Rio de Janeiro 里约热内卢
August 29，2025
On the Brazil side, we stayed near the border, far from the town of Foz do Iguaçu and any commercial district. After returning from the park last night, we ordered home delivery from a Japanese restaurant. The food was decent. This morning, we had breakfast at the hotel. The property was simple: rooms on the second floor, with an open parking garage and a small sitting area below. Our host, who lived in the same compound, was very kind and welcoming.
After check-out, our Brazil driver picked us up and took us to the airport. We arrived a few hours early and were pleasantly surprised to find a comfortable Priority Pass lounge. Since both of us had membership, we could treat our friends as guests. Even better, we discovered a small private room that fit all six of us—perfect for chatting in Chinese without disturbing anyone.
Looking back, our visit to Iguazú Falls was flawless: perfect weather, perfect scenery, and perfect car service.
Upon arrival in Rio de Janeiro, we met a representative from the transfer company we hired from booking.com at the exit. She led us to a waiting area where our hired van pulled up. Because there was no space inside for luggage, the driver secured our bags on the roof rack. Soon we were on our way to our Airbnb in Leblon.
Not long after departing, the driver pulled into a fuel station and asked us all to step out. A worker opened the front hood to fill the car with ethanol gas. Although he could have refueled before picking us up, we didn’t mind—this small moment gave us a glimpse into everyday life in Brazil. The rest of the ride was smooth. Despite our giving him the wrong street number, the driver went out of his way to ensure we were dropped off at the correct address.
Our Airbnb unit was on the ninth floor. After settling in, we headed next door to an Italian restaurant for dinner. We indulged in hearty Italian cuisine—though still no pizza.
August 30，2025
We joined a “free” walking tour of the historic center of Rio de Janeiro. Taking Metro Lines 4/1, we got off at Carioca Station, where the meeting point was just a short walk away. Our first impressions of the city were positive: the subway was clean and comfortable, and the streets were tidy and inviting.
The guide led us through several city blocks, with the tour ending at the grand Municipal Theater. Along the way, we picked up small but memorable facts—for example, “Carioca” means people from Rio. The guide also planted seeds for a future visit, such as recommending Café Colombo, considered one of the best cafés in the world.
After the tour, we treated ourselves to a cozy Brazilian restaurant, where we enjoyed several delicious local dishes. Energized, we continued on foot to our next destination: Rio de Janeiro Cathedral. While its pyramid-like exterior might appear “ugly” to some, the vast interior space, flooded with colorful stained light, was both powerful and inspiring.
From there, it was only a short walk to the Escadaria Selarón. This iconic staircase, decorated with a kaleidoscope of ceramic tiles from around the world, was buzzing with visitors snapping photos. It was easy to see why it’s one of Rio’s most beloved landmarks.
Later, we hopped back on the metro and headed to Leblon Beach. There we indulged in simple pleasures: people-watching, sipping fresh coconut water, coffee, and beer with the sound of the waves as our backdrop.
As evening settled in, we strolled back to our rental unit. For supper, we finally gave in to a supermarket pizza—a playful “broken promise,” since we had resisted pizza until now. Locals would have paired it with a bottle of wine, but for us it was just a light, easy meal.
We called it a day—a very good day. Rio had left us with a warm and lasting first impression.
二零二五年八月二十九日
在伊瓜苏巴西一侧，我们的旅馆离边境很近，开车没几分钟就到了，但离伊瓜苏市 (Foz do Iguaçu) 的市区和商业区还是有点距离。旅馆很简朴，有点像中国的农家乐。十几个客房在二楼，一楼是开放式停车场，一个小小的休息区和早餐厅。女主人非常热情，她就住在同一处院落里。昨晚从公园回来后，考虑到不想天黑在外面走，在女主人的推荐和帮助下我们点了一家日本餐厅的外卖，味道还算可以。今天早晨，女主人亲自下厨为客人们准备了早餐。我们今天不赶路，大家终于可以多睡会儿再好好吃顿早餐。
退房后，包车司机来接我们去机场。我们提前几小时抵达，惊喜地发现机场里有一家舒适的 Priority Pass 贵宾室。因为我们两人都持有会员卡，能带朋友一起进入。更巧的是，我们找到了一间可以容纳六个人的小房间，这样大家就能自在地用中文聊天而不用担心打扰别的客人。吃饱喝足上飞机，下一站里约热内卢。
回想起这次伊瓜苏大瀑布的旅程，真是完美：完美的天气，完美的环境，完美的接送服务。
飞机抵达里约热内卢后，我们在出口处遇到接送公司的工作人员。她带我们到等候区，我们通过 booking.com 预订的面包车很快就开了过来。因为车内没有放置行李的空间，司机把六个行李箱固定在车顶的行李架上。这让我们想起今年上半年在印度也有一次类似的经历。
车子往里约热内卢市区方向开去。没过多久，司机转进一家加油站，让我们先下车。一名工作人员打开车头盖，开始往车里灌注乙醇燃料。虽然他完全可以在来接我们之前就加好油，但这小小的插曲也让我们多了一份了解巴西日常生活的机会。之后的路程十分顺利。尽管我们在预订车时填错了门牌号，司机依然尽心确保把我们送到正确的地址。
我们的 Airbnb 公寓在莱布隆 (Leblon) 区，公寓在九楼，楼下有保安。安顿好之后，我们就去了楼下旁边的一家意大利餐厅享用晚餐。餐点丰盛美味，因为还在为前些天在布宜诺斯艾利斯的最后一顿披萨耿耿于怀，虽在意大利饭店，今晚依然没有点披萨。晚餐后我们走去附近一家超市买了各种水果。
二零二五年八月三十日
来巴西之前就一直听说这里治安不好，曾来过这里的好友也一再提醒要我们注意安全，保护好自己的随身物品。我们把Airbnb选择在莱布隆（Leblon)区也是出于对安全的考虑。另外我们决定在里约热内卢不坐公交车，而是坐地铁或Uber。
今天早上我们参加了一场里约热内卢历史中心的“免费”徒步游。乘坐地铁 4/1 号线，在 Carioca 站下车，集合点离地铁站不远。对这座城市的第一印象十分美好：地铁干净舒适，街道整洁宜人。
参加徒步游的人不少，大家来自世界各地。分成英语，葡萄牙语和西班牙语三组。导游带领我们穿过几条街区，讲述了许多关于城市的历史。途中我们也学到了一些有趣的知识，比如“Carioca”指的是里约人；她还让我们为未来几天的行程种了草——推荐了被誉为“世界上最好的咖啡馆”之一的科伦坡咖啡馆 (Café Colombo)。徒步行在宏伟的市政剧院 (Theatro Municipal) 前结束。
行程结束后，我们在附近找了一家温馨的巴西餐厅，点了几道地道的巴西菜，味道令人十分满足。随后我们步行前往下一个目的地——里约热内卢大教堂 (Catedral Metropolitana)。这座教堂的外观造型很独特，在一些人眼里或许很“丑陋”，但内部设计却极具震撼力，彩色玻璃透入的光线让整个空间显得很庄严。
接着我们继续步行来到塞拉隆台阶 (Escadaria Selarón)。这座由五彩瓷砖拼贴装饰的台阶，是里约热内卢最受欢迎的景点之一。到处都是游客拍照留念，热闹非凡，也难怪它会成为这座城市的地标。
下午，我们再次搭乘地铁前往莱布隆海滩 (Leblon Beach)。在海边，我们享受着最简单的乐趣：听着海浪的声音，看人来人往，喝新鲜的椰子汁、咖啡和啤酒，格外惬意。
傍晚时分，我们悠闲地散步回到住宿。晚餐就随意在超市买了二个现烤的披萨——算是一个“小小的破戒”，因为我们之前一直坚持不点披萨。当地人通常会配上一瓶红酒，而我们则以这份简单的餐食轻松结束一天。