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.