Bucket List #12: Rio de Janeiro

Because I know so little about South America as a whole, I wanted to start with the most common cities people think about when they think of a destination related to this continent. Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires tend to be the most common ones that I hear from my friends, so Rio is #2 on my list for South America! As with most of the cities I’ll write about this week, I didn’t know much about it beforehand, other than that it was the host of the 2016 Summer Olympics. As today is such a busy day for me, I won’t waste any more time before getting into my top 3, so here we go!

First: Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer)

This is most certainly the easiest choice, and arguably the most recognizable attraction in Rio de Janerio (at least for those of us that aren’t locals). Built in the 1920s and finished in the ’30s, this statue is almost 100 feet tall (124 if you include its pedestal), with a wingspan of 92 feet! While there are typically large crowds, I did find where you can go on an early morning guided tour that takes place before the normal crowds arrive. This will be a must, and when we get a chance to do this, I’ll be sure to get tons of footage and let you know pricing 🙂

Next: Carnaval

Known as the biggest carnival in the world with over 2 million people on the streets daily, Carnaval is a festival that dates back to the mid 1600s, and takes place from the Friday before Lent and ending on Ash Wednesday. There’s not a lot more to say about this, other than that Rebecca and I want to be a part of the biggest festival in the world some day!

Last: Maracanã Stadium

Most of you probably know how much we love sports, and Brazil, at least to most to me and my friends, is almost synonymous with phenomenal soccer (or football, I know I know). This stadium holds almost 80,000 fans, and as I’ve come to learn, soccer fans are the most fans to be in a crowd with our of any sport that I’ve ever watched! From what I can find, Flamengo plays most of their home matches at Maracanã, so you better believe we’ll be getting some tickets and getting wild with our South American friends at the match!

You know what time it is………time for food!!! Here are the top 3 things I have to try while in Rio de Janeiro!

1. Codfish Cake
   • While this definitely isn’t some sort of elegant, fine-dining type of dish, it’s something that can be found in most bars and restaurants as an appetizer. It sounds delicous, and looks like an easy finger food, taking the shape of a sort of “ball-like” version of a fried fish finger. Yes, I know that description isn’t the greatest, don’t judge me 🙂
2. Picadinho
   • This is a traditional, hearty Brazilian stew, commonly made with sirloin, tomatoes, garlic, onions, beef broth, butter, and a few other seasonings. Trust me, there will not be just a single bowl eaten. Count me in for at least two!
3. Brigadeiro
   • Of course we will not be skipping dessert. A brigadeiro seems to be what I would consider a truffle here in the states, and if it’s the same size as the truffles we have here, we will be consuming these by the dozen (and then going for a nice long run right after!)

Alright friends, that’s all for today! I know it’s a little shorter than normal, but life is extremely crazy right now with trying to make sure everything is prepared for our business when life (somewhat) returns to normal, but I didn’t want to miss a day. I would rather give you a thoughtful, but short, post, than to not post at all 🙂 Love you all!

Blessings,
Madison