Jon's first entry from South America couldn't have come at a better time. The atmosphere in and around Brazil's second largest city is buzzing, with the build up to the World Cup in full swing; carnivals and parties flooding the streets of Rio.

Jon also takes us away from the madness of the streets and gives us time to ponder some of the worlds most spectacular views.

I took up photography to be able to share my view of the world with others. At the time, I was based in the Wild Coast of South Africa and all of my trips were within a few hours’ drive from my house. Ten years later, I still use photography to share my view on the world. All that’s changed is that someone else pays the bills. Oh, and my trips are further afield. I’m currently working on a 50 day job in South America.

I’ve just finished four days in Rio de Janero. According to my guide, reputed to be the best in Rio, the city is on everyone’s dream list of places to see. Four days is hardly enough time to appreciate a city, but it was enough to confirm Rio’s status as a world classdestination.

Day 1 was tough. I took an overnight flight from London, changed at Sao Paulo and arrived in Rio at 8:30am. The Football World Cup and Olympic preparations meant that the 30 minute drive from the airport to my hotel took 2 hours. By the time I arrived, I was late for my first appointment to photograph the Municipal Theatre. Picture 18 hours of travelling followed immediately by a full day of photography.

During the first day, I was based in Downtown Rio, which is the main commercial district of the city. It is also where the museums are located, showcasing the arts and culture of the city. Although museums aren’t an obvious attraction in Rio, for someone who knew nothing about Brazilian arts and culture, it was a great introduction. Did you know that the Portuguese monarchy ruled from Brazil during Napoleons’ wars? No other monarchy has ever ruled from one of its colonies.

My guide was also happy that instead of the usual focus on Brazilian swimwear, my company was interested in showing the arts and culture of Rio.

My absolute highlight was sunset from Sugarloaf Mountain. It takes two cable cars to get to the top and once you’re there, you’re presented with what must be one of the top 5 views in the world.

The next day was a lot less taxing. I covered the areas just outside of Down Town Rio, which included the Seleron Steps, the Mayan temple inspired city cathedral, the Sambadrome, the Maracana stadium and an old palace called Boa Vista.

I loved the Seleron Steps. It is an ordinary staircase up a hill, made extraordinary by a Chilean artist (Seleron), who placed small tiles in mosaic form up the entire staircase. It took him 20 years. Whilst he was working, tourists who had seen his work sent him tiles from all over the world, so the staircase is a colourful, eclectic scrapbook of international tiles. Also included in the tiles are self portraits of the artist with his head painted on a pregnant, black woman’s body. When asked why, his answer was “it’s personal”.

The day was topped off with a visit to the Christ the Redeemer and a view that rivals Sugarloaf Mountain. From here, Rio’s surreal geography becomes evident. The city is built between mountains, lakes, a massive bay and of course, the ocean. It was an engineering masterpiece to be able to build a city on such a challenging location. One that has been recognized by UNESCO.

Two days had passed without me seeing the beaches, which is almost criminal in Rio. This was remedied with two full days exploring Rio’s beaches. This is the best way to experience the local way of life as the beaches are an integral part of life in Rio. Every local seemed to be taking part in some sort of beach activity: surfing, football, volleyball, jogging, cycling, skating – it’s a beach sports mad city.

If you have the picture of an idyllic holiday, consider this, I was on Copacabana Beach at 5am for sunrise and left Ipanema Beach at 7pm after the sunset.

My trip fell one week before Carnival. As a warmup, there were plenty of smaller street carnivals where “only” 20,000 people took part. A street carnival consists of Samba drums, dancing, costumes and drinking with no regulations. Experiencing these carnivals along Rio’s beaches will be my lasting impression of Rio. In a city that has the most spectacular setting I have ever seen, it’s the people and the carefree, party atmosphere that was my personal highlight.

Next up is the Brazilian capital, Brasilia where the focus is the architecture and town planning of what should have been the Utopian city.

See you soon,

Jon

www.nomadicvision.com