Dates: 8-17 June 2014.

How we ended up visiting Rio de Janeiro is quite funny. KLM ran a competition in Saint David’s shopping centre over the course of a weekend which involved a mock-up of the security checking area of an airport. The competition involved packing 26 items into a suitcase in alphabetical order…and Liz managed to be top of the leader-board come close of play on the Sunday!

Among the destinations on offer included Tokyo, Cairo and Johannesburg, but with the World Cup being on, it could only be Rio…

After leaving early from Cardiff airport to Amsterdam, we then endured a twelve hour flight, landing in the late evening. We struggled to withdraw cash for a bit but eventually got enough to pay for a taxi to the accommodation.

With the World Cup starting during our visit we didn’t have a great deal of choice of affordable accommodation. However, our little villa/hotel near the top of the Santa Teresa hill was cute and welcoming. The room was functional and the terrace afforded a great view down to the coast.

After a breakfast on the villa terrace we headed out to take a look around. In was very hot throughout the trip to the point where we seemed to be in a perpetual state of being wet!

The recently re-painted Aqueduto da Carioca with the odd-looking pyramidal Catedral Metropolitana de São Sebastião in the background:

The aqueduct is used these days to carry trams rather than water, though it wasn’t currently in use due to a fatal accident in 2011.

Praia (beach) do Flamengo with the Pão de Açucar, or Sugar Loaf Mountain, providing the backdrop:

Cool butterfly close-up:

We walked through the Flamengo and Botafogo neighbourhoods to reach Copacabana.

The view back towards the Sugar Loaf from Praia do Leme:

Praia do Leme leads on to the famous Praia de Copacabana:

The opening game of the World Cup was to be held in São Paulo but a fan zone was being set up on the Copacabana beach.

Men working on the fan zone stage as the sun sets with the iconic Cristo Redentor (Chris the Redeemer) statue far in the distance:

Some sunset shots:

More Cristo:

It just never got cold:

The United Buddy Bears international art exhibition was in Rio for the duration of the World Cup:

With the sun almost completely gone, without and with night mode:

We found a nice little place to eat after this and got talking to an older gentleman and three of his grandchildren. They all wanted to practice their English with us which was fun.

We’d heard and read about all the dangers of Rio, about how it was risky to carry mobiles, wallets or watches/jewelry. However, the place felt very safe, and the locals seemed comfortable enough with their mobiles hanging out of their back pockets!

Sadly, we had also read about credit card fraud…and that first restaurant was the only place I mistakenly handed over my card when paying. 48 hours later and two separate £250 cash withdrawals had been made and I had to get my card cancelled…

Day two, which was also my birthday, began with a trip to visit Cristo. The views were utterly breathtaking.

A dilapidated personal residence en route to the mountain train:

The Maracanã in the distance on the left:

A brilliant view of the Parque dos Patins (skate park), the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon and mount Guia Thiago in the background:

The view back to the Sugar Loaf and the Atlantic:

Cristo in all his 38 metre glory:

We just couldn’t get enough of the spectacular vistas from so high up:

We saw Joey Barton on the train on the way up, but we met Fuleco the armadillo on our way back down:

As the sun set on another glorious day it’s possible to just about make out the cable car houses and cables on each peak of the Sugar Loaf:

On the third day we headed to visit the Maracanã stadium, which was an hour walk from our Santa Teresa base.

Santa Teresa offered-up a mixture of views:

Unfortunately, this was as close as we could get to the Maracanã:

A fun take on the zebra crossing:

I love football stadia and Liz loves animals, so we then headed over the railway lines to the Rio de Janeiro Zoological Garden.

A grand entrance:

Loved these guys:

I wanted to see Fluminense’s ground but we couldn’t really get a look inside, but I did manage a quick look around their little museum attached to the ground.

As we walked home we caught the lit-up Aqueduto da Carioca and Catedral Metropolitana de São Sebastião bathed in red:

The day before the World Cup kicked-off we spent some time around Santa Teresa, starting with the famous Escadaria Selarón, also known as the Selarón Steps, due to it being the work of Chilean artist Jorge Selarón.

The steps in all their glory:

Selarón clearly liked the local brew:

Sadly, Selarón died in 2013:

Afterwards, we headed down to Marina da Glória via the national monument for fallen heroes (Monumento Nacional aos Mortos da Segunda Guerra Mundial).

The monument was a little underwhelming, but the park was lush and peaceful:

The wildlife was a bit more interesting:

Despite the heat and humidity, it was misty at altitude:

Odd tree near the Praia do Flamengo:

Rio’s international airport was very close by:

The Sugar Loaf shrouded in mist:

More footballer / ex-footballer spotting:

A storm was brewing:

It rained heavily overnight but the following day was glorious, meaning the opening match of the World Cup would be played in hot, dry conditions:

It was the ideal day to head up the Sugar Loaf via cable car. Some pictures from the first peak, Praia Vermelha (Red Beach) which is about 220 metres high:

Apart from not being able to get to a live game, which wasn’t in our hands, my only regret from this trip was not taking a helicopter ride:

Rio-Niterói Bridge which crosses Guanabara Bay:

The next cable car ride goes up to the second peak, Morro da Urca (Urca Hill):

Some pictures from Morro da Urca, which is 528 metres high:

Back on terra firma, our wandering allowed us to get up-close with some local wildlife:

The marmoset monkeys were cute and clearly well-fed. A short clip of two marmosets climbing and munching in the trees overhead here.

The opening game of the World Cup saw the hosts take-on Croatia, so we headed to the fan zone that had been set up on the Copacabana beach:

The natives were silenced with an early own goal but fortunately Brazil rallied and won 2-1. There was a great atmosphere and watching football whilst sat on the sand was a first for me!

We started late the next day and joined up with a free walking tour:

Around the bohemian Lapa area:

Street art:

A view from the Paço Imperial (Imperial Palace) balcony:

After all that walking we hired some bikes and took a gentle cycle around the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon:

Being just over halfway through the trip we decided to take a whole day for some relaxation so lounged around on the Copacabana and Ipanema beaches the following day:

We did walk past Arsenal and France striker Sylvain Wiltord at one point, but sadly he wasn’t involved in the beach football:

The next day, fully relaxed and re-energised, we headed for the Jardim Botânico do Rio de Janeiro (botanical gardens):

Big fish:

Monkeys:

Around the Museu do Meio Ambiente:

Another beautiful end to another gorgeous day:

For our penultimate day in Rio we took a slow-paced wander:

And finished with beer:

We only had a few hours of the final day before we had to fly back, but there was still time for some last few pictures of a fantastic city:

Rio de Janeiro was brilliant, aided by the glorious weather and the carnival atmosphere of the World Cup, no doubt.

The vistas were breathtaking, the beaches were little bits of paradise skirting imposing skyscrapers, and the people were friendly and always smiling.

We eat water melon sold by beach vendors and eat various barbecued food from evening street stalls, all the while feeling very safe.