Today the group awoke after a lovely night of rest. Some woke up feeling a little more rested than others. However, the ocean did not wake up in such a good mood and decided to be extra wild and stormy today. This stirred up the plans of some of the students, who were supposed to go paddleboarding with turtles. Luckily, Rio has no shortage of adventures, so everyone quickly found a new way to spend their free day.
Emma was originally one of the people planning to paddleboard with the turtles, but when the ocean decided otherwise, she made a last-minute decision to swap the water for the sky. After joining the Santa Teresa street art tour in the morning, she took an Uber straight to Niterói to go paragliding. Floating high above the city made the crazy, vibrant streets of Rio de Janeiro feel surprisingly peaceful and calm. Seeing the beaches, mountains, and colourful neighbourhoods from above gave her a completely different perspective on the city and turned an unexpected change of plans into one of the highlights of the trip.
Meanwhile, Elin had already landed after her own paragliding adventure. Jumping off a mountain in Niterói with nothing but a parachute might sound terrifying, but the reward was more than worth it. The breathtaking panoramic views over Rio made it easy to understand why paragliding is considered one of the city’s must-do activities. It was the perfect way to experience just how beautiful Rio really is.
By the afternoon, everyone’s adventures came back together at Ipanema Beach. Emma and Patricia arrived just in time to find the rest of the group in the middle of a lively game of volleyball. Between the matches, people relaxed in the sun and, of course, tried to cool off in the sea. That turned out to be a workout on its own, as the strong waves made staying upright much harder than expected. The water, luckily, was warm enough to make it all worthwhile.
As the day slowly came to an end, the beach became even more beautiful. Elin watched the sunset from the rocks on the left side of Ipanema Beach, where the colourful sky, the lights of Rio slowly beginning to sparkle, and the surfers catching the final waves created one of the most stunning views imaginable.
To finish our last full day in Rio, the group had dinner and drinks by the beach. Emma also met up with her Brazilian friend, who studies at TU/e, while others enjoyed one last drink together in the city. It was the perfect ending to a day full of unexpected changes, different adventures, and unforgettable views. Now it’s time to leave Rio behind and discover what São Paulo has in store for us.