indiancouple

Treepol, you are welcome.

Great itinerary Elizabeth. Do not know much about Pipa. I am sure you will love the Amazon. Ditto for Salvador and Rio. At Iguazu, be sure to see both sides of the falls, especially the Argentinian side which is far better.

indiancouple

Day 6 : Wednesday December 21st :
FOZ DO IGUACU :

We had set the alarm for 5am, but I was up at 4:30am, with the hang-gliding take-off moment flashing before my eyes ! Gave the jitters even the next morning !

We got ready, had breakfast at 6am, and checked out of the hotel. Called a yellow taxi, and negotiated a fixed price of R$ 55 for GIG airport from Copacabana. We were off by 6:30am, making it comfortably to GIG by 7am. GIG airport is far better organized than GRU, so we had a smooth check-in without hassles. We had purchased a 4-destination TAM airpass, and this was the first sector of the pass : Rio to Foz do Iguacu. When I had purchased the pass, and called up their helpdesk to book all the flight sectors, I realized that not every TAM flight is available for travel on the airpass. Although there are quite a few direct flights from Rio to Iguazu, I was forced to fly Rio - Curitiba, and Curitiba - Iguazu. Anyway, our baggage was booked through to Foz do Iguacu, and our flight to Curitiba left ahead of schedule by 9am, reaching Curitiba at 10:30am.

We had a 3-hour wait at Curitiba, which I utilized to download all my Rio pictures to my netbook, and to sort and label them. We had a light lunch of some cheesebread and coffee, together with some snacks we were carrying from home. Our onward flight was late by 20 minutes, and it was 3 pm by the time we landed at Foz do Iguacu.

We were scheduled to stay only 2 nights at Iguazu, and had planned on viewing both sides of the Falls. Everyone had advised to budget for a couple of hours for the Brazilian side, and a full day for the Argentinian side. Today we had planned on covering the Brazilian side. The airport is quite some distance from the city, although not very far from the falls itself. It made no sense to go all the way to our hotel, dump our bags and come all the way back to the Falls; it would certainly close by then. Fortunately, I had planned for this, by seeking advice from the park officials by mail a few weeks earlier, and did exactly as I was told.

From the airport, we hopped into a taxi to take us to the Visitor Center of the Falls at the entrance, which was barely 5 minute drive from the airport. At the Visitor Center, we went straight into the Souvenir shop, which sold keys for luggage lockers. The man at the souvenir shop counter was very helpful, and offered to come out and see whether we needed 1 or 2 or 3 lockers ! He managed to stuff our luggage into 2 lockers (we had a lot !!) - extremely helpful guy. Then quickly purchased entry tickets, and we were seated on the complimentary park bus before 4pm, less than an hour of landing at the airport. Although the ticket counter closes at 5pm, the park itself is open till 6:30pm in summers, and we had just enough time to cover it. Two hours is par for the course on the Brazilian side.

We rode the park bus to the Trilha Cataratas Stop, where we alighted and took the 1.2 km walking trail to the falls. It was spectacular, with photo ops appearing every 50 meters, and super panoramic views of the entire stretch of the falls before us. Be prepared for high humidity here, and I was sweating profusely. Needed to partake of water and sodas at frequent intervals to avoid dehydration.

Finally, at the end of the trail, one reaches the climax, which is the Devil's Throat. The lookout point is well designed to give a great view of the water dropping on all sides, with the constant spray of water making you wet. We spent a good 45 minutes here, enjoying getting soaked in the spray mist. The views are to die for, leaving Niagara Falls miles behind. No heat or humidity here either, and the cool breeze makes you feel wonderful.

All good things must come to an end, and we rode the elevator to the top of the falls, clicking more pictures. Then at 6pm we rode the park bus going back to the Visitor Center at the entrance. On reaching there, we quickly retrieved our luggage from the lockers, and just made it on the 6:30pm bus leaving the Falls for the city (this was the last bus leaving the park !).

The bus went right in front of our hotel, but refused to stop there. We had to get out at the final terminus, and walk back about 200 meters to our Hotel Del Rey. We were allotted a large room with 3 beds, and a huge toilet area. The hotel is nothing very fanciful, but very clean, spacious, has excellent English speaking and friendly staff, and very well located. We were in our rooms by 7:30pm, and we were happy with our hotel choice.

We enquired about veg food from the reception, and were advised to try an Italian trattoria in the city, which even sent free transport to pick-up guests from hotels. The Cantina 4 Sorelle turned out to be an excellent choice. Very fashionable and popular place, where I feasted on superb lasagnes. Then opted to walk back to the hotel, showered and went to bed by 11pm.

indiancouple

Day 7 : Thursday December 22nd :
FOZ DO IGUACU (Cont'd) :

We knew we had time on our hands today, as all that was planned was to see the Argentinian side of the Falls. So although the alarm went off at 7:30am, we lazed in bed for an extra hour. Had a decent breakfast at the hotel, and left by 10:15am. Argentina was an hour behind in time, so it was only 9:15am in Argentina.

Many nationalities do not require a separate visa for Argentina to view that side of the Falls. To play safe, we had obtained our Argentina visa in India before departure. From just outside our hotel, we caught a bus going to Puerto Iguazu in Argentina. Fare was only R$ 4 pp. After riding for about 30 minutes or so, we reached what appeared to be a border crossing. The bus stopped there briefly. The driver did not say a word, and no Immigration official popped his head inside to check. We enquired from the bus driver; he casually said that if we wanted our passports stamped, we should get off, and catch the next bus in the same direction (with the same ticket). We knew that we were required by law to get our passports stamped, so we got off.

It turns out that the Brazilian border station and the Argentinian border station are separated by about 4-5 km (God knows why ?). We had reached only the Brazilian border. The norm is that at the Brazilian border, the bus will not wait for you, but you are expected to get off and catch the next bus. However, at the Argentinian border, the bus will wait for 5-10 minutes to permit you to do the passport formalities. This applies to travel in both directions.

Anyway, we were quite unaware of these fine intricacies. We just got off, and the Brazilian authorities swiftly stamped our passports. When we enquired if this process was really necessary, we were told that it certainly was ! When we further questioned as to why no one had forced us to get down from the bus, and why the bus driver was all set to proceed without our getting off, we were told that "these bus drivers are crazy" ! Seemed like a very loose and lax border crossing - you complete formalities if you want to, otherwise no one cares !

The next bus in the same direction did appear very soon. We got on, along with several other tourists who were in a similar situation. We showed our tickets from the previous bus ride, but we were all told that it was not valid. Apparently there are 4 different bus companies that ply on this route, and the same ticket would be valid only if we caught a bus operated by the same company as before (which was highly unlikely!). So we all paid the R$ 4 pp all over again ! A few minutes later, the Argentinian border crossing appeared. This time the driver asked us to get off, and indicated that he would wait 5-7 minutes for us to get our passports stamped. There was no queue, and the stamping process was quick. Everyone, including my wife, were done in no time, but the officer inspecting my passport was highly suspicious, and taking a long time. The bus driver was frantically gesturing that I should be quick else he would leave. Finally, I was cleared and we proceeded.

Brazilian currency is accepted for everything on the Argentinian side (including bus rides, food etc), except for the entry ticket to the park, for which you need to carry local pesos. I knew that we had to carry 100 pesos pp to make the entry into the park. There was a currency exchange counter at this border, where I wanted to change some currency into pesos, but the driver threatened to leave (indicating that I could catch the next bus in that direction on the same ticket !!). Alternately, he offered to provide the currency exchange himself, albeit at a slightly unfavorable rate ! I did not want to wait for a third bus, and pay the bus fare for a third time, so I accepted his offer, got 200 pesos in my pocket, and proceeded. This was getting to be quite an adventure !

Finally we reached the Puerto Iguazu terminal in Argentina, where we had to get off and catch another bus to the Falls. There were a line of travel agents there, and we bumped into a particularly helpful guy. He gave us return bus tickets to travel to the Falls, and gave us complete dope about bus timings in both directions etc. The next bus to the Falls was only 10 minutes away, and the fare was R$ 5 pp in each direction. We hopped on, and very soon we were at the Falls entrance. It had taken 90 minutes from our hotel, and two border crossings ! It was early in the day yet, as it was only 10:45am Argentinian time.

We paid the 100 pesos pp entry fee and went in. Strange that for everything else you can pay in Brazilian currency (including for all food inside the park, the buses on the Argentinian side), but not for park entry. And they refuse to have a currency exchange counter at the park entrance ! With the amount of tourist traffic in both directions (to see the other side of the Falls), one would imagine that the border crossings, currency conversion etc can be all done in a more customer friendly manner.

Once inside the park, we rode the free train to the Cataratas station, and set off on the Upper Circuit walking trail immediately. Every guidebook had recommended first doing the Upper Circuit, as otherwise it would be anti-climactic to do it after the Lower Circuit. The Upper Circuit is doable in about 40 minutes. The Argentinian side was far more spectacular and interesting than the Brazilian side. The Brazilian side gives you a panoramic view of the entire stretch of the falls, but the Argentinian side is more fascinating. More up-close and personal, and more intense. Clicked large number of pictures. It was a beautiful clear day, but again very hot and humid in this region.

After completing the Upper circuit, we sat down at one of the Park cafes and had lunch, resting our feet for a while. Then embarked on the Lower circuit, which is longer, more strenuous and more spectacular. It far surpassed any water fall that we had ever seen. Niagara did not even come close.

From the lowest point on the Lower Circuit, we took the Adventura Nautica boat ride into the falls. A fantastic experience not to be missed. We were prepared to get wet by the water spray of the falls, but had not bargained on the boat going under the falls for a full 1-2 minute of soaking ! Great fun, and everyone loved it !!

We emerged drenched from the boat ride, and started the arduous climb up, with our clothes dripping wet and heavy. Fortunately, on the way up you have to negotiated inclined ramps instead of steps, which makes it easier on your legs. Once we reached the Cataratas station, we boarded another train going to the Devil's Throat, which is at the far end of the park, about a 20 minute train ride away.

There is a longish walk when you get off from the train, but when you finally reach the Devil's Throat, it is the ultimate climax of the two days of fall viewing. It is a spectacular experience, which cannot be described in words. Too powerful a sight to behold.

After spending a lot of time at the Devil's Throat, we reluctantly made our way back to the train station, and took a train back to the park entrance. Then the bus to Puerto Iguazu, then change of buses to return to Foz do Iguacu. Once again, the 5 minute stop at the Argentinian border, where our exit from Argentina was stamped. At the Brazilian border, we were told to get off and catch the next bus.

This time there was a line at the Brazilian border, with many travel agents in queue, each carrying about 15-20 passports. There was only one immigration official on work. A gentle requests to the travel agents, and they allowed us to go ahead in queue. Got our Brazilian entry stamped, and caught the next bus into town (obviously paying the fare for the 2nd time !). As we entered Foz do Iguacu, we got down near the same restaurant that we had dined at the previous night, Cantina 4 Sorelle. The meal was wonderful again, and they arranged drop back to our hotel.

We had left a load of clothes for laundry at the reception, which we collected, completed packing our suitcases, and dozed off to sleep.

indiancouple

Day 8 : Friday December 23rd :
SALVADOR :

We were due to fly out at 9:30am, to Rio and then on to Salvador. Got up by 6am, had breakfast, cleared the hotel bill, and popped across the street to catch the airport bus. The bus came at 7:30am, and we got on. However, it was quite crowded, and we had to stand for over 50% of the journey. It was uncomfortable, with all our baggage, and the bus driver who had a penchant for sharp braking and sudden thrusts, but we made it to the airport by 8am.

The flight to Rio was on schedule, getting us there by 11:30am. We had a two-and-half hour wait for our connecting flight, which was utilized once again in downloading and sorting photographs from the camera to the netbook. And managed to eat something by way of lunch at the airport. We reached Salvador on time at 4pm. This time the baggage retrieval was very fast. The hotel had arranged a car to pick us up, which was waiting outside. We sped away, and reached our Bahiacafe hotel in Pelourinho at 5:15pm.

The Bahiacafe hotel is a cute, arty, bohemian boutique hotel situated right on Praca da Se. We had read that it had no air-conditioning, but were pleasantly surprised to know that they had recently installed air-conditioning in all rooms. It now had all the luxury trappings, in a very arty atmosphere. Its owner Michel, and the support staff, were all wonderfully friendly and helpful (and spoke excellent English). Its location could not be beat. We were very happy with our choice of hotel yet again, and so glad that we had not opted to stay in the Barra area of Salvador. After all, we had come here for Pelourinho and the Bahian culture, and not the beaches.

We walked out by 6:15pm, deciding to make most of the remaining time of the day. Decided to restrict ourselves to Pelourinho only for the evening. We walked out on Praca da De, and turned into Terreiro de Jesus, which was extremely lively at that hour. We walked down to Largo Pelourinho, then back up to Sao Francisco church, and back to Praca da Se. It was a Friday night, just before Christmas, and the start of the summer holidays there. So Pelourinho was in full element that evening (according to our hotel staff, this was more lively than the traditional Olodum evenings on Tuesdays). There were Christmas processions on every street, with people dressed in all kinds of costumes and dancing away. There were various performances going on on stages set up at Largo Pelourinho and Sao Francisco square. There was loud music emanating from every house and every bar. And percussion bands were wandering the streets creating lovely music !

It was a pleasure and a privilege to see Pelo in such glory, and we made the most of it by popping into arts & crafts stores, strolling the streets and squares, and soaking in the festive atmosphere. The architecture was so colorful and rich, that it was hard to stop clicking one's camera. And the music just made you want to dance. You could feel the vibrant culture and spirit in the air.

We went for dinner to a place called Bar Zulu, of which we had read so much on various travel sites. It had seating both inside, and outside on the street (we opted for the outside seats of course), and a live band playing music on the street just a few feet away (on a makeshift stage). The band was belting out some fabulous music, and had everyone enthralled. The owner of Bar Zulu was a Britisher, and he personally came to take our orders. They have a large selection of veg dishes, which is why we were here. I had a Kiwi caipirinha, DW had a Watermelon juice with ginger and mint which was divine. We had Patata Bravas (with some excellent hot sauce), a wonderful soup, and a Moroccon lentil dish which was excellent. Had the owner sent two people along to help polish off the dishes, there still would have been food to spare !

At 10pm we slowly started to make our way back to the hotel. It was our first evening in Salvador, and we were loving its feel.

indiancouple

Day 9 : Saturday December 24th :
SALVADOR (Cont'd) :

After a decent breakfast at the hotel, we left at 9am in the morning. It was a clear and sunny day. We were told that Christmas celebrations in Bahia take place mainly on 24th Dec instead of 25th, and Michel warned us that most things would start closing down by afternoon, and that we may have some difficulty in finding a place open for dinner.

We walked towards Praca Municipal, crossing some acaraje vendors on the way. The ladies behind such kiosks, who were busy frying acaraje, were all dressed so beautifully, with rounded skirts, matching headgear, and vivid eye-shadows. They all looked so pretty and full of life. DW insisted on having her pictures clicked with several of them. They were all sporting and game, and seemed to enjoy the attention.

From the Praca Municipal, the views of the Bay were fantastic. There were lovely buildings all around the Praca too, including the Rio Branco Palacio on one side. We then rode the Lacerda elevator down to the lower city, or Cidade Baixa as it is known. Was reminded so much of Lisbon, where similar elevators connect one part of the city to another.

On reaching down, we crossed the street to reach Mercado Modelo. This is the best place to shop for souvenirs in all of Brazil. The place is crammed with stores of every variety, and prices are a fraction of what you will find in Rio stores. And you can bargain to your heart's content (striking a deal at about 35-40% of the initial offer price!). A fantastic collection of arts and crafts, and for the next 3 hours we went berserk shopping for souvenirs and gifts. Finally, our arms started paining from the weight of our purchases; so we went up the Lacerda elevator, dropped off our shopping in our hotel room, and were back in 10 minutes to resume our shopping ! This time the upper floor of Mercado Modelo.

Finally, we decided to curtail our shopping spree at 1pm, and took a taxi to Solar de Unhao (pronounced with a difficult nasal twang). Unfortunately, it was closed for Christmas. Then asked the taxi to take us to a particular veg restaurant nearby, but that too was closed for Christmas. We returned to Lacerda, rode it up, and noticed that most places had already shut down for Christmas. Walked to Bar Zulu where we had dined the previous evening, and luckily it was one of the few establishments that was open. We had juice glasses, some Nachos (with hot sauce !), and Alu Gobi + rice. Food was good as usual, and we were hungry, so it was devoured quickly.

After lunch we visited Igreja Sao Francisco, and were stunned by the rich gold interiors. Very ornate and jaw-dropping. And entry was free on account of Christmas. Walked over to the nearby Afro-Brasilerie museum, but that too had shut down. Had our pictures clicked on the roadside in a stall where you could dress up in Bahian attire, and had a blast.

The great thing about our hotel location was that it was only two minutes walk from Lacerda elevator, and we could go up and down at will. So we rode the elevator down again, and caught a bus going to Ribiera, getting off at the last stop. Near the bus terminus is an 80-year old ice cream parlour, where we seated ourselves and had some wonderful ice creams. The views of the Bay were very nice from here, as we slowly walked along the shoreline for the next 45 minutes till we reached Bonfim church.

There were a million ribbons tied to the railings outside this church. The church itself was simple yet impressive. Christmas mass had just started inside, and it was packed to capacity. We sat inside and witnessed the lovely hymn singing and various rituals being performed. Then emerged and took a taxi to nearby Ponta de Humaita and Monteserrat fort. A lovely place to stroll around and great views of central Salvador from here. Then took a taxi back to Lacerda, returned to our hotel, and rested in our rooms for awhile.

Most of Pelo was deserted today, on account of Christmas. Michel had warned us not to carry a camera around today in the evening, and we heeded his advice, although we witnessed no threat anywhere. Very few shops or restaurants were open. There was some activity on Terreiro de Jesus, where we sat for some time. We walked around Pelo one more time, and were forced to dine once again at Bar Zulu, as nothing else was open. Had a nice dinner and returned to our hotel.

Christmas mass was in progress at the Cathedral Basilica on Terreiro de Jesus. Looked in briefly, then returned to the hotel and went early to bed. Not much else to do.

Femi

Still following along and waiting for the Amazon

indiancouple

Yes Femi, I am traveling the last few days. Will return and complete the Trip Report very soon.

indiancouple

Day 10 : Sunday December 25th :
SALVADOR (Cont’d) :

Today was a double whammy; it was Christmas and a Sunday. Everything was likely to be closed. We had selected to visit the one spot that would not be closed, which was the beach area of Salvador.

After a leisurely breakfast, we boarded a bus from Praca da Se bound for the Barra area, getting down at Porta de Barra, supposedly the best beach of Salvador. It was quite nice, and quite crowded on a holiday. One should not compare this with Ipanema or Copacabana beach, but on an absolute scale, it was quite a good beach.

We had reached here at about 10:30am, and we immediately made ourselves comfortable by renting two chairs and an umbrella. Started off with an ice-chilled fresh coconut water, followed soon after by some excellent limao juice tended by some roving vendor, which was divine in taste. After that, I went for a plunge in the water. The water temperature was just right, and the water was as still as a swimming pool. Lots of families swimming all around.

After spending 30 minutes in the water, I returned to my chair and indulged in top quality people watching. The views and atmosphere was quite like Ipanema beach of Rio. Then I went back to the water for a repeat plunge. Finally, after a very relaxing and enjoyable morning at the beachside, we were ready to go for lunch at about 1:30pm.

We had heard great things about a veg restaurant here called “Ramma”. We found it easily, but alas it was closed for Christmas. However, quite nearby we spotted an upscale Italian restaurant called “Manitoba” or something similar. We sat down there, its strong air-conditioning feeling very refreshing after the outside heat. Consumed a wonderful dark beer, followed by a delicious plate of penne pasta with three-cheese sauce. Their hot sauce was even more delicious than anything we had tasted on this trip !

After lunch, at about 3pm we took a taxi up Avenue Sete Setembre to the Museu de Arte Bahia; closed too for Christmas. Walked to the nearby Carlos Costa Pinto Museum, and that too was closed. Very frustrating. The only place to go back to was the beach. We debated whether to go to the nearby Farol de Barra Beach, or travel some distance to Itapua beach. Someone had told us this morning that the further out we went, the more secluded and beautiful the beaches would get. We had time, so we rode a bus for the next 25 km out of town, getting down at Itapua beach. We were there in 25 minutes, after quite a scenic drive on the bus.

What we saw on getting there was totally contrary to expectations. It was a very very narrow strip of beach, packed to capacity with locals, with everyone trying to get drunk. The water was too filthy for swimming. There was a large run-down bar near the beach, where hundreds of locals were dancing away merrily to some music. We immediately realized that this was not the kind of place where we would like to spend time. Had some good fresh sugarcane juice, and immediately boarded a bus in the reverse direction.

We had planned on spending the evening at Rio Vermelho, which is known for party life in the late hours. We decided to stop at Rio Vermelho and check out the place, although it was still afternoon. The town had no real beach, but a rocky coastline. Sat on the waterfront and had another round of chilled coconut water. Then we checked out the various spots that we had marked out for dinner and music, and found them all closed for Christmas. Realized that there would not be much of a party scene today, as most establishments were closed. We had wasted the last 3 hours traveling up and down on buses, getting nowhere. Well the drive had been nice, but we would have been better off at Farol de Barra. That is where we decided to return.

Boarded a bus yet again, and got off slightly before the Farol de Barra, at the Christo statue atop a lovely hill. We walked on that hill, which was extremely pretty, with lush green grass, and swaying palms, and lovely views of the setting sun. It was 6pm, and getting close to sunset. We just sat there and watched a lovely sunset, with the sun sinking into the ocean around 7 pm. Very scenic and relaxing.

After sunset, we slowly walked along the coast to Farol de Barra, and then continued walking till Porta de Barra. There were very few places open for dinner, and we sat down on a pavement table at one such place. It was called “Oasis de la Porta” or something. The ambiance was quite nice, and the environs were lively. We had a pizza which was decent in taste, but ridiculously small in portion. Finally, at 9pm we boarded a bus back to Praca de Se. Went for a short stroll to Terreiro de Jesus, but even that was semi-deserted. Decided to call it a day and retire to bed.

indiancouple

Day 11 : Monday December 26th :
SALVADOR (Cont’d) :

Originally, we had planned on taking a day trip today, either to Itaparica or to Praia de Forte. Out hotel owner Michel explained that all we could expect to see at either places was beaches, beaches and more beaches. We had experienced enough of beaches the previous day, and we had come to Salvador to explore the culture here, and not the beaches. So we decided to give these day-trips a miss, and stay put at Salvador. We had missed out a lot the last two days, on account of things being closed for Christmas. We decided to catch up on all the missed sights today.

We started off by visiting the “lavanderia” near our hotel, to deposit another batch of clothes for laundry. It was run by a nice old Dutch gentleman, who promised to deliver the clothes back to our hotel. At 9::30am, we went to the capoeira school of Mestre Bimba, who is a veteran of the “Regional Style” of capoeira. We were allowed to sit and watch without paying any charge. There was a solo girl student at that time, who had travelled all the way from Slovenia to learn capoeira here ! A lady instructor was coaching her, and together they were going through the steps very smoothly. We were told that if we came back at 7pm in the evening, one of the Mestre would be teaching, and many more students were likely to be there.

We started walking towards the Santo Antonio area, but the road was mainly uphill and steep, and seemed quite a climb. So we soon opted for a taxi, which deposited us at the far end of Santo Antonio, to the erstwhile prison which is now the capoeira school of Mestre Joao Pequeno of the Angolan style. This was a spacious place, with several training rooms. Once again, tourists were permitted to sit and watch without paying any fee. In one room, a Mestre was at work with 3 students, who all seemed to be at an advanced stage of learning. We watched for a long time, and it was fascinating. The stamina required for capoeira is quite immense, and one requires a high degree of flexibility and coordination. The students kept going through their steps for a very long time without taking even a moment’s break. In an adjoining room, another instructor was working with an Argentinian couple, who appeared to be novices. I found capoeira very interesting to watch.

After leaving the capoeira school, we decided to slowly walk back to Pelourinho, as it was mainly downhill. Lots of lovely houses in Santo Antonio too, but perhaps not as well maintained as in Pelo. Lots of pousadas, cafes and bars. Seemed like a safe place (hotel owner had also vouched for safety of this area), so I freely clicked pictures with my DSLR. As I walked, a local lady saw me and scolded me, advising me to put my camera away or risk having it snatched. I did as I was told, although I saw nothing threatening anywhere.

On the way to Pelo, we spotted a lovely jewellery store called “Gersons”, who had stationed a beautifully dressed Bahian lady outside their store to draw the customers in. We succumbed to her charms and went in, and enjoyed killer views of the Todos Santos Bay from the shop interiors . The air-conditioning was excellent, and we finally ended up buying a nice pair of earrings for DW !

When we reached Pelo, we went inside a huge record shop called Cana Brava. It is a massive shop for music and CD’s, owned by an American, who is also the author of the best website for tourism for the Salvador area, called www.bahia-online.net . We were looking for some nice samba music, and some percussion music typical of Salvador. The owner played out various CD’s for us, and helped us make our selection. A very nice man, and we got just what we were looking for. Then we stopped at a Cambio near Sao Francisco square and changed some more currency. Tried one more time to visit the Afro-Brasilerie Museu, but it was still closed and would re-open only after the New Year. We popped into a few more stores, and did some more last-minute shopping. Then we sat down at Terreiro de Jesus, where open-air free capoeira was in progress. Unlike what I had read in guide books, the performers were not at all aggressive in demanding money from onlookers. You were welcome to go upto them, and have your pictures clicked with them performing capoeira all around you. A small donation was expected, but not aggressively sought. We had our photos clicked, and thoroughly enjoyed their performance.

For lunch we went inside “Ramma”, a veg restaurant near Igreja Sao Francisco, which had a great buffet spread where you pay by the kilo. We had a wonderful meal of great variety, and then went back to our hotel to rest for about an hour. At about 3pm, we left again, walking towards Lacerda elevator. We saw a roadside artiste, painting beautiful tiles with just his fingers. Fascinating to watch him, and bought one of his tiles. Excellent quality stuff, and very cheap.

On reaching the bottom of the elevator, we took a taxi to the Carlos Costa Pinto museum, and fortunately it was open today. Rarely have I enjoyed a museum more than this. The collections of silverware, porcelains, jewellery, paintings, furniture, crystals etc were fabulous, and superbly laid out and displayed. One should not miss this museum in Salvador – it is a real gem. We spent over an hour inside, and then more time at its lovely café in a picturesque backyard, where we had an excellent coffee. Then boarded a bus back to Praca da Se.

By now it was 5:30pm, and we went straight to Theater San Miguel and purchased tickets for its evening folkloric show. Then wrapped up our final remaining bits of shopping (Salvador is just such a great place to shop, it is hard to resist). There is excellent local craft work of straw, and they make lovely articles with them. We went back to our hotel, and did our packing for the trip, as we had made huge purchases during the last few days, and it was a tough job fitting everything in our bags. We really had no business buying so much, and it took a lot of effort to pack everything away.

At about 7 pm we went to Mestre Bimba’s capoeira school again, where a Mestre was at work with 3 students, all very advanced. Enjoyed watching it again. Must say I was impressed at the level of practice and stamina required to master this capoeira art.

Then we made our way to Theater San Miguel, for the 8pm show. It has a lovely compact theater inside, which gives a very personal up-close feeling with the performers. This show turned out to be the high point of our Salvador visit, and a fitting climax. A Candomble dance, a Fire dance, a Fisherman dance, a Harvest dance, a Capoeira performance and a Samba dance. Outstanding stuff, and thoroughly enjoyable. The Fisherman dance and the Capoeira performance were beyond description. Too good and never to be missed.

Went for dinner to an Italian restaurant called La Figa. Excellent food, washed down with Chilean white wine. The streets of Pelo were alive again, after a two day Christmas break. Music blaring everywhere. Drum bands in the streets. Freaks visible everywhere. Large groups of tourists floating all over, clicking pictures. This was the Salvador we had come to see, and enjoyed so much. We were feeling remorseful on leaving. We slowly walked back to our hotel at 11pm and went to bed.

indiancouple

Day 12 : Tuesday December 27th :
MANAUS :

Today was our travel day, with not much of planned itinerary. We got up at 4am, and were ready to leave by 5:15pm, when the taxi arrived. At that early hour, we made good progress, and reached Salvador airport well in time by 5:45pm. We had a smooth check-in, despite our bags having increased manifold in weight and volume, courtesy our shopping. Had a skimpy breakfast at the airport.

We had a 7:20am flight to Rio, which landed at Rio on time at 9:30am. Once again a two-and-half hour wait for our connecting flight, utilized as usual in downloading and sorting our Salvador pictures. Also had a light lunch at Rio airport.

Our connecting flight to Manaus was late by an hour, and after a long flight we finally landed at Manaus at 3pm local time (two hours behind Rio and the east coast of Brazil). Our Amazon tour was booked through Swallows and Amazons, and they had sent our guide Naresh to receive us at the airport, with a car. We were transported to our hotel Atlantica Go Inn in downtown, and checked in. It was a fairly decent hotel, but nothing to write home about. Naresh left us, promising to pick us up next morning.

At about 4:15pm we went for a stroll to the famous Teatro Amazonas, which was a 2 minute walk away. Impressive building, but I was quite underwhelmed. They had only one more tour inside remaining for the day, but it was in Portuguese. So we skipped it, and just strolled outside.

We walked in and out of some souvenir shops near the Teatro plaza, and finally settled down for dinner at Casa do Pensador nearby. It is right next to the famous Africa House restaurant. Had a decent meal of Veg Stroganoff, and then went back to our hotel. We were tired after a long day of travel, and retired to bed. Had to be fresh for the Amazon the next day !

Femi

You must have kept meticulous notes.

atravelynn

Looking forward to reading your report. I'm only up to the mess at the airline counter. Must be the status quo.

You two go the places that I find interesting. Will the Indian couple be doing any nature travel in India?

indiancouple

Sorry, I was out of town the last few days. Promise to complete the trip report tonight !

Yes Femi, I do keep notes everyday of our travels.

Which other place of our travel do you find interesting atravelyn ? We have already done a lot of travel within India, including visits to various "nature and wildlife" resorts and parks. Any particular ones or places that interest you ?

indiancouple

Day 13 : Wednesday December 28th :
AMAZON :

We were up by 7am, had our breakfast at the hotel, and stored most of our luggage in the storage room of the hotel. We had packed whatever little we needed for the next 3 days in one small suitcase. Best to travel light on the boat.

Our guide Naresh had promised to come by 8:30am, but arrived only at 9am. He suddenly informed us that the taxi ride to the docks was not included in our trip expenses, and would have to be paid by us. We had booked an all-inclusive trip, with airport transfers, hotel accommodation and the Amazon boat ride all included, and now someone was showing the fine print that a taxi ride costing barely R$ 10-15 was extra ! Not a good start. We decided to take time out for 5 minutes, and enquired as to what else was not included – come out with it all at one go ! He said that sodas, alcohol, toiletries, towels, blankets were not included, and we would have to bring our own. Thankfully, I had gone in some detail while booking the trip, and was able to show him the fine print of what we had paid for – it specifically included sodas, towels, blankets etc. It was well understood that alcohol and toiletries were not included. I got pretty annoyed, because after paying 100% advance to a supposedly “reputed” operator, who happened to be a Britisher, I had not expected this, and made my displeasure felt quite loud and clear.

On reading the details, Naresh apologized, as his owner was presently not in Manaus, and promised to arrange for blankets, towels and sodas. He expressed his inability to do something about the taxi ride, but managed to hail a friend who was driving by, and offer us a “free ride” to the docks. We went along, but it had already left a sour taste in our mouth. We were worried that this was a forerunner of things to come during the next few days. Fortunately however, the unpleasantness did not carry forward any further, and there were no further unpleasant surprises. However, it indicated to what extent one should dot the i’s and cross the t’s when booking such tours. Not that these surprises amount to much in monetary value; it is just disgusting to have to pay trivial extra amounts for having gone along in good faith about details.

When we reached the docks, we found that there was a huge indoor market by its side, selling all kinds of stuff. Nothing fanciful, but very interesting and a cheap place to stock up on everything. Naresh helped us purchase some beer and wine, sun-block cream, mosquito repellants, flashlight etc, which we felt we ought to have on such an adventure. Naresh stocked up on necessary purchases that he required on behalf of the tour operator, such as vegetables, flour, and various other boat supplies. The hour that we spent roaming around the market was actually quite enjoyable.

Finally we clambered aboard our Riverboat, called the “Ajauro Junior”, a modest double-decker vessel. A rustic “captain”, his wife who would function as our cook, our guide Naresh and ourselves. The upper deck was allotted to us as our “private” quarters, and three hammocks were strung across for us : one each for us, and a third to function as our “wardrobe”, so that small objects would not roll off the deck ! There was a shared toilet on the lower deck, along with the engine room and ship’s controls, hammocks for the crew and guide, and a small dining table. Very rustic but cute. We liked it and soon settled down.

We set sail at about 11am, and for an hour or so we traveled down the Rio Negro river, going past various floating gas-stations ! Even stopped at one and filled our boat’s fuel supply tanks. Then we continued our journey towards the “Meeting of the Waters”, where the Rio Negro river meets the Rio Solimoes to form the actual Amazon. The tea-colored water of the Rio Negro and the white muddy water of the Solimoes flow side by side for a full 9 km before they finally merge and become indistinguishable. The delay in mixing is caused by the high difference in the temperature, acidity and flow-rate of the two rivers, causing them to retain their identities for a considerable distance. Unforgettable sight that I will remember for a very long time.

We sat down for lunch, which was understandably “country style” : rice and beans, with veggies and fresh salads and fruits (we had requested for veg food; otherwise fish would surely have been provided). It was simple but very tasty. We had requested Naresh to stock up on green chillies and hot sauce when he was shopping in the morning, and his green chillies were pure dynamite !

Then we sailed back upstream on the Rio Negro , and after a while diverted off the Rio Negro towards Lake Janauari, where we alighted and took a short walk to reach the lake which was filled with giant water lilies. The largest water lilies had leaves with a diameter of 2.5 meters, and could supposedly support a weight of 25 kg ! It was a very picturesque spot, and looked extremely beautiful. Clicked lots and lots of pictures.

This was the last of the planned activity for the day (we had passed up the opportunity to do pirhana fishing, as it was not of interest to us !). As we set sail from Lake Janauari, a storm broke out on the Amazon (apparently quite common at this type of the year). We had to remain anchored and wait till the storm died down. It was over in an hour, and we moved on. However, the river was quite choppy in the aftermath of the storm, and the riverboat rolled from side to side. We were worried, but Naresh assured us that we were taking no chances with safety and it was perfectly safe.

We traveled for a few hours, with the waters becoming calmer with passage of time. Finally we reached the place where we were scheduled to drop anchor for the night, by around 6pm. Early dinner was served at 7pm. Darkness set in very quickly. We were tethered to some bushes near the shore. The spot was called Anaconda Bay – not the most reassuring place to spend a night ! However, we were assured that sighting an anaconda was highly unlikely, and we could retire peacefully to sleep on our hammocks at 7:30pm.

The weather suddenly became very cool. There was complete silence, but for the sounds of the rainforest – sounds of birds and insects, with not a soul in sight. Sleeping on a hammock on the Amazon river, in the midst of the thickest rainforests in the world, with birds and insect sounds to keep company, and the wind causing the bushes to make a constant rustling sound against the boat’s tarpaulins …this was adventure par excellence ! DW was scared all night that an anaconda will clamber aboard ! The sounds of the bushes against the tarps scared her. I had no problems about getting sleep at all. Managed beautifully in the hammocks, and slept peacefully for a full 11 hours, getting up at 6:30am next morning !

indiancouple

Day 14 : Thursday December 29th :
AMAZON (Cont’d) :

We got ready quite quickly after getting up. The toilet and shower were really quite adequate, and we had not expected 5-star luxury here. Breakfast was served at 7:15am; it was quite an elaborate spread : bread, eggs, cheese, fruits, unusual pancakes made of manioc flour, fried bananas, juice and coffee. We stuffed ourselves. The rustic environment and the fresh cooking tasted heavenly. After we finished, the boat went into motion by 7:45am.

The first point of call was at the Rio Negro State Park, where we were scheduled to take a three-hour walk through the Amazon rainforest. We reached our pre-selected spot by around 9:15am. We learned that this was the spot where the in-laws of Mark Aitchinson (the owner of the tour group “Swallows & Amazons”) lived. We walked up to his father-in-law’s house, where Naresh picked up an additional local guide (a diminutive old man, who was apparently very knowledgeable of the area), and two dogs ! By 9:45am we were off on our hike. Within 5 minutes we were in thick forest, with the sun not finding its way to the ground. In fact we were already in such thick forest cover, that we would never have been able to find our way out without a guide !

The walk was very interesting – we felt that we were intrepid explorers of National Geographic or Discovery channel ! Naresh and the local guide walked in front, with machetes in hand, clearing the way by constantly swiping at vines or cobwebs or branches that blocked our path. The dogs ran all over the place, sniffing away. Naresh had mentioned that there was not much of a threat from jaguars; what we needed to be worried about were wild pigs, who walked in herds of 50-100 together, and could devour a live human. The dogs were with us to smell them out from a distance and warn us if ever such a herd was near. Thankfully, no such danger confronted us.

We were shown very unique medicinal trees and shrubs at every turn. There were trees from which you could get pure drinking water, milk, treatment from diarrhea, cure for skin problems, cure for malaria or headaches or liver problems etc. Saw trees whose bark is used for making ropes, and the rope making art was demonstrated live by using it. The same bark could also be used for roof thatching, or for making skirts ! Each time we passed such a unique tree, Naresh would cut across the relevant portion of the tree, and demonstrate whatever use it was meant for. A very educative and interesting journey.

We also saw some interesting animals, birds and moths. We watched with fascination the Giant Spider, including a demo on how to make it come out of its hole, and how to send it back ! Could never imagine a spider so huge, and apparently quite dangerous too.

The first two hours of the rainforest walk was great. After that, the last hour was a bit tiring. The humidity in the rainforest was very high, and I was perspiring profusely. I was feeling quite tired and a bit dehydrated, as we were carrying limited water with us. The last 45 minutes of the walk felt like an ordeal to me, and I was glad when we finally emerged back in the clear. By the time we walked back to the boat and climbed aboard, it was about 12:45pm. I rushed to the toilet to have a cold shower, and downed lots of water, followed by a chilled beer, and finally felt normal again.

We had lunch, and by 2pm we were on our way again. In 30 minutes, we docked again, this time near a village of the local Cabocles people. There was a long set of wooden stairs to be negotiated before we reached the village, and just as we reached the rain came down heavily without any warning. We took cover in the porch of a large local family’s house, where the family members were busy grating, sieving and cooking manioc flour. They surprisingly spoke good English, and it was interesting to watch them go about their daily lives.

When the rain subsided, we went for a walk around their village, which was quite spread out. We were very impressed with their school building, which looked extremely good. There were decent houses everywhere, with TV, dog kennels, and various other “trappings” of modern life. Not too interesting for us coming from India, as it resembled various poor Indian villages. Perhaps of more interest to a Westerner.

We returned to the boat and sailed towards the Anavilhas Archipalego, which is a unique cluster of 420 pristine rainforest islands, which are all uninhabited forest reserves, where even setting foot is prohibited. After going through this picturesque portion for a while, we again had to stop and tether our boat, as another storm had broken out on the Amazon.

This time the storm was a major one, and lasted full 90 minutes, when it rained cats and dogs. When we started moving again, we found ourselves in the midst of a very wide expanse of water (the river was over 20 km wide here !), and the water was extremely choppy after the storm – more so than the previous day. We were quite scared as the boat rocked and rolled, but we were constantly assured by Naresh that there was no risk and we were fine. As time went on, the water gradually calmed down again, and we breathed more easily. Finally we docked at a point, where we had to pick up canoes. It was a huge floating house on the water, where we were greeted by a lady with 8 grown up children, and as many dogs. There were a lot of pink dolphins swimming about in the area. Her teenaged sons had just returned from fishing on a canoe, and were slowly removing the catch of the day from the fishing nets in the canoe.

Once the fish removal was done, the canoe was tied to our riverboat, and we set off again. Not far away, we dropped anchor and tethered our boat for our night halt. We got into the canoe with Naresh, and rowed out in pitch darkness, armed with only flashlights. We were on a caiman spotting expedition. We spotted several, although all we could see was their eyes in the light of the flashlights. I was enjoying it, but DW was feeling scared and uncomfortable. So we did not do the caiman spotting for long, and returned to our riverboat.

We had a simple but sumptuous dinner, and by 8pm it was already late for bed-time in the Amazon ! This night there were no rustling sounds, and no possible “anaconda” threats, so DW slept as peacefully as me.

indiancouple

Day 15 : Friday December 30th :
AMAZON / MANAUS :

After sleeping for a full 10 hours, we woke up at 6am. By now we felt quite comfortable in our hammocks. Today the sky was overcast. We sat on our deck chairs for an hour, admiring the peace and tranquility of the environs. It had started to rain.

We gradually got ready, and had a repeat lavish breakfast as the previous day. We were waiting for the rain to disappear, but it would not stop. There was no wind to accompany the rain, but the rain itself was light yet continuous – the kind that does not go away in a hurry. We were due to go on a canoeing trip in the area with Naresh. When we gave up on the rain stopping, we donned our raincoats, and climbed into the canoe. We went on a 90-minute canoeing trip around the area in Lake Acajatuba, amidst light but persistent rain. The water was still, and the rain did not bother us after a while. The sights were lovely. Lots of birds, despite the rain. We saw vultures, parrots, kingfishers, herons, green ibis, swallows etc. Naresh would keep pointing them out to us. There were shrubs everywhere on which red colored berries grew. We were assured that they were edible, and we enjoyed plucking them and devouring them as we rowed everywhere. It was a perfect place to click lots of pictures, but unfortunately I had left my camera in the boat because of the rain.

We returned to our riverboat by 11am, and returned to the place where we had rented the canoe the previous evening. Lots of tourists had already arrived by then, to see the pink dolphins. The rain had completely stopped by now. We got into our swimming gear, walked to the platform where the teenaged boys were feeding the pink dolphins. Finally, we climbed into the water and had a great time alongside the pink dolphins. They were being hand-fed fish which had been caught the previous evening. They would keep coming near the boys and emerged from the water to take their fish. As they emerged, we could feel their bodies and stroke them. Finally, I went for a swim in the waters, with lots of pink dolphins swimming beside me. It was an unforgettable moment.

Finally we returned to our riverboat, and set sail for our return journey to Manaus. It was noon, and the journey ahead would take 4-5 hours. Had a cold beer and some snacks, and packed up our stuff which was strewn all over the upper deck. Had a decent lunch at 1pm, our last meal on the boat. Then just sat on the upper deck or lay on the hammocks, as the boat moved forward without stopping anywhere. The river was calm and peaceful today, and we had no anxious moments. Finally, we reached the Manaus docks at about 5 pm. We clicked pictures with the entire “crew” of the boat, and got off. It had been probably the greatest true adventure of our lifetime. Naresh helped us get a taxi. He had been a great guide, and we tipped him handsomely. The traffic in Manaus was pathetic, and it took a while to get back to our hotel. Once there, we checked in again, retrieved our luggage from the storage rooms, and went to our rooms.

We decided to go for an early dinner, and retire early, as we had a very early morning flight to catch the next day. We strolled towards the Teatro square, and went to a popular pizzeria called “Scarola”, a short walk from the Teatro. Had a decent meal, and returned to our hotel, to crash out to sleep. Had to set a wake-up alarm for 3:30am, as we had a 5:50am flight to Sao Paulo.

Femi

What a fantastic time on the river. Glad things turned out OK in the end after the bumpy start.

indiancouple

Yes Femi, it was a great adventure, and very different from what we had ever experienced. The Amazon feels less like a river, and more like a sea - it is so huge. One is in constant awe of this mighty river.

indiancouple

Day 16 : Saturday December 31st :
SAO PAULO :

Got up around 3:30am and got ready quickly. By 4:15am we were down with our luggage and checked out. Naresh had arranged for his brother to drive us to the airport, and he was on time. A smooth drive at that hour, and we were at the airport in no time. This was the first direct flight we were taking on TAM, where we did not have to transit through another airport. Straight to Sao Paulo, where we reached at 11:30am local time.

Took a taxi from the airport to our hotel, which was the Mercure Jardims Hotel. You are forced to take a fixed fare taxi at Sao Paulo (the cab company has a monopoly here), which was a steep R$ 105 to Jardims. We liked the look of the city as we drove through it, and loved the feel of the Jardims area when we reached there. Once again, we were very very happy that we had selected a hotel in this neighborhood. It was safe, lively, and just two blocks away from the happening street of Av Paulista. The hotel itself was nice, with spacious rooms and friendly English speaking staff.

We had experienced an excellent run with the weather all through this trip, and our luck was due to run out now. There was consistent rain forecasted for the next two days, and that was exactly what was visible – a constant pitter patter all the time. To make things worse, we discovered that the city virtually shuts down for two days on New Year’s Eve and New Year’s Day. Here we were on 31st December, hoping to enjoy the holiday period, where finding a restaurant open for lunch was getting impossible.

We had earmarked about 5-6 great veg restaurants in Jardims, within walking distance of our hotel. We went to each one of them, and they were all closed for the New Year festivities. We were tired and hungry after all this walking around. We found a salad bar open, and sat down before this place closed down too. Managed to get some lunch, and fill ourselves up, as we had virtually gone without breakfast too. Then went back to our hotel and rested for a few hours.

Everything that we had planned to do today was now ruled out, as everything was shut. The famed MASP museum was closed, all shops on nearby Oscar Freire street were closed, and it appeared that we were going to just sit in our hotel room for the next two days. Finally, at about 4pm when the rain had stopped, we took a taxi to the Ibirapuera Park, which was fortunately open. It was a lovely park, with lots of places to stroll around, and sit down and people watch. All museums etc inside the park were shut down, but the outside areas were all accessible. We strolled around for about an hour or more, and although there were people everywhere, it seemed semi-deserted.

We exited the park, and walked to a place nearby where some crowds were visible. Turned out to be the terminal point of a city marathon run, and the crowds were cheering the runners as they came in. After a while we got into a taxi, and asked him to drive us to Daslu, the famed over-the-top shopping center of SP. We were not sure if it would be open, and neither was the taxi driver. We took a chance, but it too turned out to be a disappointment. Closed. Asked the taxi driver to take us back to Jardims, where we got down at Oscar Freire street.

The supposedly fashionable shopping street of Oscar Freire was also completely shut down, and we slowly walked back to our hotel. We were visiting Sao Paulo as we had to catch our return flight to India from here. We could have boarded a flight home the same evening, but had deliberately booked ourselves on a flight for the subsequent night, thinking that we would explore the city for 1-2 days. Turned out to be a wrong decision. We had not realized how badly the place would shut down for New Years. There was little else to do but sit in our hotel room, and watch the rain come down in a steady drizzle.

The hotel told us that there was no hope of finding any place open for dinner, and we would be better off having dinner at the hotel itself. The hotel restaurant was also closed, but they were serving a few limited items as room service. We ordered some pasta, and had an insipid dinner. Kept waiting for the rain to stop, but it refused to go away. Finally, at about 10pm, we put on our raincoats and stepped out to walk to Av Paulista, where the New Year festivities were supposed to take place. There were huge crowds visible on the streets, all headed in the same direction. Everyone was wearing a raincoat, and many were already drunk by now !

The police would not allow people to walk straight to Av Paulista, as that portion of Av Paulista had already become jam packed with people by then. We were all forced to walk on a street parallel to Av Paulista, for atleast a kilometer or more, before access to Av Paulista was permitted. It was a huge street party on Av Paulista, with a giant stage and music performers, and huge TV screens set up everywhere. The buildings were beautifully lit up, and the place was packed to capacity. Thousands were still pouring in every minute. The New Year mood was visible everywhere, and crowds were dancing on the streets.

We enjoyed the scene for an hour or so. Then it started getting tiring. There was understandably no place to sit down, and we were not interested in dancing on the streets. A bit too old for all that. We had planned on staying here till midnight, but the fatigue of the entire trip was setting in, and the constant rain did not help matters at all. So we decided to leave the scene, 45 minutes before the dawn of the new year, and made our way back to the hotel. Watched the rest of the proceedings of New Year celebrations on TV, where the Copacabana festivities of Rio featured very prominently. Looked great even on the small screen. And we could hear the firecrackers go off all around us as we retired to sleep.

indiancouple

Day 17 : Sunday January 1st :
SAO PAULO (Cont’d) :

This was our final day in Brazil. We got up very late quite deliberately, as there was not much to do. We had originally planned on visiting the downtown area, and strolling around the very pretty buildings there. There were also some great flea markets which emerge in downtown SP every Sunday, which we had planned to visit. But our hotel had warned us that no flea market was likely to operate today on account of the new year, and that the downtown area would be completely deserted and not very safe to stroll around. We had been fortunate on the security front till now, with no threatening incident so far. We wanted to keep it that way, and heeded the hotel’s advice to avoid the downtown area today.

So we slept till very late, and by the time we were ready, it was almost lunch time. We enquired as to what would be open for lunch, and the hotel recommended a place which was about 5-6 blocks away, which they knew was open. We followed their directions, and reached our destination – a delightful place called Galeria dos Paes on Rua Estados Unidos. It was a huge bakery on the ground floor, with hundreds of bread varieties for sale, and a buffet restaurant on the upper floor. Seemed a very popular place, as it was packed, and there were lines for the restaurant. We had an excellent lunch there, as there were enough vegetarian items on offer. Everything was freshly cooked or baked, there were wonderful soups and salads and bakery items, with champagne too ! We spent a very long time here, doodling over our food and subsequently over coffee, and had a great time. Later found out that this place was also highly recommended on the Lonely Planet guidebook. And the buffet lunch was quite reasonable, at about R$ 25 per head.

We walked back to our hotel, and thanked the reception staff for their recommendation. Then we quickly checked out, as we had to vacate our room by 2pm, and stored our luggage in their storage room. Went for a stroll to Av Paulista, to see it by the day. They were still clearing up the mess of the previous evening. We walked all the way to the MASP museum, which was understandably closed. The Sunday street antique market which emerges below the museum was also not in existence today. Then slowly walked back to the hotel and perched ourselves on the sofas in their spacious lobby.

By evening, the city was slowly limping back to life. Establishments were gradually opening their doors to dinner patrons. We had identified quite a few eateries that would be open for dinner in the neighborhood. We went out for a stroll, and finally selected to sit down for an early dinner at Margherita on Alameda Tiete, a huge pizzeria spread over two floors, quite fashionable and apparently very popular with the locals. It was filling up fast. We got excellent window seats, and within 30-45 minutes we noticed that the entire restaurant had filled up. The pizzas were truly remarkable, and the best of the numerous pizzas that we had eaten on this trip.

We returned to our hotel. We had negotiated with a cab driver in advance, to take us to the airport for a fixed fee of R$ 70, and he was waiting for us. Loaded our luggage, and reached the airport in a short while (no traffic today at all). We had not seen much of Sao Paulo, but had seen much of Brazil. And we had enjoyed the country in all its diversity, and the warmth of the people which was present in every corner of the country. Our Emirates flight was at 1:30am in the night, and we had plenty of time. Spent our time going through every shop at the airport, and shopping for perfumes, coffee mugs and other souvenirs. Finally, we boarded our flight back to India, with a change of aircraft at Dubai. Long flight, but did not notice it thanks to our fatigue.

This completes my trip report of one of the most unusual vacations that we have ever had, and a thoroughly enjoyable one. Would be pleased to answer any question that any reader may have.