Brazil Photos and Videos!

Photos from our trip....

• Summary - 124 photos
• All photos - 472 photos

Iguaçu and Music / Samba videos posted on the right! I wish the waterproof disposable camera took better pictures at the Ilha Grande Waterfall, but oh well....

Also, I have back-filled the posts with a few key photos, in case you're interested in re-reading with the photos in the post!

Houston, We Have Landed

Our flight back to NY was via Houston, where we cleared immigration and made our transfer back home to NY. Everything was super easy, with short lines and quick processes. Poor Lizzie who had to take 2 more flights to go home to Michigan! I hope her other 2 flights were just as easy!

As always, I have various thoughts / feelings about the trip....

• Brazil 2.0 - I would love to come back and see more of this country. As part of the planning process, I had researched so many places: Salvador, Paraty, Buzios, Petropolis, Ouro Preto, Florianópolis; and of course, the Amazon and the Pantanal. As my visa is good for 10 years, I can't wait to come back!

• May is a Good Month - I have traveled in the summer and the winter, but May was awesome. It's a shoulder month and since schools are in session, it's considered low season for many countries. This made it easier from a rate, booking, and crowd perspective. I can't imagine the crowds at a place like Iguaçu during high season! Also, the weather was so ideal! Curious to figure out a trip for May 2014!

• Brazil on the World Stage - Although we had heard horror stories and we were warned with anecdotes, the 3 of us experienced no safety / security issues and we are thankful for that. We clearly had our wits about us and took appropriate precautions. As in any large city, you have to be aware / cautious. As discussed with Eduardo and Marcela, it appears São Paulo is getting worse and Rio has gotten way better. I hope it continues to get better everywhere as the country prepares for the World Cup in 2014 and Olympics in 2016. It will be amazing to see the places highlighted during these events as I will have had firsthand knowledge. I just hope the perceptions improve for Brazil's sake.

• Gratitude for Old and New Friends - Eduardo, a college friend showed us São Paulo and Marcela, a high school summer program friend showed us Rio. I am forever grateful for you making time to show us your country! Having local insight, support, and company was amazing!

• To newer friends - Allison and I have known each other for the past 4 years through the Sweep the Leg football team and have become fast friends. We had been trip planning for months and I thank you for the amazing beach towel gift. I had so much fun researching and planning. I hope that you enjoyed the trip as much as I did and Happy Birthday! What a way to celebrate turning 30!

• Lizzie - a friend since I met you through Amanda. Through the talks, walks, and experiences of this vacation, we clearly have shared a lot. I thank you for trusting and joining us for our Brazilian adventure. You clearly took a leap of faith and I only wish the best in your new adventures and new job in Boston!

• Next Destination - Brazil caps off my BRIC (Brazil, India, China) completion and as these countries continue to grow and be a focus of global political-economics, I am thankful for having experienced these countries firsthand.

• As the original plan had been to go to Estonia to visit Rachel, any country is really up for grabs. Clearly, Estonia and Brazil are very different and I have enjoyed my Latin / South American trips thus far. There are talks of a Peru trip, so we shall see!

And you can be sure, I'll blog about it! I really appreciate and want to thank all those who were interested in reading and following it all. Having a modern day journal helps me cherish all the great memories! Check back for photos and videos soon!

Last Day in Brazil

After having breakfast at our hotel, we headed to Copacabana beach for one last time. The beach was pretty empty, but quiet and peaceful. The weather was about 80 degrees with little to no humidity - similar to yesterday. Marcela said that real Cariocas don't go to the beach on these types of days because it's too cool. We said there seemed to be many Brazilians, but she said they were tourists from outside of Rio. As New Yorkers, we found the weather to be amazing and would probably fry in typical Rio summer heat.

Copacabana

After a few hours, we headed back to our hotel so we could check out and store our bags. We then headed to the Botanical Gardens. Personally, I don't really seek out botanical gardens or zoos in other cities, but several people mentioned how amazing it was here, so we decided to check it out. Marcela asked me if there were monkeys in the ones I've been to or the one in NY. Fair point.

So we took a cab to the garden which was lined with many palm trees and had a "monkey river". Here, we saw cute monkeys and marmosets. We had lunch at the garden as well. We ate baguette sandwiches and drank fruit juices at the part of the garden where it had the ruins of an old gun powder factory. After getting our steps in, we headed back to our hotel neighborhood and ran a few errands.

View of Christ the Redeemer from the Botanical Garden

Our hotel had arranged for an airport transfer and we made our way through the Rio rush hour traffic. At the airport, there was no line at check-in, security, immigration, or snack bar. For the win! However, the airport is a little underwhelming for being an international airport about to host the World Cup and Olympics.

After a few round of beers and snacks to use our last Brazilian Real, we made it onto our flight. Our flight leaves at 8:40 pm and is an overnight. So sad to leave Brazil and end our vacation, but also excited about going home!

The Girls From Ipanema

Last night at Rio Scenarium, we danced to samba music and Brazilian club music. Rio Scenarium was 3 floors, well-lit, and packed with people of all different ages enjoying the ambiance. There were antiques, clocks, and other objects all over the walls. We received a tab / sheet of paper like we did in Sao Paulo that is required for check out. The 9 person samba band was also amazing - Lizzie remarked she loves a good trombone! I wish I knew more samba and Brazilian music as so many people sang along or went wild when certain songs came on.

Today, we had originally planned to see a soccer game and had actually timed our vacation around the soccer schedule. However, due to how the season played out and how well a team called Botafogo (which is also a neighborhood) did, there were no playoff games. As such, we gained a free day in Rio!

After breakfast at the hotel, Lizzie and I rented bikes from the rental shop next to our hotel and rode all the way up and down Copacabana. On Sundays, the city blocks off an extra lane in addition to the bike lane so Cariocas can bike, rollerblade, and strut their stuff. We had contemplated doing the city bike share system, but it required registering and releasing the bike via mobile phone and we have learned and experienced that cell service in Brazil can be spotty. As we rode up, we also noticed a variety of outdoor exercise equipment that people seemed to really enjoy.

Ipanema

As Allison wasn't feeling 100%, we ended up joining her after the bike ride at base 9 on Ipanema beach. My friend Marcela said this was her favorite part of the beach. On the Ipanema side, there were more surfers than in Copacabana, and we could see them from the little hill in Arpoador. The waves were indeed strong as it knocked me over a few times. Afterwards, Lizzie pointed out the strong current warning signs.

As our plan was to head to Sugarloaf for sunset, we eventually made our way back to the hotel. On the way, we tried coconut water from fresh coconuts sold on the street and Globos. Globos are air puffed donuts made of manioc flour. They are sold everywhere and after the umpteenth peddler tried to sell it to us on the beach, we decided to try them. They are indeed tasty and light!

After showering up, we grabbed snacks and an açai shake before getting into a taxi to go to Sugarloaf which is a famous hill to see all of Rio. It is a hill made of granite and quartz. We took one tram to Morro da Urca (Urca's Mountain) and then another tram to Sugarloaf. You can see the entire city and as we were there at night, the Christ the Redeemer statue in Corcovado was all lit up and looked like a nightlight.

Jesus Nightlight

Rio at Night

In the gift shop, as I was talking to Lizzie, I managed to knock over a bunch of mini wooden Christ the Redeemer figurines in a classic domino effect with my messenger bag. As Lizzie says, I broke Jesus. So sorry!

We made our way down the mountains and back to our hotel where my friend Marcela was waiting for us. Marcela is my first Brazilian friend and we met when I was 15! I studied a summer in Paris between my sophomore and junior year of high school and what I remember is this fiesty Brazilian from Miami who loved to dance! We kept in touch over the years especially when Marcela visited NY and then lived in DC. She is now in Rio doing do-gooder type projects and working at places like the Inter-American Development Bank and various NGOs. You amaze me!

As Allison was still not feeling 100%, she stayed in while Marcela took me and Lizzie out for our last night. We had dinner in Copacabana at a restaurant called Belmonte. She said it was a popular place for the locals. We had a muffin-type bread filled with meat and then a shrimp stew and rice along with fruit caipirinhas.

One of the things I remembered about Marcela was her 4 inch heels and amazing dance skills, and I was in awe when I was just 15. She did not disappoint tonight as she took us to Casa Rosa or Pink House which was in Laranjeiras, just west of Copacabana. It was also a former brothel, but now a nightclub. Oh Rio.

When we entered, there was a 7 person samba circle led by a blind singer who was amazing. After the singer was done, the samba circle just jammed out in this outdoor patio area. There was also a Brazilian hip hop room where they played "funk". Clearly, this is where the funky party happens!

However, we spent most of our time in the samba rock room. It was fantastic and the band was clearly having a blast. I've really enjoyed the samba music, but adding the rock component was definitely an easier beat to dance to. In between, they would cover snippets of American songs from the likes of George Michael, Van Halen, and Van Morrison. I guess it was appropriate as we leave for home tomorrow night!

Listening to Samba Rock with Marcela

We eventually ended the night and headed back to our hotel. Thanks to Marcela for showing us such a great last night in Rio!

Rainy Rio

Today is Saturday and we have officially been in Brazil for over a week. We had thought about going to Sugarloaf today, but as it was overcast and drizzle, we decided to do indoor-type items on our bucket list.

After a leisurely breakfast at the hotel, we walked down Copacabana and admired the various sandcastles. We ended up at Copacabana Palace Hotel - the premiere hotel in Rio and where Barry Manilow was at and inspired to write the song about a nightclub named Copacabana in NY. The hotel was luxurious and smelled super fancy. I had been eyeing Jetsetter deals, but they did not have dates that worked for us. It would have been fun to enjoy at least a night at this hotel, but oh well.

Afterwards, we made our way to the Metro Cardeal Arcoverde and took it to Cinelândia which is near downtown or Centro. We walked over to the Museu de Arte Moderna (MAM) where Allison's colleague suggested we visit. It was filled with contemporary artwork and was interesting.

It continued to drizzle and was cloudy throughout the day, so we decided to walk to Santa Theresa. On the way, there are famous steps made by a Chilean artist, Selarón, who put tiles from all over the world all over these steps. It appears he was a cliché artist as he wanted to die by his art and committed suicide on the steps. The funky steps straddle the neighborhoods of Lapa, known for its nightlife and Santa Theresa which is on the hilltop.

After the walk up the steep and cobblestone hill after the steps, we went to a restaurant recommended by Alex called Espirito Santa. It too had a funky theme and had Amazonian type food. We had tambaqui which is an Amazonian fish with pineapple, grilled namorado fish, and a Brazilian rice dish with assorted meats. For dessert, we had chocolate mousse balls. They had piranha soup too, but we didn't order it.

Allison looking at paintings of Rio

In Santa Theresa, there is a Museum called Chácara do Céu, a Frank Lloyd Wright looking house lived by and then donated by a man named Castro Mayo. He collected art from around the world and then donated everything to the city of Rio. He was also instrumental in the preservation of the Tijuca Forest in Rio. We noticed there were combat type security guards - not your normal museum guards. When we asked about it, they explained that paintings like a Picasso, Dali, Matisse, and Monet were stolen at gun point in 2006. In reading Wikipedia, it appears it was during Carnavale. Oh Rio, you're so cliché.

Next to the museum was also Ruin Park where we followed school children up to the top of a open building to see a view of the city. Again, it was a bit cloudy, but was a fun adventure.

We then walked down the hill and caught the metro back to the closest stop to our hotel. The subway car we were in was designated for women only during rush hours. It was interesting in why they needed it and we agreed that more cities probably need something like it. After leaving the station, we also tried an Açai Berry juice drink. Juice shops are practically on every corner! After some light shopping, we walked back to the hotel.

After some rest, we headed back out to Lapa to check out the famous Rio Scenarium. We had dinner across the street after an interesting cab ride. The taxi driver may have asked if I was Japanese, pulled the corner of his eyes, and told me he loved Gangnam Style. He also may have said he liked Obama, Bush was a crazy cowboy, and Clinton is sex. He may have...

So we are currently standing in a massive line for Rio Scenarium that was recommended by my friends Eduardo from São Paulo and Marcela who we are planning to meet tomorrow. Also, Alex, our hiking guide said we had to go out in Lapa, so we shall see!

We Make A Funky Party

Today we woke up to rain. I guess not everything can be perfect in paradise. As part of the plan, we decided to see another part of Ilha Grande and hiked about 7 miles. On the way, we saw the old hospital / quarantine where they kept European immigrants who may have cholera and some cool aqueduct ruins.

We hiked to a waterfall called Feiticeira that means witch. Although we were wet from rain, we were definitely sweaty from the hiking and humidity. At the waterfall, we waded through and took some fun photos. What else are you going to do in this amazing rainforest!?

We had an option to hike another hour and take a boat back, but as the weather was not nice, there was a chance a taxi boat would not be available. So we decided to hike back, cross a stream, and check out some lookout points.

Although the weather was rainy, we had a blast exploring and it was really appropriate that we were getting rained on in a rainforest! We saw a really large spider and heard some more howler monkeys as well.

After coming back into town, our pousada was nice enough to let us shower and get cleaned up. Then we headed out to lunch where I had fried fish, salad, black beans and rice. Lizzie and Allison both had burgers and fries, but the menu led them to believe they would be normal sandwiches. We would have normally taken a 5 pm ferry, but opted for the 3 pm due to the weather. We are sad to leave the paradise of Ilha Grande, but we have so many things to still see in Rio.

On the ride back, we listened to the American musical delights of Usher, Pitbull, Britney, and others. We have decided Pitbull is an international language as we heard tourists at Iguaçu singing along to him, even though they probably couldn't speak English.

Before we hit massive traffic outside of Rio, we stopped at a rest stop, got coffees, pao de queijo (bread balls with cheese), brigadeiros (chocolate balls), and cocada (coconut treats). The candy shop at the rest stop had so many tasty homemade treats. Allison got more peanut candies that we had enjoyed before.

We sang so much in the car, we justifiably made our own "funky party"! Alex, our guide, would use this phrase a lot - i.e. "When I was young, I use to make a funky party". We thought it was pretty hilarious even though his English was very good.

Outside of our car, just from the highway, you could see that it was not so much a funky party. We saw peddlers and other struggling Cariocas (the term for people from Rio) and policemen with large guns casually resting on their open car windows. Tourists often opt for favela or slum / shanty town tours where drug lords rule. These are quite popular, but the 3 of us decided it was not of interest to us even though tours can be relatively safe and visit "pacified favelas".

Despite seeing some of the grit of the city, we had many laughs as I have proclaimed to Alex that I'm the funniest Korean he has ever met. He even said to me he couldn't see me as a "boss" because I'm so nice. This is how you know I'm really on vacation and in vacation mode. :-)

After arriving back at the Mercure Arpoador, we eventually headed out to dinner in Ipanema where we ate at ZaZa which is a Latin / Asian fusion restaurant. We shared seafood ceviche, caprese salad, pork ribs, and grilled fish. We drank a Pinot Grigio / Torrontés wine blend and had Devil's Food Cake for dessert. I had become a Torrontés fan after my trip to Argentina last year with Amanda. Although Malbec is the most well-known, the Argentines are also proud of their best white wine.

Tomorrow we explore more of Rio and can't wait to sight-see and hit the beach!

Ilha Grande

Today, Rio Hiking, an adventure tour company took us to Ilha Grande. Alex, our guide, picked us up at 6 am and drove about 2 hours south of Rio where we got on a 1 hour boat ride. The car ride was a trip back into time with 90s and American music. Listening to Sublime, ACDC, Foster the People, and others was not expected at 6 am in Rio. After our boat ride and walk through the town, we checked in at our Pousada, or inn, called Hipocampus Cavalo Marinho and did a quick change.

Ilha Grande is a nature preserve where no cars are allowed to come on to the island and where there once was a famous prison. There is all sorts of activities and water sports. We opted for a 3 hour hike that brought us to secluded beaches. We saw cool trees, plants, and heard howler monkeys from afar. The first mountain was the steepest and we even went to the tippy top for a beautiful view of the island. This is where I fell the first time, coming down from the tippy top. The weather was overcast, but no rain and very humid. We continue to remark that we could not imagine what it would be like during the high season of summer!

Ilha Grande

Then we went down the mountain which was easier and then I slid again. We hiked through 2 more hills and passed through 2 more beaches and I managed to fall sideways on some wet rocks. Don't worry, I'm okay, but my practically worn out sneakers just had no traction and this was over 4 hours or so. All in all, we hiked about 8 miles according to my iPod Nano pedometer even though Alex thought it was 3 km. We have come to learn that although he is a good guide, he lacks spatial reasoning skills. According to Alex, distances are not that far and hikes are easy-medium! ;-)

Allison: With a tree needle used for poisonous darts.
Lizzie: With the photobomb.

At the first beach called Palma, we had fresh juices. I had passion fruit with strawberry while Allison and Lizzie had pineapple with mint. So fresh and delicious!

We finally made it to Lopes Mendes beach - the most famous beach on the island and considered one of the top 10 in the world. Here we dipped into the clear blue water and enjoyed riding the waves. We also had a few Antarctica beers and climbed some rocks for a better view. This is where I nicked my knee and started to bleed, because I was holding my camera in one hand. Everyone seemed worried, but I assured all that I wasn't going to break. As Lizzie termed it, "Cynthia, the warrior-princess!"

Lopes Mendes Beach

Afterwards, we made our way back through 1 hill and then took a 40 minute boat ride back to the center of the only village, Abraão. During the boat ride, we saw dolphins!

It was pretty funny in that the whole day was truly idyllic. Watching the sun rise, the sun coming out when we were on the beach, and then the dolphins. Alex joked he had it all planned and I quoted the Chevy Chase movie, "Funny Farm": "cue the deer!" So we all said, "cue the dolphins!" Alex also said it was pretty rare to see them too, so we were pretty excited.

We decided to go to a buffet that weighs your food by the kilo (this is pretty common practice) and had a nice conversation with Alex over some coffees. Also, today in our conversations with Alex, I made a few brincadeiros (jokes)! I've become famous in all languages, proclaiming when I make a joke.

We returned to our pousada, showered, and napped. Then we headed out to dinner around 9 pm to Lua e Mar which is known for their fish stew. Lizzie and I shared a fish and shrimp stew that was delicious and meant for 2. Allison had fried fish while Alex had squid risotto.

After a few hours of chatting and Antarctica beers, we headed back to the pousada for the night to rest up for our 2nd day on Ilha Grande.

Rio de Janeiro

Today, we woke up to beautiful weather. You could already tell it was going to be about 90 degrees and the sun was shining in the fall weather of Rio!

Our hotel is a suite with 1 bedroom with a queen bed and a living room with a pullout sofa and kitchen. We also have a balcony and you can see the Copacabana beach.

After breakfast at our hotel, we decided to visit Corcovado which is where the Christ Redeemer statue is located. We were planning to take the subway and then bus, but our hotel told us the closest subway stop was being renovated. They also insisted on a guide and a tour package, but once we confirmed it was safe to go by ourselves, we insisted we preferred the adventure. As Allison put it, they were probably concerned for the 3 white girls, myself being so pale.

Largo do Boticário

We got into a cab and headed to Corcovado where we bought tickets for the train. As the next train was not for at least another 30 minutes, we ventured to Largo do Boticário which my guidebook said was a hidden gem of a square. There were several brightly colored colonial houses in this tiny square just about 100 meters from the station.

We headed back and took the train and elevator to the top. On the train, we enjoyed some samba music from a band - definitely reminded me of being on a NYC subway. We took our obligatory photos and enjoyed the view of Rio. Rio is absolutely beautiful with the beaches, various mountains, and off-shore islands.

The Christ the Redeemer statue was erected to commemorate the 100 year anniversary of Brazilian independence in 1922, but in typical Brazilian style, was about 10 years late. It is considered the largest Art Deco statue in the world and 5th largest statue of Jesus and is a symbol of peace.

Cyn: What do you want to do today?
Lizzie: I want to see Jesus.

We headed down the mountain and caught the 584 bus back to our hotel in Arpoador which is also the junction of Copacabana and Ipanema. We did a quick change and headed out to Copacabana beach. We had sorbets on the way - I had mango in honor of Mama Kim!

We took a stroll up and down the beach and took a dip. It was fun to people watch and the guys who were playing beach soccer / volleyball. After the beach, we found an ATM to make sure we had cash for Ilha Grande which has no ATMs and got a snack at the Lopes luncheonette / diner. We had a heart of palm and tomato salad and a sausage pizza.

Feijoada Spread

Afterwards, we headed back to the hotel, showered, and rested. We decided to get some Feijoada at the Casa de Feijoada in Ipanema. This is a typical Brazilian dish that consists of pork and beef in a beans stew. It is considered the national dish of Brazil and is normally prepared and served on Saturdays. However, Casa de Feijoada serves it everyday!

Also, I originally pronounced it with a Spanish accent (j as an h sound), but Lizzie corrected me to have that "sh"  Portuguese pronunciation. Indeed, I have been breaking out in Spanish as the Brazilians can understand me, even if I can't understand their response. It makes me feel awkward as I hate it when Americans think that everyone should understand English, but Eduardo told me there isn't the same stigma and I should use Spanish comfortably.

We head out tomorrow with Rio Hiking, an adventure tour group that will take us to Ilha Grande, an island 3.5 hours away for an overnight. Not sure what the internet service will be like, but they will pick us up bright and early!

On the Flip Side

We woke up this morning thinking it was going to pour all day. Lucky for us, it didn't even drizzle and we actually had some sun. After breakfast at our hotel, we took the public 120 bus from the bus terminal that was only 1 block from our hotel. For 2.90 Brazilian Real, it took you to the airport and the Brazilian side of Iguacu Falls. Like Niagara, a trip is not complete until you see both sides.

After about a 45 minute ride through the city, we arrived at the falls. There is a bus that brings you to the top and several lookout points. These viewpoints let you capture the beauty of the falls from a distance. In Argentina, you come up a lot closer to each of the falls.

After several photos and walking through, we made it to the walkway that brings you closest to Devil's Throat. We also took an elevator that brings you up for a panoramic view. Here, we were blessed with classic rainbows due to the sunshine! We took many more photos as this was truly picturesque.

We then took the bus down through the park and stopped off at Macuco Boat Safari - their version of Maid of the Mist. We winded through the forest on a bus, walked down to the river, and got into a raft. The raft speeds down the Iguaçu River and they dip you in the falls a few times. We all got soaking wet and as the tour guides say, "have a nice shower"!

Afterwards, we made our way back to the road, on the bus, and down to the visitor center. We grabbed breaded snacks filled with meat and chicken. Then we got back on the 120 bus back to town which took about an hour.

We promptly did a few quick change moves at the hotel and grabbed a taxi to the airport. We had our 2nd and last domestic flight on GOL to head to Rio. At the airport, we grabbed some sandwiches before we boarded. It had started to rain so they handed us umbrellas - we had timed the rain today and yesterday for the end of our Iguaçu hiking days and therefore have really lucked out! C-A-L for the win!

The flight was a little less than 2 hours and the view coming in was a sight to see with the lights and view of the bays.

After a taxi to our Mercure Apartment hotel (another hotel in the Novotel / Sofitel family), we walked down and back to the beach and imbibed a few beers.

Tomorrow will be our first day in Rio de Janeiro! As Eduardo says, it will be amazing and nothing like we've seen thus far!

Chasing Waterfalls

This morning, we woke up and worked with our hotel travel agent to book transfers to the Argentine side of the Iguaçu Falls.

Our transfer picked us up at 9 am. We went through the border with no issues and the weather overall held up. It did rain at times and we decided to term it as rain forest weather. We headed our way to the top via a train and various walkways to Devil's Throat. The falls were beautiful and the mist that the falls generate got us refreshingly wet.

We headed down the train midway and walked / hiked the superior trail and the lower circuit. Here, we had closer views to various single falls. The Bossetti fall was my favorite with the impressive rush of water. There are about 275 different falls spread over 3 miles and up to 266 feet high!

At the bottom of the lower circuit, you could take a boat to the falls. We plan on doing this tomorrow on the Brazil side. Today, we took a ferry to Isla San Martin. This island is in the middle of the falls and had several lookout points. We were told the climb up to the lookouts was 12 stories. After what I had thought was only 3, Lizzie advised me we were all done - thank goodness as these steps were steep!

All the lookouts and views were wonderful and the falls are definitely a sight to see. Being back on the Argentina side was also comforting as I got to use a little of my Spanish. Carlos, my former Spanish teacher, would be so proud as I did well with my object pronouns.

For lunch, we ate at one of the cafés on site and had sandwiches and empanadas. A bird, called an Urraca, took my mustard packet and then dropped it. There were animals all around the park including monkeys and coatis which are like raccoons.

After hiking and walking all day, we headed toward the bottom and grabbed coffees and alfajores. Alfajores are an Argentine treat that I brought back last year as well from Buenos Aires.

Our transfer picked us up at 5 pm and we headed back to our hotel. We were exhausted yet hungry from our day. We had walked over 18,000 steps according to my iPod Nano pedometer! Nowhere near the amount of steps in Montreal with Caitlin, but definitely a tiring amount!

We ended up venturing out for dinner to a restaurant called Chef Lopes, recommended by my guidebook and 1 block from our hotel. It ended up being renamed Gaucho (my guidebook is a few years old). This restaurant was also a churrascaria with a salad buffet. It was half the price of our dinner yesterday and definitely more of a local hangout. We enjoyed beer, the various meats, fried zucchini, and of course, the roasted pineapple.

Again, we hope the weather will hold up tomorrow as we explore the Brazilian side of the falls!

São Paulo

First off, Happy Mother's Day to my mom, Allison and Lizzie's moms, and all the other moms out there! We love and appreciate you very much!

Last night, we learned that Vila Madalena was the "east village" of São Paulo. Venga was a delicious restaurant and we had an array of tapas such as baccala (salted cod), breads, croquetas, ham, fish, and cheese. We drank sangria and wine and caught up with my old friend, Eduardo.

After dinner, Eduardo suggested a bunch of bars and we said we wanted to do something locals would do. So where else would he take us? A samba bar! It was a hole in the wall that was super casual and had an awesome band. It was called "O Do Borogodo", which roughly means in sentiment, "bottom of the barrel". It definitely had the dive-y feel, but was awesome. We drank caipirinhas that were flavored strawberry, lime, and passion fruit and some local brews. You're also given a slip of paper when you walk in, where you're suppose to record all the drinks and have to cash out at the end. Very efficient!

They were several very good samba dancers and were very fun to watch - supposedly all the ladies want to dance with the good ones. Even the waiters get into the mix showing off their moves and one of the best dancers was wearing a Knicks / Carmelo Anthony t-shirt - go NY!

One of the best parts of the night was when a waiter delivered a note to Eduardo from a mysterious girl who asked if he was available! It felt a bit middle school, but supposedly this was common. It was incumbent upon Eduardo to write back (which he did using my back) and was about to give the slip of paper back to the waiter. The waiter then decided to do Eduardo a solid by telling him who it was. We all decided engaging in the back and forth was not necessary, but flattering nonetheless and courageous since Eduardo was with 3 girls!

Eduardo Explaining the Note

Eduardo Responding to the Note

Around 3 am we finally headed home after some sweaty samba dancing. Eduardo - many thanks for taking us out and showing us such a local, non-touristy experience. I will never forget it and will be forever grateful! You single-handedly made São Paulo worth it!

So today, we woke up, had breakfast at the hotel, and headed to Ibirapuera Park which is considered the Central Park of São Paulo. There were runners, bikers, and families everywhere. We enjoyed the people watching and the pretty trees and lakes.

Ibirapuera Park

After our jaunt, we grabbed a cab and headed to Liberdade, known for being the Japanese neighborhood. There is a sizable Asian population in Brazil and especially in São Paulo. On Sunday mornings, there is a street fair where folks sell knick-knacks and street food. We walked around the neighborhood and ended up at Korea House. Allison pointed it out, but it was also listed in my guidebook as the best Korean BBQ joint. A bit of a hole in a wall, we found the bulgogi and bibimbap to be tasty. The naeng myun (cold noodles) needed more mustard and vinegar which they did not serve as extras which is typically served. Also, we had hoped that food ordering would be easier, but the waitresses did not speak Korean.

After our Korean lunch, we headed back to the hotel and grabbed a cab to the airport to head to the famous Iguaçu Falls - one of the top 3 waterfalls in the world. It is on the Argentina and Brazil border, and Paraguay is nearby as well. Our flight was booked on GOL - the low cost domestic airline which is also a Delta partner.

View of the São Paulo Sprawl from the Plane

Checking in and the security was very smooth and so was our flight. Our hotel, Del Rey is in the town of Foz de Iguaçu and was rated well on Tripadvisor. It also had rooms with 3 twin beds. However, our room ended up having 1 double and 2 twins. The staff were also super welcoming and with a Four Square check-in, you get a free caipirinha. For the win!

We ventured to the local churrascaria buffet called Bufalo Branco. The host gave us a 20% discount, even though the hotel said we would get 10%. C-A-L for the win, again! The salad and appetizer buffet was fresh and the barbecue of various meats that were doled out from skewers were also quite tasty and flavorful. We all wished Amanda was here to share in the buffet experience! My favorite, ironically, was roasted pineapple that had cinnamon and nutmeg. As my friend Mikey knows, Koreans do love pineapple!

After our long and filling meal, we headed back to the hotel to catch up on sleep, but also to rest for our big day at Iguaçu tomorrow. It's suppose to rain so we're not happy about that, but we hope it will be intermittent!

Brazil!

After the 2.5 hour delay, we finally landed in São Paulo. The flight was very smooth and since I was up before 5 am yesterday, I slept very soundly on the flight.

Coincidentally, a Korean Air flight landed about 10 minutes before our flight and we had to share the baggage claim belt. For the amount of people and the size of the airport, you would think they would have more belts and space. But alas, there wasn't. I also did my good deed for the day and helped a Korean mother with 3 carts of luggage, a stroller, and a toddler through customs.

After retrieving our bags, we found the pre-paid taxi service - Guarucoop and went to our hotel. We are staying at an Ibis Budget in Paulista which is a part of the Accor Hotels (includes Novotel and Sofitel). Finding triple occupancy hotels was actually difficult as it appears hotels have either a double bed or 2 twin beds. I had weighed staying at a nicer hotel and making one of us either sleep on the floor or sleep head to toe.

Instead, we have a double bed with a twin bunk bed. Allison took the bunk and the bathroom is split with a toilet room and the shower stall that faces right into a full length mirror. We have found the setup very humorous especially since there is a opening for your face on the shower door.

After some rest and some showers, we got on the subway which was 50 meters from our hotel and headed to Luz terminal. We wanted to see the Pinacoteca Museum which showcased the history of art in Brazil. The galleries were very open and sun-filled. My guidebook noted it was a "sunlit joy to be in" which it was. Also, today was free admission today, so we enjoyed the museum even more. For the win!

The museum is also in the Parque de Luz and by mid-afternoon, we were very hungry. So we ate in the museum restaurant that had outdoor seating surrounded by very tall palm trees, gazebos, and sculptures. There were various street performers and several very large cops that seemed to keep an eye on us.

Luz Terminal

We eventually left and walked through the Luz Train terminal that had old school charm and headed back to Paulista. Paulista is the business district with some shopping, so we strolled the streets and even popped into a church.

Paulista

We headed back to the hotel for a quick nap and are now heading out to dinner to meet my friend Eduardo at a tapas restaurant called Venga in Vila Madalena.

Eduardo went to Georgetown with me and actually we worked at the same company right out of college. Eduardo left a few years later, but we went through the training program together. I realized Eduardo lived in Brazil when he posted a pic on Facebook about a month ago.

Eduardo and I were in the same school - School of Foreign Service (SFS). We were the same major - Science, Technology, and International Affairs (STIA). And we were the same concentration - Business, Information, and Communication (BIC). Yup, I know - doesn't sound pretentious at all. ;-)

Can't wait to catch up and explore São Paulo with an old friend!

From Massachusetts to Brazil

Today, I drove to western Massachusetts and back for work. A bit tired from 7 hours of driving, but was able to pick up Allison and Lizzie in Manhattan and drop off the car at Newark airport. Traffic was pretty horrendous to Newark around the tunnel (no surprise there). However, upon arrival, we learned that our flight was delayed 2.5 hours...

So, we promptly decided to eat at Gallagher's Steakhouse and ordered a bottle of red wine. Over our steak sandwiches and BLT, we chatted about our goals for the trip and some itinerary ideas. You might ask, why are we doing this now?

Well, although Allison and I have been talking about Brazil since January / February, I had invited Lizzie on a whim when I ran into her at Pick-A-Bagel on the Upper East side in April. Allison is a friend from my 5 year Zog football team called Sweep the Leg; and Lizzie is my best friend Amanda's roommate and law school friend.

Over only a few emails in the past 3 weeks, we figured out the important stuff (pretty much they trusted me with all the logistics) and Allison and Lizzie have only hung out a few times. They both mentioned to me they thought the other person was great.

So as the meat to this white bread sandwich, we sit sleepily waiting for our delayed flight. At least we have meal vouchers from United which we used to stock up on snacks. Boa noite!

Another Trip, Another Map

A map of our itinerary for our trip to Brazil! Allison, Lizzie, and I leave tomorrow night and I can't wait!!!