Peru and Brazil: A South American Adventure
Sep 5th, 2014, 03:32 PM
#43
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,143
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Iguazu Falls, Argentina Style
After a hearty breakfast at our hotel, we headed to the park on the Argentine side by shuttle, which we prearranged the evening prior. We left our hotel at 8am and arrived at the park entrance approximately half an hour later. Upon arrival at the entrance, I noticed a sign that said access to Devil's Throat as well as San Martin Island were closed and were deeply disappointed with the news. In conversations with park rangers later in the day, I found out that the closure was due to damage suffered from a spate of heavy storms several months ago.
Disappointment aside, we proceeded to the ticket window to purchase our tickets, which is when we discovered that unlike on the Brazilian side, the Argentine park ticket window only accepted pesos as the form of payment - no U.S. dollars and no credit cards. Luckily, there is an ATM off to the side, which we used to obtain just enough pesos for the admission fee. Pesos in hand, we obtained our tickets and entered the park.
Close to the entrance is a nice visitors center which provided some information about the area in which the falls were located. After a quick visit, we headed to the station where we boarded a train which ran once every 30 minutes to the Falls station, which was the only stop given that Devil's Throat was closed.
We began our visit on the Argentine side with a walk along the Upper Circuit. While the walkway on the Brazilian side was made of wooden planks, the Argentine side was constructed with metal grating, which were slippery along some of the wetter portions. We were only able to visit part of the Upper Circuit, up until Salto Bossetti, as the rest of the walkway was washed away during the heavy storms and were being repaired during our visit. Nonetheless, we were able to get a good view of some of the smaller waterfalls and a good panoramic view of San Martin Falls. We were treated with clear skies and bright sunshine today, which made the experience a bit more pleasant. The Upper Circuit was a bit more crowded with tour groups, although it wasn't hard to get away from them, either by going ahead of them or just lingering a bit longer.
Following the visit to the Upper Circuit, it was onwards to the Lower Circuit. I enjoyed this walk much better, both because it was devoid of the crowds but also because we were treated to better and more complete views. The Lower Circuit was also more extensive (at least during our visit; I couldn't tell how much of the Upper Circuit we missed). From here, especially close to the point where the boat rides took off, we had spectacular views of San Martin Falls.
Having visited both sides, it's hard to evaluate which side is better, as the experiences were very different. In Brazil, we were afforded with panoramic views, while in Argentina, we were actually "in" the falls. However, given that we could not access some of the viewpoints on the Argentine side due to the storm damage, we would not have been able to see Devil's Throat, which I think is a must, if we had not visited the Brazilian side.
In total, we spent about three hours wandering about before getting in line for our boat ride to the falls. We opted for the Grand Adventure, which included a journey up close to San Martin Falls and around San Martin Island to Three Musketeer Falls, both of which gave us thorough soakings. From here, we continued down the Iguazu River, with cliffs on both sides. Soon, we came upon our landing spot, where we boarded jeeps through the forest. The jeeps dropped us off close to the entrance of the park.
By now, it was about 1:30 and time for lunch. We went to La Selva Restaurant, which served an extensive buffet. I especially liked its grilled meats, which is very popular here in Argentina, as well as their pasta dishes and dessert. My one advice here is to bring pesos or better yet, a credit card, as the exchange rate for U.S. dollars, though accepted, was horrific (7.25 : 1; I paid with my credit card).
After lunch, we went for a nice walk through the forest along the Macuco Trail. The trail took us to Arrechea Falls, a smaller waterfall where you are able to sit and dip your feet in. We stayed here for a bit before making our way out of the park. There were taxis lined up at the exit, and we caught one back to our hotel.
We had originally planned to return to the park for another visit the next day, but decided against it as we felt that we explored the park thoroughly during our one full day. We would have definitely needed another half day, perhaps more, if it wasn't for the closures. Nonetheless, I had a glorious time here and would highly recommend it for anyone coming to this part of the world. Iguazu is definitely on my list for a return visit; in addition, it's an inspiration for me to check out Victoria Falls on a trip in the not-too-distant future, hopefully next year.
Our home base for Iguazu Falls was the Iguazu Jungle Lodge, located along the banks of the Iguazu River. The hotel is secluded and in a lovely setting, but also only a 5 minute walk to the main drag in town. The rooms are spacious; ours came with a large balcony overlooking the river. The restaurant on property was one of the better ones I've enjoyed on this trip. You cannot go wrong with the offerings; during my three nights, I've had beef, lamb, and fish, and all were superb. The breakfast is simpler, but adequate. And most importantly, the staff is very friendly and helpful.
Next up - Rio de Janeiro...
After a hearty breakfast at our hotel, we headed to the park on the Argentine side by shuttle, which we prearranged the evening prior. We left our hotel at 8am and arrived at the park entrance approximately half an hour later. Upon arrival at the entrance, I noticed a sign that said access to Devil's Throat as well as San Martin Island were closed and were deeply disappointed with the news. In conversations with park rangers later in the day, I found out that the closure was due to damage suffered from a spate of heavy storms several months ago.
Disappointment aside, we proceeded to the ticket window to purchase our tickets, which is when we discovered that unlike on the Brazilian side, the Argentine park ticket window only accepted pesos as the form of payment - no U.S. dollars and no credit cards. Luckily, there is an ATM off to the side, which we used to obtain just enough pesos for the admission fee. Pesos in hand, we obtained our tickets and entered the park.
Close to the entrance is a nice visitors center which provided some information about the area in which the falls were located. After a quick visit, we headed to the station where we boarded a train which ran once every 30 minutes to the Falls station, which was the only stop given that Devil's Throat was closed.
We began our visit on the Argentine side with a walk along the Upper Circuit. While the walkway on the Brazilian side was made of wooden planks, the Argentine side was constructed with metal grating, which were slippery along some of the wetter portions. We were only able to visit part of the Upper Circuit, up until Salto Bossetti, as the rest of the walkway was washed away during the heavy storms and were being repaired during our visit. Nonetheless, we were able to get a good view of some of the smaller waterfalls and a good panoramic view of San Martin Falls. We were treated with clear skies and bright sunshine today, which made the experience a bit more pleasant. The Upper Circuit was a bit more crowded with tour groups, although it wasn't hard to get away from them, either by going ahead of them or just lingering a bit longer.
Following the visit to the Upper Circuit, it was onwards to the Lower Circuit. I enjoyed this walk much better, both because it was devoid of the crowds but also because we were treated to better and more complete views. The Lower Circuit was also more extensive (at least during our visit; I couldn't tell how much of the Upper Circuit we missed). From here, especially close to the point where the boat rides took off, we had spectacular views of San Martin Falls.
Having visited both sides, it's hard to evaluate which side is better, as the experiences were very different. In Brazil, we were afforded with panoramic views, while in Argentina, we were actually "in" the falls. However, given that we could not access some of the viewpoints on the Argentine side due to the storm damage, we would not have been able to see Devil's Throat, which I think is a must, if we had not visited the Brazilian side.
In total, we spent about three hours wandering about before getting in line for our boat ride to the falls. We opted for the Grand Adventure, which included a journey up close to San Martin Falls and around San Martin Island to Three Musketeer Falls, both of which gave us thorough soakings. From here, we continued down the Iguazu River, with cliffs on both sides. Soon, we came upon our landing spot, where we boarded jeeps through the forest. The jeeps dropped us off close to the entrance of the park.
By now, it was about 1:30 and time for lunch. We went to La Selva Restaurant, which served an extensive buffet. I especially liked its grilled meats, which is very popular here in Argentina, as well as their pasta dishes and dessert. My one advice here is to bring pesos or better yet, a credit card, as the exchange rate for U.S. dollars, though accepted, was horrific (7.25 : 1; I paid with my credit card).
After lunch, we went for a nice walk through the forest along the Macuco Trail. The trail took us to Arrechea Falls, a smaller waterfall where you are able to sit and dip your feet in. We stayed here for a bit before making our way out of the park. There were taxis lined up at the exit, and we caught one back to our hotel.
We had originally planned to return to the park for another visit the next day, but decided against it as we felt that we explored the park thoroughly during our one full day. We would have definitely needed another half day, perhaps more, if it wasn't for the closures. Nonetheless, I had a glorious time here and would highly recommend it for anyone coming to this part of the world. Iguazu is definitely on my list for a return visit; in addition, it's an inspiration for me to check out Victoria Falls on a trip in the not-too-distant future, hopefully next year.
Our home base for Iguazu Falls was the Iguazu Jungle Lodge, located along the banks of the Iguazu River. The hotel is secluded and in a lovely setting, but also only a 5 minute walk to the main drag in town. The rooms are spacious; ours came with a large balcony overlooking the river. The restaurant on property was one of the better ones I've enjoyed on this trip. You cannot go wrong with the offerings; during my three nights, I've had beef, lamb, and fish, and all were superb. The breakfast is simpler, but adequate. And most importantly, the staff is very friendly and helpful.
Next up - Rio de Janeiro...
Sep 6th, 2014, 04:31 AM
#45
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,143
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Elizabeth, glad you enjoyed my report on Iguazu.
Onward to Rio
After a morning lazying by the pool of our hotel, we headed to Foz do Iguazu airport on the Brazilian side for our short flight to Rio de Janeiro. Upon arrival, we obtained some reais and were on our way to our home for the next six nights, the Ipanema Tower.
The Ipanema Tower is an apartment hotel a block away from the famous beach of the same name, in better postos 9 and 10. We rented a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment. Our unit was spacious although a bit worn (it seems like this is true for many of the hotel and apartments in the city, except for a few newly built or renovated ones that run several hundred dollars a night). For about US$375 a night, it was good value. The unit included a nice, large balcony overlooking the sands of Ipanema, as well as daily breakfast.
For our first evening in the city, we went for a short walk along the streets surrounding our hotel, both for a quick orientation and to do some quick shopping at a nearby supermarket. We rounded out our evening with dinner at a nearby restaurant and an introductory stroll along the beach before going to bed.
We explored the city over the next four days and took a day trip to the nearby town of Petropolis on the fifth. More on this later...
Onward to Rio
After a morning lazying by the pool of our hotel, we headed to Foz do Iguazu airport on the Brazilian side for our short flight to Rio de Janeiro. Upon arrival, we obtained some reais and were on our way to our home for the next six nights, the Ipanema Tower.
The Ipanema Tower is an apartment hotel a block away from the famous beach of the same name, in better postos 9 and 10. We rented a two-bedroom, two-bathroom apartment. Our unit was spacious although a bit worn (it seems like this is true for many of the hotel and apartments in the city, except for a few newly built or renovated ones that run several hundred dollars a night). For about US$375 a night, it was good value. The unit included a nice, large balcony overlooking the sands of Ipanema, as well as daily breakfast.
For our first evening in the city, we went for a short walk along the streets surrounding our hotel, both for a quick orientation and to do some quick shopping at a nearby supermarket. We rounded out our evening with dinner at a nearby restaurant and an introductory stroll along the beach before going to bed.
We explored the city over the next four days and took a day trip to the nearby town of Petropolis on the fifth. More on this later...
Sep 6th, 2014, 12:41 PM
#46
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,143
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
A Beautiful Sunday in the Marvelous City
Our first full day in Rio de Janeiro was dedicated to the icons that make this city world-renown: the beaches, the mountains, Ipanema, Copacabana, Christ the Redeemer, Sugerloaf...
We began our day with a short stroll along Rua Prudente de Morais towards General Osorio Plaza, site of the weekly Hippie Fair. We were here just before 9 and most of the stalls were already up. We browsed through the stuff on sale and made a couple of purchases. Following a visit to the fair, we did some walking around Ipanema, doing some window shopping, catching a glimpse of the exterior of Tom Jobim's home, and getting a peek of Christ across a lake.
Our orientation of Ipanema was followed by a long stroll along the beaches, alternating between the beautiful mosaic boardwalk and the sands. Beginning at posto 10 (the beaches along Rio's eastern and southern shores are numbered from 1 to 12, for its lifeguard stations, and run from north to south from Leme to Copacabana, through Arpoador, and then east to west from Ipanema to Leblon), we snapped a few photos of Two Brothers Mountain and proceeded east. As today was Sunday, the street adjacent to the boardwalk was closed to traffic and it seemed like all of Rio came out to play. There were others taking a stroll on a gorgeous, sunny day as we did. We saw people playing all sorts of sports, from football to volleyball to tennis and hybrids I didn't know existed. The sands were full with sun worshippers as well as vendors hawking their ware. Along the beach are kiosks selling beer, coconut water, and drinks and snacks galore. All was well in Rio on this day. We walked the length of Ipanema Beach, simply enjoying the sights and sounds that were all around us.
At the end of Ipanema Beach, just past posto 7, we came upon the farthest most point along this section of seashore. Unlike the surrounding area, Arpoador is rocky and at a higher elevation. We climbed up the rocks, from where we were rewarded with terrific views of the length of Ipanema Beach with Two Brothers Mountain in the far distance. On the other side are nice panoramic views of Copacabana Beach with Leme Mountain at the end. We were here at around 11am and it was buzzing with locals.
We made our way from Arpoador to Copacabana, stopping at the fort for a visit. The fort of Copacabana occupied a strategic point overlooking Guanabara Bay, and today houses a nice military history museum. I was mostly interested in the exhibits detailing Brazilian history. It's easy to spend several hours here, but the sands were calling us. Exiting the fort, we made a right and came upon the mural painted for the World Cup (if you've been following the games on ESPN and the nightly recaps, you know which mural I'm referring to). Nearby are a few stalls manned by fishermen selling their morning's catches. We continued along the boardwalk, stopping a couple of times for coco water and the like. Boy am I falling in love with Rio!
We arrived at Copacabana Palace Hotel, the grande dame of hotels in Rio, shortly before 2pm. We had reservations for its Sunday brunch at Pergula Restaurant this afternoon. Even though we arrived before our appointed time, we were promptly seated at a table overlooking the outdoor pool, served glasses of champagne, and given an overview of the tasty dishes on offer. From breakfast items to the meats and fish to the oyster bar and desserts, the meal could not be more perfect.
With our bellies full, we did a whirlwind around the hotel and headed back to the sands to walk off our pounds. We completed the beachfront stroll at the base of Leme Mountain just past posto 1 and turned inland. We did some exploration of Leme and Copacabana before catching a cab to take us to Sugarloaf Mountain.
The line at Sugarloaf was long but moved quickly. We purchased our tickets and took the cable car from the base to Urca Mountain, which is the lower of the two mountains you see in photos. We spent about 45 minutes here, admiring the numerous viewpoints. "Wow! Rio sure is beautiful." I thought to myself. Folks who "followed" me along on my trip to Australia last winter know that I'm a bit obsessed with Sydney (it's the most beautiful city in the world IMHO). Could Rio be giving Sydney a run for its money? Absolutely! The city, the mountains, the beaches, the sea - this city sure is magnificent. If the views from Urca Mountain are nice, the views from atop Sugarloaf itself is several times more stunning. We spent more than an hour up here, taking in the views but along enjoying the various trails. When we were done, we purchased some drinks from the kiosks and waited for the sun to go down over Rio. I cannot think of a better way to cap off my day in this most spectacular of cities.
After we've had our fill (I mean, how can you tire of this, but we had to come back down at some point, right?), we returned via cable car. Taxis were plentiful here, so we hailed one, and it was back to our hotel in about 20 minutes.
Tomorrow is another glorious Rio day with visits to Christ, Tijuca Forest, and the Botanic Gardens. Stay tuned...
Our first full day in Rio de Janeiro was dedicated to the icons that make this city world-renown: the beaches, the mountains, Ipanema, Copacabana, Christ the Redeemer, Sugerloaf...
We began our day with a short stroll along Rua Prudente de Morais towards General Osorio Plaza, site of the weekly Hippie Fair. We were here just before 9 and most of the stalls were already up. We browsed through the stuff on sale and made a couple of purchases. Following a visit to the fair, we did some walking around Ipanema, doing some window shopping, catching a glimpse of the exterior of Tom Jobim's home, and getting a peek of Christ across a lake.
Our orientation of Ipanema was followed by a long stroll along the beaches, alternating between the beautiful mosaic boardwalk and the sands. Beginning at posto 10 (the beaches along Rio's eastern and southern shores are numbered from 1 to 12, for its lifeguard stations, and run from north to south from Leme to Copacabana, through Arpoador, and then east to west from Ipanema to Leblon), we snapped a few photos of Two Brothers Mountain and proceeded east. As today was Sunday, the street adjacent to the boardwalk was closed to traffic and it seemed like all of Rio came out to play. There were others taking a stroll on a gorgeous, sunny day as we did. We saw people playing all sorts of sports, from football to volleyball to tennis and hybrids I didn't know existed. The sands were full with sun worshippers as well as vendors hawking their ware. Along the beach are kiosks selling beer, coconut water, and drinks and snacks galore. All was well in Rio on this day. We walked the length of Ipanema Beach, simply enjoying the sights and sounds that were all around us.
At the end of Ipanema Beach, just past posto 7, we came upon the farthest most point along this section of seashore. Unlike the surrounding area, Arpoador is rocky and at a higher elevation. We climbed up the rocks, from where we were rewarded with terrific views of the length of Ipanema Beach with Two Brothers Mountain in the far distance. On the other side are nice panoramic views of Copacabana Beach with Leme Mountain at the end. We were here at around 11am and it was buzzing with locals.
We made our way from Arpoador to Copacabana, stopping at the fort for a visit. The fort of Copacabana occupied a strategic point overlooking Guanabara Bay, and today houses a nice military history museum. I was mostly interested in the exhibits detailing Brazilian history. It's easy to spend several hours here, but the sands were calling us. Exiting the fort, we made a right and came upon the mural painted for the World Cup (if you've been following the games on ESPN and the nightly recaps, you know which mural I'm referring to). Nearby are a few stalls manned by fishermen selling their morning's catches. We continued along the boardwalk, stopping a couple of times for coco water and the like. Boy am I falling in love with Rio!
We arrived at Copacabana Palace Hotel, the grande dame of hotels in Rio, shortly before 2pm. We had reservations for its Sunday brunch at Pergula Restaurant this afternoon. Even though we arrived before our appointed time, we were promptly seated at a table overlooking the outdoor pool, served glasses of champagne, and given an overview of the tasty dishes on offer. From breakfast items to the meats and fish to the oyster bar and desserts, the meal could not be more perfect.
With our bellies full, we did a whirlwind around the hotel and headed back to the sands to walk off our pounds. We completed the beachfront stroll at the base of Leme Mountain just past posto 1 and turned inland. We did some exploration of Leme and Copacabana before catching a cab to take us to Sugarloaf Mountain.
The line at Sugarloaf was long but moved quickly. We purchased our tickets and took the cable car from the base to Urca Mountain, which is the lower of the two mountains you see in photos. We spent about 45 minutes here, admiring the numerous viewpoints. "Wow! Rio sure is beautiful." I thought to myself. Folks who "followed" me along on my trip to Australia last winter know that I'm a bit obsessed with Sydney (it's the most beautiful city in the world IMHO). Could Rio be giving Sydney a run for its money? Absolutely! The city, the mountains, the beaches, the sea - this city sure is magnificent. If the views from Urca Mountain are nice, the views from atop Sugarloaf itself is several times more stunning. We spent more than an hour up here, taking in the views but along enjoying the various trails. When we were done, we purchased some drinks from the kiosks and waited for the sun to go down over Rio. I cannot think of a better way to cap off my day in this most spectacular of cities.
After we've had our fill (I mean, how can you tire of this, but we had to come back down at some point, right?), we returned via cable car. Taxis were plentiful here, so we hailed one, and it was back to our hotel in about 20 minutes.
Tomorrow is another glorious Rio day with visits to Christ, Tijuca Forest, and the Botanic Gardens. Stay tuned...
Sep 6th, 2014, 04:03 PM
#47
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,420
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
It was lovely to rediscover a part of Rio through your nicely told account.
Did you see any of the little miko monkeys in the trees up on top of Sugarloaf? Or any of the urubus (buzzards) that soar just at that altitude?
Did you see any of the little miko monkeys in the trees up on top of Sugarloaf? Or any of the urubus (buzzards) that soar just at that altitude?
Sep 7th, 2014, 12:46 PM
#48
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,143
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
SambaChula, glad you're enjoying it. I didn't see either at Sugarloaf, although we came across some monkeys in Tijuca Forest the next day.
The Green Side of Rio
Following breakfast, it was a cab ride to Cosme Velho, from where we would catch the train up Corcovado mountain to the statue of Christ the Redeemer. The train runs once every 30 minutes and we were on the second one of the day today. It took about 25 minutes to get to the top. Here it was up a couple of staircases to the base of the Christ statue. The statue is much larger than we expected, especially since it looked much smaller from the different vantage points we've viewed it throughout the city yesterday. We were able to walk around the pedestal on which the statue sits, but we weren't allowed inside it. Inside the pedestal, accessed from the back side, is a small chapel, which we saw through the locked metal gate. In addition to the statue itself, the highlight of a visit up here is the 360 degree views of Rio, including gorgeous panoramas over to Sugarloaf Mountain with Guanabara Bay just beyond. Comparing the two viewpoints, I enjoyed Sugarloaf more, the primary reason being that the viewing platforms were more spacious and gave us more opportunities to move away from the crowds. In total, we spent about an hour up here not including some time at the souvenir stalls.
We came down at about 10:30 and were met by Fernando from Rio Adventures for a tour of Tijuca Forest. We first visited the Dona Marta viewpoint for some more stunning views and then headed deep into the forest, stopping at several lookouts for intimate views of Ipanema, Two Brothers Mountain, Sugarloaf, Christ, and Maracana Stadium. During the tour we also visited the visitor's center, a waterfall, as well as the Chinese Pavilion. The tour gave us an opportunity to see a different side of Rio, which was what we wanted, although we didn't feel like it was the best value for our money. Our two biggest complaints were that there was no opportunity to walk in the forest, even though that was how it was advertised, and that our guide Fernando really wanted to rush us through our next stop, the Botanic Gardens, so that we can use his services to go back to the hotel.
Speaking of the Botanic Gardens, we headed there at about 1:30 following our tour of Tijuca Forest. Under the original plan, we were to be dropped off at the gardens, where we would tour ourselves. Instead, Fernando wanted to come along. He wanted to take us on a whirlwind tour and then drive us back to the hotel; he said he would charge us the normal taxi fee from the gardens to the hotel, which isn't a problem, expect we wanted to take our time in the gardens and he wanted to rush it. We entered the gardens via the back entrance, and started at the herbal garden; Fernando wanted to head straight to the orchid garden and we said no. At this point, he waited on the main path while we explored the herbal gardens. Once down, we headed to the succulents, at which point it became clear to him that we were going to go at our own pace and take our time to enjoy the place and that he had two choices, either to come along with us at our pace or leave us alone. He chose to part ways. Losing Fernando, we visited the succulent garden, which is always a favorite of ours no matter the garden and it didn't disappoint. From here we continued our stroll, following a suggested route published in National Geographic Traveler's Rio guidebook. We really took our time, visiting the lily pond, orchid garden, the bromeliads, the Amazon garden, the Japanese garden, the avenues of palms, etc. in all, we spent close to four hours here.
When we had our fill, we headed out the main entrance. We had to walk a couple of blocks in order to hail a taxi, although this wasn't a problem. From here it was a quick drive around the Lagoa (lake) and we were soon back a our hotel.
We freshened up, took a quick nap, and headed to dinner at Garota de Ipanema, which was to become our favorite dining spot in all of Rio. The place was packed tonight as it is every night as we were to discover. From the salad to the grill your own beef to the pastas, everything was superb. Beware, though, that the portions are huge and are usually enough for two or three, which is true for almost every establish in Brazil. The service is very good too; we had the opportunity to get to know a couple of waiters by name and were soon in deeper conversations with them.
After dinner, we walked across the street to the Vinicius Show Bar for some live bossa nova music. Having studied Portuguese, I was introduced to the genre by my instructors and really enjoy it. The show started at 9:30 and the singer performed several classical favorites. We were among the first ones at the bar but the place was soon packed with patrons. The show went on until quite late as we left at midnight and the singer was still going on strong.
In spite of our misfortune with the Rio Adventures guide, it was another fun-filled day in a city that kept on impressing us.
Having explored the natural side of Rio, we become immersed in its urban core tomorrow. Hope you all are enjoying the journey as much as I'm having fun reliving it through words. Until next time...
The Green Side of Rio
Following breakfast, it was a cab ride to Cosme Velho, from where we would catch the train up Corcovado mountain to the statue of Christ the Redeemer. The train runs once every 30 minutes and we were on the second one of the day today. It took about 25 minutes to get to the top. Here it was up a couple of staircases to the base of the Christ statue. The statue is much larger than we expected, especially since it looked much smaller from the different vantage points we've viewed it throughout the city yesterday. We were able to walk around the pedestal on which the statue sits, but we weren't allowed inside it. Inside the pedestal, accessed from the back side, is a small chapel, which we saw through the locked metal gate. In addition to the statue itself, the highlight of a visit up here is the 360 degree views of Rio, including gorgeous panoramas over to Sugarloaf Mountain with Guanabara Bay just beyond. Comparing the two viewpoints, I enjoyed Sugarloaf more, the primary reason being that the viewing platforms were more spacious and gave us more opportunities to move away from the crowds. In total, we spent about an hour up here not including some time at the souvenir stalls.
We came down at about 10:30 and were met by Fernando from Rio Adventures for a tour of Tijuca Forest. We first visited the Dona Marta viewpoint for some more stunning views and then headed deep into the forest, stopping at several lookouts for intimate views of Ipanema, Two Brothers Mountain, Sugarloaf, Christ, and Maracana Stadium. During the tour we also visited the visitor's center, a waterfall, as well as the Chinese Pavilion. The tour gave us an opportunity to see a different side of Rio, which was what we wanted, although we didn't feel like it was the best value for our money. Our two biggest complaints were that there was no opportunity to walk in the forest, even though that was how it was advertised, and that our guide Fernando really wanted to rush us through our next stop, the Botanic Gardens, so that we can use his services to go back to the hotel.
Speaking of the Botanic Gardens, we headed there at about 1:30 following our tour of Tijuca Forest. Under the original plan, we were to be dropped off at the gardens, where we would tour ourselves. Instead, Fernando wanted to come along. He wanted to take us on a whirlwind tour and then drive us back to the hotel; he said he would charge us the normal taxi fee from the gardens to the hotel, which isn't a problem, expect we wanted to take our time in the gardens and he wanted to rush it. We entered the gardens via the back entrance, and started at the herbal garden; Fernando wanted to head straight to the orchid garden and we said no. At this point, he waited on the main path while we explored the herbal gardens. Once down, we headed to the succulents, at which point it became clear to him that we were going to go at our own pace and take our time to enjoy the place and that he had two choices, either to come along with us at our pace or leave us alone. He chose to part ways. Losing Fernando, we visited the succulent garden, which is always a favorite of ours no matter the garden and it didn't disappoint. From here we continued our stroll, following a suggested route published in National Geographic Traveler's Rio guidebook. We really took our time, visiting the lily pond, orchid garden, the bromeliads, the Amazon garden, the Japanese garden, the avenues of palms, etc. in all, we spent close to four hours here.
When we had our fill, we headed out the main entrance. We had to walk a couple of blocks in order to hail a taxi, although this wasn't a problem. From here it was a quick drive around the Lagoa (lake) and we were soon back a our hotel.
We freshened up, took a quick nap, and headed to dinner at Garota de Ipanema, which was to become our favorite dining spot in all of Rio. The place was packed tonight as it is every night as we were to discover. From the salad to the grill your own beef to the pastas, everything was superb. Beware, though, that the portions are huge and are usually enough for two or three, which is true for almost every establish in Brazil. The service is very good too; we had the opportunity to get to know a couple of waiters by name and were soon in deeper conversations with them.
After dinner, we walked across the street to the Vinicius Show Bar for some live bossa nova music. Having studied Portuguese, I was introduced to the genre by my instructors and really enjoy it. The show started at 9:30 and the singer performed several classical favorites. We were among the first ones at the bar but the place was soon packed with patrons. The show went on until quite late as we left at midnight and the singer was still going on strong.
In spite of our misfortune with the Rio Adventures guide, it was another fun-filled day in a city that kept on impressing us.
Having explored the natural side of Rio, we become immersed in its urban core tomorrow. Hope you all are enjoying the journey as much as I'm having fun reliving it through words. Until next time...
Sep 8th, 2014, 09:35 AM
#49
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,420
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Thanks again for this interesting chapter.
I've had a chance to be up in Tijuca both with a friend who's a local taxi driver and accompanying a friend (who works as a tour guide) and his clients. I have been amazed to see large troupe of spider monkeys frolicking in the middle of the narrow road that threads through the park. And I have visited Cascatinha Tauney ( the waterfall), the koi pond near it, and some of the vista points including Vista Chinesa, and so enjoyed your account of your visit which brought it all back for me. But I am also inclined to be a bit conservative about wandering around in isolated places in Rio where you make yourself vulnerable, even accompanied by locals, and which simply goes to say that you perhaps should not regret the lack of a hiking opportunity so keenly.
Music and restaurant reviews always leave me with 'saudades' for Rio's unique scene.
I liked your detailed account of the Jardim Botânico and am looking forward eagerly to your next installment.
I've had a chance to be up in Tijuca both with a friend who's a local taxi driver and accompanying a friend (who works as a tour guide) and his clients. I have been amazed to see large troupe of spider monkeys frolicking in the middle of the narrow road that threads through the park. And I have visited Cascatinha Tauney ( the waterfall), the koi pond near it, and some of the vista points including Vista Chinesa, and so enjoyed your account of your visit which brought it all back for me. But I am also inclined to be a bit conservative about wandering around in isolated places in Rio where you make yourself vulnerable, even accompanied by locals, and which simply goes to say that you perhaps should not regret the lack of a hiking opportunity so keenly.
Music and restaurant reviews always leave me with 'saudades' for Rio's unique scene.
I liked your detailed account of the Jardim Botânico and am looking forward eagerly to your next installment.
Sep 9th, 2014, 01:25 PM
#50
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,143
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
SambaChula, you're welcome. Glad you enjoyed my perspective on Tijuca; it's a nice oasis from the city. You're right about safety and that may have been part of the consideration; I feel I wouldn't be as unhappy with the service if our guide hadn't been so persistent to conclude the tour and take us back to our hotel, all so he could get an extra fare out of us.
Sep 14th, 2014, 07:12 AM
#51
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,143
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Urban Rio
After two full days admiring the many beaches, mountains, parks, and gardens, it's easy to forget that Rio is one of the largest cities in the Southern Hemisphere; as almost all major cities, there's an urban core filled with tall office buildings and businesses that largely serve a working population. We devoted much of our third day in the city to explore its city center.
We began with a quick subway ride from General Osorio, a short walk from our hotel, to Cinelandia. The subway system is clean and efficient, and easy to understand between the maps posted in the stations and some smattering of Portuguese.
Emerging from Cinelandia station, we were in Praca Floriano. The square is surrounded by office buildings including a couple from the 1920s that formerly housed the city's best cinemas. From Praca Floriano, we made our way to the Selaron Staircase, but not before accessing the safety situation. In the first couple of days in Rio, while aware and taking usual precautions, we weren't really "thinking" about it. Today was a bit different given discussions in several guidebooks about the safety of the areas we visited. We made sure to visit on a weekday and during business hours, as suggested by the guidebooks and our hotel. (A longer discussion on safety will be in a future installment, as I understand is in several minds as it was in our.). With decent foot traffic and police vehicles within sight, we made our way to the staircase, taking in the Lapa Arches (an old aqueduct) in the distance. The staircase, covered in tile by a Chilean-born artist Jorge Selaron in celebration of the Brazilian spirit, is a unique sight. The tiles come in vivid colors. In addition to the tiles dedicated to Brazil, there is a large collection of tiles from all over the world, sent to the artists from visitors and others who have seen or were familiar with his project. We went up the staircase as far as the large Brazilian flag before turning around, as the guidebooks suggested but also because it looked deserted and out of the sight of the police officers who were posted at the bottom of the staircase.
From here we make our way back to Praca Floriano, admiring the buildings all around us. On the northern end of the square are several neoclassical buildings including those that house the National Library, City Hall, and Municipal Theater. The National Library was under renovation but the City Hall and especially the Municipal Theater more than made up for it. Covered in marble, gold, and mosaics, it's one of Rio's finest buildings. From here it was across the street to the National Museum of Fine Arts, which hosts an excellent collection of paintings and other works of art from Brazilian as well as European artists.
Next up is the Metropolitan Cathedral, a one-of-its-kind work of art by renown Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. What caught my attention was the conical shape of the building, the crucifix above the altar that looked like it was floating on air, the stained glass, and the minimalist take on a couple of biblical sculptures.
It was now about 1pm, which meant lunch at Confeitaria Colombo, one of the finest dining institutions in Rio. After taking a minute to find the place, we went inside and proceeded to the second floor, where the restaurant served a daily buffet. The interior is gorgeous with its stained glass, wrought iron, and nicely dressed servers. The food matched the decor. The salads were delicious but the duck in orange sauce and the grilled sea bass was beyond divine. And the desserts, yum! Definitely try the cashew fruit shaped confection as well as the Portuguese custard tart. I highly recommend a visit to this place.
Stomachs full, we continued our exploration of downtown Rio. We visited the Portuguese Reading Room, the Rio State Parliament, and a couple of baroque churches.
Behind the Parliament and adjacent Imperial Palace (now houses some cafés) is the ferry dock for Niteroi, which was where we were now headed. Niteroi is a working class suburb on the other side of the harbor and accessible by a bridge as well as a 15-minute ferry ride. Our destination in Niteroi was the Contemporary Art Museum, another famed Niemeyer landmark. While the museum's collection itself didn't really keep my attention, the building itself is worth making the journey as well as the scenic 30-minute walk between the ferry dock and the museum with views of Rio across the bay.
The quick excursion to Niteroi capped our day, although we could have easily spent more time in the area and explore some of it's other attractions.
Back in Rio, we were greeted by endless throngs of workers leaving work on their way to the ferry dock heading home. The size of the crowds reminded me of Grand Central or Penn Station in NYC in the evening or Tokyo Station with its myriad commuters.
Following a short walk to the Carioca station, it was a quick subway ride back to our hotel in Ipanema.
Tomorrow is our last full day touring Rio. More on that at another time. Enjoy your Sunday, everyone.
After two full days admiring the many beaches, mountains, parks, and gardens, it's easy to forget that Rio is one of the largest cities in the Southern Hemisphere; as almost all major cities, there's an urban core filled with tall office buildings and businesses that largely serve a working population. We devoted much of our third day in the city to explore its city center.
We began with a quick subway ride from General Osorio, a short walk from our hotel, to Cinelandia. The subway system is clean and efficient, and easy to understand between the maps posted in the stations and some smattering of Portuguese.
Emerging from Cinelandia station, we were in Praca Floriano. The square is surrounded by office buildings including a couple from the 1920s that formerly housed the city's best cinemas. From Praca Floriano, we made our way to the Selaron Staircase, but not before accessing the safety situation. In the first couple of days in Rio, while aware and taking usual precautions, we weren't really "thinking" about it. Today was a bit different given discussions in several guidebooks about the safety of the areas we visited. We made sure to visit on a weekday and during business hours, as suggested by the guidebooks and our hotel. (A longer discussion on safety will be in a future installment, as I understand is in several minds as it was in our.). With decent foot traffic and police vehicles within sight, we made our way to the staircase, taking in the Lapa Arches (an old aqueduct) in the distance. The staircase, covered in tile by a Chilean-born artist Jorge Selaron in celebration of the Brazilian spirit, is a unique sight. The tiles come in vivid colors. In addition to the tiles dedicated to Brazil, there is a large collection of tiles from all over the world, sent to the artists from visitors and others who have seen or were familiar with his project. We went up the staircase as far as the large Brazilian flag before turning around, as the guidebooks suggested but also because it looked deserted and out of the sight of the police officers who were posted at the bottom of the staircase.
From here we make our way back to Praca Floriano, admiring the buildings all around us. On the northern end of the square are several neoclassical buildings including those that house the National Library, City Hall, and Municipal Theater. The National Library was under renovation but the City Hall and especially the Municipal Theater more than made up for it. Covered in marble, gold, and mosaics, it's one of Rio's finest buildings. From here it was across the street to the National Museum of Fine Arts, which hosts an excellent collection of paintings and other works of art from Brazilian as well as European artists.
Next up is the Metropolitan Cathedral, a one-of-its-kind work of art by renown Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer. What caught my attention was the conical shape of the building, the crucifix above the altar that looked like it was floating on air, the stained glass, and the minimalist take on a couple of biblical sculptures.
It was now about 1pm, which meant lunch at Confeitaria Colombo, one of the finest dining institutions in Rio. After taking a minute to find the place, we went inside and proceeded to the second floor, where the restaurant served a daily buffet. The interior is gorgeous with its stained glass, wrought iron, and nicely dressed servers. The food matched the decor. The salads were delicious but the duck in orange sauce and the grilled sea bass was beyond divine. And the desserts, yum! Definitely try the cashew fruit shaped confection as well as the Portuguese custard tart. I highly recommend a visit to this place.
Stomachs full, we continued our exploration of downtown Rio. We visited the Portuguese Reading Room, the Rio State Parliament, and a couple of baroque churches.
Behind the Parliament and adjacent Imperial Palace (now houses some cafés) is the ferry dock for Niteroi, which was where we were now headed. Niteroi is a working class suburb on the other side of the harbor and accessible by a bridge as well as a 15-minute ferry ride. Our destination in Niteroi was the Contemporary Art Museum, another famed Niemeyer landmark. While the museum's collection itself didn't really keep my attention, the building itself is worth making the journey as well as the scenic 30-minute walk between the ferry dock and the museum with views of Rio across the bay.
The quick excursion to Niteroi capped our day, although we could have easily spent more time in the area and explore some of it's other attractions.
Back in Rio, we were greeted by endless throngs of workers leaving work on their way to the ferry dock heading home. The size of the crowds reminded me of Grand Central or Penn Station in NYC in the evening or Tokyo Station with its myriad commuters.
Following a short walk to the Carioca station, it was a quick subway ride back to our hotel in Ipanema.
Tomorrow is our last full day touring Rio. More on that at another time. Enjoy your Sunday, everyone.
Sep 14th, 2014, 01:59 PM
#54
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,143
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
Sdtravels, thank you. And South America will be well worth the wait!
Football and Samba
What comes to mind when you hear mentions of Brazil? Is it the beautiful beaches? Or the magical setting that is Rio? Football and samba are surely high on that list as well. They are the themes of our visit today.
The morning began with a rather long subway ride from Ipanema to Maracana, home of the world-renown temple of Brazilian football. Given my love of the sport and now also the site of my favorite team's, Germany's, triumph at the World Cup this year, a trip to Maracana was high on my agenda. We arrived at the stadium shortly after its opening at 9. We began our tour on the ground level, with its exhibits on Brazilian football and the country's recent hosting of the World Cup tournament. We proceeded to the locker rooms followed by a journey down the players' entrance to the field. We spent well over 90 minutes here, much of it simply sitting in the stands imagining what being here for an actual match would be like.
After Maracana, we walked about a block towards the university next door, from where we caught a cab to the Sambadromo, site of the annual Carnival parade. We intended to visit the costume room, but could not locate it. After a couple of attempts, we snapped a photo and gave up.
Up next was the bohemian neighborhood of Santa Teresa, perched in the hills overlooking downtown Rio. We went up to Santa Teresa at about noon, in part because research indicated that the area is less trafficked in the morning and potentially less safe. Santa Teresa was the neighborhood of favor for many wealthy Brazilians in the late-19th and early-20th centuries, and as such, is home to numerous grand mansions now in various states of decay. We began our exploration of the neighborhood at Largo dos Guimaraes, the main square, and followed the tram tracks up the hill, admiring the old homes and murals along the way. Other than the initial anxiety near the Selaron Staircase yesterday, this is the only time during our visit to Rio that we felt a bit uneasy. We didn't observe anything unusual or came upon any unsavory characters during our walk; instead, the streets were quite deserted. We followed our gut and returned to Largo dos Guimaraes and proceeded to the Park of the Ruins, site of the ruins of the home of an early-20th century feminist. I enjoyed climbing the metal stairways and walking along the walkways contained within the remains of the brick structure. It's a cool site with fine city views. We then headed next door to the Museum Chacara de Ceu, the former home of a wealthy Brazilian industrialist and avid art collector. We spent about an hour here before following the tram tracks down to the main square and lunch at a charming cafe not too far away.
It's now about 3:30 and we took a cab back down. Our next stop of the day was the Catete Palace / Museum of the Republic. Catete Palace started out as the home of one of Brazil's wealthiest coffee barons and later became the official home of the country's president prior to the relocation of the capital to Brasilia in 1960. The home is quite ornate and well worth a visit if you are into history and politics like me. In all, we were here for about two hours before spending some time in the peaceful garden behind it.
With our sightseeing done, we headed back to our hotel by subway for a quick freshening up before heading out to an evening of samba music and dancing in the Lapa neighborhood. What a wonderful end to round out the day.
Tomorrow, we leave the city behind for an excursion to the former royal retreat of Petropolis.
Football and Samba
What comes to mind when you hear mentions of Brazil? Is it the beautiful beaches? Or the magical setting that is Rio? Football and samba are surely high on that list as well. They are the themes of our visit today.
The morning began with a rather long subway ride from Ipanema to Maracana, home of the world-renown temple of Brazilian football. Given my love of the sport and now also the site of my favorite team's, Germany's, triumph at the World Cup this year, a trip to Maracana was high on my agenda. We arrived at the stadium shortly after its opening at 9. We began our tour on the ground level, with its exhibits on Brazilian football and the country's recent hosting of the World Cup tournament. We proceeded to the locker rooms followed by a journey down the players' entrance to the field. We spent well over 90 minutes here, much of it simply sitting in the stands imagining what being here for an actual match would be like.
After Maracana, we walked about a block towards the university next door, from where we caught a cab to the Sambadromo, site of the annual Carnival parade. We intended to visit the costume room, but could not locate it. After a couple of attempts, we snapped a photo and gave up.
Up next was the bohemian neighborhood of Santa Teresa, perched in the hills overlooking downtown Rio. We went up to Santa Teresa at about noon, in part because research indicated that the area is less trafficked in the morning and potentially less safe. Santa Teresa was the neighborhood of favor for many wealthy Brazilians in the late-19th and early-20th centuries, and as such, is home to numerous grand mansions now in various states of decay. We began our exploration of the neighborhood at Largo dos Guimaraes, the main square, and followed the tram tracks up the hill, admiring the old homes and murals along the way. Other than the initial anxiety near the Selaron Staircase yesterday, this is the only time during our visit to Rio that we felt a bit uneasy. We didn't observe anything unusual or came upon any unsavory characters during our walk; instead, the streets were quite deserted. We followed our gut and returned to Largo dos Guimaraes and proceeded to the Park of the Ruins, site of the ruins of the home of an early-20th century feminist. I enjoyed climbing the metal stairways and walking along the walkways contained within the remains of the brick structure. It's a cool site with fine city views. We then headed next door to the Museum Chacara de Ceu, the former home of a wealthy Brazilian industrialist and avid art collector. We spent about an hour here before following the tram tracks down to the main square and lunch at a charming cafe not too far away.
It's now about 3:30 and we took a cab back down. Our next stop of the day was the Catete Palace / Museum of the Republic. Catete Palace started out as the home of one of Brazil's wealthiest coffee barons and later became the official home of the country's president prior to the relocation of the capital to Brasilia in 1960. The home is quite ornate and well worth a visit if you are into history and politics like me. In all, we were here for about two hours before spending some time in the peaceful garden behind it.
With our sightseeing done, we headed back to our hotel by subway for a quick freshening up before heading out to an evening of samba music and dancing in the Lapa neighborhood. What a wonderful end to round out the day.
Tomorrow, we leave the city behind for an excursion to the former royal retreat of Petropolis.
Sep 14th, 2014, 05:29 PM
#57
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,420
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
The ferry over to Niteroi is one of my favorite things to do in Rio. Glad you enjoyed it too.
Confeitaria Colombo is a classic!
The place you can try on Carnaval costumes is just on the right of the exit (look at a map for buying tickets to the Carnaval parades for their direction of travel) of the Sambadromo. There is also, next door, a school to train the couples that serve as the porta bandeira and mestre sala of the samba schools. If you are there during a practice session, and have done enough research to know what you are watching, It is very interesting to see even very young kids practicing for these coveted spots.
How did you like Lapa? Which club did you go to? We like to go out dancing at Carioca da Gema.
Confeitaria Colombo is a classic!
The place you can try on Carnaval costumes is just on the right of the exit (look at a map for buying tickets to the Carnaval parades for their direction of travel) of the Sambadromo. There is also, next door, a school to train the couples that serve as the porta bandeira and mestre sala of the samba schools. If you are there during a practice session, and have done enough research to know what you are watching, It is very interesting to see even very young kids practicing for these coveted spots.
How did you like Lapa? Which club did you go to? We like to go out dancing at Carioca da Gema.
Sep 15th, 2014, 05:57 PM
#58
Original Poster
Join Date: Sep 2012
Posts: 3,143
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
SambaChula, we asked a couple of security guards who were standing by the gate at the Sambadromo, but they did not seem to know, which I thought was a bit odd. In Lapa, we went to the Scenarium; I liked the decor and the music was good. Heard good things about Carioca da Gama, but didn't make it on this trip. Overall, I enjoyed the area; it was busier than I expected for a Wednesday night but the atmosphere, the vibes, and the company was perfect. I didn't think much of the area when I walked near it on my way around Centro the day before, but going there in the evening definitely changed my opinion.
Petropolis
With four full days in the city, we thought it would be a good contrast to head to the countryside to see a different side of Brazil. With our interest in history and politics, Petropolis called to us. Petropolis was founded in the 19th century by the Emperor of Brazil as an imperial retreat away from the heat and hustle of Rio. Located about an hour and a half outside of Rio, Petropolis is a nice town to spend a day. I especially liked the palaces and mansions, with its Portuguese and German influences, the man-made canals, and the charm that the town possesses. It reminded me of a village out of Germany or Austria.
From Ipanema, we took a taxi to the city's main bus station. Buses between Rio and Petropolis ran once every hour and tickets were plentiful, although it took a bit to locate the correct ticket booth. The ride itself was comfortable. Once we reached the bus terminal at Petropolis, it was a quick taxi ride to the main part of town.
Our first stop was the Imperial Palace. The palace is a two-story pastel pink structure filled with European-style furniture, paintings, and sculpture. We spent about two hours here, taking our time to enjoy the place and learning about the political and social history of the time.
Following our visit to the Imperial Palace, we walked across the street to the Yellow Palace, a former home of a Brazilian aristocratic family and now the site of Petropolis' City Hall. We went inside for a quick peek and were treated to a short tour by one of the staff members working there.
From here we made our way past several beautiful homes from the era towards the Sao Pedro de Alcantara Cathedral. While the interior houses the remains of the imperial family and is worth a look, it was the facade that really caught my attention. Head dowm Koeler Avenue away from the cathedral for the best view of the cathedral, which perfectly lines up with the tree-lined canal and the mountains behind.
Koeler Avenue is also lined with several palaces and mansions from the 19th century. On this street is the former home of Princess Isabel as well as several of the emperor's personal friends, political advisors, and business associates. The intersection between money, power, and access isn't so much different two centuries later, right? Also on Koeler Avenue is the Rio Negro Palace, still in use as a country home for Brazil's presidents. The decor of Rio Negro is more modern and minimalistic, in stark contrast to the Imperial Palace.
After touring the Rio Negro Palace, we wound our way past several more homes and another tree-lined canal before coming upon the Bohemian Brewery, dating back to imperial times and still making beer as it did more than one hundred years earlier. We enjoyed a late lunch here. I was treated to a superb chorizo steak, prepared perfectly, and served with an accompaniment of salad and potatoes. It went well with the locally-brewed beer.
We concluded our visit to Petropolis with a walk to the Crystal Palace, which was abuzz with workers getting ready for a Japanese-themed fair the next day. We walked around town for a bit before heading back to Rio for dinner and a farewell stroll along the beaches.
We had the time of our lives in Rio. It met and exceeded all our expectations, and is the only city that, IMO, gives Sydney a run for its money. It's hard not to fall in love with the city, framed by its mountains and beaches. The people were absolutely fantastic. They were always friendly, outgoing, and very welcoming. Brazilians seem to really know how to enjoy life, whether it's football, samba, or simply taking a cup of coffee at the city's numerous cafes.
Rio is fun, but is it safe, I suspect some of you are asking. For the most part, we felt as safe in Rio as we do in DC or NYC or London or Bangkok. Most of the areas frequented by tourists were heavily trafficked and it was hard to venture too far without a police officer or several within sight. Sure, we took normal precautions like not carrying our passports around (a copy of the bio and visa pages will do), a wad of cash, or valuables that we couldn't afford to lose, but we do this regardless of where our travels take us. There were a couple of times when we were unsure, on our way to Selaron Staircase and in Santa Teresa, and we simply evaluated our surroundings before venturing too far. With police officers nearby and within sight, we proceeded as planned, and around a part of Santa Teresa when we didn't see another body we simply turned around. However, the extra caution did not detract from our experience of Rio and cannot wait to return again.
We fly to Sao Paulo in the morning for two nights in Brazil's largest metropolis before returning home.
Ao Sao Paulo amanha...
Petropolis
With four full days in the city, we thought it would be a good contrast to head to the countryside to see a different side of Brazil. With our interest in history and politics, Petropolis called to us. Petropolis was founded in the 19th century by the Emperor of Brazil as an imperial retreat away from the heat and hustle of Rio. Located about an hour and a half outside of Rio, Petropolis is a nice town to spend a day. I especially liked the palaces and mansions, with its Portuguese and German influences, the man-made canals, and the charm that the town possesses. It reminded me of a village out of Germany or Austria.
From Ipanema, we took a taxi to the city's main bus station. Buses between Rio and Petropolis ran once every hour and tickets were plentiful, although it took a bit to locate the correct ticket booth. The ride itself was comfortable. Once we reached the bus terminal at Petropolis, it was a quick taxi ride to the main part of town.
Our first stop was the Imperial Palace. The palace is a two-story pastel pink structure filled with European-style furniture, paintings, and sculpture. We spent about two hours here, taking our time to enjoy the place and learning about the political and social history of the time.
Following our visit to the Imperial Palace, we walked across the street to the Yellow Palace, a former home of a Brazilian aristocratic family and now the site of Petropolis' City Hall. We went inside for a quick peek and were treated to a short tour by one of the staff members working there.
From here we made our way past several beautiful homes from the era towards the Sao Pedro de Alcantara Cathedral. While the interior houses the remains of the imperial family and is worth a look, it was the facade that really caught my attention. Head dowm Koeler Avenue away from the cathedral for the best view of the cathedral, which perfectly lines up with the tree-lined canal and the mountains behind.
Koeler Avenue is also lined with several palaces and mansions from the 19th century. On this street is the former home of Princess Isabel as well as several of the emperor's personal friends, political advisors, and business associates. The intersection between money, power, and access isn't so much different two centuries later, right? Also on Koeler Avenue is the Rio Negro Palace, still in use as a country home for Brazil's presidents. The decor of Rio Negro is more modern and minimalistic, in stark contrast to the Imperial Palace.
After touring the Rio Negro Palace, we wound our way past several more homes and another tree-lined canal before coming upon the Bohemian Brewery, dating back to imperial times and still making beer as it did more than one hundred years earlier. We enjoyed a late lunch here. I was treated to a superb chorizo steak, prepared perfectly, and served with an accompaniment of salad and potatoes. It went well with the locally-brewed beer.
We concluded our visit to Petropolis with a walk to the Crystal Palace, which was abuzz with workers getting ready for a Japanese-themed fair the next day. We walked around town for a bit before heading back to Rio for dinner and a farewell stroll along the beaches.
We had the time of our lives in Rio. It met and exceeded all our expectations, and is the only city that, IMO, gives Sydney a run for its money. It's hard not to fall in love with the city, framed by its mountains and beaches. The people were absolutely fantastic. They were always friendly, outgoing, and very welcoming. Brazilians seem to really know how to enjoy life, whether it's football, samba, or simply taking a cup of coffee at the city's numerous cafes.
Rio is fun, but is it safe, I suspect some of you are asking. For the most part, we felt as safe in Rio as we do in DC or NYC or London or Bangkok. Most of the areas frequented by tourists were heavily trafficked and it was hard to venture too far without a police officer or several within sight. Sure, we took normal precautions like not carrying our passports around (a copy of the bio and visa pages will do), a wad of cash, or valuables that we couldn't afford to lose, but we do this regardless of where our travels take us. There were a couple of times when we were unsure, on our way to Selaron Staircase and in Santa Teresa, and we simply evaluated our surroundings before venturing too far. With police officers nearby and within sight, we proceeded as planned, and around a part of Santa Teresa when we didn't see another body we simply turned around. However, the extra caution did not detract from our experience of Rio and cannot wait to return again.
We fly to Sao Paulo in the morning for two nights in Brazil's largest metropolis before returning home.
Ao Sao Paulo amanha...
Sep 16th, 2014, 05:49 AM
#59
Join Date: Jul 2014
Posts: 1,420
Likes: 0
Received 0 Likes
on
0 Posts
tripplanner001, we would love to see you up here in the northeast on your next trip, to explore some of the unique culture and gorgeous beaches. Remember, immigrants from the northeast created the culture and music for which Rio is known.
