Worldwide with Wee-Cheng #2: Life on the Beaches of Copacabana – Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

#1: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil:
Life on the Beaches of Copacabana

With friends in Rio.

1 Jan 2002

HAPPY NEW YEAR! Prospero A�o Novo!

It’s Wee-Cheng writing from Rio de Janeiro, the marvelous metropolis in southern Brazil. I arrived here on Sunday morning after 20 hours of flying via Atlanta, Georgia. As I left the UK – which was covered with thin layer of snow on Saturday morning – I was greeted by the intense, oppressive humidity and heat of Rio. Even then, my cold seems to be recovering fast. Either the tropical sun of Rio is doing some good, or Christ the Redeemer – Rio’s 38m high statue perched on the 710m lofty height above Rio is showing its miraculous power.

Rio, with 10 million people, was the capital of Brazil until 1960, when the capital was shifted to Brasilia. Even then, Rio remains the most evocative symbol of the nation – the images of Rio’s samba dancers, the amazing Sugar Loaf Mountain, Christ the Redeemer – all these are the trademarks of Brazil. All are images of exuberance, vibrancy, energy and passion.

Over the past few days, I have visited some of these major sites, the Christ as well as the Sugar Roaf Mountain. I have also done something that is so uncharacteristically WeeChengesque: lying down on the fabled beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema. I need to recover from my cold and to readjust myself after years of suffering in cold, wet England.

This is the Land of the Body Beautiful. Well-toned and tanned bodies strolled up and down these famous beaches. A feast for the eyes if nothing else. A few subtle exchanges of eye movements, and who knows what happens next.

I met Rodrigo, an old friend from London Business School and also an ex-colleague. He introduced me to his friends, an interesting brunch of people. A few parties followed on a mini version of the Rio party circuit.

Worshipping Lemanja Rio.

I was invited to have a nice New Year’s Eve dinner with R’s family, and then joined more than 2 million citizens of Rio in welcoming the New Year on Copacabana. Everybody dressed in white; mysterious followers of a mixed African-Catholic religion made offerings to the Goddess of the Sea; fireworks burst into the skies; champagne flowed. Welcome 2002! A new beginning for everyone, a new beginning for me. What a fitting start to my nomadic journey across Latin America. Again, welcome, 2002!

All the best to my dear readers! I will be off to Sa� Paulo on Thursday, and then on to Iguacu Falls on the borders of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay. Paraguay after that. Till then, bye!

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