Living in any city in any country in the world, no matter how beautiful and exciting tends to be draining. The bright lights and constant commotion plug into your energy source to propel you forward, but at times they act as chains, suspending you in time and space. At times like this, many of us need to retreat, to find refuge in the tranquility, some call it the country or suburbs, but if you happen to be fortunate enough to live in Rio, you call it Parque Nacional da Tijuca. To be surrounded by lush forest, exotic wildlife and plentiful waterfalls and hiking trails, you need only hop on a bus and head towards the National Park.
Last weekend, feeling weighed down and tired of fast paced life here in Rio (believe it or not, it can happen even in the cidade marvilhosa) I headed to the park in search of a little peace and quiet, and found exactly that.
Spanning 46 square miles, it is considered the largest urban rain forest in the world. With beautiful panoramic views of the gorgeous landscape of rio, 30 or more waterfalls and multiple entry points, you can visit every week for the next 6 months and still find something new to discover each time. We spent a total of 6 hours wandering into and around the park and didn't even see a speck of what the park has to offer. We followed some decent and not so decent trails and came across about 12 waterfalls.
I have since taken a different route into the forest, which can be accessed through Santa Teresa, my bairro, but still haven't seen all there is to see. I hope to climb the Pico da Tijuca, hike to the top of Pedra da Gavea and see some more of the amazing wildlife that the jungle has to offer before I leave this great city.
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