Rio is without any doubt one of the most beautiful and most vibrant cities in the world! In the South Zone of the city you find the famous beaches of Copacabana, Ipanema, Arpoador and Leblon. Each beach connected to a neighbourhood with the same name. Many years ago, I lived in Ipanema, an up-scale district with many fashion and designers’ shops as well as many trendy and exclusive restaurants. At the time, I did not appreciate Copacabana and even felt as a stranger here, but at my recent stays in Rio I have been living in Copacabana and nowadays I enjoy both districts. Copacabana being a very densely populated neighbourhood with a very mixed population and an intensive life day & night. Many hotels are located here as well as apartments for the middle-class and up, offices, shops and restaurants. The sidewalk along all the different beaches is the best part of the South zone for me, not being a “beach-girl”, I love to walk along the busy side-walk where there is activity from early morning hours until late night. People of all ages walking, running, biking, alone or with the family, playing beach-volley, work out with a personal trainer or hanging around the bars, many offering live music. The most popular drinks being fresh coconut water, tropical fruit juice, ice-cold beer or “geladinha” or the national drink “Caipirinha”. On Sundays, the traffic is cut in one of the directions of Avenida Atlantica in Copa and Avenida Vieira Souto in Ipanema, creating even more space for people enjyoing the outdoor lifestyle. There is a special vibe on Sundays and it is a must to spend it as the “cariocas” by hanging around any of the cities beautiful beaches or visit several of them by foot or bike. The beach and sidewalk being visited now also by people coming from other areas of the city to enjoy themselves for a day. The activity is somewhat frenetic, street vendors selling snacks, drinks, bikinis and football jerseys etc. Artists exposing their sand sculptures and asking for a contribution, tropical heat and high humidity, stressfree mood and happy smiles. At 16h at “Posto 5” at Copacabana, people meet up to play drums and dance samba, anybody is welcome. It is time to forget about everyday troubles, smile and enjoy life! From a big part of the Copacabana beach you can see the Sugar Loaf and from another angle you can gaze the Christ Statue on the Corcovado Mountain, the view is always amazing wherever you are in Rio. In Ipanema it is a “must” to visit the “hippie market” and purchase some Brazilian art&handicraft or just enjoy some “people spotting” and after visit the nearby Arpoador beach, where the surfers meet up. This is also a great spot to experience the magic Rio de Janeiro sunset and many people turn up here in the late afternoon. When the sun sets behind the “Dois Irmãos”, The Two Brothers mountains, a warm applause is commonly heard from thousands and thousands of people on the beach and one can only feel grateful for the show nature just have presented. It is all together just amazing and every day I am very thankful for the time I have spent in Rio and I can´t wait for the next time. The city makes me feel very much alive and I simply love it!
