Rio: A City Dreamed of for a Lifetime
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Robert Dacešin, a travel writer from Banja Luka who has explored more than half the world, told HEDONIST magazine that he had always had only one dream: to reach Brazil and spend a night in Rio de Janeiro. He wandered through train stations, slept on buses, and finally arrived at the place he had dreamed about for more than two decades, Copacabana Beach.
“Rio fulfilled and surpassed all my expectations and, in just one day, became my favorite city in the world. To be honest, I was afraid I would end up disappointed once I got here. All my travels until then had been leading only to this city, and I constantly wondered whether it was truly as beautiful as I had imagined,” said Dacešin.
He adds that he had dreamed about Rio his entire life - and in Rio, especially about the Christ the Redeemer statue. Dacešin recalls his father’s stories about Sugarloaf Mountain, Corcovado, and all the wonders Rio has to offer.
“My father had never been to Rio either, but he dreamed about it just like I did for years. And I always believed that if you truly want something and work toward it, if you truly dream about it, sooner or later, you will reach it. No one can stop you from achieving that,” Dacešin emphasized.
Before traveling to Rio, he was concerned about safety in the city, having heard that many streets and neighborhoods could be dangerous for tourists. A foreigner in Rio, he says, has to understand the local rules to stay safe. South America, according to him, is not “easy.”
In the heart of Zona Sul, the southern part of Rio, lies Jardim Botânico, one of the largest botanical gardens in South America and a true oasis of peace and tranquility - the perfect place to escape, even briefly, from the noise and rush of the Brazilian metropolis.
“In one single place, you can see nearly 8,200 plant species from around the world. I was especially fascinated by more than 600 species of orchids brought from the most remote corners of the planet and placed in this garden,” says Dacešin.
Coffee Plantations in Colombia
South America is Robert’s passion. He has traveled across it from end to end. South America is his great love - greater than any other travel experience he has ever had or ever will have.
“It’s wild enough that with every step you absorb the exotic atmosphere of the place you’re in, but never too overwhelming. It’s cheerful enough to lift your spirit even when you least expect it. I had heard so many things about it before arriving. My mother would have small panic attacks every time I mentioned a new destination, while my father, permanently worried from watching the show Locked Up Abroad, would simply tell me to be careful and not naive,” our interviewee says.
According to him, South America is a place you must visit: Rio de Janeiro, Salar de Uyuni, the Amazon, Cartagena, La Paz, Colombia's coffee plantations, Quito, the Atacama Desert, and Lake Quilotoa.
- Written by Goran Dakić / HEDONIST
- Originally published in HEDONIST magazine 01, 2020.
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