Brazil / Rio de Janeiro

RIO DE JANEIRO! Samba is not just danced here, it is lived.

I spent almost three weeks in this wonderful city and saw and experienced everything possible ...

I arrived in Rio shortly before Carnaval. Together with Daniel and Nick, we wanted to see all the sights before the big festival started. We had only seen Cristo Redentor, as we were busy with the beaches around Rio for the rest of the time ;) During Carnaval, any activity that did not involve partying or drinking was out of the question. The whole city was in a Samba mood. We went from one bloco (street parade) to another, sometimes without sleep. Our hosts from the hostel (Saskia and Chris) gave us daily tips on the best blocos in the city. We participated in the big tourist blocos with over 300,000 people, but also in small 'secret' blocos with a maximum of 1,000 people. Locals and tourists from all over the world celebrated together, peacefully and without problems. Nevertheless, I always carried cash with me. My phone and other valuables were always locked up in the hostel. One day I had the brilliant idea of taking my camera to the beach ... Conclusion: Camera gone! My beloved X'trem camera was lost :(

A major highlight of Carnaval was the Sambadromo! The most famous parade in the world. I participated in the Sunday parade (main parade) with eight different groups. The parade lasted about eight hours. The floats were of unimaginable size and the participating dancers radiated a wonderful joy. What can I say, Carnaval is simply breathtaking!

Hardly was Carnaval over, many people left the city. Half of the people were missing from the streets of Rio. Daniel & Nick also left.. After a few days of recovery from all the partying, I finally visited the sights of the city. The largest favela in Rio - Rocinha - was very impressive. Seeing small children dealing or teenagers walking the streets with weapons was extremely absurd. The favelas have thousands of larger and smaller streets, which makes naming them impossible. The mail is delivered to the supermarkets and later picked up by the owners.

In Rio there are also numerous viewpoints that show the city at its best. I visited many of these miradors or viewpoints just before sunset. One of my favorite sunsets in Rio is from the beach of Ipanema. The sun disappears behind two mountains called 'dos hermanos'.

I even visited a botanical garden. At first, I wasn't so enthusiastic about seeing the garden, but the hostel group wanted to go. In the end, I was pleasantly surprised and enjoyed the walk through the garden.

Last but not least, I attended not one, but two football matches! The first game was Fluminense against Flamengo for the Rio de Janeiro Cup Final. The game ended 3-3 after regular time and was decided by a penalty shootout. Unfortunately, Flamengo lost... The second game was the 1st round of the Copa Libertadores - Flamengo against San Lorenzo (Argentina) at the Maracanã Stadium! About 60,000 spectators were present, including only a few thousand San Lorenzo fans. What an incredible atmosphere! Flamengo won 4-0 and secured their first three points.

In addition to the many activities, I saw many friends in Rio. Old friends from Switzerland, but also new ones from the last few months in Central and South America. One of the best things about traveling is making new friendships for life.

My time in South America couldn't have ended better. It's incredible that over three months have passed since my first day. Now a new chapter of my journey awaits me. My three-month school time in Santa Monica, LA is about to begin. I am looking forward to meeting more new people and creating unforgettable moments.