Rio from a local point of view

Today our destination is the one a lot of people dream about: Rio de Janeiro. This gorgeous city, a mixture of splendid beauty and a decadent urban charm from its golden years, has gained a new breathe of fresh air with the preparation for the 2016 Olympic Games and new modern buildings, such as Museu do Amanhã.

One of our local friends there is Mariana Zurc, an actress and Drama teacher, graduated from the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro State (UNIRIO). She also teaches people recipes on a Youtube Channel, Tudo Gostoso, where the viewers can see her hands preparing the most tasty stuff ever! She says her life is like her city “Marvelous and it never stops, always with something new and interesting happening!“. Here she shares with us some of her local insights as a true carioca:

With a Vietnamese couple that lives in the US, at Vista Chinesa

1. What makes your city unique?

It’s the perfect mix between the big city and its facilities, with the amazing view and nature all around. This combination makes people so happy that is pretty common to see silly faces, smiling all over the city. It is the beauty and simplicity that you can find everywhere here. A Carioca (whoever feels that belongs here) is a happy person, that knows his/her responsibilities and also know how to enjoy life. It’s the ability of going out of a stressful job day, and chill out on the beach, listening to a Samba or a Jazz, just enjoying the amazing view, knowing that life is made of these moments.

2. Tell us about why you became a local friend.

I always had the ability to express myself and to communicate with people, combined to a huge curiosity about other cultures and for sharing my own culture. My city is full of tourist hotspots and others places that I always considered as important as those, but they were not seen at all by the visitors. During college, which was near Sugar Loaf (one of the greatest tourist hotspots here), I lost many classes helping people that were lost, showing them new places. A friend of mine told me about Rent a Local Friend and I thought it could be a perfect way to connect to more people and keep doing what I love the most: tell everybody how awesome it is here and ensuring they have an amazing, beautiful experience!

With Chris, from the US, at Arcos da Lapa

3. What was your most memorable experience as a local friend?

It was when I met Chris on 2015. He was coming to Rock in Rio Festival and wanted to know every rock’n’roll place in the city. I am a huge fan of rock music style, so the night was amazing, we went everywhere, enjoying the music and different scenarios. Turns out that he was doing I life changing trip, and I had the chance to be part of it. It was very special to be able to share my passion about my city and music, to listen to his stories… At the end we became friends and still talk to each other nowadays.

4. If you could highlight 3 awesome sights in your city, what would they be?

• The Chinese View
• Quinta da Boa Vista
• Sugar Loaf hiking trail

5. Have you traveled much yourself? What have been your favorite travel experiences?

I’ve traveled much around Brazil (I have never been to the Amazon, but the rest I’ve pretty much been everywhere). I also went to Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay; and now I have a trip to Europe on my way. The best experience was in Argentina (2014) where I spent one month living like a local person – at the north of the country (Chaco), I spent 10 days fishing and eating my own fish, at the Paraguay River. The colours, tastes and smells are still fresh on my mind. I could get in touch with another kind of nature and find out another part of me.

6. If you could describe your city in one word, what would it be?

Joy!!!

Quinta da Boa Vista, in the northern area of Rio – not frequently visited by tourists, it was the Royal Family’s Palace for several years in the 19th century. Today it is a Museum and a Park. 

Do not miss the chance to have Mariana as your amazing local friend in Rio de Janeiro: you can book her here >>

Boa viagem!