Um dia no Rio / One day in Rio including a party night ;)
I woke up early, got some salad fruit and Brazilian coffee for breakfast and was ready to start my adventure in
According to the original plan we had to start with the Corcovado & Cristo Redentor (Christ Reedemer), but Rodrigo told us we couldn’t make it that way.
We start driving to Maracanã area in order to visit the famous stadium. But it was too early and it was still closed, so we moved to the Sambodromo which was near, but it was closed too. So, we drove back to the Maracanã. We just had to wait 10min before they opened. In the meanwhile we started taking some pics outside the stadium. There was a monument in the main entrance and Blair convinced me to climb in order to get a nice pic. Climbing was ok, but going down was the problem… OMG! At the end, I did it. Ok with help of him and another guy who was over there.
It was 9 o’clock, time to go inside the Maracanã.
Now, it was time for the Sambodromo. It wasn’t carnival, so it was empty. It’s incredible thinking that during carnival, this place is full with people. The Sambodromo is a road. At one side are the tribunes and at the other side there is an abandoned building, which used to be a beer brewery and is used as tribunes now.
Ok, keep on moving. This time we went downtown, specifically to Lapa. Rio’s downtown reminded me to
Rodrigo was telling us that Lapa at night and Lapa during the day are completely different.
We went to the Centro (downtown) in order to visit the Cathedral. The Cathedral in
While the rest of the group was walking inside the Cathedral - São Sebastião, I waited for them outside chatting with Rodrigo and looking all the nice buildings.
Ok, now was time for the 
So we just turned back and went first to the Mirante. The location of this viewpoint is great. You are in the middle of the mountain, surrounded by tropical vegetation. The view is so beautiful and the atmosphere so peaceful. This place is not as crowded as the Cristo. There’s a heliport here too. Here you can take a flight in helicopter over the city ;)
It was time to leave, but we didn’t have news from the Cristo yet, mmm. Anyway, we drove to the 
We arrived to the parking place. We parked, bought our tickets and drove with the buses to the top. We were getting closer… There you can decide either climbing the stairs or use the escalator. I went for the stairs and when we were at the top, my boss asked me why we didn’t use the escalator. Well, I preferred do some exercise ;)
What can I say about the Christ Redeemer? The view is breathtaking. Now I know, why it is one of the 7 Wonders of the World. Of course it was full of people trying to get the best shots from the city and the Christ itself. I was lucky I wasn’t just with Blair. In order to get the perfect shot of you and the Christ, someone has to take it while he is lying on the floor. I did it for the girls and one of them did it for me ;)
I could have spent a lot of time just admiring the city.
During the way back to the hotel, we saw all the beaches of Copacabana, Leblon and Ipanema. It was almost 4pm when we arrived to our hotel in Ipanema. The girls told me they wanted to go to Lapa at night and talked to Rodrigo, so he could drive them. Did I want to go? Of course! So we had plans for later. Blair went up to take a nap, the girls went to the beach and I decided to walk around Ipanema for a while. I walked into the hotel for a while and I met 2 nice guys from
After taking a shower and get dressed, all of us met downstairs.
It was party time!!! We drove to Lapa.
But we had to leave.
We had a blast that day!!!
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There is live music and you can see people dancing in every corner. The enviroment is full of vibe and energy. You can feel the rhythm of the live music and the samba steps running through your body.
The way the payment works surprised me. When you enter, they will give you a paper. So, you will pay when you leave. Everytime you order a drink, the barman or waiter, will mark it in the paper. At the end they do the math and you have to pay for your consumption. Don't loose that paper! That might costs a lot!
Well, what can I say about the food? It's a churrasqueria, so it's very good!!! They have an amazing huge salad bar, including sushi, sashimi, shrimps and oysters. The regular sides like rice, beans, plantains. The huge in the salad bar are boiled in a New Orlains style. So, you have to peel them ;)
The meat is really great. You find here all the cuts are always present in a churrasqueria. They have also a sommelier, who will help you choosing the right wine for your meal.
The desserts are delicious too. Althought we were full, we couldn't help trying the desserts, they were so tasty. Most of them made with tropical fruits.
The staff is really helpful and friendly. As soon as they see your dish is getting empty, they will replace it with a clean one and offer more meat or sides.
Pampa Grill has also another local in downtown. This one is smaller, but after dinner time it becomes a club ;)
