Rio de Janeiro, another cosmopolitan city in South Americia hosts a great variety of cuisines. Arabic, Japanese, Italian and Mexican restaurants can be found everywhere. Traditional, Brasilian flame grill restaurants known as Churrascaria are a meat lovers delight. One price, all you can eat buffet. Concept copied Australia wide.
As our appartment was one block away from the famous Copacabana Palace Hotel circ 1923, we decided to pay a visit and partake in a caipirinha ( Brasil's national cocktail) made with cachaca, ice, sugar and lime. A very refreshing concoction whilst relaxing in the pool side restaurant "Pergula". We ordered traditional codfish balls as an accompaniment. Delightful fried balls of cod, potato, cheese and oregano served with a spicy chilli dipping sauce.
Another traditional snack is paode queijo which are little bread rolls with cheese baked into them. For the sweet tooth; brigadeiro are Brasilian chocolate truffles made with condensed milk and covered in chocolate sprinkles. Reminiscent of rumballs minus the rum.
We chose Copacabana for our stay in Rio as it was beach side and known to be the relatively safer option. Everything we desired was right on the doorstep. Supermarket, bank, restaurants and the beach. Such a picturesque area surrounded by water and mountains; Rio Harbour was voted a new natural wonder of the world in 2011. The Copacabana promenade stretches 4 kms along Balneario beach. A black and white Portuguese wave pavement pattern follows the length of the bay to represent the Brasilian , Portuguese influence. Little refreshment stands line the promenade selling coconut milk in the shell ( maybe laced with rum), caipirinhas, beers and snacks. A sea of deck chairs and umbrellas cover the sands as young and old frolic scantily dressed in the waves. We overdressed in our togs and headed out to join the masses. Upon reaching the shoreline we were dismayed at the amount of garbage floating in and out with the tide; soft drink bottles, marg containers, meat packaging, you name it! After investigation and no swim , we learnt that the bacteria levels in the ocean are above acceptable world standards. Rubbish from the tip somehow finds its way into the water streams. How and why? No quite sure. Do know that the Rio council has been given a clean up or else date by the Olympic comittee.
What a shame it takes that threat to respect natural beauty instead of the beauty of natural itself!
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