Exotic Escape

Rio de Janeiro can overwhelm. The colours, the sounds, the smells, the heat - the very things that draw a person to the 'cidade maravilhosa' - all of it, all at the same time, can be too much. After a few days (and nights) of glorious sensory overload, there comes a moment when even the most energetic traveler thinks, "enough".

But how does one justify taking a break in such surroundings? Typically 'restful' activities don't cut it in Rio. The beaches are bursting and boisterous and glaringly beautiful. The pace of service at cafes is exhausting to watch. And a day beside a pool (or, God forbid, in front of a TV) seems inconceivable with such astonishing history and nature right outside the door.

On one such afternoon, my travelling companions and I girded our loins and headed to the sultry shade of the Jardim Botanico do Rio de Janeiro. The taxi ride over was tense and tired. Our driver seemed confused about our destination and was reluctant to agree to a price for the ride. The midday traffic was a cacophony of horns and breaks and engines. We gulped water in silence and stared out the open windows of the cab, inhaling exhaust fumes and luxuriating in breaks in the traffic, when the driver could pick up enough speed to create a cool breeze. When we arrived, he snatched his payment from our hands sped off in a cloud of dust, leaving us wondering if we'd be able to find a ride back to our hotel.

Stepping through the gate was all it took to change our moods. The main pathway, lined for 750m with Imperial Palms, sets a tone of regal peace and order to the gardens, in spite of the fact that less than half of the 54 hectare park is cultivated. Exotic birds and monkeys chirp in the trees and bushes, while lizards dart across paths and over guardrails. Lilypads the size of dinner tables speckle the pond and taunt the imagination. The Garden is at once breathtaking and breath-giving. One could spend hours, even days, wandering the grounds, but an afternoon is all that is needed to refresh the soul and reset the mind.

The Jardim Botanico do Rio de Janeiro is open Monday (noon to 5 pm) and Tuesday to Sunday (8 am to 5 pm). Entry is R$9, cash only.