After an early dinner in Ipanema and a quick nap & shower for me, Jeff and I made our way over to Copacabana at about 8pm hoping to beat the crowds and make sure we could find a good spot for the evening. Much to our surprise, the beach was only lightly packed with most either milling about along the main drag or relaxing in lounge chairs on the beach. By and large, the beach was mostly empty.
With a good chunk of time to kill before midnight, Jeff and I made our way up the beach to see what trouble we could get into. Three different stages were setup, two offering live bands/music with the third housing a DJ playing a mix of upbeat Brazilian and American music. Coldplay, U2 and Michael Jackson were some of the American artists I recognized. After making our way up the full length of the beach (2.5 miles) and then halfway back (another 1.25 for the math majors), we sat down near the water to relax and people watch. Unlike last year in Thailand where the crowd was almost exclusively young people experimenting with some mind-altering drug, the Rio crowd was much more diverse. You still had the young & crazy crowd but it was evenly balanced by large families with kids and grandparents in tow.
As the clock approached midnight, the beach started to fill up quickly so Jeff and I waded through the crowd to a nearby beer tent to buy two Skol beers (think Brazilian Miller Lite) which would serve as our “champagne” for the New Year’s toast. We made it back to the beach, near the water with 20 minutes to go.
At the stroke of midnight, among cheers, applause and the uncorking of many champagne bottles (from those smart enough to bring their own), the world famous Rio fireworks display began. For the next 20 minutes the two million people on hand cheered the fireworks show. DC does a great job with their fireworks on the 4th of July but this show in Rio certainly topped anything I have ever seen. When all was said and done, the cruise ships that had previously loomed so large just off the coast were completely concealed by the smoke.
After the show, Jeff and I hung around to soak up the scene and walk the length of the beach one last time before heading home. We managed to meet a few tourists, meet a few locals and enjoy a friendly New Year’s kiss with those locals before making our way back home at about 3:30am.
With NYE now behind us we have moved on to Salvador which has provided just as many sights and sounds as Rio. Much more to come but for now, Jeff and I are off to dinner.
Feliz Ano Novo! (Happy New Year!)
