A lot is going on at the beach, and there is a whole system in place to make the most of it. I had forged a friendship (a year earlier) with a barraqueiro called Fabio, whose barraca provided not only chairs and umbrellas but also cervejas (beer) and, most importantly, caipirinhas (cachaça, a sugar cane liquor, with lemon, sugar and crushed ice).

Fabio, like the other owners, kept a tab of the drinks that I would order through the day, so that I would not worry about money; a system based on the trust that I would pay on my way “out”.

There are also dozens of different vendors criss-crossing the beach with sanduiche natural, camarao, sorvete, abacaxi and melancia, as well as local drinks like mate de limao (iced tea with lemon). At times, there is so much commotion here, it feels like a marketplace.

Ipanema is like a giant sports stadium for the more dynamic Cariocas. I have counted 9 different sports, but I’m sure to be missing a few:

1. Surf: because it is a praia de tombo, its waves can reach 10 feet, which is ideal for board and body surfers; on the shore’s firm sand,
2. Frescobol (wooden racket and rubber ball) and
3. Pelada (soccer ball kicked by a group of people); and on the softer sand,
4. Vôlei,
5. Fute-vôlei (vôlei using the feet and head), and
6. Plain football; and finally, on the cycle track,
7. Jogging,
8. Biking and
9. Skateboarding.

There may not be as much activity in Ipanema, but its stunning sunsets make up for that. And if you live like a Carioca, you stay on the beach until dusk, and enjoy. You wrap up a last game of frescobol, catch a final wave, sip one more caipirinha… as the sun descents and eventually disappears behind the twin mountains of Dois Irmaos. At that very special moment, you sometimes hear a group of smiling, relaxed, sun-tanned Cariocas applaud - perhaps thanking the Brazilian sun for another unproductive day.

From my balcony above the beach, I start pondering again about this Carioca lifestyle: an art of living so focused on savouring the fine thrills that life offers. Is this the way I’d like paradise to be? Well, probably but not quite sure. I think I need to come back here soon to double-check! A gente se vê!

Article published with authorization.