RIO DE JANEIRO: TRAVEL DIARY + PHOTOS

People had been hyping Rio De Janeiro up to me for months, telling me I would fall in love with the colorful, cosmopolitan city instantly. They were not wrong.

After performing in Belo Horizonte, Curitiba, Sao Paulo and Limeira, the final stop on our Radnor & Lee Brazilian concert tour was Rio. We arrived on Sunday morning, and the first thing that we noticed on the way into town was how densely populated the city is.

And there seems to be no separation between poorer neighborhoods, favelas, and the more affluent neighborhoods, between historic buildings and severe modern architecture. It is a collage-like experience.

As soon as we had dropped our stuff at the hotel, I had one of our local promoters, Felipe, take me out to explore the area Flamingo Beach

Strolling through Flamingo Park, we stumbled upon this awesome modern play structure. I loved the concrete slides, the blue sand, the geometric structures and the vibrant colors. Felipe told me that this is structure is known as a place to come and practice Parkour.

After checking out the beach we went off to meet our crew who were invited to have lunch at “the other” Felipe, our sound guys, house. This gorgeous house also served as an art gallery, and place to entertain clients.

We sat for a delicious traditional Brazilian meal of feijoada, black beans, rice and trimmings such as orange slices, followed by pudim and passionfruit pudding. It is such a delight on tour to have a homemade meal, especially one with the degree of authenticity.

Eager to see as much of Rio as possible within our short time frame, another one of our promoters Marcello and his girlfriend took me out to see the lagoon where kids were fishing for minnows (….insert Steemit joke here…)

The Feira Hippy (Hippy Markets)

where locals were cooking traditional authentic Bahian food is the Acaraje, a croquette made from a mix of black-eyed peas, manioc paste, coconut and prawns.

and where I bought my wife some of these gorgeous handmade coasters made of designs with different types of beans…

These markets were so full of life and electricity. A really inspiring atmosphere of diverse people mingling and enjoying being in their city. I loved the civic pride of people from Rio, always asking “What do you think of Rio???” They know what they’ve got :)

Next stop was Ipanema Beach. The city and the sand meet right on the boardwalk, decorated with a famous wave tile pattern that slightly differs from the pattern at the Copacabana Beach, the next beach down.

Rio is famous for its beaches and they don’t disappoint. There is a very egalitarian feeling - the beach is for everyone. All walks of life, all socio-economic segments of the city. Everyone is on the beach. Drinking from coconuts, eating shrimp, sunbathing and swimming.

After soundcheck we had dinner at a new restaurant called Xian, designed in such a way as to take full advantage of an incredible panoramic view.

Even the restrooms have a great view, so you can relieve yourself while watching planes take off and land from the small local airport.

The show that night was at Teatro Odisseia. It was a fantastic crowd who sang along to every word of our songs and brought that electric Rio energy to the room.

It has been amazing to watch this crowd, many of them “How I Met Your Mother” fans there for Josh, get into the music and become Radnor & Lee fans. It doesnt happen every day that an actor can actually win people over when they start making music, and Ive been so proud of Josh’s journey and the integrity and passion with which he has attacked this new chapter.

I skipped going out after the show as I wanted to be fresh and awake the next morning for our trip up to Corvacado to see one of the wonders of the world - the Christ the Redeemer statue.

After an hour or so drive, winding up the giant mountain, eating Biscoito Globo, a traditional Brazilian snack, we reached the top, and in the scorching heat, climbed the several flights of stairs to have our turn at taking selfies in front of the famous deity.

It was really quite an awe-inspiring sight. To consider the logistics of mounting this monument between 1922 and 1931, or even now, kind of boggles the mind.

Our last outing before our flight to Buenos Aires Argentina was for a swim at the Praia Vermelhabeach, tucked away right next to the famous natural landmark 1300 ft tall Sugarloaf Mountain.

Josh and I took a refreshing swim and marveled that two friends getting together to write some songs on his couch a couple of years ago could lead to an adventure like this. You truly cant imagine where journeys will take you when you begin them - so just start them!

Thank you Brazil for the awesome experience. This was a really life-changing tour for us. We saw our potential to connect in a big way with a room full of beautiful human beings. We built faith in the music that we make together. And we really fell in love with your culture.

Obrigado!

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Most of these photos were taken by me, the ones that I am in were taken by Diego Padhila. He is a great photographer and is waiting for his Steemit profile to be approved so get ready to enjoy his work!!!!