As winners of the 2012 Travel Film Scholarship, we went on a 10-day assignment to Rio de Janeiro to film the local culture and the Carnaval festivities. Check out what we got up to in Rio...
Every beach in Rio has a different personality. We met up with Renata who suggested we take a short walk from Copacabana, to spend the afternoon on Leme .
I’ve been starving, so we first head out to try some authentic Brazilian food. Brazilian’s have a churrasco style of barbecuing so you’d find tons of Churrascaria restaurants that you must visit. However today, I tried something different. A delicious prawn dish with farofa on the side. Farofa is a must in almost every Brazilian meal .It is served alongside the main course and can either be sprinkled on your food or eaten as an accompaniment. It is prepared with Manioc, a shrub native to South America. I had never heard of it before. It is known by different names such as mandoja, cassava etc and is a staple part of the Brazilian diet which is cooked in every possible form.
Farofa was probably the only thing in the Brazilian cuisine that Eeshit could eat as a vegetarian. I tried a different version of the caipirinha today with Kiwi and Cinammon. Divine.
The beach is calling out to me after such a soul satisfying lunch.
The beach culture is a strong part of the Rio’s lifestyle. Leme Beach offers a magnificent view of Sugar Loaf mountain and the Copacabana. The beach is not as crowded and seems ideal to spend a day with your family.
Renata is joined by her friends who show us how to enjoy the Beach, Carioca style.
A typical carioca thing would include eating Biscotti Globo, a popular local Brazilian wafer and drink matte, a refreshing cold tea on the beach. The wafer doesn’t have any particular taste. It’s just crunchy - but the Matte is really refreshing and ideal for the hot weather.
Renata also mentions, that as a good Carioca, you need to have your swim suit on at all times even when you are at work! You never know when you a can take a break for a quick dip in the ocean.
I loved the colourful sarongs laid out all over the beach.Eeshit and I spend the afternoon filming this Carioca beach experience. Every day in Rio seems like an ideal beach day.
We spend our evening exploring the local handicraft stalls. I stop by at a music store called Bossa Nova to buy some Brazilian music that will now be a permanent part of my playlist.
As we are walking back to our apartment, we see another bloco parade passing by which also has dogs in costumes and flower garlands. I see an old woman in a wheel chair with a feather in her head enjoying the parade. Her happy face makes me smile and fills my heart with love and gratitude for being able to have this experience.
We spend the evening walking on the beautiful avenue watching dogs on shiny leashes wearing shoes fancier than mine.
Want to watch more of our Brazilian adventures?
The Carioca Way
Walking the Lapa Steps
Carnaval Part 1
Carnaval Part 2
