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Posted on Mon, Nov. 20, 2006


In Rio, beaches are pretty, people are pretty and the clubs are pretty



By John Bordsen

McClatchy Newspapers

(MCT)

What's it like to live in a far-off place most of us see only on a vacation? Foreign Correspondence is an interview with someone who lives in a spot you may want to visit.

Cristiano Nogueira, 32, is author of "Rio for Partiers: The Twenty Something's Guide to Rio de Janeiro" (SolCat, $27.95). The Rio native lived in Chicago and Vienna, Austria, before returning to Brazil, where he writes, edits and publishes travel guides.

Q. Do how much partying do you do?

A. Personally, just three nights a week, usually Thursday, Friday and Saturday; it used to be more. Now I'm working on guides. This changes between Dec. 15 and March 15 - the time of year when all Brazilians work less than usual and are extremely hyped by any events, including parties.

That's when it's summer in Brazil, and the same energy you see in North American cities between June and August goes on down here. It's six nights of partying.

Q. In what part of Rio do you live?

A. Ipanema, probably the best part of Rio. It's surely one of the best neighborhoods, and it's also the prettiest and most cozy. I can walk two blocks to most anything I need; I can walk two or three blocks to the best beach in Rio.

The beach at Ipanema has the best-looking people, fantastic waves and water, plus beer guys. There are masseurs working along the beach.

You can play volleyball and foot-volley - a version of volleyball you play with your feet. It's only played in Rio and some other places in Brazil. Very popular, but hard to play. You use bare feet and need to be in top-notch condition.

Q. You lived in Chicago, which has beaches. How are Rio's different?

A. Rio's beaches have ocean waves; they're more interesting to look at. And it expands the possibilities of water sports - you can waterboard and bodysurf.

Another difference is part of the culture of Rio. People already have everything they need for the beach - their own chairs, umbrellas and so on - and have an exact spot they go to. They'll go to that one spot their whole lives. If you're a beach-goer and so are your friends, that's where you meet. You don't have to call anyone: Of 20 friends, six or more of them will just show up at that spot on any given weekend.

Also, you can drink at the beach. Most don't start doing this until 6 or 7 at night, when beach life mixes with the rest of nightlife. You can start at 11 a.m., but that's not common for Cariocas, the name for residents of Rio.

Q. And what do people drink at the beach?

A. Beer or caipirinhas - which are made of lime, sugar, ice and cachassa. The cachassa is a Brazilian rum, which is made from sugar cane. Or you can use vodka.

The beers are lagers because the weather is always hot. You want something that'll hydrate you. Reds, pales and dark beers aren't popular here. Skol is a popular brand.

Matte - a Brazilian iced tea - is also popular. The leaves used here produce a tea that's deeper, stronger and darker.

Q. How far is the beach at Ipanema from the clubs and restaurants?

A. You can find anything you need within two blocks, but Ipanema has only two clubs.

There are a lot of bars, though.

I tell readers to explore Rio more, of course, because Rio is so huge. But I don't recommend all areas. It can cost $10 just to take a taxi to some place, and there's no need for that. Also, you don't want to get too far from Ipanema, Copacabana and some other neighboring areas. These are all in the south zone, where tourists have more options to hang out. In the north zone or downtown, there's the possibility you could get into trouble. It's not likely, but I wouldn't recommend it.

Q. Your favorite nightclub?

A. It's called Zero Zero, and is like a trendy, L.A. indoor place, but it's a garden and patio. It's a restaurant with a great lineup of DJs. Service is impeccable and diplomatic. They won't make you wait outside in order to give the impression that it's packed inside. When you order something, the waiter brings it to you as fast as possible.

Another place is Rio Scenario, a samba club with live samba music. It's an amazing place that appeals to 25- to 65-year-olds. They're all well-behaved, good-looking people having the time of their lives. The place is decorated with pop-culture artifacts from the last hundred years. I'll see stuff from my childhood that I forgot about. I'll see stuff my grandmother used to have on her mantel.

It doesn't discriminate between young and old. It looks beautiful and has great music and food.

They specialize in northeast Brazilian and country cuisine. Northeast would be a bit similar to Tex-Mex in that it features jerked meat and sun-dried beef. The most-used carbohydrate comes from cassava, as opposed to wheat, corn or potatoes.

Country food, from Brazil's interior, is nothing extravagant. Examples would be fried cassava, or a cheeseball snack.

Q. What are the do's and don'ts we should know?

A. Here's something many Americans and Europeans have a problem with: They feel you have to hang out with a girl all night before you make a move. But here, when you meet a girl you like and talk to her for five or 10 minutes, you can go ahead and put a kiss on her. She may not want to kiss you, but she won't be offended.

It's not an etiquette thing, but an aspect of dating culture.

Also, there's the consumption card system: At a club, instead of paying for each drink, they mark it on a card_jotting your order or checking off boxes_and at the end you pay for what's listed on it. This makes sense for two reasons: You're not having to offer a tip on each drink, which can be expensive, and you don't have to be concerned with money when ordering. You don't have to be looking in your wallet every moment.

Q. Dress code problems?

A. Mostly with Europeans. They like to backpack, and if you're 35 or younger, you think, "OK. I don't need nice clothes with finesse. I can just wear Bermudas or a simple dress and be fine." Which isn't the case.

Like any Third World country, either you're poor or extremely rich here. If you go to a club here, you'll see the richest or most well-connected people. You'll be seeing all the fashion brands. Go to a club dressed like crap, wearing sandals or flip-flops, and the bouncer will tell you, "Sorry, but the ambience is casual chic."

For nightclubs, bring nice clothes. You don't need a tie, but wear something that keeps up with international fashion

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Know someone who lives in an interesting city or country who would like to give us the inside line on visiting there? E-mail, in English, jbordsen@charlotteobserver.com.