The citizens of the ten-million-strong city of Rio de
Janeiro call it the Cidade Marvilhosa - and there can't
be much argument about that. Rio sits on the southern shore of a
landlocked harbour within the magnificent natural setting of
Guanabara Bay. Extending for twenty kilometres along an alluvial
strip, between an azure sea and jungle-clad mountains, the city's
streets and buildings have been moulded around the foothills of the
mountain range which provides its backdrop, while out in the bay
there are innumerable rocky islands fringed with white sand. The
panoramic view over Rio is breathtaking, and even the concrete
skyscrapers which dominate the city's skyline add to the
attraction.
Although riven by inequality, Rio de Janeiro has great style.
Its international renown is bolstered by a series of symbols that
rank as some of the greatest landmarks in the world, the
Corcovado ("hunchback") mountain supporting the great statue
of Christ the Redeemer; the rounded incline of the Sugar
Loaf mountain, standing at the entrance to the bay; and the
famous sweep of Copacabana beach , probably the most notable
length of sand on the planet. It's a setting enhanced by the
annual, frenetic sensuality of Carnaval , an explosive
celebration which - for many people - sums up Rio and her citizens,
the cariocas . The major downside in a city given over to
conspicuous consumption is the rapacious development which is
engulfing Rio de Janeiro. As the rural poor, escaping drought and
poverty in other regions of Brazil, flock to swell Rio's
population, the city is being squeezed like a toothpaste tube
between mountains and sea, pushing its human contents out along the
coast in either direction. The city's rich architectural heritage
is being whittled away and, if the present form of economic
development is sustained, the natural environment will eventually
be destroyed, too. It's a process unwittingly hastened by Rio's
citizens who look forward optimistically to the future, most with
the hope of relief from poverty, some with an eye to the main
chance and greater wealth.
The state of Rio de Janeiro , surrounding the city, is a
fairly recent phenomenon, established in 1975 as a result of the
amalgamation of Guanabara State and Rio city. Fairly small by
Brazilian standards, the state is both beautiful and accessible,
with easy trips either east along the Costa do Sol or west
along the Costa Verde , taking in unspoilt beaches, washed
by a relatively unpolluted ocean. Inland routes make a
welcome change from the sands, especially the trip to
Petrópolis , the nineteenth-century mountain retreat of
Rio's rich.
The best time to visit both city and state, as least as far as
the climate goes, is between May and August, when the region
is cooled by trade winds and the temperature remains at around
22-32°C. Between December and March, the rainy season, it's more
humid, the temperature more like 40°C; but even then it's never as
oppressive as it is in the North of Brazil.