Santa Teresa is the name of a neighborhood in the city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. It is located on top of the Santa Teresa hill, by the centre of Rio, and is famous for its winding, narrow streets which are a favourite spot for artists and tourists. We took a tour which started by catching the subway. I thought the subway looked just like a cave.. It was fascinating!!
And coming out at Carioca station we caught a bus to Santa Teresa..
Until 2011, a yellow tram, ‘Bonde’ was running up and down the streets of Santa Teresa—connecting this rather isolated part of Rio with the trendy Lapa district, and the busy city centre. Sadly, one carriage derailed back in 2011, and five people died in the accident. The line was closed immediately. For the locals of Santa Teresa, their ‘bonde’ was not only the cheapest and most practical way to reach the city-centre, but also, it was a tourist attraction. The community are desperate to see the tram up and running again, not only for practicality, but the cute iconic charm it brings to the district, hence the graffiti and signs of the tram with a single tear advertised throughout the district.
And just as I was writing this blog today I opened the newspaper and the 2nd page news was about protests of ‘Bonde’ the tram, not expecting to be opened again until 2015.. The article complained about the inconvenience of transport in the area and pollution caused by the buses running in lieu of the tram.
kristiemylifemyrules 