We were last in Brazil in April 2025 and I scribbled about our time there in PCs 435 and 436 ‘Where’s the Girl from Ipanema’ (1) and (2). I finished PC 436 with a list of the postcards I have written of our different times in Brazil, just in case you have only just started reading my scribbles and thirst for more.
On that visit we had flown back via Lisbon with the Portuguese airline TAP, so we could assist my mother-in-law who was returning to Estoril. There’s probably a rule about not eating rice or fish as part of an airline meal; I hadn’t read it ….. and the food poisoning lasted days! This time we flew British Airways, out of Terminal 5 Heathrow.
The ‘Duty Free’ area is fairly predictable. Is duty free scent/perfume cheaper than on the High Street? Who knows? I needed to buy some Molton Brown scent but there’s been an explosion in the fragrance range – headlined under ‘citrus’, ‘woody’, ‘floral’ etc and after three attempts, waving little pieces of white card in the air, it’s almost impossible to detect differences. Most of the staff seem bored by the same asinine questions they get asked, over and over, throughout their shift.
Escape into the shuttle, down to Gates B, up the escalator to get to the departure level, then realise should have followed the aircrew as they knew that the lift is quicker. Arriving in Rio de Janeiro and immediately confronted with more options to buy Duty Free; for a strange reason if you pay in cash in Brazilian Reals, any change comes in US dollars.
On our first Sunday morning, before the sun suggested some shade might be a sensible option, we walked down to the 5th Lifeguard station on Barra de Tijuca beach just across the road from our rented apartment. The weekend was just shy of a national holiday in Brazil and the sand above the high-water mark was covered with large groups of families, friends, neighbours, fellow coach passengers and simple holidaymakers.
Every now and again the incoming water washed up the sand and over our feet, before receding to continue its incessant rhythm. Imprints of other walkers’ feet were washed away, leaving pristine firm sand, with no indication that anyone had been there. I remarked to Celina how easy it seemed to erase something so basic like a footprint. “If only our concerns could be so covered that they disappeared.” she wisely quipped.
In addition to those humans playing in the shallows and in the surf, I get mesmerised by a seabird common in Brazil, the Atoba.
Completely unconcerned by the people paddling, they suddenly dive vertically into the water to snatch a fish. It happens so quickly, it’s almost impossible to catch on camera but ……
That national holiday I mentioned was on Tuesday 21st April, and it celebrated the life of Joaquim José de Silva Xavier aka Tiradentes. Born in 1746 in Minas Gerais, Tiradentes founded the revolutionary movement ‘Inconfidência Mineira’ and campaigned fearlessly for independence from Portugal. He was arrested, tried and executed on 21st April 1792. It took almost another 100 years for Portugal to give up its South American colony; Brazil become a republic in 1889.
Rio de Janeiro is one of the top tourist destinations in the world, its Sugarloaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar), the enormous statue of Christ The Redeemer (Note 1) and its Copacabana (Note 2) and Ipanema beaches drawing over 2 million international tourists each year. Sadly, it’s rare for tourists to gain much insight into international cities, for they are never there long enough. Lunching with friends and members of Celina’s extended family over our time in the city, I sensed an awareness of Rio’s decline as a great place to live. São Paulo, the financial centre of the country some 430kms away to the west, is the go-to city, its increasing richness in direct contrast to Rio’s fading star.
In my last postcard from Buenos Aires, I mentioned Dulce de Leche. Having a sweet tooth, I was tempted by a Dulce de Leche desert in the local Hortifruiti (pronounced Orchifruiti) supermarket, a short walk from the Lanai apartments where we were staying. I could only manage three teaspoons; well, initially two then I went back and tried again; just SO sweet.
La Bicyclette, a simple café with fresh food and gorgeous deserts, lies in the centre of Barra. We had lunch with a lifelong friend of Celina’s and her husband. Good to catch up and chat; if you think your own family’s funny/weird/dysfunctional/whatever, you only have to be in the company of anyone to realise there are common threads! The friend has a widowed aunt who by all accounts is lonely, a situation many older people find themselves in; in this case she believes she’s the victim of whatever slight/bad hand life dealt them. We had a thought that maybe, just maybe, we could introduce her to Celina’s aunt, who is also lonely; in an ideal world they could live together. Unlikely, although in all seriousness the lonely begin to imagine all sorts of medical issues that, here in the UK, the NHS is actively encouraging such individuals to get in touch with various organisations and charities that can alleviate the condition – so saving the health service money.
The day that Michael O’Leary, CEO of budget airline Ryanair, complained that drinking alcohol before and during a flight was getting out of control, we flew back to London. In the departure lounge we observed a chap downing four whiskeys in the space of an hour and a half; maybe he was frightened of flying and needed his Dutch courage! Maybe he was a functioning alcoholic. We were reminded of the chap emplaned on our Singapore Airlines flight to Perth last September (PC 459 ‘Singapore ….. then Perth’ October 2025). That time he was escorted off the plane, protesting loudly; this time the man was quite docile, took his seat and went to sleep!
Richard 15th May 2026
Hove
Note I I bought this postcard many years ago in Rio, then realised the view has been ‘photo-shopped’!! Text if you’re unsure.
Note 2 While we were in Rio, the Colombian singer Shakira was the main attraction at an evening concert on Copacabana Beach. She followed in the footsteps of Madonna and Lady Gaga.
postcards 