Just landed in Rio
05-12-2009, 02:45 PM
In Rio for the next couple weeks and have already been here about 3 weeks. Coming from places in Colombia and Peru makes Rio a little harder. There, it seemed you walked in the place and could pick tops of the litter. It would make more sense to come here first, ramp up your game, and then hit the jackpot in a city like Lima or Bogota. Below are some insights:
Security: Been robbed twice, now don't leave the apartment (in Copa) after dark (unless taking taxi to a club) unless I really need to. If I NEED to, I wear a baggy Tshirt and pull my hat down low and slightly to the side to look thug and walk with my chest out. I figure, as stated before, if I can pull off looking like a favela dude then chances are people will be less likely to F with me. So far it works. Generally, here you have to amp up the street smarts you would use where I am from (Philly). If you come from Texas or somewhere like that, it may be a shock.
Nightlife: Been to a variety - Melt, Namaste, Lapa, Casa Da Matriz, Mariuzin. While all the guidebooks say don't go out until 12 or later, that is BULLCRAP. GO OUT AT 10. The reason I say that is anytime I have had any success, it was early in the night. Almost anywhere in this continent it has been the same. If you arrive at 1 or 2, it is almost pointless, the girls at this point are all paired up. And Brazilians are quite aggresive about stuff, I've had a dude pick a fight with me at relatively upscale Melt for stupid crap. Needless to say, my JiuJitsu skills aren't up to par so I bowed out.
- If you like college girls, try Namaste in Gavea on a Thursday
- If you like hipster chicks, go to Casa Da Matriz almost any night
- If you like a complete mix, go to Lapa
- If you like 50 dudes surrounding a group of 5 16 yearolds on the dancefloor waiting for their glory day, go to Mariuzin (i.e. dont)
- If you like upscale educated girls who have probably spent time in the US France or England, go to the numerous spots like Melt, Baronetti, Nuth, ect... These girls are hit or miss since they've already presumably had their fill of gringos (literally and figuratively), but I've witnessed some success by a buddy.
- If you want to see 50 english speaking dudes a couple gringas and three brazilians who are already taken by some DB, then go to Shenanigans (I.E. Dont Go)
- Emporio was dead when I went
Copa - Yes, there is nothing beautiful about Copa other than the beach. It is not ghetto, but more of a working upper middle class section. The nightlife here is spotty at best. Hookers on the beach, and then on the street at night. Still, it is a pretty wild place because of the cross section of society. Its hilarious to see an old fat white whale sitting at a beachside kiosk with a stunningly hot woman though. I stay here and would recommend it because it is fairly light on the budget, and even if you do live in Ipanema (which is better), you STILL have to take a taxi to go out since walking on the street anywhere is unsafe. If you have the money to burn, stay in Ipanema or Leblon. If your a broke 24 yearold who just graduated and scrounged enough money from a job as a waiter to travel abroad (like me), stay in Copa.
Overall Rio is a fun place and extremely beautiful, but the fact you cannot walk around at night is a drag. Although I prefer it to BA, I went exploring in BA from the hours of 11 to 4 one weeknight, and never felt unsafe. Here, I would've been robbed multiple times. Definitely worth the cash to get here, but I'm thinking maybe an excursion to Recife, Belo Horizonte or Salvador would be fun. Any thoughts?
Still trying to find a good spot in Lapa. I can't dance Samba and don't speak portugese, so I like places where the music is loud enough (preferably techno or hip hop) that language doesnt matter. If anyone knows a place like this in Lapa, let me know.
Any other advice would be appreciated!
Eric