海角大神

鈥� A version of this post ran on the author's blog, Riorealblog.com. The views expressed are the author's own.

Are your friends in Rio for the UN Rio+20 and want to get a first-hand look at what鈥檚 changed in the Marvelous City?

A few weeks ago readers of the blog鈥檚 Facebook page answered the question 鈥淲here would you take a friend visiting from S茫o Paulo who hasn鈥檛 been to Rio in a while?鈥�

The Facebook answers are for you and your visitors, too. So much is new and different 鈥� and we鈥檙e proud, after long decline, to show off the city that was only months ago a moldering village and is on its way to metropolis status. With warts, of course.

The Dona Marta elevator: Since late 2008, this state-built [funicular] with five stations offers an alternative to more than 800 stairs, between Rua S茫o Clemente and the top of Rio鈥檚 first pacified favela. Check out the rooftop where Michael Jackson made a music video 鈥� after checking with the drug boss.

Lapa on a Friday or Saturday night, when the main drag is closed to traffic, a recent development. Here鈥檚 a helpful blog post. Enjoy the bars, caf茅s, and music that goes far beyond samba these days.

The Pav茫o-Pav茫ozinho lookout,聽opened in 2010聽atop an elevator shaft above the Teixeira de Melo exit of the General Os贸rio metro station. Ride up for free, see the views, and walk with local residents along a passageway into the favela where you can safely explore ever since the installation of a police pacification unit in 2009. Note the light meters outside the houses; it鈥檚 all about taking people into the formal economy. There鈥檚 still a LOT of trash.

Vidigal favela, where foreigners have long had a toehold, is now host to an inn that throws parties and has a stunning view.

The new gastronomic heartland of the North Zone, pioneered by Aconchego Carioca and its feijoada croquettes.

Cadeg market in the North Zone, known for flowers, Portuguese dancing, wine, codfish, and olive oil, and some awesome restaurants. Revitalizing now.

The Complexo do Alem茫o cable car system, also in the North Zone. Built by the federal government when drug dealers still ran the place, it鈥檚 controversial because no one bothered to ask residents if they needed or wanted it. Also, as聽this TV Globo report done by a local young partner journalist reveals, planning and construction were shoddy. Yet it鈥檚 an amazing ride of six stops over the famous complex of favelas that the army invaded and occupied in November 2010, a turning point for Rio鈥檚 pacification effort. 聽Again, fabulous views 鈥� more of which can be found nearby at the聽Igreja da Penha, a tiny church atop a steep hill with a new cable car up to it (but take the stairs if you鈥檝e been having caipirinhas and eating fried manioc), an impressive array of religious mementos, miracle castoffs, slave artifacts, and events such as the blessing of the motorcycles. For more, see聽this post聽about this locale that鈥檚 returned to the map of places you can safely go in Rio.

The port area, a muddy proposition where you can see recent excavations of Rio鈥檚 long-forgotten Valongo聽slave wharf聽and聽a so-called slave cemetery (Cemit茅rio dos Pretos Novos) which was actually a dumping ground for slaves who didn鈥檛 survive the trip to Rio (the world鈥檚 largest slave port in terms of total volume). An estimated 10,000 skeletons lie under two houses and you can see some of them in holes dug in the floor. A slavery memorial is planned.

On a lighter note, enjoy Friday or Monday night outdoor samba at the Pedra de Sal, where slaves and their descendants have long made music, at the foot of the聽Morro da Concei莽茫o, another attraction worth a visit now that there鈥檚 a police pacification unit. The聽Trapiche da Gamboa聽is also nearby, a cozy samba venue with great snacks.

Avenida Presidente Vargas, a swathe cut through the city in 1941 that never breathed on its own 鈥� until now, with myriad remodeling, retrofitting and building projects going on.

The Rio-Niter贸i Bridge, from which you can see giant oil rigs under construction, Guanabara Bay chockablock with cargo ships, and聽(mostly in the Northern Hemisphere winter),聽colossal cruise ships anchored in the port . Money is pouring into Rio鈥� but don鈥檛 take the ferry across the bay. It鈥檚 a mess, and about to be rescued by a federal loan to buy new boats.

Morro da Provid锚ncia, also near the port, another downtown favela with a police pacification unit. Port-and Olympics-related renovations, which involved the destruction of a 辫谤补莽补 and many homes, plus resident relocation, have drawn criticism. But it鈥檚 Rio鈥檚 first favela, dating back to 1897, and boasts the Casa Amarela, a vibrant photography center started by Maur铆cio Hora, son of a drug trafficker, to engage local youth in photography.

Bar do David, in the pacified Chap茅u Mangueira favela above Leme. David draws a growing number of people (including, New York City mayor Michael Bloomberg on June 19 鈥� and here鈥檚 a fun mayoral comparison, by the way) up off the asphalt for his seafood feijoada. He was the first favela restaurateur to place in Rio鈥檚 annual Comida de Buteco (bar food) contest. Chap茅u Mangueira聽is also worth a visit because it鈥檚 being developed as a model for sustainable living, as part of the Morar Carioca favela upgrade project, meant to bring all Rio favelas up to standard by 2020.

Last but not least, the traditional North Zone Imperator cinema聽has just reopened聽as a city cultural center, after the city undertook a thorough remodeling. Try to catch a show of some of that great oldtime samba!

Thanks to Andr茅 Sampaio (check out his WikiRio), Bruno Correia, Ana Amelia Whately, Gustavo de Almeida and Manoel de Almeida e Silva for their help!!

For a more complete inventory of the changes undertaken here, click on the Cariocap茅dia. You may also want to take a look at the ABCS of Rio, here, still under construction.

Do you have recommendations? Leave a comment鈥� and share away, on whatever social media you use.

鈥� Julia Michaels, a long-time resident of Brazil, writes the blog Rio Real, which she describes as a constructive and critical view of Rio de Janeiro鈥檚 ongoing transformation.