Things to do in Rio

There are the obvious activities in Rio; eating, drinking, walking on the beach, getting sunburned on the beach, walking the lagoa, taking tours, hiking.... okay enough! But the not so obvious activities - the things you have to know were to look to find out about - are sometimes the most interesting activities if you live here or stay for an extended time.

These activities are the ones that Camillo and I seemed never to find. Now that Sissi and Antonio are here in Rio and are eager to do new things all of the time, and seem to be plugged into how to find out about the intellectual side of Rio, we have been finding out about concerts and movies and special art shows. We have actually gone to 3 nighttime shows in the past two months - a record for us.

Last week after leaving one of our favorite lunch spots, they took us to a book store in Ipanema that has brochures that advertise local events. The LIVRARIA LETRAS EXPRESSOES IPANEMA on RUA VISCONDE PIRAJA 276 has out in open view at the front desk many brochures for the public. For example, Agenda Viva Musica! 36 pages of musical events, by the month, open to the public, often gratis, and additional information about featured events and the artists. We also found the Mapa dos artes Rio de Janeiro - a clear, easy to read map of the city indicating the locations of permanent museums and special art show venues. It includes a cross referenced numerical list with descriptions of the museums, including a brief history. These two guides are full of invaluable information for residents and tourist alike.