Daily Life in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Frango Bem Passado

On countless occasions in a variety of restaurants in Rio, I or my dining companions have been served chicken that's more than just a little pink on the inside. Not quite done! The frequency in which this happens leads me to believe that Brazilians might like their chicken a little more on the rare side than we're accustomed to in North America. "Bem Passado" is the key word for well done in case you want to avoid this!

World's Fair

If you are looking for something to do in Rio today, there is a World's Fair set up at the Jocquei Club with artisans from around the world. Today is the last day and it runs until 10 pm. Mr. DRL and I went last night and bought some salad tongs from a booth from India and some cachaca and sausage from Brazilian vendors along with some very interesting candied fruit. Pretty random I know but it was a fun hour or so! Not a bad place to do some Christmas shopping.

Drivers in Rio de Janeiro

When I first moved to Rio I used a driver service quite often to get around. Now I either walk, cab or drive myself, and many people think I'm crazy. Driving here is not really that bad if you know where you're going and are used to it.

However, when you first get here and need to get around (and if you are not here with a company that provides driver services) it can be great to hire a driver by the day. I frequently did this with guests as well, to send them off sightseeing, etc.

Last week, when I was at the airport picking up Sogra DRL (Mr. DRL's mom) I ran into a driver we used a lot when we first arrived. It was so good to see him and it reminded me of how much those first few people we met when we moved here mean to us. He helped me so much! I hadn't seen him in well over a year.

If you are looking for reliable hourly or daily driver service in Rio de Janeiro give Alternativa Turismo a call. 4453-3390 If you want someone English speaking, ask for Marco. But be warned, once you get the details figured out, he will then make you work on your Portuguese!!

Hidden Pousadas Brazil Launches a New Web Site

I have spent countless hours researching "where to stay" in Brazil. There isn't much written. It's not always reliable. Usually I am a big TripAdvisor user but it's not used enough in Brazil to be as useful a resource as it is in other countries. (Not to mention that it seems hackers skew it at times. Here's an example: while Togu is a cute little spot, my apologies to the lovely people at Togu but it is DEFINITELY not the #1 best restaurant in Rio, yet on Tripadvisor it has apparently somehow achieved that status).

Since finding a place to stay can be incredibly frustrating and a wild goose chase  Hidden Pousadas Brazil has been a fantastic resource for me. I've stayed in a few of the properties featured on the site such as Pic It consists of reviews you can trust, of amazing little spots around Brazil.

My only complaint? It is a boutique web site, meaning it only concentrated on a few special properties which are highly recommended. However, web site founder Alison McGowan has now launched a sister site, Pousada Hotel Brazil, featuring information and reviews of a much wider scope of all sorts of pousadas around Brazil. Check it out!

Renewing Brazilian Passports in A Hurry

Remember a couple of weeks ago when I mentioned that when I tried to make an appointment with the federal police to handle the Canadoca's Brazilian passport renewal, the next available appointment was at the end of January? (I should mention that her Brazilian passport expired in October. So she currently doesn't have one). Insert jeitinho. It's right across the bridge, folks. Niteroi! Got in via an agency in less than one week's time. Just a little tip for you....

Our Recent Getaway

A couple of weeks ago, Mr. DRL, the Canadoca and I headed up to Porto de Galinhas, just outside of Recife, for a week's vacation.

We're not really go-to-a-resort-on-the-beach-for-a-week travelers. But we loved it. Mr. DRL really needed a break from work. The Canadoca and I had spent more than a month away in Canada, so some family time was just what we needed.

After doing some research, we ended up booking in at Ocapora. It's quite a big resort with several pools and a nice beachfront, the breakfast there was fantastic.

We initially wanted to stay at the Summerville Resort or The Village, but both were fully booked (we only booked about 10 days before leaving). If you are really looking to celebrate/splurge check out Nannai resort as well, it looks amazing, (as it should, for R$800 per night).

We wanted to stay somewhere where we could put the Canadoca to bed and go outside and hang out close by. Ocapora has little waterfront bungalows which were perfect.

 

Porto de Galinhas is known for its coral reefs and tidal pools which form when the tide goes out; it's really quite amazing. The sea is so calm when the tide is out, perfect for little kids to play. Educational for older kids as well. Such a family-friendly destination - highchairs in every restaurant, cabbies with carseats, it was perfect for us.

There were flowers for the Canadoca to pick for her lucky mama!

The Canadoca loved running around on the beach at dusk...

The natural pools were the highlight of the trip for sure... this first set is right out front of Ocapora at low tide in the sand. So perfect for the Canadoca to play independently in the warm, clear water. 

 

A few yards down the beach from the resort there was a huge set of pools at low tide, amazing for viewing and swimming with sea life...

There were two restaurants we loved in Porto de Galinhas - Beijupira (which also has a location in Olinda) and Domingo's. Here are some photos from Domingo's....

 

Great Gift Idea for people in Brazil

Gift Cards haven't totally caught on here in Brazil but I found some innovative gift-card-like packages at FNAC in Barra Shopping. They are put together by a company called A Vida e Bela. There are spa packages, hotel packages, leisure packages, hostel packages, adventure tourism packages - all at what I am assuming is a significant discount (the hotel package gives you a night's accomodation with breakfast for 2 people at your choice of 60 different hotels, for a whopping R$119).

The gift of choice - isn't that what everyone wants?

 

Best-ever Rainy Sunday Deal in Rio

I'm putting this up tonight as there's a good chance there will be a rainy Sunday this very weekend!

Rio's Theatro Municipal recenty underwent a large-scale restoration and the results are quite stunning. The official web site can be found here.

Now, for the best Sunday deal in Rio - at 11:00 am every Sunday, you can enjoy a performance at the Theatro Municipal for the big expense of ONE REAL per ticket. You heard it here, people. (And to give credit where credit is due, I heard about it from seasoned-Rio-expat and "scener" as I've dubbed her, T.)

To my visitors who came before I knew about this - sorry! Now I guess you'll have to come back ;)

 

Traveling Toddlers

I've read many articles on how to best travel with babies and toddlers and am starting to think I should compile a book! The Canadoca continues to be a treat to travel with (for now!), I think she really enjoys the one-on-one time she gets with me when traveling and the attention from other travelers. I'm willing to bet it's not the plane food she's so excited about. So, though I'm no expert, I do now have 4 trips to Canada from Brazil with a baby or toddler under my belt, 3 of which I made alone. Though I must admit when I arrived in Vancouver I was unable to wear shorts or skirts for the first few days as my legs were covered in so many bruises from the trip and my obvious mishandling of my luggage that I looked like I'd been recently beaten with a club! Nevertheless...

I'll share some of my best tips:

1) Get bulkhead seats if you are flying coach. Don't be scared to be a raging B*tch about this one in order to make it happen. After not getting anywhere being nice, I was on my trip in May and they made it happen for me, thank goodness. Now that the Canadoca is flying in her full-sized carseat rather than the bucket, the extra room makes a HUGE difference in her ability to recline (and therefore sleep in her carseat, somewhat important on a 10 hr overnight flight I'd say). In a regular, non-bulkhead seat in her carseat she's almost vertical. Not comfy. Did the flight from Houston to Vancouver this time without a bulkhead, with her in her big seat, wasn't terrible but not our smoothest flight either.

2) Pack lots of snacks and toys. Someone once suggested buying a few new toys and wrapping them in wrapping paper as that keeps them busy for a few extra minutes and creates a novelty. That person is a genius!

3) This little strap makes it possible for me to lug the Canadoca through an airport in her carseat. It straps the carseat to a rolling piece of luggage. She seems to really enjoy the ride and people seem to love laughing and pointing at me as I truck along through airports with her like this. The strap is available on Amazon.com

4) Hire porters, it is worth the $10 or so, and often helps you bypass big lineups! Last time I landed in Rio, the guy even cleared customs for me...

5) Don't forget your notorized travel authorization if you are traveling without your spouse. If you are traveling together also make sure you have baby's birth certificate even if you have their passport - otherwise it can be difficult to prove you are their parents! This happened to us traveling to Argentina!

6) Pack an extra comfy baby blanket for yourself to use to sleep instead of using the ratty nasty airplane blankets. I have a little quilt that was mine when I was a baby that I always pack to fly now as it likely does not seem as strange to people now that I am with the Canadoca. Mr. DRL always teases me but I don't care!

Packing Tips for Traveling with a Baby.

Stop laughing, dad. (Given that my dad thinks that the amount of luggage I have when I return to Canada is nothing short of atrocious, I predict that he will be rolling on the floor at the idea that I am advising anyone on this topic.) It's true, I end up bringing a lot of stuff down here with me. Did you happen to see my post on the cost of toys here? Enough said.

Like any mom, I do my best to make sure the canadoca is dressed to the nines, despite the fact that I have been a complete fashion disaster since I "fell pregnant" (as my brit friends would say). These days you will find me wearing whatever mismatched, ill-fitting ensemble I've managed to frantically pull on as she empties my makeup or underwear drawer as I hurry to dress in the morning. She thinks she's 15, and is obsessed with trying on bras and lipstick, but that is another blog post.

Keeping her wardrobe organized is a total pain when traveling. I mean, come on, I can barely keep myself organized. Baby clothes are so small and they all get mixed up! Fear not, I have come up with some solutions. I used to put each category of clothing (sleepers, onesies, bottoms, dresses) in separate ziplock bags in a suitcase, which does work okay, but a better solution - a large hanging cosmetic bag with zippered pouches so that you can just hang baby's clothes in the closet, yet everything stays separated and organized.

Here's one I found online:

Those ziplock bags? Use them to put together a few quick outfits to easily grab for outings, etc.

 

Waterfall Waterslides & More: Our weekend in Visconde de Maua

Recently we went away for the weekend to Visconde de Maua. We enjoyed the cooler temperatures, had a fire in our room, ate a lot of fondue, watched the world cup game with the locals, and most importantly: went on the waterfall waterslide. Best waterslide EVER.

What to tell you about V de Maua... well the scenery is gorgeous, it's quiet and feels super safe, there is plenty to do if you like hiking/waterfalls/the outdoors, the roads are HORRIBLE (windy, bumpy, steep dirt roads with gigantic potholes). It's definitely worth seeing, in fact we'd like to return sometime.

Deciding where to stay having not been there before was also not easy. Now, having been there, I'd stay one of two places: 1) RIGHT beside the waterfall waterslide or 2) within walking distance of the two little towns called which are connected by a footbridge (and or on either side of the Rio-Minas Gerais border). I liked the MG side better. We stayed in the middle of nowhere which was nice and quiet but not exactly convenient, especially with the state of the roads and how much driving was required to go there and see the waterfalls as it was. Here is a map.

 

Other highlights: our meal at Gosta Com Gosta Comida Mineira in Vila de Visconde de Maua. One of the best Brazilian meals I've had. Reportedly the best Minas food in all of Brazil (and it's not even in MG). The Canadoca also enjoyed herself there and I don't think I've ever seen her eat so much in one sitting...   Here's the web site. 

Below: Cachoeira Santa Clara

   

From above the main falls of Santa Clara
 

Jungle shot
 

Finally we are at the waterslide: Escorrega
 

This guy was fun to watch. Here he is going down the slide on his feet.

 

The full slide.
 

Here Mr. DRL is getting plunged into the icy cold water. Remember, I'm from Canada. When I say icy cold water, that water is cold. The pressure of the water from the falls pushes you down pretty deep!
 

We watched the Brazil-Ivory Coast game at this little place. The people were wonderful.
 

Rachel over at Rachel's Rantings in Rio did a little post "For the Canadians" this week where she mentioned our national love for Homo Milk (as in homogenized or whole milk). We now also love Homo Bikers (see below). Just a couple of little things from the stack of brochures we returned home with...

 

Some of the many waterfalls you can visit:

Before we visited, I looked through all of our Brazil/S.A. travel books for recommendations/suggestions. Not a one! Didn't even think to crack open our Danusia Barbara or Circuito Elegante books but was flipping through the other day and they both had some, which I'll share:

In the area, Danusia Barbara recommends:

• Babel
• Bistro das Meninas
• Capril Deville
• Capril Maluvito's
• Gosto com Gosto (I also recommend!)
• Pousada Casa Bonita
• Pousada No Caminho do Marimbondo
• Pousada Terra da Luz
• Pousada Terras Altas
• Pousada Tijupa
• Pousada Verde Que Te Quero Ver-Te
• Warabi

Circuito Elegante recommends:

• Rosamarinus
• Champignon
• Serra Fluminense

OMG You must go to Cachoeira Inn in Buzios

This place is amazing. Here are my photos.  Here is their web site. Book quickly!

 

Go. Relax, swim, make babies, whatever. Do what you have to do.

I think these are the best chairs in the house...

 

There are just four rooms in this massive, unique property and the only thing more welcoming and fantastic than the property itself are its owners, who run the place themselves and make fantastic caipirinhas. Go!

Quick Tips from DRL - Traveling and just generally BEING in Brazil

Just trying to make your life easier here!

• Beware overcast days in Brazil. Twice recently we've gone out on an overcast day and come home burnt. Well, ok, mostly Mr. DRL has been burned. Without realizing it AT ALL when out. As in burned to the point of looking like he acquired a hairy red pair of gloves with matching boots. I think I tan MORE on the overcast days, so be careful, that sun is STRONG!
• As I mentioned a couple posts ago, bringing ID (Not just your passport,I'm talking every piece you own...) is important when traveling out of Brazil, but also WITHIN Brazil. Friends of ours traveled to Bahia last weekend with their 18 month old. Upon arriving at the hotel they were informed that they could not check in with their exhausted daughter until they saw all of her ID including birth certificate, etc. Which they then proceeded to photocopy, and it had tp be inspected by higher-ups. This traveling with the birth certificate AND passport thing is obviously a big deal here.

Remember your ID!

As I posted, we recently went to Buenos Aires for a weekend. One thing I forgot to mention was that we were delayed slightly at the airport as we did not have the Canadoca's birth certificate with us. We had both of her passports, our passports, etc. but none of these documents verify that she is in fact our child. We managed to talk our way through it by demonstrating that we'd traveled together in the past (matching date stamps in various countries in our passports, etc.) and they looked us up in the Federal Police's system. All was well and we made our flight, but despite the enormous size of Canadoca's birth certificate, we won't again leave home without it.

When we arrived in Argentina we were greeted with a new reciprocal tax as well targeting Canadians, Australians and Americans - for us it's now US$70 per entry into Argentina. Americans pay US$168 and Australians US$100, but luckily for them once they've paid they are in the clear for the lifetime of their passport.  Currently the fees are only being collected from tourists landing in the international airport in Buenos Aires (EZE). More reason to fly Pluno into the downtown airport, though you might spend that $ on paying for your luggage to get there as it's per-kilo...

Canadoca didn't have to pay as she entered on her Brazilian passport. More shoes for her!

For more info on the reciprocity tax, click here.

I will post about our more recent trip tomorrow :)

Uruguayan Treat

Mr. DRL and I plan to visit Uruguay later this year with the Canadoca (start sending those recommendations my way - love them all!) but until then we can enjoy a little taste of Uruguay at Posto 9. Friends have been recommending these sandwiches for ages but I finally tried one for the first time last week while at the beach in Ipanema, and it did NOT disappoint...

Your options are sausage, chicken, beef, or a mixture of all three, which is what I had, above. So good, and right on the beach. I'm told the sandwiches were even better back when grilling was legal on the beach. I guess that law is being enforced now. Smoking pot on the beach is still a-okay though from what I've seen. But it's probably good for business for the sandwich place...

Here it is:

 

Apparently these Uruguayans have been in business here in Rio for 25 years or so! Check it out. Posto 9. 

I get a lot of requests for restaurant reviews and this is also a good post for all of you who email me asking about good cheap eats in Rio! (Other favorites of mine that fit into that category: kilo restaurants such as Fellini and Frontera, DeliRio Tropicale, Bibi Sucos/Lanches.) What are your favorite little secret places for special treats in Rio?

Our Fall Trip: Patagonia Cruise Part 2

The cruise was very educational. There was always opportunity for more learning, lectures, videos, etc. We took in as many of these events as we could. We learned about the penguins, the ice formations, and birds in the area (there is a type of Condor in the area that has a wingspan of 10 meters!)

Before we arrived, we were a bit nervous about taking Canadoca out on the excursions on the zodiak boats, but we felt very comfortable with the staff's professionalism and commitment to safety. They evaluated the conditions constantly and kept us informed. On one occasion they asked for her to stay behind for safety purposes which we really appreciated and respected.

There were 90 passengers on board representing 18 countries. It was an interesting group! Canadoca was of course well known and often passed around the dinner tables.

On the first night we were assigned a dinner table and a group that we would be eating all meals with for the rest of the trip. (Mealtimes were scheduled - this wasn't a 24 hour buffet style cruise... thank goodness!) We really lucked out and fully enjoyed our mealtime companions, a couple from the UK, and a solo traveler from France. We also were in the same excursion group so we experienced so much together in the four days. After eating that many meals with people you feel like family! The food was also very good....

Our room was spacious and very comfortable, allowing us to spend time with that Canadoca while enjoying the views!

Cruising with a baby was highly enjoyable as we always had access to our stuff/room without having to haul it to all of these places. We were able to see and do so much without having the hassles. Rather, we spent tons of quality time together. We thoroughly enjoyed being cut off from the rest of the world (no internet, tv or phone. Yes that means our blackberries didn't work either!).

On to the second excursion!

We visited Tucker Island by boat (didn't actually step foot on the island), which is home to a colony of Magellanic penguins. Each spring they return to Tucker Island to breed. It was awesome! We experienced a wide variety of weather conditions (snow, wind, warm sun) in the quick excursion, and also saw a number of other birds.

Patagonian Cruise Part 1

After spending some time in Santiago, we continued south, flying into Punta Arenas, where our cruise departed from. We arrived in the middle of a blizzard! It was the Canadoca's first experience with snow and we were eager to bundle her up and head out for dinner. However, the lobby bar at our hotel was most cozy, and they had Canada Dry ginger ale! (The things expats get excited about, right?)

 

So we stuck around. The town itself was cute and reminded me of mountain towns back home. We stayed at the Cabo de Hornos Hotel and were very pleased with it.

After much deliberation when planning our trip, we decided to go with the Cruceros Australis cruiseline. Are we ever glad we did, it was truly the trip of a lifetime.

Patagonia is known as difficult to access. Add a baby and all of her gear and, well, it gets a bit harder. When we heard about the Cruceros Cruise, although we've never really been tempted to do a cruise before, it sounded like the perfect way to experience Patagonia.

Without sounding too much like a brochure for the cruise line, here is what we liked about it:

• There were only 90 people on board (which was lucky for us as max. capacity is 150 or so).
• Every day we disembarked on zodiaks to go trek or hike. VERY COOL.
• The staff was awesome, very knowledgable and the trip educational. There were always opportunities to learn more about the places, plants, animals and glaciers we visited.  They also made us feel very safe on the excursions, etc. 
• It wasn't a "24 hour buffet" kind of cruise. Mealtimes were scheduled, and the food was very good.
• We were assigned a table at the beginning of our voyage, so we ate every meal for 4 days with the same people. By the end of it we felt like family! We really lucked out with our table and enjoyed our conversations a lot, obviously that is a point that could really make or break one's holiday. 
• We saw PENGUINS! PENGUINS, people!
• We didn't have to move our luggage for four days, but in those four days we saw sooo much! It was also convenient with a baby to always be close to the room, to feed, nap, or change her comfortably. 
• 18 countries were represented amongst the 90 on board.
• Canadoca was a hit - I think everyone on board knew her name (and we were known as her mom and dad... it's starting already!) and people took turns holding her, she was passed around quite a bit! 

On the first day of the cruise, we went on a zodiak excursion to Ainsworth Bay, home of the Marinelli Glacier. We had the opportunity to observe some elephant seals upon reaching shore:

 

One of many types of massive lichen growing on the tundra

 

This is how the Canadoca rolled that day - attached to Daddy's life jacket!

 

Mucky, mucky snow!

 

The lichen was just amazing.

 

Beautiful trees.

 

The glacier!

The zodiak boats at night, covered in snow.

 

Our little home for 4 days.

Our Fall Adventure: Chile!

From the moment we stepped out of the airport in Chile, it felt like we were in Canada. The cars, the temperature, the calm...  we felt right at home.

Santiago is a great city, situated near the mountains and ocean, clean. Lots to do. 

We took in a day of snowboarding at Valle Nevado. The road up to this resort is really something else. We ran the a/c, passed cacti, numerous treacherous switchbacks sans guardrails, cattle grazing and about 150 crosses on the way up....

Love this next photo: what are the chances?

Whenever anyone asks how we managed to get in a day on the slopes with a little one, we quite enjoy teasing them and saying that we strapped Canadoca on our backs, then wait for a reaction.  People generally raise their eyebrows and nod their heads vigorously and say okay a few times while taking it in (granted, I haven't told any Brazilians this yet!) The truth? We split a pass and switched off every few runs. It was great - the lodge at Velle negado is a wonderful place to spend the day.

The chairlifts were pretty funny = they have little guardrails that open and close to let each person through individually, and then you step onto this rubber moving ramp. It is dummy proof that is for sure...

We sort of hummed and hawed over whether or not to go up for a day or not but are we ever glad we did. It was a highlight of our trip to see the lodge/resort lifestyle there, the views were SPECTACULAR, and although it was just a week until the end of the ski season, the snow was great. OTIMO!

We toured Concha e Tore winery as well while in Santiago - what a gorgeous place. Yes, Canadoca was the only baby on the  tour...

Back in my college days when I worked as a server, I sold a lot of "Diablo" wine - and we learned all about it when at the winery. Years ago, the locals were stealing wine from the cellar of the winery, so the owner decided to spread a rumour that it was haunted by the devil. It put a stop to the stealing, and the legend lives on today - as part of the tour we were locked in the cellar with the "devil" - which made for some great photo ops, see below. Also note that Mr. DRL assured everyone that our little angel would protect us all...

During our time in Santiago we also enjoyed some fantastic meals... we just seem to be VERY good at finding those amazing restaurants... some recommendations to pass along: Astrid y Gaston (Antonio Bellet 201, Providencia), Rivoli (Nueva De Lyon 77), The Santiago Fajita Company (Santa Magdalena 92 Local 10 and by the way - is owned by Alex, a great Chilean-Canadian guy from Vancouver!), and Osadia (photos below).

Food at Astrid y Gaston, below (SUCH an incredible meal):

Our Fall Adventure : The Last of Peru

After experiencing Machu Picchu, we took a day of downtime, then headed back to Cuzco. 

On the way to Cuzco, our driver took us to a women's cooperative organization to buy some handicrafts in Chinchero. Peru is known for its woven products and it was so interesting to see how the products were made from start to finish (they make and dye their own yarn, using plants, roots, etc. Incredible!)

To buy directly from these women, and to learn more about their organization, Asociacion Textil Tejidos Planos Con Plantas Naturales, Awana Wasi Tocapo, click here.

This is how the women in Peru carry their kids around - no baby Bjorns here!

We spent some time in Cuzco checking out the incredible Inkan-Spanish architecture before flying back to LIma

Back in Lima we found a great restaurant, Panchita, where we enjoyed a great meal - and some Corn flavoured pop! It's purple - and pretty good, this coming from someone who is not a pop drinker at all.

On Saturday we got up and explored our neighbourhood in Lima, Miraflores, the seafront is quite nice.

We then went out to this food and wine event, Mistura, which was nothing short of crazy - thousands of people there so we knocked off early.  The next day, we left the land of tasty corn snacks, casinos, punch-buggies and amazing food, flew to Santiago - more on that soon.

Our Fall Adventure: Part 2: Machu Picchu

I have to say that the train ride Machu Picchu is one of my favorite memories of our entire trip. It was so peaceful, interesting, and beautiful....

When it came time for us to go up to Machu Picchu, we had two options of train stations to depart from, and our hotel was in the middle of the two. We decided to backtrack towards Cuzco and take a longer train ride, and am I ever glad we did! What an experience. Thank GOODNESS I had recovered from the altitude sickness by then, though as it was a twisty, turny, bumpy ride through the mountains.

We left the station in winter-like conditions which warmed steadily as we neared our destination. It seemed as though we'd been dropped about 200 years back in time as we traveled through the valleys watching farmers plough the land with oxen and women washing clothes by hand. The mountains and valleys of Peru are nothing short of stunning.

When we initially booked our tickets for the train, we only booked 2 seats. However, we needed 3 (one for Canadoca). The third ticket was purchased for another traincar, as none were available in the same car the original two tickets were purchased for. The PeruRail staff shuffled us around though and seated us together in yet another traincar... right across the aisle from a couple from Rio who we sat across the aisle from on our flight from Rio to Lima. Small world! I guess you have to travel to meet Brazilians!

We spent a total of three nights in Machu Picchu, at the Sumaq Hotel there. Many go just for the day, but with the little one we just didn't know what to expect so decided to "pad" our time there a bit, giving us two and a half days of options to visit Machu Picchu, in case of inclimate weather or sickness. We ended up having a day of downtime there to relax, which was nice. Our hotel overlooked the river and waterfalls in the townsite, which was gorgeous. Although it's not truly the five star hotel it claims to be, the service there was very good.

Then came time to visit the site. In the morning, it was misty and mystical. The wonder of how the Inkas made it all happen is truly inspiring.

Canadoca met some of the local llamas, and our guide, Marcus, whose first language is Inkan, shared theories of the history of Machu Picchu.

Soon after arriving, we began the hike into Waynu Picchu. 

Although the view was beautiful (the shot above is the view from the top of Waynu Picchu looking down at Machu Picchu) and it was certainly an experience, it is not something I would ever recommend anyone do with a baby. It is a steep hike going up (stone steps all the way up, and it is STEEP, you need to hang onto cables for much of it) and, well, there's only one way back down. The tension of the situation really got to me, Mr. DRL and I nearly found the need to inquire on whether it's possible to file for divorce  at the UNESCO World Heritage site of Machu Picchu... well hey, they stamp passports there, so you never know... joking of course but there were certainly a few minutes of tension. The joke afterwards is that the scariest/most challenging part of the hike for Mr. DRL was dealing with me...

In the end, going up was fine, going down (and the idea of it more than anything), well, a little hairy.  But Mr. DRL carried Canadoca in the bjorn and was a total trooper. He sure got a lot of kudos from the other hikers!  Someday Canadoca can say she was breastfed on the top of Waynu Picchu. So, for those wanting information on taking a baby to Machu Picchu: it is possible, enjoyable, and really not all that hard, but I would not recommend going to Waynu Picchu! There is a lot written about how difficult the terrain of Machu Picchu is, it's all over the internet and of course people describe it differently depending on their perception. To sum up my take on it, minus the Waynu Picchu part (and of course the Inka Trail part if you are doing that!) it is really not all that strenuous, in fact the day we were there, we were mostly surrounded by senior citizens. It's one of those things where it can be as difficult or as easy as you want it to be. 

As we have found everywhere we've been along the way, Canadoca was welcomed with open arms, and had her photo taken by several tourists at the site. There was one other baby as well, about a year old, and another about 8 year old child that day. Back in town the next day, however, we met a couple from California doing this trip with four children under the age of 8, including a three month old baby! WOW....

A final note: bring bug spray if you are going to Machu Picchu....

A Less Painful Airport Experience

When Canadoca and I left Canada, we flew out of Vancouver. Wow, that airport tax sure is paying off, the place looks like a museum - beautiful display cases everywhere. It's all brand new, shiny, nice, you almost want your flight to be delayed. I must wonder how good old GIG will look by the time 2016 rolls around (although hardcore reno's are already underway).

Anyway the Vanouver airport has a spa in the area I was in, which I think is a fantastic idea. People with money and time on their hands, typically wanting to arrive at their destination looking good. It's a great time to get nails done, assuming you have enough time for nails to dry before handling luggage of course. Didn't have time for a wax before your trip? No problem. A massage on a layover would be nice. Another service offered - SLEEP SUITE! So smart...

Now if only more airports would offer this concept, plus healthy fresh food options, traveling would be less painful.

Lots to do...

My to do list is long these days, as is the list of things to do in and around Rio this weekend. Two high profile picks:

• Oi Fashion Rocks Rio. The event features a performance by Mariah Carey, and a show by Calvin Klein, who apparently spends a lot of time here in RIo. At the Jockey Club.
• If you want to then escape the city, the Buzios food festival is on this weekend as well. So many great spots in Buzios to eat, so this is sure to be stellar.

Speaking of Travel...

Still on the road here...

I will be posting detailed travel reviews of our trip and all of our many destinations when I get back, but in the meantime can I just say how much I love Tripadvisor, and the New York Times' travel section of its site and Globorati?

We ended up booking our trip fairly quickly and used just these sites for information, and every recommendation has been awesome. Restaurants, hotels, you name it. I will definitely be paying it forward by writing detailed reviews on Tripadvisor to benefit other travelers.

Tripadvisor is not always very complete/accurate for travel within Brazil as the number of posts are limited especially for not as well known destinations, so be sure to post about your favorites and not so favorites! For other destinations in South America it seems to be used a lot more, and is therefore much more useful.

Kayaking in the Amazon: Part II

Part II of an entry about our friends' kayaking trip in Amazonas in July.

We slept in hammocks and fell asleep each night and woke up each morning to the sounds of the Jungle.




The Urubu river is a black water river. Because of the acidic water mosquitoes were not a problem (I think I got one bite the entire time), but this also meant that the animal and plant life was not as diverse as on the Amazon river.  We were lucky to spot three different types of monkeys, a pig, snakes, frogs, lizards, a multitude of birds, and catch a piranha.  
 



 

The entire experience was magical- we would really recommend the adventure!

http://www.amazon-outdoor.com/textos.php?MENU=Home

My Houston Recommendations

Flying through Houston on a regular basis, I have come up with a few recommendations to pass on:

1) The Hotel Granduca - located close to the Galleria Shopping Centre and is just generally a beautiful property. We stayed there in February, here are some photos of our room.

 

2) In the Houston airport there is this place called the Real Food Company - great stuff, wireless internet - loved it. Hard to find decent airport food usually....

New on Ipanema

An internet kiosk on the beach!

Up the Hill - Aprizavel in Santa Teresa

As I've mentioned several times, we love to go to Aprizavel in Santa Teresa. It's truly fantastic.

Here are some photos of the food & decor...

After many times at Aprizavel, we finally got to eat in a tree house!

The food is Brazilian fusion, the views are divine... go!

Around the web - travel in Brazil

Since becoming Canadoca's mom I have neglected reading a lot of the blogs I normally enjoy. Which means I haven't been passing some of the interesting stuff I find on to you. So here are a few (and some are not so new but that's why!) interesting articles and tips on travelling around Brazil.

Great posts from "Brazil for Insiders" - including:

• Pre Catalan in Rio - Sofitel - which I also recently visited and quite enjoyed. 
• A Tiradentes weekend - great looking pousadas.
• A review of Conde Nast's top beaches in Brazil - and why it might be off-base. Here is a more complete list on the same site. 
• This post is a must for anyone heading to Salvador, Bahia, as is this one from The Moment blog.

From the "Gringo Times"

• Hiking in Rio - fantastic way to see some of Rio's sights in an active manner!
• Some coverage of Trinidade - a little beach community near Paraty that we visited with my inlaws back in November. 
• Or, for a weekend in Rio, check out Markets in Rio in case you are sticking around here... or head to Santa Teresa for the weekend (something I am actually tempted to do on a regular basis since there are so many amazing hotels and dinner spots there!)

From Ben in Rio:

• I don't know where this is but that waterfall waterslide looks like so much fun! 

From Expat American Living in Brazil:

• Pantanal via Train

Finally, with all these great destinations we need some cheap flights! Apparently Brazil's airline industry is going through some deregulation.

South America West - our fall vacation.

Has anyone done a chilean cruise? If so, recommendations? Warnings? Anyone done Machu Piccu recently and might have some recommendations? We are thinking of going in the fall to do both with Canadoca - any travel tips with kids/hotel/tour recommendations appreciated!

My Guestbook - Part 11 - The Finale - Recommendations for Other Visitors

The final question of the survey: Any recommendations or words of wisdom for future guests?

My Bridesmaid & her Boyfriend: Oh this is simple.....GO TO RIO!

My Mother-in-law: Perhaps to learn a few extra Portuguese words to help with their travels.Thank you so very much, Mr. DRL, DRL, and our grandbaby, for a wonderful holiday!

Engaged Couple Friends: Try to avoid the Citibank bank machines - we paid a fortune there - they convert your withdrawal into USD first and then into Canadian. We did better at HSBC and even at a bank machine we had never heard of before in Buzios. And, buy stronger sunscreen then you would normally use. I don't know if its the closeness to the equator, but we burned way more than we do somewhere like Mexico, on a comparably hot day.

My Dad: Take some time to review the language, simple words/sentences.  Bring along a dictionary and sunscreen.  Make sure you do your share and more as the parents to be will need the extra sleep.  Can you believe how much company they are having????  Crazyyyyyyyyyyy!!

My Guestbook - Part 10 - PORTUGUESE

Part 10 of an 11-part series of questions I asked my guests after they visited Brazil.

Question 10: Which Portuguese words did you pick up while visiting Brazil?

Engaged Couple Friends: Please/thank you, "I don't speak Portuguese", and then food words, especially so we could order wine. The waiters thought it was funny that we knew how to say red wine.

My Dad:  The first two words two words my brother and I learned were obrigado (thank you) and desculpe (excuse me).  Typical Canadians eh.  What other nationality would do that.  Oh yeah, almost forgot, the third word we learned was cerveja (beer)  You really don't need  to know much more.....

(DRL's note: on pretty much a weekly basis I get a voicemail from my dad "practicing his Portuguese". The message consists of him saying "Oi, obgrigada, desculpe" over and over again in a booming voice. I always know who it is.)

My Guestbook - Part 9 - What Did You Learn?

Part 9 of a series I am doing based on a survey I asked my guests to respond to after visiting Brazil.

Question 9: What, if anything, did you learn from your trip?

My Mom: Too many things to mention!

My Mother-in-law: Always an appreciation for Canada after seeing the poverty in other countries.

Engaged Couple Friends: We learned about another culture and way of life, both for the rich and poor. And, we learned about the struggles of being a foreigner trying to make a life in a new country and learn a new language. It certainly gives you a new respect and understanding for anyone who has moved to a new country, including Canada. Mr. DRL and DRL are doing a great job and have accomplished an amazing amount in a short time.

My Dad: How great we have it in Canada, although Brazil is a beautiful country.  Be careful while in Brazil.  Safety in numbers and don't drink too much if you're out as you may need your wit's in event of trouble. Have a game plan as it's too late if you get into a situation and haven't. "Muito policias" lots of police  around, but not sure if they do anything and didn't want to find out given the rumors of corruption....................

My Guestbook - Part 7 - Would You Come Back?

Part 7 of a series of questions I asked my guests after they left Brazil.
Question 7: Do you plan to return? And if so, what would you like to do in Brazil next time?

My Mom: I am booking for June, (DRL comment: mom has already been back since the survey was made!) will spend lots of time holding the baby, will go to Sugarloaf.

My Bridesmaid & her Boyfriend: We would like to return, but it all depends on timing and the thousand other vacations we would like to take in the next couple of years!

If we came back, we'd like to see Paraty, Iguazu Falls in Argentina and MORE SUN!!  Haha, we just had bad luck.  Apparently it was nice before and after we were there!

My Mother-in-law: Would be nice... We would love to see the heritage buildings in Salvadore, the Amazon River, there are semi-plans to meet at Machu Picu in Peru....who of your readers will grant us an unlimited supply of funds, please?

Engaged Couple Friends: There are lots of amazing-sounding places we'd love to see in Brazil, and the rest of South America . . . I'm sure by the time we hear about the rest of the DRLS' visitors' trips, we'll be wanting to go back to do everything they did!

My Dad: Would love to go back and take (my partner) this time, otherwise I'm sure Uncle will be game again....

My Guestbook - Part 5 - The FOOD!

Part 5 of a series of how my many visitors answered questions to a little "survey" I gave them after their trips to Brazil.

Question 5:

Did you enjoy the food in Brazil?

My Mom: The food was amazing, heavier, and more rich, great desserts.

My Bridesmaid & Her Boyfriend: Um YES.  We absolutely loved it.  Porcao was sooo good and both Thai restaurants were awesome.  Fresh fruit smoothies were to be found on every corner too...so tasty.  We also really liked the place in Leblon or Ipanema that DRL took us to for lunch on our second day (when we went shopping - DRL's note: Via Sete). And Koni (a place that just sells sushi cones... so good)!

My Mother-in-law: What's not to enjoy.  Even the buffets at the hotel in Argentina were good.

Engaged Couple Friends: Yes!!!! The fresh fruit was such a treat, and there was tons of seafood and fish. The Brazilian BBQ was very good and really fun. And, I would kill for an agua de coco in Calgary!!

My Dad: Enjoyed the beef, seafood and sushi.  Believe it or not had a great feed of spaghetti, too, but don't tell my Italian wife.

My Guestbook - Part 4 - All about the Brazilians

Question 4 on the DRL visitor survey: What was your impression of the Brazilian people?

My Mom:  I found the Brazilian people friendly and cooperative with the communication barrier, they like to talk to you whether you could understand them or not.

My Bridesmaid & Her Boyfriend: I found some to be very friendly and really try to communicate with us even with the language barrier, but others didn't want to even try to understand us.  We had really nice cab drivers the whole time though! That was a relief.

My Mother-in-law: Certainly noticed the difference in driving habits between the hired drivers and taxi drivers!  And now that Mr. DRL drives like a Brazilian, new shocks are needed for his vehicle!  Something to do with flying off speed bumps....

Engaged Couple Friends: It was hard to get an impression, because of the language difference. They certainly don't go out of their way to communicate with you. It really is true that they have absolutely no self-consciousness when it comes to their beach-wear! That speaks a little to the overall bravado of the people. But, the people in the stores and the vendors on the beach for the most part weren't pushy, while I had expected they would be for some reason.

My Dad: I feel sorry for the poor, lots of poverty.  They were not overly courteous on the streets, cutting you off, etc.

My Guestbook - Part 3 - Let's Talk Safety

Part III of a series on how my guests responded to a little survey I gave them after their time in Brazil...

The third question in the survey:

Did you feel nervous or afraid for your safety at all? If so, in what situations?

My Mom: I was probably the most nervous and hot:) when we were walking in Lapa and trying to find the steps.

[DRL's note: I try to make my tours of Centro & area "authentic"... meaning that I take different routes every time and without fail I lose my way for a short period of time each time.  You know, as though my guests were wandering it on their own! This time, it was really hot and we walked from the cathedral to the steps in Lapa, after a taxi driver told us it was too close to drive us... I don't think we took the most "express' route and it took about 40 minutes in scorching heat. My mom has since told me that she does NOT want her grandchild going there (we passed some sketchiness on the way!)].

My Bridesmaid & her Boyfriend: For the most part we felt pretty safe.  We just kept our wits about us and if something didn't feel right, we just went the other way.  There were only a couple of times that I felt a little threatened.  One being on the last day...it was an overcast day so hardly anybody was at the beach and 2 very young girls started following us.  I saw them and turned around to face them and pointed right through them saying "look at the waves" and they hesitated and then took off.

My Mother-in-law: Not so much, certainly due to the forewarning (didn't wear jewellry) and organization of DRL on our expeditions.  Without the Portuguese expertise of Mr. DRL and DRL, I think we may have felt more nervous.

Engaged Couple Friends: No, we didn't (except for that one crazy cab driver who pulled out to the oncoming lane to pass some cars!). Our tour guides definitely steered us straight!We were certainly aware of the danger though, and very thankful that we weren't staying in hotels in Rio or relying on public transportation and maps to figure out our own way. Thanks guys! You made this trip so much easier! We have been spoiled for our next trip.

My Dad:  A bit uncomfortable in Buzios in the wee hours when walking back to our accommodation.   Encountered a group of 10 guys walking towards us and made a quick 180 and ran like hell once we were around the corner. Would not have been out like that in Rio.  Also both of us had our credit cards compromised which was surprising since mine had the new microchip technology.   My brother and I stuck out like a sore thumb....whitest guys in town and definitely looked like tourists...

Great Lunch Spot!

The other day, after a long walk through Jardim Botanico, a group of us went for lunch here: Da Graca

Here, R$15 gets you a fantastic lunch - delicious grilled chicken, fish or filet mignon with salad, potatoes, rice and beans and it was fantastic. GO!

Babymoon part II

I had promised to write up my stay in Florianopolis/Santa Caterina awhile back, finally I am getting to it!

First of all, I would just like to say that if you have a week to do a sidetrip from Rio, I highly recommend this Buenos Aires/Florianopolis combo that we did. We felt as though we'd "travelled" ie) explored a new city, and "vacationed" - relaxing in Floripa, all in one week.  A full week of doing either would be "too much" in my opinion, so this was fantastic.

I was a bit confused when we started booking our trip - were we going to Florianopolis, Santa Caterina, or Floripa? All three... SC is the state, Florianopolis is the main city on the island, Floripa is the nickname. I had at some point made notes to visit all three - recommended by different people - so it was nice to kill three birds with one stone ;)

We flew into Florianopolis at night, and really did not experience any of the city as we immediately headed out to our Pousada. It was about a R$100 cab ride from the airport.  In hindsight, renting a car from the airport would have been a better option for us, but I will get to that later...

We stayed at the Pousada da Vigia on the north end of the island.  We were absolutely THRILLED with the service we received there, and with our accomodations. They were sooo great. Even let me order off the kids menu :)

In our room.

We enjoyed our resort SO MUCH. It was small, just 10 rooms, a governor's mansion converted into a hotel. Below is the view from our room.

The restaurant was overlooking the ocean and we enjoyed all of our dinners there listening to chill music (a lot of Sade) and the crash of the waves.   How could you help but relax?

We spent many afternoons on this patio (above) listening to the waves, reading, playing scrabble, enjoying lunch...

The water was so peaceful, clear and calm - great for floating.

Each day at 12:30, the peace and tranquility of Lagoinha beach, where we were staying, was temporarily disrupted by "the pirate boat" - which we figured was either inhabited by 

a) the severely, permanently intoxicated or 

b) actual pirates threatening passengers to "walk the plank" if they didn't keep up with their dance moves, or 

c) a hypnotist show. 

Either way, those pirates had everyone moving!

 On Saturday we decided to venture out and do a scuba/snorkel tour of Arvoredo Island,  a nature reserve located off the north coast of the island of Santa Caterina.  Obviously Mr. DRL did the diving, I stuck to snorkeling.  I was a bit nervous about him diving as it had been 2 years since his last dive but was very relieved when one of the dive masters spoke perfect English.  All he really needed was a 5 minute refresher but as we often say, there are certain things where you can't afford to have misunderstandings with language barriers! It was muito tranquilo.

The boat ride out to the island was about an hour.

After the scuba trip we spent some time "in town" at Canasvieiras beach, but quickly realized we were not missing much back at our isolated little spot... but enjoyed lunch there nevertheless.

It seemed we parked right in front of the beach's "geriatric" ward... looked around for the senior's center but couldn't see it:
  A storm seemed to be rolling in but it blew over quickly. Made for some great shots though!

After lunch, we embarked on another adventure that is deserving of another separate blog post. I am not yet sure how that story ends though as I am still dealing with some of the repurcussions today, so I will save it (nothing too bad just a company we were dealing with, etc.). I don't want to ruin the tranquility of this post so I will keep it separate.

We enjoyed every moment in Florianopolis, we realize we did not see much of what the island is all about, being up in our little isolated corner, but for our purposes we didn't mind. We read, spent time together, named our baby, walked the beach, swam, ate, and soaked up every moment. It was the most relaxing few days we'd had in quite a while!

My Guestbook - Part 2 - The Differences Between Canada & Brazil

The perceptions of my guests...

Which differences between Canada & Brazil surprised you the most?

My Mom: The difference I found surprising was the restaurants and kiosks, everywhere, food, food, food, and the beauty of the city of Rio is number 1.

My Bridesmaid & Her Boyfriend: Shopping is sooo difficult there!  Nothing has prices on it already, so you have to constantly ask 'how much' on every single item.  Then when you go to ring it in, it takes like 20 minutes and you have no idea why!  I commend DRL for all the furniture shopping and appliances she bought because apparently it take 6 hours to ring in a refrigerator!

My Mother-in-law: We had researched before coming down, so had been prepared for the favelas and sheer size of Rio.  The difference in the store types really does show how difficult it was for Mr. DRL & DRL to set up in a new country.  They have done an amazing job and we are really impressed with their Portuguese!  A little surprised perhaps that there wasn't more English on the streets...

Engaged Couple Friends: We loved the tropical vegetation and beautiful country side (not that Canada's not beautiful - just different). The flowers everywhere were amazing. It was also strange to see the number of people employed in the restaurants and shops - there were always twice or three times as many people as there would be at home. Big population, low labour costs.

My Dad: Drivers are crazy here, "muito louco".

My Guestbook - Part 1 - The Highlights of the Trips to Brazil

As you may recall, I had about 5 months straight of visitors (from September to the end of Jan, almost inclusive).  Visitors ranged from good family friends (a father-daughter combo), my dad & his brother, engaged friends of ours, my mother in law and her husband, one of my bridesmaids and her boyfriend, my mom and sister, my girlfriend and her husband and two small children (2 yrs old & 7 months). I think I'm remembering everyone...

We gave them all a short "survey" to complete after their trip, which has become a bit of a guestbook of sorts. I thought I'd start sharing their responses with you as you must be getting tired of just my perspective ;)

Our guests all had slightly different trips, did slightly different things and of course had different priorities and experiences.

Question 1: What were the highlights of your trip?

My mom: Definitely the best New Years ever, meeting all the friends, and every day was a highlight, just walking down the streets was an experience.

My bridesmaid & her boyfriend: We loved Buzios!  Driving around in the 'Buggy' (pronounced "boogy") was so much fun.  Make sure you put the top on at night though because if the rain comes you may have to sit in a pool of water to drive back to your hotel....or ride standing up while holding on to the windshield like I did.

Other highlights....definitely the Lagoa Christmas Tree Lighting (beautiful views and the best damn caiprhina's ever...my boyfriend had to cut me off because they were pure alcohol and fresh fruit and I could only taste the fruit after a while); Centro & Santa Teresa Tour run guided by the lovely DRL; favela tour and last but not least, the three sunny days we had on the beach!

My mother-in-law: What else!  The big news and being with our kids (all 3 of
them).  Iguazu Falls were out of this world so we do recommend the trip
to any of your other company. With the timing being spring run-off, the
volume was no doubt the best of the whole year!  The beaches at Paraty
and Prainha were wonderful with the boat trip being a highlight.  Having
the beach a block away from the apartment for all our walks was
certainly not hard to take. We loved just having the time to spend
making dinners with DRL and salsa with Mr. DRL. Hugs are much better
than Skype! (DRL's note: we were able to first share the news of our pregnancy with her when she arrived).

Engaged Couple Friends: Buzios was amazing - one of the most beautiful places we've ever seen. We also really enjoyed the futebol game, walking the beaches with Mr. DRL and DRL, and, really, pretty much everything, including an evening of Rock Band at home!

My Dad:
1. Finding out my daughter and my son-in-law are going to be parents.  You know what that makes me.  Giddy-up!!
2.  Spending time with my daughter and my son-in-law.
3.  Spending time with my brother, who came with me.
4.  Visiting Corcovado, Sugarloaf Mountain and Buzios.

Where to go for HELP?

HELP Discoteca is a famous "landmark" on Copacabana beach.  Here is the web site.  I've often heard it referred to as the biggest brothel in South America.

It's right along Avenida Atlantica in Copacabana, across from where the outdoor market sets up nightly. Most of the female "clientele" consists of prostitutes and transvestite prostitutes. The male clientele consists of 1) men looking for this type of thing and 2) men who are gullible. I did a quick internet search while looking for the web site, and came across some hilarious travel reviews from men who didn't clue in to the club's actual setup 'the chicks were all over me!' haha... yeah you the man.

Anyway, word on the street is that Help Discoteca is closing its doors, and that the building will become a music museum.

Obviously there are positives to a place referred to as the biggest brothel in South America being shut down. However, there are also negatives.

Such as... displaced sex trade workers. Where will they go? Where will the work? On the streets? This does not seem like a positive thing to me.

Yoga Retreat, Anyone?

My yoga teacher is putting on a yoga retreat here in Rio, the weekend of Friday May 22 - 24th.

Here is the writeup:
Retreat Yourself to the ecological surroundings of Guaratiba to unite your mind, body and spirit through the fluid movements of Ashtanga yoga, harmonizing reflexology, relaxing massage, calming meditations, insightful healing circles and delicious freshly prepared vegetarian food.

For full details on the retreat, visit www.retreatyourself.net

Luiz Salvador

I swear you could wander Ipanema every day for a year and still find little hidden gems you hadn't noticed before. There are endless Galleria's which are basically malls, and sidestreets of stores.

Last week, after some lunch with friends, we went to Luiz Salvador (R. Redentor & Maria Quitera in Ipanema). I'd heard of the factory near Petropolis, but did not know there was a location in the city.

Being that I did not "send a shipment" down to Brazil like most expats, it honestly made me homesick! I got married just 6 months before moving to Brazil, and didn't even get much of a chance to use all my pretty plates and stuff (I love to cook and entertain so the idea of using it all does make me excited).

 

I took a ton of photos of the store... and could have taken more. I highly recommend stopping in if you are in RIo!
Above: the garden area out back.
I loved these little crab plate/containers.
They also had beautiful Easter displays.
 

There is so much beautiful stuff to choose from... I will definitely have to take a few pieces home to add to my collection!

Final Thoughts on BA

I will restart the vacation coverage soon with some photos and details on our time in Floripa.
Until then, some final thoughts on BA.

Next time, I would stay somewhere different. Which is just sort of what I like to do when I visit destinations over again. While we liked staying in Soho Palermo because of the quiet and proximity to numerous restaurants, etc. I think I would like to stay at the Marriott Plaza near General San Martin Plaza next time. Or rent an apartment in Recoleta if we were going for longer.

I would be more careful with money next time as well - meaning that we were passed some counterfeit change by a cab driver at one point. In this instance, I would try to use as close to exact change if possible. Good thing that the exchange rate is in our favour...

I would probably do ANOTHER tango show. It was so spectacular.

I would go to some museums that we did not have time to hit.

And finally, since I will likely a) not be pregnant and b) know if my babe is a boy or a girl, I will shop my little heart out!

I Heart B.A. part 4

I loved the architecture of Buenos Aires. The city is beautiful and pretty much everything that is beautiful about it is man-made or designed -  parks, monuments and buildings.

Some examples:
 
A University

 
have you ever seen such a nice Burger King? Seriously...

 

San Martin square

Recoleta Cemetery - Buenos Aires Continues.

The Recoleta Cemetery is the final resting place of many of Argentina's elite (presidents, writers, scientists, the wealthy, etc.)

As I mentioned, I recommend going on a Sunday as there are many vendors set up outside.

Inside the cemetary there are a wide variety of mausoleums - mostly granite and marble, some more elaborate than others, some better maintained than others...

Here is one of the most famous graves in the cemetery: that of Eva (Evita) Peron.  It is said to be extremely secure - after her body was famously hidden by the military who took over, and she was moved to be buried in Europe for several years.  She is reportedly buried in the under chamber of the mausoleum under three plates of steel.

After all these years many people still honor her with flowers.

Creepy personal aside/fact: On August 31, 1997 I was over at my dad and stepmom's house for dinner and we watched a movie afterwards - Evita.  I had previously watched it at the theatre and loved it so much I bought the soundtrack so I was thoroughly irritating everyone with my singing along.  When we watched the funeral scene, I said: "I bet this is what it would be like if Princess Diana died."

A couple hours later after I returned home, my dad called me and told me to turn on the news...

Eek!

Some other interesting graves:

I Heart B.A. part 2

After our night out at the tango show, we got up the next day (Sunday morning) and headed over to Recoleta, to tour the famous cemetery and check out the vendors set up nearby.  We enjoyed breakfast at La Biela, great spot.

After breakfast we headed into the vendor area where many treasures were to be found, such as:

Tasty healthy snacks:

And toys for the boys... well my boy anyway!  There was a woman selling handmade incredible marionette's there and Mr. DRL had to have one.  I couldn't really blame him though! It is quite incredible.

After finishing our shopping we ran into a CANADIAN fellow who came up to us to ask for help with the bank machine... pretty funny. There are an unbelievable amount of tourists in Buenos Aires, it seemed as though we heard more English than Spanish! After chatting with him for a few minutes, we headed into the church beside Recoleta Cemetary.

Just gorgeous

and some of it, more than a little creepy!
 
I'll do a separate post on the cemetary soon.

I Heart B.A. part 1

Back to the Babymoon/vacation!

For the first half of our trip, we had 4 fantastic nights in Buenos Aires.
I'll share our adventures with you over the next few days.

As a sidenote, Argentina has always been VERY high on my list of places to visit. I visited Iguacu in September but I've been itching to get to Buenos Aires for a long time. We were advised by many to do so before the baby comes as then we'd have the opportunity to experience some TANGO.  Which we did, on our first night (see below).

We stayed at the Torrecillas Soho in Soho Palermo. It's a very small little boutique hotel. The service was fantastic, there is a front desk clerk named Serjio (who goes by "Chucky") there who provided us with a wealth of information and help, he is truly a gem!  The place was not fancy but it is very new, modern and had great ammenities (little kitchenettes, etc.).  Soho Palermo is a good place to stay because cabs are cheap in BA so you can get around to the attractions easily during the day, and then come back to a quiet neighbourhood at night that is full of restaurants and nightlife, within walking distance.

As I mentioned, on our first night we headed to Madero Tango (located at the end of the Porto Madero). Includes dinner and a bottle of wine per couple, with different seating options which each come with their own price. It was fantastic, the singing, the dancing, the costumes... nothing disappointed. I highly recommend it.

For a few minutes before the show started however, there was a bit of an emergency - an old man sitting right behind us collapsed, and his family started screaming, before we knew it there was a group of who seemed to be military paramedics rushing in.  It was intense. He made it, thank goodness but the entire place just came to a halt for a little while. Scary! Also good to know how fast help is available.

I wrote down my first impressions of Buenos Aires upon arriving... I'll share some of my scattered thoughts with you...

• Upon arrival, you are not just urged to go into the duty free store, you are forced to cut through it on your way to the baggage claim.  Duty free is an expat's dream as there are many things unavailable elsewhere there.  Dangerous!
• Petrobras is in Argentina (stations).
• Tranquilo ie) lack of horns constantly honking unnecessarily.
• More on traffic: cars actually give one another a few meters worth of space while driving!
• Available at the grocery store: Chocolate Covered Raisins, Pretzels & Oreos! (Things I don't see in Rio...)
• 12 lane one way street... wow.
• Gorgeous architecture and ornate monuments.
• Fantastic green space and parks.
• Cafe culture evident everywhere.
• Sooooo many tourists. I swear we heard more English spoken than Spanish!
• Mini-mullets on the men.  I'm just sayin...
• Presence of many retail stores we'd see back home but not in Rio, and some of them not even anywhere in Brazil, such as Christian Dior, Ralph Lauren, Armani, Harrods used to be there, Calvin Klein Underwear, Hush Puppies, etc...

More Ways to Get Here!

Options are a good thing, methinks...

US Airways is poised to start service between Philadephia and Rio de Janeiro this fall.

Continental has tentative approval to resume its direct service between Rio and Houston, this time it would be daily and year-round. Link here. Potentially starting this summer.

Dengue Fever in Brazil

Just as a sidenote, most of my guests who have visited travel doctors back home were advised to get Yellow Fever vaccinations to visit Rio, something that is NOT actually required!

It's Dengue season again - Expat American Living in Brazil has a travel alert/update on the situation - check it out here.

Luckily Rio is not yet affected.  Thank goodness for me because pregnant women's oxygen-rich blood is apparently a magnet for mosquitoes!