Hello! After a three-week break, Ra Ra
Mazputin is back, under a new, Brazilian-themed guise. The cold and
tranquillity of Siberia has been abruptly replaced with the bustling heat of
Rio de Janeiro. The 75-degree temperature swing has certainly been noticed,
especially in a week spent rushing around town, trying to settle in. I am
pleased to report fairly successful results.
I have found an apartment in Arpoador, home
to Rio’s most stunning sunset, sandwiched between the beaches of Copacabana and
Ipanema. The rent is a significant step up from Tomsk’s £32 per month palace,
but the location is magical and the interior is newly refurbished, with a
drinking water tap and ceiling fans. The fans are an essential. The heat is
something else. It is bizarre to be out in shorts and flip flops every day,
especially after getting accustomed to the constant protection of thermals and
gloves.
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| Rio de Janeiro |
Of course, there are plenty of other things
that I’ve needed to do. The opening week in Rio wouldn’t be complete without a
few trips to the beach, just to confirm that the life of a carioca (a person
from Rio) is the one for me. I am delighted to say that relaxing on the beach,
ice-cold caipirinhas and a thriving nightlife scene are the ingredients for a
lifestyle that I could certainly get used to. However, there are two serious
stumbling blocks with which I am going to have to deal. The first is sunburn. The
sun and I do not go hand in hand; she is a cruel mistress who always has her
way. Now don’t worry, I do apply sun cream, although the factor 45 I use is
more like covering the body in cement plaster. Even so, it is a constant battle
and any slip-ups on my part will be severely punished. The other problem is
beer. This heat seems only to be quenched by the golden nectar of an Itaipava
or a Brahma. It will be interesting to see how much beer I drink over the
coming months, but I am hoping to keep it under wraps.
The touristic highlight of the week was a
trip up Pão de Açucar (Sugarloaf Mountain), which provides some spectacular
views of the city. Rio really is a ridiculous place, with mountains and lagoons
protruding from the heart of the city. No one in their right mind would build a
city here, but thankfully some Portuguese blokes did and the result is fabulous.
Along with some friends from Bristol, we continued our city tour into Lapa, the
nightlife centre. During the day it was pretty cool as well though,
particularly the Lapa steps, which have become one of Rio’s most popular
tourist spots.
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| The Bristol lot on the Lapa steps |
The only downside of the week so far was
getting mugged. Walking near the beach just after sunset, there were lots of
people around, but one man with a knife was enough for me to hand over my
phone. The nonchalance of the incident really irritated me, as he just walked alongside
us, got what he wanted and then disappeared. But the lesson has been learned:
don’t look like a gringo. Unfortunately, my skin, hidden from the sun for a
good few months is a real giveaway. I suppose I shall just have to spend more
time topping up the tan on the beach…
It has also been a week of discovery. Every
day I am discovering just how different the Brazilian accent and language are,
compared to the Portuguese I have learnt thus far. After reaching a level of
Russian that allowed me to converse freely, it has been a little demoralising
to find myself back at square one, with the task of achieving fluency in
another language. However it is a challenge that of course excites me. I have
also discovered my Brazilian nickname: Xande (pronounced Shanji), which I’m
hoping will catch on. There is also Xandinho (Shanjinyo), which quite frankly
seems a little superfluous. But then I suppose that’s exactly the sort of thing
that is right at home in a city as absurd as Rio de Janeiro. I have a feeling
this might be quite fun…
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