Santa Teresa, Rio
Topic: Brazil
Today we decided to try out the Metro and were very impressed. It is clean, cool, safe and took us right to where we needed to go.

We wanted to explore the district of Santa Teresa travelling first from the center by tram. The tram is ancient and rattles through the cobbled streets up the hill into this historic section of town. Santa Teresa is full of crumbling mansions, lush gardens and old buildings inhabited by artists and students.

Practically everyone on the tram was foreign (so that's where they are!) often accompanied by a guide. Urchins jump on the tram as it moves and ride on the outside because it's free. When we got to the top, we wandered slowly back down into town, taking in the main squares, museums, a cultural center and some art shops selling very creative pieces. The views looked over the city and a neighboring favela. The last part of the walk took us down some really steep steps decorated with hundreds of old tiles. People hang out on the steps. Kids played cards, a man played a guitar and a prostitute advertised her services. Santa Teresa is a neighbourhood bursting with stories and atmosphere.