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LIVE LIKE A LOCAL
If you don’t want to pay the high prices of hotels and live like a Carioca, a resident of Rio, there's a booking service called Cama e Café (which means "bed and breakfast"). This service matches travelers up with one of 50 homeowners who rent out one or two (but no more than three) rooms in the artsy, hilltop neighborhood of Santa Teresa. The most fun and cheapest ($0.60) way to get up to this historic and charming town is to take the bonde – an old tram that cruises through the windy streets that are filled with unusual gift shops and quaint restaurants. Cama e Café offers four ranges of accommodations: Economic (90 BRL for a couple or 70 BRL for a single), Tourist Class with A/C and private bath (125 BRL for a double, 95 BRL for a single), Superior which comes with Internet and TV (180 BRL for a double, 140 BRL for a single) and Premium (220 BRL for a couple, 180 BRL for a single). All options offer travelers a clean house and breakfast. I toured four of them in 2007 and they looked good. Long-term rates are available and monthly rentals begin at approximately 1,000 BRL ($490). NOTE: During New Year's and Carnival, rates double, which is not bad considering that the rates at most hotels can rise up to five times the usual cost. Cama e Café, Tel: 55-21-2224-5689; camaecafe.com.br.

THE MOST FAMOUS BEACHES
When you think of Rio de Janeiro, you probably think of three things: crime, the Christ statue and the beach. Rio has 45 miles of white sand beaches and Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches are the most famous. Of course, all Natalie and I had planned to do was hang out on the beach (Copacabana is the more "touristy", nearby Ipanema Beach is more hip and the locals are friendlier). Both beaches have long sidewalks where many Cariocas are busy exercising -- when it’s nice out (even at 6am) in their little bathing suits. Warning: All the men wear banana hammocks and the women wear Brazilian-cut thongs on the beach (they don't go topless which is a bad rumor). Most bodies are incredible and I have know idea how the women get these round butts?

LOCAL TAXI DRIVER
A Brazilian friend of mine recommended I hire her friend as a taxi driver since taxis in this city are a bit iffy. Mr. Ubiratan wasn’t available when we arrived but I did hire him to take us up to Corcovado to see Cristo. He charged 70R ($34) and 60R ($29) to go back to the GIG airport (cash: Reais only). He’s very friendly but doesn’t speak a lick of English so if you call him (8164-2921), it’s best to have someone who speaks Portuguese on hand.

GETTING UP TO CORCOVADO
One of the most famous statues in the world is Rio's Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer). It soars over Rio atop Corcovado Mountain ( Corcovado means "the hunchback"). In fact, in 2007 it was named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. I had always wanted to see this famous statue up close and in-person, so when I spotted it from afar in 2007, I got goose bumps. Then, standing two feet away from Cristo Redentor, it was everything I had imagined … and more. To get up the mountain (situated 2,330 feet above sea level) requires either a 30-minute drive up the winding road or a 20-minute cog railway ride. An adult return ticket will cost you 44R ($21). This trip, Mr. Ubiratan took us three quarters of the way up the hill. From there, we were forced to buy tickets (cash only) for a shuttle van run by the city for a 10-minute ride. It cost 13R ($6), which is good for the entry and trip back. Neither drive was scary at all, nor is the cog train.



CRISTO IN THE CLOUDS
Both routes take you through the Tijuca Rain Forest, which just happens to be the world's largest urban forest. As its name suggests, an urban forest is a collection of trees that grow within city limits. Once you reach the top, visitors can get to the statue and viewing platform one of two ways. The first option is to take an elevator, followed by an escalator ride. The second option is to climb the 216 steps to the statue. Natalie and I chose to hoof it. To say that the views on a clear day along the way and from the top are impressive would be an enormous understatement. But this trip, the clouds were so dense that you couldn’t even see Cristo until you were 100 feet away from him and you could barely see his face standing at his feet . But it was still incredible and symbolic in its own way … even though you can’t see Him, you still know He’s there.

CHRIST REDEEMER
The statue was built in 1931, stands 98 feet tall (not including the pedestal it sits on, which is 26 feet high) and is not to be missed. I don't care how touristy it is – it's spectacular! We made the trip from our hotel and back in under two hours so even if you’re in Rio on business, take your lunch break up at the top.

TIPS FOR RIO
1. Don't wear jewelry, carry lots of cash or leave tourist areas unless you are with a local guide.
2. Carry small change in a separate pocket so that you don't have to pull out a big wad of cash when you're just paying for a bottle of water.
3. Want to blend in with the locals? Wear a skimpy bathing suit (that includes men, too), no socks and don't bring any valuables to the beach.
4. Learn some basic Portuguese even though almost everyone speaks English. If you are a man, thank you is "obrigado" – "obrigada" if you are a woman. My favorite phrase is "tudo bom", meaning "it's all good!"
5. Don't forget to bring sunscreen, mosquito repellent (although when I was there, I didn't need any), sunglasses and maybe even a hat for additional sun protection.
6. If you plan to travel around Brazil, consider getting a Brazil Airpass at Brol.com/brazilairpass.asp.

BACK TO MIAMI
Wouldn’t you know it! Just as we were checking out of our hotel, the skies began clearing. Walking by the hotel pool on the way to check-out felt just like Hawaii. I wanted so badly to stay because what’s better than a sunny summer day in Rio? The ride to the airport took 30 minutes at 9pm. There was no line at American Airlines’ business class counter and they have a security check like the old days. Someone asks you questions about your bags: did you pack them, were they with you the whole time, do you have any electronics, matches … Then we went to the counter to check in. This is where you need to show your exit card. The immigration line was long but it moved fast as they had seven agents (all the booths were full). Security was still lax and we didn’t need to take our shoes off or laptops out. American flies out of Terminal B and on the second floor is where they have the lounges, which are dated and need a desperate refurbish. The lounge was packed and didn’t have enough chairs to accommodate everyone and the food at the self-serve bar, snacks, juices, cheese rolls, went fast. There was free wireless but most people were gathered around the TV to watch Brazil’s version of Big Brother. It’s uncensored so it makes it much more fun to watch than the American version.

AMERICAN AIRLINES
Our nonstop flight (#2990) to Miami departed at 11:55pm and arrived eight hours and two minutes later at Miami International Airport at 5:15am. The flight was smooth but the seatbelt sign was on most of the way. Not sure what was up with that. We both slept well in American’s new generation business class seats (a full review can be found here). On this flight , I learned a valuable lesson. Don’t bend down after landing to put stuff back in your bag. An older Brazilian guy sitting behind me dropped his heavy bag right on my head! If it was more of a direct hit, I would have been knocked right out. He didn’t even apologize and then at baggage claim, he cut right in front of me and grabbed a bag he thought was his and hurriedly pulled it off the carousel and onto my toe. He is lucky I respect my elders, which is why I didn’t smack him.

MIAMI
According to the agent, we’d just missed the long immigration line so there was no wait. Our checked bags came out within 10 minutes and customs was a breeze just like this entire trip.

VIDEO
Here's a five-minute Johnny Jet Video of my 2007 trip to Rio. We also have all the Johnny Jet videos ever made on YouTube, including last week’s video of our trip to Belo Horizonte.

NEXT WEEK
Next week ???

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