Lage

This old mansion (now complete with upscale restaurant) sits in Parque Lage, which is an urban forest in Rio at the base of Tijuca National Park, through which you can do all sorts, including take a very tough sweaty hike to the Corcovado. We were very taken by the backdrop to this old building, and enjoyed exploring the grounds, which include things like this old tower (see additional).

Another excellent day of exploring Rio relatively aimlessly. The commercial area of Uruguaiana, one of the original landmarks of Praça XV de Novembro and various ornate churches. As with London, if I was asked to name the actual centre of Rio I’d be stumped.

The far end of Ipanema followed by a stroll on the emptying beach was a perfect way to experience the sunset. As people emerged later to do their exercise routines either on the sand or on the public outdoor gym equipment, lights from the two large favelas above Ipanema (named Rocinha and Vidigal) twinkled ever more brightly. The sight is beautiful, but every day so far in Brazil is a stark reminder that it’s one of the world’s most unequal countries in terms of wealth distribution. No wonder it was such a focus of the GCSE geography curriculum in the late 1990s. A fascinating case study for many things.