Things To Do In Rio De Janeiro? Besides the beaches =P?

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jpaulorb

Visit - MUST DOs

Note: Brazil's currency is the Real (he-all) symbol R$. Exchange rate is around $1USD = R$1.80

Corcovado (Christ Statue): Get there by taxi - The tram up costs around R$36 for roundtrip up to Cristo Redentor, and it is definetly worth the view.
PÃ£o de AÃ§Ãºcar - the Sugar Loaf mountains (one taller, the other shorter), Brazil's top landmark, with an aerial tramway to the top; unmissable. A ticket up is R$ 35. The buses number 591 and 592 bring you to the base station. You may want to take a helicopter ride ($150 US) it's worth every penny.
Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas - a large lagoon in the middle of South Zone, with great views to Corcovado and Ipanema and Leblon beaches; there are skating and jogging fields all around it

If you up adventure...try hang gliding from the top of Rio's mountains...it's awesome !!

http://www.hiltonflyrio.com/tandem_in.html
http://www.riohanggliding.com/

Go to the Beaches: (MUST)
You may drive along the shore and stop anytime you want visiting these beaches:
Copacabana
Arpoador
Ipanema
Leblon
SÃ£o Conrado
Barra da Tijuca

What to Eat/Drink:

In Rio de Janeiro you can probably find something to fit any craving. A good approach to local food is "comida a kilo" - buffet style restaurants where you pay by the weight of the food on your plate.
Don't miss Brazil's national dish, feijoada (fay-zho-AH-da), made with black beans and pork. It is typically served city-wide on Saturdays. For connoisseurs of meat, nothing beats a good rodÃzio (all-you-can-eat steak houses). PorcÃ£o (Big Pork- Porkaum) has 5 restaurants around Rio. Go to the one in the "Aterro do Flamengo" is the BEST.

In most cafeterias (lanchonete; lun-sho-NETCH) you can have a pastel (pahs-TELL) or salgado (saw-GAH-do; local pastry) for less than R$2. Typical pastries are coxinha (ko-SHEEN-ya; chicken nugget shaped like a chicken leg). Also try pÃ£o de queijo (pawn-deh-KAY-zho; cheese baked dough).
For drinking, ask for guaranÃ¡ (gwa-ra-NAH; soda made of an Amazon seed), mate (MAHTCH; sweet ice tea), Ã¡gua de coco (ah-gwa-djee-KOH-ku; natural coconut water) or caldo de cana (caw-do-djee-KAH-na; sugarcane juice). There is also a common fruit called aÃ§aÃ (ah-sah-EEH), with a dark-purple pulp out of which are made juices, and ice-creams. Typical cariocas eat it like cream in cups or glasses, mixed with granola, oats or other flakes. There are many specialized juice shops that sell aÃ§aÃ, fruit juices (they make it as you ask, they don't store it ready, so you can ask them which fruit they have and may create a mix if you like) and some make sandwiches and other simple things to eat. These shops usually are cheap and hang fruits and the entrance or somewhere visible.
You MUST have a CAIPIRINHA (Kay-pee-ree-nya) made with Brazilan Rum "Cachaca" (Ka-chah-ssa) lime and sugar.

What to Buy
At night after 7PM there's a crafts market on along Copacabana. It's very nice to walk around and get good deals on crafts, necklaces, t-shirts and other cool stuff. Don't forget to bargain, do not accept the 1st price you get...they want all the money they can get from gringos like you!!

Bars
Devassa Rua General San Martin 1241 - Leblon -Transportation Bus: 415 Phone 2540-6087
Other Second Location: Av. Lineu de Paula Machado 696, Jardim BotÃ¢nico. tel. 2294-2915. Bus: 572 (get off at Rua Jardim BotÃ¢nico, corner Rua J.J. Seabra)

NightClubs
The nightlife starts between 11:00 pm and midnight and the best nights to go out in Rio are Wednesday - Sunday. There's no closing time so people stay out late â€“ usually until about 5 in the morning.

Melt (pronounced meelch by locals) - Leblon, Rua Rita Ludolf 47A - Thursdays - this 2-story club sports an upscale bar downstairs and a dance club upstairs.
Fosfobox Copacabana - Rua Siqueira Campos, 143. "Fosfo" as it's nicknamed by the goers has a strong saturday rock-oriented party. Young, trendy crowd with djs playing mostly indie rock, discopunk and electro-rock. After 4 am it has a more electronic after-party. Different parties happen on fridays, but it's usually electronic, with favorite genres being electro, house and minimal. Other nights are usually more electronic also, but has had Rock parties also on thursdays. On Tuesdays there's a dub/reggaeton party.
Bunker 94
Rua Raul Pompeia 94, Copacabana
Telephone - 2521 0367
With three rooms and two dance floors, thereâ€™s no excuse for sitting out the eclectic tunes that bounce around the walls including 80s rock, R&B and Brazilian pop.
Club Six - Downtown (Centro) - DON'T MISS IT on Saturday

Quick Portuguese Guide

Oi (Oee) - Hi
Tudo bem?(Tuudu bein) - How's going?
Beleza (Beh-leh-zah) - It's all good (slang)
Dinheiro (Dee-nye-ro) - Money
Perdido (Per-dee-do) - Lost
Caro - Expensive
Sim (Sin) - Yes
Nao (Naum) - No
Beijo (Beije) - Kiss
Linda - Pretty
Gata - Cute Girl
Agua - Water

Hope this helps!!

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