9 days in Rio, Buenos Aires,and Mendoza
Feb 13th, 2014, 04:56 AM
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9 days in Rio, Buenos Aires,and Mendoza
I leave today for a 9 day trip to South America with three great friends (Betsy, Carolina, and Sandy). We will be spending 3 nights in Rio de Janeiro, 2 nights in Buenos Aires, 3 nights in Mendoza, then 1 final night in Buenos Aires. I will be updating this trip report after each day detailing what we did that day, what we ate, experiences, etc. Betsy and Sandy are already on their way and I will be leaving in a few hours, arriving in Rio on the morning of Friday 2/14. Carolina will be meeting us in Rio on the morning of Saturday 2/15. More to come soon!
Feb 14th, 2014, 05:52 AM
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Update from 2/13: Travel day.
There's not too much to report because luckily, it was not a very eventful day. Thanks to a suggestion a couple days ago, I had switched my connecting flight from JFK to Miami. The JFK to Rio flight ended up getting cancelled due to the latest winter storm on the east coast. No flight problems at all out of Miami.
I was bummed to be traveling alone but at least my experience didn't lack a little bit of entertainment. I stopped at Frontera Grill in the AA terminal for some lunch after I got through security (Thanks Rick Bayless!). The food was amazing and I got to enjoy a margarita. At one point a guy came up to the bar and ordered a marg to-go. Impressive. Then he proceeded to send an angry voice recognition text laced with profanities. Fascinating.
Attempting to sleep on the Miami to Rio leg was interesting. At first it wasn't so bad. Then after a couple hours my body realized that sleeping while sitting up and limited to an area the size of a mini-fridge box is not actually all that comfortable. I still got more sleep than my trip to France though so I'll take it.
Tchau for now!
There's not too much to report because luckily, it was not a very eventful day. Thanks to a suggestion a couple days ago, I had switched my connecting flight from JFK to Miami. The JFK to Rio flight ended up getting cancelled due to the latest winter storm on the east coast. No flight problems at all out of Miami.
I was bummed to be traveling alone but at least my experience didn't lack a little bit of entertainment. I stopped at Frontera Grill in the AA terminal for some lunch after I got through security (Thanks Rick Bayless!). The food was amazing and I got to enjoy a margarita. At one point a guy came up to the bar and ordered a marg to-go. Impressive. Then he proceeded to send an angry voice recognition text laced with profanities. Fascinating.
Attempting to sleep on the Miami to Rio leg was interesting. At first it wasn't so bad. Then after a couple hours my body realized that sleeping while sitting up and limited to an area the size of a mini-fridge box is not actually all that comfortable. I still got more sleep than my trip to France though so I'll take it.
Tchau for now!
Feb 15th, 2014, 05:17 AM
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Update from 2/14: Arrive In Rio, pool, and chill.
I arrived and quickly made my way through customs, grabbed my bag, and purchased a pre-paid radio taxi to the hotel. All together it took only an hour to get to the hotel from the time I landed, but I think it helped that it was not rush hour (my flight got in about 1030am).
Our room wasn't ready when we arrived so Betsy, Sandy, and I laid out by the pool for a bit. The hotel pool has a beautiful view of Guanabara Bay and Pão de Açúcar (sugarloaf). Our rooms do too. We had paid only for city view rooms but lucked out I guess.
After we checked in Betsy and Sandy went back for a nap and I went back down to the pool for some lunch and a cerveja (beer). I had a grilled ham and cheese sandwich and salad with a Bohemia Cerveja. The food was good. I really liked the cerveja even though it's German, I believe. I should probably find a Brazilian one to try. I laid in the sun a bit more while "girl from ipanema" like tunes played and fell asleep.
Betsy met me after some time and we walked down to the beach and had a couple chilled beers (chopp). We are having some trouble communicating so we asked for the bill in what we thought was portuguese but were not understood so then tried Spanish AND the international sign for check. No luck. Finally in English we tried the word bill. "One or two?" we were asked. "One" was our response. Now we are getting somewhere. The waiter left and returned motioning for Betsy to chug the rest of her beer. She gave him her glass and we were perplexed. It was so bizarre. Then I realized he thought we were saying we wanted another beer. So, we shared another beer. Maybe by the time we leave we will get a slightly better grasp of the portuguese language.
For dinner we walked to Azul Marinho on the water. It was super windy but it was nice to dine outside for a change. We all had seafood and thought it was delicious. I had the shrimp with rice, mango, and pineapple. Betsy had a fish filet and sandy had shrimp, veggies, and rice. We also enjoyed caipirinhas there.
Also, before I forget and I am not being prompted to say this or anything, but Betsy is really cool (muito cool).
I arrived and quickly made my way through customs, grabbed my bag, and purchased a pre-paid radio taxi to the hotel. All together it took only an hour to get to the hotel from the time I landed, but I think it helped that it was not rush hour (my flight got in about 1030am).
Our room wasn't ready when we arrived so Betsy, Sandy, and I laid out by the pool for a bit. The hotel pool has a beautiful view of Guanabara Bay and Pão de Açúcar (sugarloaf). Our rooms do too. We had paid only for city view rooms but lucked out I guess.
After we checked in Betsy and Sandy went back for a nap and I went back down to the pool for some lunch and a cerveja (beer). I had a grilled ham and cheese sandwich and salad with a Bohemia Cerveja. The food was good. I really liked the cerveja even though it's German, I believe. I should probably find a Brazilian one to try. I laid in the sun a bit more while "girl from ipanema" like tunes played and fell asleep.
Betsy met me after some time and we walked down to the beach and had a couple chilled beers (chopp). We are having some trouble communicating so we asked for the bill in what we thought was portuguese but were not understood so then tried Spanish AND the international sign for check. No luck. Finally in English we tried the word bill. "One or two?" we were asked. "One" was our response. Now we are getting somewhere. The waiter left and returned motioning for Betsy to chug the rest of her beer. She gave him her glass and we were perplexed. It was so bizarre. Then I realized he thought we were saying we wanted another beer. So, we shared another beer. Maybe by the time we leave we will get a slightly better grasp of the portuguese language.
For dinner we walked to Azul Marinho on the water. It was super windy but it was nice to dine outside for a change. We all had seafood and thought it was delicious. I had the shrimp with rice, mango, and pineapple. Betsy had a fish filet and sandy had shrimp, veggies, and rice. We also enjoyed caipirinhas there.
Also, before I forget and I am not being prompted to say this or anything, but Betsy is really cool (muito cool).
Feb 15th, 2014, 08:35 AM
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Meredith,
For brazilian beers, try Skol (the most famous), Antarctica or Itaipava (my personal favourite).
The word for bill is "conta". Say "a conta, por favor", but if you just say "conta", they will understand. Mimics usually work too, so you do not have to say a word. The word for "change" is "troco" and for "tip" is "gorjeta", which is already included in the bill. Expect to pay 10%, no more.
For brazilian beers, try Skol (the most famous), Antarctica or Itaipava (my personal favourite).
The word for bill is "conta". Say "a conta, por favor", but if you just say "conta", they will understand. Mimics usually work too, so you do not have to say a word. The word for "change" is "troco" and for "tip" is "gorjeta", which is already included in the bill. Expect to pay 10%, no more.
Feb 15th, 2014, 02:33 PM
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Thanks!
Laudemochila, I had an Antarctica today. Loved it!
Btw we are getting the hang of the whole bill thing. Going to the club tonight though so that will probably present new challenges
Laudemochila, I had an Antarctica today. Loved it!
Btw we are getting the hang of the whole bill thing. Going to the club tonight though so that will probably present new challenges
Feb 15th, 2014, 08:52 PM
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Update from 2/15: sleep, beach, and Rio night life.
We slept in until about 11 this morning and once Carolina arrived we went to breakfast at a wonderful cafe by our hotel called Apetite Cafe. We had quiche, empanadas, croissants com Nutella, and some delicious cafe com leite. It was a very cute and relaxed little cafe. We will return again.
We then walked to Ipanema, rented chairs, and bought coco water with liqueur. We just sat and took in the Ipanema beach scene, which was very relaxing and fun. It was difficult to leave. When we finally did though, there was a pre-carnival parade going on with a band, dancing, and vendors selling beer. Carolina and I stuck around for a little bit to check it out then walked back to the hotel to get ready for the evening.
For dinner we went to New Tokyo for sushi. It was fantastic. We shared a few sushi rolls, sashimi, and shrimp, beef, and squid yakitori. Then we headed to Lapa 40, a club that Sandy's friend got us on the list with free cover. It was different than we expected. We expected a club like you might find in south beach or vegas, but instead it was super casual and they were playing a lot of American '90s grunge music. I feel like we are missing something. Where are these hot Brazilian chic people partying? Or maybe we have Rio pegged wrong. I guess we will try again tomorrow.
We slept in until about 11 this morning and once Carolina arrived we went to breakfast at a wonderful cafe by our hotel called Apetite Cafe. We had quiche, empanadas, croissants com Nutella, and some delicious cafe com leite. It was a very cute and relaxed little cafe. We will return again.
We then walked to Ipanema, rented chairs, and bought coco water with liqueur. We just sat and took in the Ipanema beach scene, which was very relaxing and fun. It was difficult to leave. When we finally did though, there was a pre-carnival parade going on with a band, dancing, and vendors selling beer. Carolina and I stuck around for a little bit to check it out then walked back to the hotel to get ready for the evening.
For dinner we went to New Tokyo for sushi. It was fantastic. We shared a few sushi rolls, sashimi, and shrimp, beef, and squid yakitori. Then we headed to Lapa 40, a club that Sandy's friend got us on the list with free cover. It was different than we expected. We expected a club like you might find in south beach or vegas, but instead it was super casual and they were playing a lot of American '90s grunge music. I feel like we are missing something. Where are these hot Brazilian chic people partying? Or maybe we have Rio pegged wrong. I guess we will try again tomorrow.
Feb 16th, 2014, 06:11 AM
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Additional details from 2/15: I forgot to mention that at lapa 40 there was bossanova music playing on the first floor. We went up to the 2nd floor where they were playing the '90s music and there was also a UFC fight playing on a big screen. Couples were making out all over the place. Everyone was hard-core singing along to the music, while facing the fight almost like they were at a concert singing to the stage. It was very interesting.
Feb 16th, 2014, 08:45 PM
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Update from 2/16. Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer), Copa, and Churrascaria.
We went to our cafe again for breakfast then tried to book the Pao de Acucar and Cristo Redentor tour from the hotel for the afternoon, but it was sold out. Instead, we took a cab to Placo do lido on the north end of Copacabana and purchased a ticket for a shuttle to take us up to Cristo Redentor to start. The price was 51 Real.
Side bar. As we were leaving for Cristo, Sandy asked Betsy if she knew that her dress was see through. It was really a swimsuit cover-up and I had thought that was what she was wearing underneath. Nope. She was wearing a green thong underneath and it was VERY obvious. It was also paired with converse sneakers, which was an interesting added touch. So she changed into a swimsuit for underneath.
The shuttle brought us all the way up. We didn't have to take the tram, which made the trip faster, but it was a very bumpy ride so not for those who get car sick. We had been told when buying the tickets that we might not have any visibility, but when we arrived at the top it was a little cloudy, but not bad. There were very cool views overlooking Rio and of course the Cristo statue. We took pictures and prayed a bit. I loved that the stone had a carved heart on Cristo's chest. So beautiful. We walked around the other side and there was a service in Portuguese going on in a chapel. We stood for a bit as they sang and prayed. Then we made our way back to Copa. I also forgot to mention yesterday how beautiful the Cristo statue is at night. We saw it as we were on what I believe was Avenue Infante Dom Henrique on our way to Lapa and it is lit up at night. As you drive it looks like the statue is floating. Very cool.
After we got back to Copa, we grabbed some food on the beach (shrimp, sausage and onions, cheesy french fries, and mini chicken tenders with some beers. Lots of fried food, but it was good). We needed something to settle our stomachs after our drive back.
We went from there to try and get a drink at the Copacabana Palace Hotel, but were told we needed a reservation. We are pretty sure it was the way we were dressed though (shorts and tank tops, not to mention Betsy's see through cover-up). We decided we might have to go back again tonight looking more like ourselves and throw out the Julia Roberts Pretty Woman line like "Remember us? We stopped by earlier today and wanted to get a drink. You wouldn't let us. Big mistake. Big. Huge." After that, I didn't want us to try any other places and get rejected a second time since my self-esteem took a hit already. Haha!
For dinner, we went to Churrascaria Palace. The salad bar was great (lots of veggies, cheese, charcuterie, oysters, and these delicious fruit sushi rolls made with strawberries and mango). Then came the meat. Everything you can imagine. It was all very good. A little salty, but good. The waiters were all very friendly and helpful. After dinner we just went back to our hotel for one last drink in Rio. Tomorrow we head to Buenos Aires.
Tchau Rio!!!
We went to our cafe again for breakfast then tried to book the Pao de Acucar and Cristo Redentor tour from the hotel for the afternoon, but it was sold out. Instead, we took a cab to Placo do lido on the north end of Copacabana and purchased a ticket for a shuttle to take us up to Cristo Redentor to start. The price was 51 Real.
Side bar. As we were leaving for Cristo, Sandy asked Betsy if she knew that her dress was see through. It was really a swimsuit cover-up and I had thought that was what she was wearing underneath. Nope. She was wearing a green thong underneath and it was VERY obvious. It was also paired with converse sneakers, which was an interesting added touch. So she changed into a swimsuit for underneath.
The shuttle brought us all the way up. We didn't have to take the tram, which made the trip faster, but it was a very bumpy ride so not for those who get car sick. We had been told when buying the tickets that we might not have any visibility, but when we arrived at the top it was a little cloudy, but not bad. There were very cool views overlooking Rio and of course the Cristo statue. We took pictures and prayed a bit. I loved that the stone had a carved heart on Cristo's chest. So beautiful. We walked around the other side and there was a service in Portuguese going on in a chapel. We stood for a bit as they sang and prayed. Then we made our way back to Copa. I also forgot to mention yesterday how beautiful the Cristo statue is at night. We saw it as we were on what I believe was Avenue Infante Dom Henrique on our way to Lapa and it is lit up at night. As you drive it looks like the statue is floating. Very cool.
After we got back to Copa, we grabbed some food on the beach (shrimp, sausage and onions, cheesy french fries, and mini chicken tenders with some beers. Lots of fried food, but it was good). We needed something to settle our stomachs after our drive back.
We went from there to try and get a drink at the Copacabana Palace Hotel, but were told we needed a reservation. We are pretty sure it was the way we were dressed though (shorts and tank tops, not to mention Betsy's see through cover-up). We decided we might have to go back again tonight looking more like ourselves and throw out the Julia Roberts Pretty Woman line like "Remember us? We stopped by earlier today and wanted to get a drink. You wouldn't let us. Big mistake. Big. Huge." After that, I didn't want us to try any other places and get rejected a second time since my self-esteem took a hit already. Haha!
For dinner, we went to Churrascaria Palace. The salad bar was great (lots of veggies, cheese, charcuterie, oysters, and these delicious fruit sushi rolls made with strawberries and mango). Then came the meat. Everything you can imagine. It was all very good. A little salty, but good. The waiters were all very friendly and helpful. After dinner we just went back to our hotel for one last drink in Rio. Tomorrow we head to Buenos Aires.
Tchau Rio!!!
Feb 18th, 2014, 05:11 AM
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Update from 2/17: Pool, travel to BA, and dinner.
We got up early to take advantage of the sun for a couple hours before we left then headed to the airport.
When we arrived in BA, it took us about an hour to get our luggage and get through customs (mostly customs). We bought a pre-paid taxi and were glad that we did because we noticed a long taxi line. The drive into the city was a bit fast and chaotic. Carolina was sitting in the front seat and her heart was in her throat.
We got cleaned up and asked our concierge about where we could exchange and she recommended an official exchange. We asked about where we could exchange at the blue dollar rate and she discouraged us by saying that counterfeits happen a lot and that she didn't recommend it. Hmmm. We will see what others say.
We had dinner in Puerto Madero at an Italian restaurant called La Parolaccia. They brought us complimentary glasses of Campari and blood orange juice, which was very good. We had an appetizer of proscuitto, mozzarella, olives, sun dried tomatoes, and arugula. Carolina and I shared gnocchi with mozzarella, pesto, and a tomato sauce, Betsy had the Spaghetti Carbonera, and Sandy had the Frutti di Mare Spaghetti. Everyone really liked it. The evening finished with some complimentary glasses of champagne. So nice since the restaurant was closing down at that point and we figured they wanted us out of there so they could go home.
We got up early to take advantage of the sun for a couple hours before we left then headed to the airport.
When we arrived in BA, it took us about an hour to get our luggage and get through customs (mostly customs). We bought a pre-paid taxi and were glad that we did because we noticed a long taxi line. The drive into the city was a bit fast and chaotic. Carolina was sitting in the front seat and her heart was in her throat.
We got cleaned up and asked our concierge about where we could exchange and she recommended an official exchange. We asked about where we could exchange at the blue dollar rate and she discouraged us by saying that counterfeits happen a lot and that she didn't recommend it. Hmmm. We will see what others say.
We had dinner in Puerto Madero at an Italian restaurant called La Parolaccia. They brought us complimentary glasses of Campari and blood orange juice, which was very good. We had an appetizer of proscuitto, mozzarella, olives, sun dried tomatoes, and arugula. Carolina and I shared gnocchi with mozzarella, pesto, and a tomato sauce, Betsy had the Spaghetti Carbonera, and Sandy had the Frutti di Mare Spaghetti. Everyone really liked it. The evening finished with some complimentary glasses of champagne. So nice since the restaurant was closing down at that point and we figured they wanted us out of there so they could go home.
Feb 18th, 2014, 05:43 AM
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If you wish, e-mail me to albertovgalloATyahoo.com, giving me a phone number to call you. A cell maybe?
You could go to the suggested official exchange place and say you want at least 11,50. See informal:
http://www.ambito.com/economia/mercados/monedas/dolar/
Most of the "official" exchange places also do the "blue" rate under the table.
That dinner could have cost you quite a bit less (roughly 30%), by paying in cash pesos obtained by selling cash dollars at the "blue" rate.
You are more likely to get fake bills from an ATM than from a "blue" exchange broker, who relies entirely on his "word of mouth" reputation to stay in business.
It's OK to tell cab drivers to slow down, or else!
It's also OK to stay late at restaurants in BA.
Have a great time in my town, Meredith052013 & friends.
You could go to the suggested official exchange place and say you want at least 11,50. See informal:
http://www.ambito.com/economia/mercados/monedas/dolar/
Most of the "official" exchange places also do the "blue" rate under the table.
That dinner could have cost you quite a bit less (roughly 30%), by paying in cash pesos obtained by selling cash dollars at the "blue" rate.
You are more likely to get fake bills from an ATM than from a "blue" exchange broker, who relies entirely on his "word of mouth" reputation to stay in business.
It's OK to tell cab drivers to slow down, or else!
It's also OK to stay late at restaurants in BA.
Have a great time in my town, Meredith052013 & friends.
Feb 18th, 2014, 11:09 AM
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Thanks avrooster! We ended up finding a solution. We went into a store and one of us speaks Spanish so she asked their recommendation and they said they could exchange at the blue dollar rate. We started with a smaller amount, went to have breakfast to test it out, then went back for more to exchange. No issues so far. Thanks for the tips!
