The Boss and Rock in Rio – an unforgettable trip

I’ve been fortunate to have travelled quite a bit in the last five years. Once the kids grew up, it was time for the hubby and me to go back to one of our favourite things to do: travel this beautiful world. One of the most memorable trips we took was to Rio de Janeiro, city of my birth. In the winter of 2012, my friend Emilio, who lives in Rio, purchased some tickets to see Bruce Springsteen in perform at Rock in Rio and asked if we wanted to go. The concert was taking place in September 2013. I wasn’t planning on going to Rio just then, although I had dreamed of the day I would return to this spectacular city. But the combination of Rio and the Boss was too much to resist. So, we thought “why not?” And so began the journey back to Rio.

This trip was a dream come true on several levels. First, I simply love the Boss. From the first time I heard Rosalita and Born to Run, I was hooked on the Boss. His concerts are legendary. The man gives his fans their money’s worth. I had seen him in concert twice and I wasn’t done with going to see the Boss in concert. It really is an amazing experience. Secondly, I hadn’t been back to Rio since I was three years old. In those intervening years, Rio took on a mythical aura in my eyes. My parents had met and married in Rio and I’d heard stories of their courtship and early married life.

The city is beautiful and also dangerous. You don’t just walk around Rio I was told by my parents. You could get mugged, or even killed.  Yet, Rio is blessed with some of the most stunning vistas in the world. The beaches are beautiful. The views are outstanding pretty well everywhere. Cariocas, as the locals are known, tend to be a fun loving people in spite of all the social and political problems they live with. I’ve always had a big connection to Rio. Although I’m a Canadian through and through, a part of my heart belongs to this glorious, yet troubled city. So, I was very excited about this personal journey.

My sister had gone to Brazil earlier in the year and had told me that I needed to visit the Brazilian consulate to get a passport. A passport? I’m Canadian. Why would I need a Brazilian passport? Well, as my sister told me, this is Brazil. Things are a little complicated. Really? What’s the complication? Although I’m Brazilian born, I’m a Canadian citizen with a Canadian passport. But, according to the lovely folks at the Brazilian consulate, I was actually a Brazilian citizen! This was a shock! I was under the impression that when I became a Canuck, I’d lost my Brazilian citizenship. This was ok by me since my life and family was here.

Well, according to the Brazilians, I never formally renounced my citizenship I needed a Brazilian passport. And then the fun started. Apparently, voting is mandatory in Brazil. Since I had no idea I was still considered a citizen and had, therefore, broken the law, I had to sign a form explaining that I did not vote because I wasn’t aware of my duty to do so. Or something to that effect. The whole experience was surreal. But, after much filling in of forms, assorted paperwork, photocopying, and waiting, I had my Brazilian passport and we were ready to go.

So, in September 2013, we set off on our short (11 days) journey. I have family and friends in Rio, so I hoped to reconnect with them before going. I found them on Facebook and made the connection. They were very sweet and said that we had to stay with them. No problem! It always amazes me that my family just opens their homes to farflung relatives. We stayed with my cousins for the duration of our trip. They were fun, hospitable and wonderful tour guides. I love seeing a city with locals because you really do get a very different perspective.

Rio – a troubled, yet beautiful city

We spent the first couple of days touring the city. To say it was an emotional visit would be an understatement. This was the city where my parents met, fell in love and got married. My dad used to tell me that he courted my mom for a long time, but she played hard to get.  I visited the church where they got married and the neighbourhood where they lived. We also visited all the usual tourist spots: Sugarloaf, the famous beaches, Maracana stadium, samba avenue (where they hold the annual Carnival parades). I couldn’t get over how stunning the city is.

We enjoyed a traditional churrasco, a Brazilian BBQ where meat is king. What a feast. My cousins had an outdoor kitchen, fully equipped for such a feast. And of course, we had delicious caipirinhas to start. The food in Brazil is simple, yet tasty. Based on what I saw in restaurants and with family and friends, Brazilians are not big on eating veggies. Protein and starch are the stars of most meals. No complaints from me, although I always asked for a veggie side dish, which leaned towards salads.

Traffic in Rio is brutal. It always took a very long time to get anywhere. Planning was crucial. You basically stay off the roads during peak hours unless you like gridlock. And you need to know the city really well or else you risk going through some very rough neighbourhoods. You don’t drive through the city unless you are a local or else you could end up in one of the many favelas, shantytowns, dotted throughout the city. These favelas tend to be located on the various mountain sides in the city and it’s very difficult to navigate the city without going through a favela.

Rock in Rio was an amazing experience. We took a bus to the venue because given Rio’s traffic chaos, we did not want to impose on the family. Emilio, my Brazilian friend, met us at the bus terminal and we were off. The venue was huge with several stages set up. The “rock” part is a bit of a misnomer. There were world music, techno, and rock stages. Before the Boss took to the stage, we enjoyed Phillip Phillips and John Mayer. Just before midnight, Springsteen made his appearance. And what a show!! As an added bonus, he played the entire “Born in the U.S.A.” album, which was awesome since I missed seeing him on that tour. I kept pinching myself to see if I was really in Rio, watching the Boss. Yup, I was.

This trip just made me want more. So, I need to plan another trip to Brazil. Next time, we’ll go for longer than a few days and we’ll travel to the North as well. I want to experience more of Brazil, its culture, music and food. Another journey awaits.