Sugarloaf Mountain and took the cable car up to the top of the mountain for around $21. The views of the whole city really opened your eyes to how many people are here living in Rio, from the poor shanty towns you pass when driving to and from the airport, to the famous, lush beach and lifestyle of Copacacabana.