Rio boat cruise – Travel Journal

Group on deck
On the 25th November 2017, a group of 15 children and four elderly people took a boat excursion from Rio de Janeiro for the afternoon. All of them take part in activities offered by Casa de Santa Ana, a not for profit organisation established in 1991 in the community. The boat trip was organised by Rickshaw Travel, working with Ideia Tours and Bravietour Incoming in Rio, and jointly funded by Rickshaw Travel, Ideia Tours and Responsible Travel. Four volunteers from Casa de Santa Ana also came along with them.

The children and elderly folk on the trip live in Rio’s favelas, and most rarely leave their neighbourhood. This was a wonderful chance for them to leave behind the harsh reality of the area they live in and see another side of Rio de Janeiro. So, all of them were really excited!

Date: 25th November 2017

The weather was: Bright and sunny

2pm: The group arrived at Marina da Glória where they waited to pick up the boat. Everyone was really looking forward to the trip and punctually at 2.30pm the boat arrived, and everybody went aboard to start their journey.

2.30pm onwards: The boat trip went through the Guanabara Bay of Rio, offered great views of the scenic landscape of the city from the sea. It passed highlights and landmarks such as the historical and financial district, the domestic airport Santos Dumont, the futuristic museum Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow) , the port, the impressive Rio-Niterói bridge, the city of Niterói and its Museum of Contemporary Arts and Sugar Loaf mountain, all with Christ the Redeemer and the mountains in the background.

Pointing out attractionsGroup on the boat
Impact: This boat trip was a lovely afternoon out for everyone, and a chance for both children and elderly people to leave the favela for a while and see Rio from another perspective. Many of the children had never taken a boat trip like this before and the children in particular enjoyed seeing Rio from the sea. Its impressive landmarks, including Christ the Redeemer and the impressive Rio-Niterói bridge made a huge impact, but the children also got a kick out of seeing planes come in and out of the airport.

Looking at the buildingsGirls
Quotes from the day
“
"It would be really cool to do more tours like this, because it’s nice to get out of the favela sometimes."
– Pedro, 18

"This was the first time for me to do a trip like this. I enjoyed seeing the landscapes, it’s a very cool boat. I’d love to do more trips like this. Where I come from there’s no leisure at all, there’s nothing to do and I get bored."
– Leonardo, 17

"This is the very first boat trip in my life. I’ve enjoyed pretty much seeing the airplanes take off and land so close to me! I’ve never imagined that an airplane could be so big, I’ve always seen them so small high up in the sky. I also enjoyed the sea and the boat was very pretty."
– Rebeca, 8

"I enjoyed seeing the big boats, the airplanes landing, the Museum of Tomorrow and the bridge."
– Isabela, 10

"I loved being on a boat, seeing this huge bridge, the Museum of Tomorrow, being surrounded by water and all the sights."
– Isabelly, 8

"I’ve never done a boat trip like this before. It’s my first time. I liked the views, to see the Museu do Amanhã, Christ the Redeemer in the distance, and I got impressed by the bridge. I love to get to know new places."
– Kathellen, 11

"It’s lovely to be on a tour, seeing the beautiful sights and landscapes.”
– Laura, 82

"This tour is so much fun."
– Antonio, 79
”
About our partner organisation: Rickshaw Travel are a friendly Brighton based travel company who believe in creating meaningful and unique travel experiences across Asia and Latin America. By keeping things local wherever possible, they aim to show their customers the heart of a destination, whilst benefiting the people and communities who they meet along the way.

Rickshaw Travel’s local partner in Brazil for almost 10 years has been Ideia Tours, due in no small part to their focus and innovation in developing responsible and sustainable tourism throughout the country. Together, Rickshaw and Ideia try to ensure that people can experience the wonders of Brazil, without the negative impacts which mass tourism can often bring.

Hands in the airSugarloaf mountainBoysWoman watching view
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