Copacabana

Saturday 21st May 1988

I got a local bus to the city centre and checked the Poste Restante in the huge old Post Office, but there was nothing for me. A subsequent walk about revealed that it was not a good time to visit the city centre. Most of the shops were shut and the Modern Art Museum and the National History Museum were closed for renovation, and the Image & Sound Museum was closed because it was Saturday.

I had brunch in McDonalds again! Bought some postcards and wrote them in the pleasant Campo de Santana Park which is a park located in the Praça da República in downtown Rio de Janeiro. The name of the plaza refers to the fact that it is located near the site where the Brazil was declared a Republic in 1889.

During the colonial period in Brazil, the area currently occupied by the park was an enormous swamp. Over time, the swamp was filled in and used as a public space. The region became known as "Campo da Cidade"/"Campo de São Domingos" and served as a divider between downtown Rio de Janeiro and the rural areas surrounding it.

In 1753, it became known as "Campo de Santana". This name originated with a church that was constructed in the region that developed a large number of devotees. The church was demolished in 1854 to make way for the first urban railroad station in Brazil, the Dom Pedro II Station. Later, on the site of this first station, the city's Central Station was built.

Agoutis which are animals like rabbits with rat-like heads and long legs scampered amongst the trees. A mad woman sat shouting on a bench by the river and the locals strolled in the shade, chatting.

After a bit of a hunt, I found a bus stop and caught a bus back to Copacabana, regarding everyone on the bus with suspicion as an Australian traveller was robbed at knifepoint on a crowded bus a couple of days ago. I had left my valuables and passport in the safe at the Youth Hostel and only went out with a few dollars cash in my pocket while I stayed in Rio de Janeiro.

Back in the Youth Hostel common room I met Jim, an American, and Nicki who was English, and we went out for a meal together. We had lasagne and several drinks at a popular restaurant nearby. Afterwards Jim and I walked along the seafront promenade, pausing to try our hand at pull-ups and dips at the beach gyms. We had another couple of beers on the way back to the Youth Hostel.