The pouring rain and thunder claps on 24th December held me hostage from plans of visiting the beach, though it was actually a good enough excuse to chill at home with my host friends and enjoy the festive vibe. So by Christmas day; a more low-key event in Brazil, relaxed feel without the big celebrations and eating the leftovers from the previous day (sort of Boxing Day in the UK), myself and Cintia were itching to venture out to visit some sights of Rio!
This visit to the Escadaria Selarón came with a sing-a-long opportunity, and brought back nostalgic memories of my stay in Rio exactly 6yrs ago…
It’s Chriiiiiiiistmas!
New York New York…
I met Tony Moura aka Tony la Mour on the steps of Escadaria Selarón playing New York New York… You might think it an unusual theme tune choice for this tropical setting, however I could just as easily apply the lyrics to Rio “If I can make it here – I can make it anywhere!”
Escadaria Selarón – The Selarón Staircase is an architectural work located between the neighborhoods of Santa Teresa and Lapa in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. The sight perhaps gained it’s mainstream popularity as the colourful backdrop settings of Snoop Dogg ft. Pharrell Williams music video ‘Beautiful‘ in the early 2000s. Declared as a “homage to the Brazilian people” by Chilean-Brazilian artist Jorge Selarón who worked on the titled staircase since 1990s until his unforeseen death in 2013.
The last time I was in Rio, I was lucky enough to meet the maestro himself Selarón just weeks before he died. On this visit I paid tribute to him by attempting his signature pose…
This trip to Rio has been amongst my most unconventional of Christmas‘. I feel a bit of a cheat – I’ve avoided all the stresses of the festive season and just taken the good parts!
I’ll be sharing more pictures from my Christmas Day out and about in Rio, and my thoughts on the changes I noticed 6yrs on in the next Travelmaker Kai Talks vlog (CLICK HERE to Subscribe)
That’s all from me for now – I hope you had a wonderful Christmas full of joy, smiles and gratitude. Feliz Natal do Rio! Share your thoughts in the comment box below!
🏠🛫Looking for accommodation in Rio or anywhere in the world? Use my Airbnb promo code for a discount! CLICK HERE
Special thanks to Cintia for being a great sight-seeing buddy and insta-photographer!
Travelmaker Kai 
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