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...
Want to watch more of our Brazilian adventures?
Carnaval Part 1
Carnaval Part 2
One of the few things that surprise you in Rio, are its diverse neighbourhoods. There is so much more to the city other than its beach life. We set out to Lapa, the art and cultural hub of Rio. They say that in Lapa, the night is the beginning of life. But since we have other plans tonight we decide to explore it by day.
Lapa has a unique, bohemian vibe to it and seems to be the gathering place for Rio’s artists. It boasts of unpretentious vintage shops, cafes and bursts of colour and graffiti in every corner. We were warned to be careful as lapa is also a hotspot for mugging. It is the first time that I actually felt unsafe in Rio. We were stopped a couple of times and told to keep our equipment inside.
Suddenly out of nowhere, we chanced upon the most magical site , The Escadaria selaron or the lapa steps. The steps are entirely covered in mosaic tiles . I was surprised to see tiles with Indian gods right at the beginning. This was designed by the Chilean artist Selaron in 1990 who collected tiles from across the word and wanted to keep reinventing this space. I was hoping to meet the artist, but I was told that he had just passed away a few months ago .There are so many beautiful, intricate tiles to see. From historical landmarks to cartoons like the simpsons, to famous paintings ,every iconic image from different cultures and countries was present . My favourite part was the Brazilian mosaic flag made right on top of the steps. The steps make you walk down them with a different elegance and have this magical aura around them.
Eeshit and I were really excited to do a story around the Lapa steps . Since the police is usually stationed there considering it is now a popular tourist spot, we didn’t think it was a big risk.
Eeshit and I also got our picture clicked from an old camera.
If you feel like abandoning the beach for a day and looking for an authentic Rio experience, Lapa is a great neighbourhood to explore. Understatedly calm by day, but wild and vibrant at night.
Had some cold acai juice on the way back. Today we had to say our bye’s to Chris and Brian who left for Australia . It really felt like the 4 of us were on holiday and not on assignment ! It was great that we all shared a good rapport and we learnt so much teaming up with them , sharing our travel experiences.
We spend the evening on Ipanema beach to catch the gorgeous sunset at Aproador .. In recent times, Ipanema has over taken Copacabana in popularily with its chic charm , vibrant crowd , crystal clear water and a view to die for. A beach that even dogs love to swim in! We applauded the gorgeous sun set, that left a beautiful hue in the air.It was also my applause to Rio for giving us such heart warming experiences
Want to watch more of our Brazilian adventures?
Carnaval Part 1
Carnaval Part 2
