Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Well, it wasn’t quite central Rio, but it was technically Rio de Janeiro. Recreio dos Bandeirantes was the name of the place and it was about an hour and a half away from the centre.

This visit to Rio de Janeiro was all about the final week of the World Cup 2014. We had decided that due to the major sporting event taking place that all of the great places Rio has to offer would be overcrowded and probably more expensive than usual so would return after to see these amazing places.

Brazil v Germany, What Really Happened

A little naïve maybe but we set off to the game 2 hours early on the local bus. The imminent storm did not deter any Brazil fans, if only they knew what the score was going to be! We got to the entrance of the Fan Fest at 5PM, the time the game kicked off, so it was no surprise that it was full and was letting no more people in.

The rain came so we huddled around the outside of a bar in the street trying to get a glimpse of the screens. 29 minutes later and the game at 5-0 to Germany the fun really started.

The Brazilians were starting to leave the Fan Fest and the Copacabana, understandably, but when walking turned to running and screaming we knew it probably wasn’t wise to stick around to find out why. When a Brazilian guy came up to us saying shooting on the beach and motioning a gun with his hand we knew it was definitely time to go.

We bunkered down in a hotel but only after the guy on reception telling us to leave as we were not guests. We persuaded him to let us stay until we could get a taxi back to where we were an hour and a half away. In the hotel we saw five 40+ German guys running in with their German national shirts turned inside out, they looked pretty scared and we think they saw someone get stabbed on the beach, but we can’t be sure. They got 7 armed policemen to escort them down the street after a group of people from the hostel swapped shirts with them and arranged to meet the next day to swap them back.

We eventually got back safe and sound and thought the only way to celebrate life was to drink rum and coke until the early hours!

Here is what the beach looked like from an offical source, the BBC: http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-28222612

Germany v Argentina, The Final

Knowing how busy it was the first time we decided to go early. We got to the Fan Fest 4 hours early and basked in the sunshine on Copacabana beach with a few beers. There were over 100,000 Argentinians on the beach that night so God knows how many people in total!

The Argentinians were in solid voice for most of the afternoon singing their new song about how Maradona is bigger than Pele, that went down a storm each of the 200 times we heard it with all the Brazilians about! The Brazilians of course all suited up in their Germany colours.

All good natured until Germany scored, a few fights broke out so we made our way to the bus stop just as the game ended and people began running again. Seems like thats what you do in Rio when it turns sour, you run. Do as the locals do and all that!

Amazing few days in the south of the city and even better being at the place where the final was being played a few miles down the road. Even with all the crazy stories we heard about what went on at the Copacabana with Brazil v Germany I would still go back and do it all again!