More Rio: Veg Restos, House Museums, Art Deco, Forts, etc.

There is much more to Rio de Janeiro than beaches and historic buildings: vegan restaurants, house museums, art deco condominiums, headland forts, not-so-high lookouts, and bicycles porters. We enjoyed it all from our apartment base near the General Orosio metro station.

Our apartment for the week, at Rua Souza Lima and Pompeia, was just minutes from the Túnel Sá Freire Alvim and the Cantagalo Favela above.


And the apartment was a few blocks from the Sunday Morning Hippie Market at General Osorio Park.


View from our apartment at night.


We ate by-the-kilogram for lunch at Bardana Cozina Natural Vegan Restaurant, R. Soza Lima, 37. And we are now hooked on tapioca salgados com queijo (with cheese) after consuming more than a few at the Friday Market (2nd and 3rd below) in Ipanema.






John was tempted to have a veggie burger at Acougue Vegano (Vegan Butcher Shop), but opted for a vegan "chicken" milanesa instead.




One day we walked along the Lagoa to Parque Natural Municipal da Catacumba. On the way it was obvious that the lake is well used (when the weather is good).








There are 2 viewpoints/lookouts/mirantes at Catacumba, one of which should feature Christ the Redeemer when the weather cooperates. But no worries, we enjoyed the park.




On the way back to our apartment, we stopped in at the free (with guided tours on the half-hour) Casa Museu (House Museum) Eva Klabin. Worth the time for sure!






The Friday Market at Praça Nossa Senhora da Paz (video 3rd below).






Due to traffic and parking, working bicycles are everywhere; as porters, vendors, and icemen.








Copacabana Art Deco Architecture. Edificio Ypiranga is first below.

Rio: The Beaches

We based ourselves at the south end of Copacabana where it meets the east end of Ipanema. By statistics, it is one of the most densely populated urban areas in the world. Confoundingly, the streets are not lively. Everyone must spend all their outdoor time at the beach. Yet, there is so much nature nearby - capybaras by the lake, and monkeys in the hills or even in the neighborhood. Still, the allure of Copacabana/Ipanema eludes me.

On the one beautiful sunny day we experienced in Rio, the Zona Sul beaches were full of activity. Plus, one direction of the beach road was closed to vehicular traffic allowing walkers and cyclists to roam unimpeded. And we could see the Cristo (3rd below)








Beach volleyball, with hands, or with heads and feet, is very popular. And on sunny days there must be hundreds of games in progress.




We visited Arpoador Rock (1st below) on a cloudy day. The surfers don't mind the weather; the Surf School has some business.










And there are also views to Cristo, and Sugarloaf.




Foggy or sunny, the cyclists are out.




The views from the beaches are amazing in any weather. We walked out to the Leme lookout and the Leme Fort on a foggy day.












And on a less cloudy day the beaches are still popular.








In several places along the beaches, John spotted temporary sprinkler systems getting their water from a well-and-pump combo. His conjecture is they are used to cool the sand for walkers.




Bonus ginormous beach pano. ;-)