Skip to content

Posts from the ‘Brazil’ Category

Feb 18

2 Comments

So long Rio!

What we love most about Rio; let us count the ways:

#1 HOT, HOT, HOT, literally! No kidding, at 35C it’s a fresh change from the super cold in Peru

#2 People-watching brings a new meaning! So much fun and entertaining 😀

#3 So ALIVE!

#4 Favela has so much soul! Our walking tour brought out a different aspect of the favela that we came out utterly impressed. In a good way.

#5 The beaches – who can resist sandy beaches and oh-so-blue sea?

The only disappointment, perhaps, is the food. Strangely we didn’t have any memorable meals while in Rio despite the fact that they’re one of the most expensive food on this trip.

Obviously not impressed

Nothing’s cheap in Rio, btw. And after World Cup 2014 and The Olympics in 2016, inflation is gonna soar further.  So start saving 🙂

Farewell Rio, we’ll miss you!

Feb 16

Brazilians do the darnest thing!

#1 Visit post office in beachtowel

#2 Men walk bare chested on hot sunny days; no they were not at the beach

#3 Check-in bicycles @ airport

#4 Crushing drink cans by using moving bus

#5 Obsession with pharmacies – at least 5 pharmacies on the same street, all within 20m from each other

 

Feb 5

Don’t go chasing waterfalls

“Don’t go chasing waterfalls.
Please stick to the rivers and the lakes that you’re used to.
I know that you’re gonna have it your way or nothing at all,
but I think you’re moving too fast.”

This song’s been in my head the whole day. Probably because I just saw one of the most amazing waterfalls in the world – Iguazu Falls – from the Brazilian side. The Iguazu river, which is the source of the waterfalls, borders between Brazil and Argentina. Both side of the waterfalls have been designated as Unesco World Heritage Site in the 1980s.

The two can be visited in one day through organised tours. We decided to visit the waterfalls on our own, hence we allocated 4 days for the trip. It can definitely be done in shorter days, but we’re flying in from Rio and didn’t wanna rush but take our time to rest a little while enjoying the visit. We stayed at Best Western in the Brazilian town of Foz do Iguazu. The hotel is conveniently located right next to bus terminal, and has all the facilities (pool, sauna, gym) needed to pass time in the evening. The only grumble we have is the Internet, which doesn’t always work.

To get to the Brazilian side of the waterfall, the bus stop is less than 5 minutes walk from the hotel. The bus (titled Aeroporto/Nacionale Parque, or #120) runs every 20-25 minutes and it takes about 45 minutes to reach the park (it stops right in front). Bus fare is R$2.65/person. Entrance fee to the park is R$41/person – cheaper rate if you’re Brazilian, Paraguay or Argentinian.

Signage @ Iguazu

I must say the accessibility to the park and the convenience of the visit is beyond my expectation. In contrast to Machu Picchu/Lake Titicaca, which are well known sites, Brazilian’s Iguazu Falls boast the ease of commute. It’s like a stroll in the park. In Peru, we had to figure out transportation and connectivity, and held on tight, sitting in buses with crazy drivers. Here, it’s so seamless that we almost didn’t have to think. As soon as we got dropped off by the public bus, we walked towards the counter to buy tickets and then we’re ushered to the departure area to take the hop on-hop off bus bus, which brings us to the various stops for different activities in the park. The bus ride was calm and easy (no crazy ride!) and guided explanations are in Portuguese and English. We got down at the 3rd stop, which is the start of the 1.2km trail to see the waterfalls. There’s signage to lead you to the trail. There are pitstops along the trail for drinks or snacks or toilets. There’s signage to warn you against climbing over the bannister. There’s a signage that apologises for the inconvenience caused by some maintenance works. I was telling blue eyes that this felt like an American national park! 😉

The many waterfalls @ Iguazu

The viewpoints for the waterfalls are well constructed and despite the heavy rush and strong wind, one can still be standing firmly, unless he/she does something stupid. At the end of the trail are cafes and restaurants, as well as souvenir shops. The same hop on-hop off buses are waiting to bring those who are ready back to the park entrance. We didn’t even have to wait. And we took the same way back to the hotel as we went in the first place. No complications. No issue. Easy as the bee. The park is suited for all ages, handicapped or not, elderly or young ones. I must say, it’s one of the most well developed tourist sights I’ve been so far.

Well tomorrow we will head towards the Argentinian side of the waterfalls. Let’s see how the neighbour fares in providing the facilities 🙂

Feb 2

1 Comment

Viva Brasil!

The land of football. The land of sandy beaches and hot girls in bikinis. Let’s not forget the six-pack bodied blocks also. And land of samba, carnival and parties. Welcome to Brazil!

Rio is one of blue eyes’ top list to go and he’s very excited upon reaching the vibrant city. This is despite the fact that we didn’t have much sleep the night before – short transit in Lima, followed by overnight transit at Sao Paolo airport – and the hostel that we booked didn’t have any room available when we arrived at 7.30AM and could only check us in at 2PM. We had nowhere to go and I was getting cranky so we ended up having breakfast at a nearby cafe before settling down in our cushy beach chairs at iPanema. That’s when I finally felt calmer and rest a little while blue eyes enjoyed his first Brazilian Caprihina.

It’s good to be back in a warmer place. Peru was way too cold on some days/nights and having to wear so many layers of clothes got a bit tiring. It’s summer in Brazil and Rio, in particular, feels really warm. We saw the temperature at 33C, and it reminded me of home. Gosh, I haven’t had 33C in 3 months! Not sure if I particularly miss it.

Tip: We had slight difficulty in finding accomm as Jan/Feb are the peak seasons for travelling to Brazil. Best to book ahead. Also, cheap and relatively good accomm gets booked faster than others. We paid US$25/night for the hostel and it’s basic. 

Tip: Ipanema is a good area to stay in. It’s close to the beach, cafes, shops, etc and about 15 mins walk to Copacabana. Otherwise, there are many buses that run along the route to Copacabana.

Tip: Airport transfer via taxi is about R$59 for 2 persons. There’s also an option of bus shuttle for R$7 but you have to know where to stop.  

Blue eyes & his Caipirinha

They’re not kidding about the bikinis! I was definitely the strange one with my t-shirt and shorts while everyone was baring as little as possible. And they have so much! (boobs I mean, hehe …)

Selling clothes

As the day gets warmer and afternoon arrives with the hot blazing sun, the Ipanema beach got more crowded. We could hardly see the sea anymore from where we’re sitting cos’ more chairs were put in front of us. The number of traders also got bigger. From selling clothes, sunscreens, snacks and drinks, there are now sellers offering bikinis, hats, accessories, hairbands and even straw bags. It’s quite funny to watch how each seller try to differentiate himself from others. One older guy was selling ice cream and he’s sounded literally like ‘preaching’ ice cream. Another guy was using a mike to lift his voice above everyone else. Honestly, this beach is not boring 🙂

We left the beach about 3PM cos’ we were hungry. We ended up at this nearby restaurant that offers buffet by kilo, which is supposedly the cheapest food around. But it wasn’t that cheap considering we paid over R$50 for it (USD1 = R$1.76). One thing Rio is not – cheap.

And since I’m in Rio, I decided that to get a pair of flip flops to fit the occasion and save my Birkenstock from the sandy agony 😉 I love my new flip flops btw, they’re in this happy turquoise colour that makes me smile. Plus it fits nicely with my blue summer dress. LOL …

After checking in and putting our stuff in order (well not much order since our room is small and quite basic), we decided to check out the Christ Redeemer at Corcovado. We asked the reception for directions and got on the right bus. Unfortunately we left at peak hour (end of office) and it took us over an hour to reach the foothill. When we arrived, we found out that the last train has left and the only option to still go up is by minivan, which is more expensive! (train = R$43/two-way, minivan = R$51/two-way). We probably could have come back the next day for the train but since we’re here, we might as well go up, expensive or not.

The decision turned out to be quite worth it as the view from the hill was amazing with the huge Rio city before us. The sun was setting by now and as dusk embraced the area, the statue lit up. It is quite an amazing city from up here. The islands beyond, the sea and the lake. Quite a character.

Overview of Rio from Corcovado

Can’t believe our first day in Rio can be this exciting 🙂 But it’s all worth the sleepless night before. Looking forward to the rest of our trip here!

Feb 2

3 Comments

Calm day @ Sugar Loaf

Rio de Janeiro. Brazil. Second day. Late lunch. Another day of adventure.

Well, it’s not as adventurous as yesterday, which is a good thing cos’ my body can’t take too much sleepless nights. Getting old already.

Ok, back to the story of the day. We decided to cross another item on the must-see list and ventured out to visit Sugar Loaf, or in Portuguese Pao de Acucar. Similar to Corcovado, we took a bus from Ipanema. This time round, it took us about 30 minutes (versus over an hour yesterday) and we’re lucky enough to have a fellow passenger telling us that we’ve reached our destination.

Tip: It cost R$53/person for entrance. Credit cards and cash accepted. 

The famous cable car ride is divided into two, both taking about 3 minutes each. To the uninitiated, the Sugar Loaf cable car was first operational in 1912, one of the 3 in the world at that time. It was designed by the Germans and it ran for 60 years before the original cable car was discontinued and replaced by a newer version. It has never had an accident throughout the years of operations.

Between the old & new

The ride is quite smooth and we reached our destination within the blink of an eye. The view from here is quite different from Corcovado and there are also more shops with a cafe right at the top. We sat down and had drinks, watched people around us and enjoyed the calm view before us. Blue eyes commented that girls around always seem to have a pose for the camera. Immediately when they’re in front of the lenses, they change their expression, smiled a little more and stood in a different way. I laughed.

Brazilians are an attractive bunch. The ladies always have very nice features – big eyes, thick lashes, high nose, long, lush, wavy hair  and deep smile. The men, meanwhile, are manly, broad shoulders, well-tanned and firm built. Girls walk on the streets with their tops unbuttoned, showing their bras/bikinis and lots of cleavage. Men go without shirt 😉 As you can imagine, we stayed longer than expected at the mountain; who wouldn’t when people-watching can be so much fun!

Golden Sugar Loaf mountain

By the time we took the cable car down, the sun was setting and the view from the mountain was indeed gorgeous. The golden ray of the sun shone brightly against the mountain and the whole place seemed to lit up. One of the best sunsets I’ve seen, definitely.

seo packagespress release submissionsocial bookmarking services
hostgator promo code