Rio is the place to be for New Year's. It is traditional to dress in white (purity for the coming year) and gather on Copacabana Beach for an amazing firework show...". Don't forget to create your offering to Iemanja and send it out to sea on a homemade vessel.
December and January are the hottest months. It is best to rent beach chairs and an umbrella and relax on Ipanema. Vendors will dote on you all day. Take a walk around Lagoa and stop at a kiosk for some ice cream or an Antarctica, or visit the Botanical Gardens.
After six months in Rio, I believe Photochart (the restaurant at the Jockey Club) is hands-down the best place to dine. Rhapsody (pronounced "Hapasojee") is also a sophisticated dining experience. Another favourite of mine is Bazzar. Both Rhapsody and Bazzar are located on Epitácio Pessoa (Lagoa). Madame Butterfly is great for Sushi.
A fun fact (for women) is that most brandnamed shoes are made in Brazil. They are sold under different names here. If you visit Teresa Gureg on the corner of Anibal Mendonca and Piraja, you will find $100 shoes for $20 (they are way ahead of the US in fashion and those same shoes will hit the US a year or two later). There are also many stores along Piraja with neat clothing. Brazil is a wonderful place to buy clothes if you are petite. It is also a great place to buy gemstone jewellery to take home with you (even at the hippie fair, you will get your money's worth).
If you want to get out of the city, check out the mountain towns of Petrópolis, Teresópolis, the wonderful beach town of Búzios or the colonial town of Parati. Climbing Sugarloaf mountain is exhilarating. You can also rent a boat and go Marlin fishing. The boat owners will know if it is the right time of year for it. Renting a car is a 'rush' and there is no such thing as road rage. Just give anyone a thumbs-up and they'll be your best friend. Life is good in Rio....
Bonnie Scholl visited Rio in January 2000
