Rio de Janeiro. Do you remember the classic songs of Jobin or Joao Gilberto like Desafinado or the Girl from Ipanema? The sun and an explosive nature? The long beaches and the fresh capirinas? The samba and the statue of Christ overlooking an amazing view of the city? The smiles and the openness of the Cariocas? The football and the super tight bikinis? Well... this is all true. This is all real. The reality is even better than what you generally see on TV.
I arrived after a terrible trip by bus, sitting next to a very annoying and crazy man whom woke me up thousands times because of his irresistible need to talk at 4am. I managed to arrive in one piece without a potential terrible headache at the bus terminal. I took a taxi and went to the recommended hostel of my book guide. The hostel was very nice even if the room was pretty disgusting. It was officially my last night in a hostel so I didn’t really care. I met a nice group of people and with them we decided to go out at night in the Lapa district. Thousand of Cariocas and tourists converging into a huge square with loud music, loud people, litres and litres of capirinas and delicious food. The night was a typical night in Rio and I am happy I managed to experience it. This is a kind of night that you wouldn’t really like to experience every Friday or Saturday but it’s good to experience it because it reminds you what being a real Carioca really means. I went back to the hostel around 4am and I collapsed still fully dressed in my little and uncomfortable bed. The morning was shining and warm. It was approximately 9am when I stood up feeling a little bit broken and slightly strange thinking that this would have been my very last day of such a long a trip. In order to forget this thought, I had a good and regenerating breakfast by the pool and a lovely chat with a Colombian girl who was eating in a table close to mine. I went for a long walk to Ipanema and Copacabana seeing all the people getting to the beach and getting ready with their towels or with their surf board. At 1pm I organized with the hostel a city tour. Together with a Korean guy and the guide, I managed to visit all the most important and iconic places of Rio. The Christ and the Sugar Leaf, the area of Santa Teresa and again the Lapa district. The city is simply amazing and I can easily seeing myself living here (like previously I have also said of Buenos Aires) for a very long time (well who wouldn’t probably!). I order a taxi to pick me up at 7.30pm and went straight to the airport for my 23.30 flight back to London. While driving along Ipanema beach and the lagoon, there was a magnificent sunset with a wonderful blue/pink sky. I thought with myself that this was the best 'last image' I could have ever had to finish the journey of a lifetime.
I thought: ‘It is over. The journey it is really over now. It is all over.... but maybe this is just the very beginning of a different life I will have’. The taxi was fast approaching the tunnel which drives outside the city.
I turned myself one more time, for one very long moment, to impress in my eyes a wonderful glimpse of the best 103 days of my life.
I smiled while turning back, and without even realizing it, I told to a very confused taxi driver: "let’s go home now...".
TWIMO
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