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Aug. 11, 2005 On Sunday, August 7, 2005, I went down to the street here in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in order to buy breakfast, only to find that there was absolutely nothing open anywhere in the central district of the city, where I have my room. I walked around in circles for a couple of hours unavailingly, until it finally dawned on me to consult my street guide, which itself took me a day to find, and see if I could locate the long-distance train station. Indeed I could, and it was only about a mile away, so I walked over and was able to get a snack at one of the stands I supposed would be operating there. Then I headed towards the only cyber café that I've seen in Rio de Janeiro since I've been here, to use Internet for a few hours, only to find it closed as well. So I went down into the Uruguaiana station of the Metrô (subway) and studied the map of the two routes that constitute the underground system, deciding quite at random to ride a train to a stop called Cardeal Arcoverde, and see what was about. The fare is $1, compared with 25 cents in Buenos Aires, and the train, though sleek and modern, was packed, mostly with young people. Apparently, I chose the right stop, for, when we arrived at Cardeal Arcoverde, everyone started getting off with me. Upstairs on the sidewalk, looking at my map and my compass till I got my bearings, I found myself on a street called Rua Barata Ribeiro, very elegant and opulent indeed, on a par with Beverly Hills. On Rua Barata Ribeiro and nearby there were a few snack bars, a supermarket and even a couple of apparel stores open. The fashionable residents were walking along the sidewalks in groups of 3 or 4, but there was a steady stream of dozens heading south from Cardeal Arcoverde station, so I tagged unobtrusively along to see what the big attraction was, and 5 minutes later I found myself at Copacabana Beach, surely the most beautfiul beach that I have ever seen and undoubtedly one of the most beautiful spots in the world. I was stunned, overwhelmed, amazed. Of course, I'd heard the word "Copacabana" before, but I didn't even know it was the name of a beach. It's also the name of the local district of town. I lived in Honolulu, Hawaii in 1986 and 1987, and I was a regular at Waikiki Beach, which is very fashionable and festive, and my feeling at the time was that there could be no more delightful beach anywhere. But I was wrong. Copacabana Beach outclasses Waikiki Beach. First of all, though August 8 in this hemisphere is equivalent to February 8 in the northern henisphere, which includes Hawaii, the temperature here was near 90. The temperature in Hawaii never reaches 90 in February. You're lucky if it reaches 80, and there are plenty of days when it hovers around 70, which is a little uncomfortable with the clouds that always blow overhead from the Koolau mountains, swept seaward by the incessant trade winds, which sway the palms to and fro all day. Secondly, Copacabana Beach is at least 4 miles long, whereas Waikiki Beach is no more than half a mile long. Copacabana Beach is also wider. From Waikiki, if you face mauka (landward), you can see those little green Koolau Mountains ahead, and Diamondhead, another mountain, on your right, and these mountains are lovely to behold. Copacabana Beach, though, is not to be outdone in this regard either. If you face the Atlantic Ocean from the beach, you have Morro de Cantagalo and Morro de Pavão on your right, and Morro de Leme and Morro de Urubu on your left. Which, if any, of the mountains visible from Copacabana is Pão de Açucar (Sugarloaf Mountain) I haven't yet determined. Along the beach runs Avenida Atlántica, a broad avenue lined with imposing white high-rise buildings, not unlike the hotels that line Kalakaua Avenue in Honolulu. One advantage that Waikiki has over Copacabana is that Kalakaua Avenue is full of little shops for refreshments and tourist wares, and you can dash right over without packing your things, keeping an eye on them from a distance. At Copacabana, the little shops are not quite so accessible, so you'd almost have to take your things with you. In the 1980's and 1990's, I spent a lot of time at beaches. I know Waikiki and Ala Moana Beaches in Honolulu; Mission Beach in San Diego; Venice, Santa Monica, Will Rogers and Malibu Beaches in Los Angeles; Hollywood Beach in Hollywood, Florida. I also visited Varkizá and Vouliagménos Beaches in Athens, Greece; and Ma'amura in Alexandria, Egypt. And I know Oak Street Beach in Chicago. But Copacabana outclasses them all. ------------ About the author Thomas Keyes: I have written two books: A SOJOURN IN ASIA (non-fiction) and A TALE OF UNG (fiction), neither published so far. I have studied languages for years and traveled extensively on five continents. Email: udikeyes@yahoo.com Tell a friend about this site! ------------ All articles are EXCLUSIVE to Useless-Knowledge.com and are not allowed to be posted on other websites. ARTICLE THIEVES WILL BE PROSECUTED! |
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