Since I am moving to Brazil in September, this week I’m going to take you with me to Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Rio has one of the most unique sunsets I have ever seen. If you are in Leblon or Ipanema during sunset time, for instance, you’ll start noticing people on the beach walking towards the Arpoador rock at the end of the Ipanema beach. When you climb the rock, you can see the sun setting behind the beach. And if you look around you, you’ll see lots of couples hugging, families chatting and yogis meditating. It’s pretty magical.

Besides the sunset, there is the beach and Rio has quite a selection. I usually go to Leblon and Ipanema because I have family who lives there, but there is Copacabana, Barra…and list goes on. There’s a beach for every taste in Rio. Something to remember when you go to the beach in Brazil is that you will probably see a lot more skin than you are used to if you come from the Northern Hemisphere – beware!

Here’s your first Portuguese vocab lesson:

Since I love Brazilian food, I am going to dedicate the Pretty Things section in this post to food.

Rice and beans is at the heart of the Brazilian diet – you will find it in every corner – accompanied by meat, chicken or veggies. It’s delicious and I really miss it, but it’s not so hard to make. You only need to learn how to dominate a pressure cooker…

Okay, this may sound weird if you are not from the Southern Hemisphere, especially since the avocados we are used to in the U.S. are small and are usually sliced on a salad or a sandwich. Well, for Brazilians that sounds odd. Avocados in Brazil are big, luscious and creamy. People often eat it blended with sugar, milk, ice cream or just cream which makes a delicious dessert. That was probably my favorite food growing up. It would be tricky to make this with Mexican avocados though so I wouldn’t recommend it.

This is probably very silly but I really miss this fine tapioca flour cookie that is very light, salty and crunchy – in other words – the perfect snack after swimming all day in the ocean. These “cookies” from the brand O Globo (the globe) are especially popular in Rio since I have never seen it anywhere else. They have it sweet, but the salty ones are the best.

Do you recognize this? This park called Lage is where Snoop Dogg and Pharrell filmed their videoclip “Beautiful” – I noticed that after I went in and thought to myself this house looked familiar. But the bottom photo is actually a former mansion that belonged to industrialist Enrique Lage back in the 1920s and now, it is a public park.

You must try Brazilian rice and beans. There is feijoada which is a stew made with black beans, pork and sausage or you can try a dish of regular red beans served with white rice. You won’t regret it.

The sunset from the Arpoador  Rock is a must. The view from the rock is incredible and sitting next to locals will really help you get a grasp of the Brazilian culture.

To Park Lage and you won’t forget it. This public park is located in the Jardim Botanico neighborhood, right next to the Corcovado. You will find yourself walking through historical sites (including the mansion in the photo!) and breathing the fresh air of the forest.

These photos reveal just a glimpse into the Carioca culture, but there is so much more to explore.

For those who are new to this blog, GLOBETROTTING is a weekly column of places I’ve had the opportunity to visit. In other words, it’s a way for me to share my love for travel and design. Hope these photos spark your interest in this beautiful country. Happy Wednesday digital nomads!

Check out other GLOBETROTTING posts here, here and here

All photos by Pretty Talk