Sun-downer on Ipanema Beach
I could hardly even see the thousands of Brazilian bubble-butts through the sweat pouring down my face. It was 100 degrees on Ipanema beach in Rio De Janeiro. Heat exhaustion was setting in, and the sand under my feet was baking. So I ran into the ocean full force, and for some god-forsaken reason the water in Rio is absolutely FREEZING cold. Like dropping a warm beer into a big icy cooler, it only took a couple minutes to cool down. This freezing cold water is also a blessing. Like natures air conditioning, it provides a nice cool breeze to an otherwise brutally hot city.
Rio is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It lives on clean beaches, surrounded by jutting mountains, and streets garnished with gnarly trees and jungle-like greenery. It's the most lush, natural setting imaginable for 6.5 million souls to dwell.
On the west side of Ipanema beach, rocks stretch into the sea and make for a great place to watch sunset. Before sunset, people started congregating on the rocks for the show.
In the photo below you can see the rocks in the background (or if you’re a male, you won’t notice them)
Rio is undoubtedly one of the most beautiful cities in the world. It lives on clean beaches, surrounded by jutting mountains, and streets garnished with gnarly trees and jungle-like greenery. It's the most lush, natural setting imaginable for 6.5 million souls to dwell.
On the west side of Ipanema beach, rocks stretch into the sea and make for a great place to watch sunset. Before sunset, people started congregating on the rocks for the show.
In the photo below you can see the rocks in the background (or if you’re a male, you won’t notice them)
We grabbed a few brews and found a nice spot on the rocks. The sky slowly changed color as the sun reached its final stretch, and now there were hundreds of people out on the rocks watching.
As the sun dropped into the horizon, everyone starting clapping and cheering. I’ve seen many sunsets— but never before have I seen the sun receive a standing ovation!!!
After sun-down, it grew dark and people started leaving the rocks. The night brought a soothing warm breeze. We laid on the rocks which were still very warm from a full day of blazing sun - it felt like heated seats — and we dozed off. We woke up to the thud of drums and chanting in the distance. We made our way from the rocks back to the beach where there was a drum party and people circled around, dancing, and singing. The beach was still bustling— smoke from vendors grilling on the boardwalk, and acrobats on the beach doing flips and standing on each other like a totem pole. The night was just beginning…
More Duff Tales:
- Spiderdan visits La Paz
- Hang-gliding in Rio
- Mustache Sacrifice in The Great Blue Hole
- Unplugged in Cabo Polonio
- Carnivores Heaven: The Montevideo Market
Also check out the lovely Suzanne's photo blog:
