This is the last post about the trip to Rio. Although it's been a month since I've been back I miss it very much. Here are some more highlights of the trip
Marius Seafood: Probably the best meal we had. EXPENSIVE and go there hungry. It's buffet style but the all you can eat seafood comes roasted and straight from the kitchen. And the decor, its over the top!
We also went to the nightclub - Vinicius where Bossa Nova was started. It's across the street from the famous bar where Tom Jobin wrote the "Girl from Ipanema". This guy (whose name we don't know) was the warm up. He was pretty good
Maria Crueza: She was the star and the reason why many people came to the bar. She was fabulous!
We heard about a free concert outside Toca de Vinicius(the famous Bossa Nova record store). It was packed! We found out it was because they were honoring one of the most famous Bossa Nova songstress - Ademilde Fonseca. Here she is giving a powerful performance at 90 years old! You should have seen the high heels she was wearing. Amazing lady.
We also wanted to have a drink at the famous Copacabana Hotel. Here we are with are Caipirinha. It was expensive but Nicky treated us!
I'm in Vegas now for the NAB convention. I'm writing this at my company's booth as I'm waiting for some material to be delivered to me. This is the second from last blog about my trip to Brazil.
On the last Friday in Rio de Janeiro, we hired a guide to show us around Rio. Unfortunately, though, the guide we asked for had a personal problem so we had a new guide - Mathilda, an ex Varig flight attendant. She was very nice but new at being a tour guide so not the best we had given the price (300 USD for the day!). Anyhow, she picked us up at our hotel at 830am sharp and off we went to our full day tour of Rio
Our first stop was the Rodrigo de Freitas Lake. It's quite picturesque as it is surrounded by mountains. There is a jogging path and a cycling path and since it was early, we saw plenty of people getting their exercise. Private clubs dot around the lake along with super expensive apartments. Supposedly, it's one of Rio's most expensive places to live after Leblon.
Our next stop was the Tijuca Forest. Our first stop was near the entrance and was the symbol of Rio - Christ the Redeemer statue. It is the second largest Art Deco statue in the world! And it is known as one of the new seven wonders of the world as it took a superhuman effort to carry the soapstones and concrete used to make that statue. The statue is 130ft tall and was completed in 1931. It took a total of nine years to complete
Unfortunately, it was quite foggy so we did not get a good view of the city below and even Christ the Redeemer was hidden in fog most of the time. However, I did get a shot of it when there was a short break in the fog.
On the way to see Christ the Redeemer, a girl was playing with this strange looking bug.
After visiting Christ the Redeemer, it was time to explore the TIjuca Forest - the largest urban forest in the world. A tropical rain forest in the middle of Rio. It is a "man-made" rainforest. Well, it was always a rain forest but when the Portuguese came, they destroyed it to make way for coffee plants. But the coffee plantations created havoc to the water supply of Rio so in the late 19th century, the forest was "re-planted". Today it home to hundreds of local species and plants including some that are close to extinction. There are also some non native plants especially jackfruit. You see jackfruit everywhere because the monkeys love it and spread the seeds.
Many Cariocas (locals) come to Tijuca Forest for exercise and fresh air. While driving around the curvy damp road, we saw streams of water every 10ft or so. We also saw some offerings the native Indians left for the forest.
As the fog started lifting, we stopped for some photos of the view of the city from the forest.
You can see the world famous soccer stadium - Maracana in this photo. It's the largest soccer stadium in the world.
The Rio-Niteroi Bridge: The longest bridge in the Southern Hemisphere and the 6th longest bridge in the world.
View of the Jockey Club, a famous horse race track.
As we drove into the forest, the vegetation got lusher and the air damper. We saw some interesting plants and sights though
This plant is very unusual. The red leaves when exposed to sun looks white from afar! I thought they were white flowers when I first saw them from afar.
I'd like one of these plants for my house but given Socal is so dry, I will need to build a greenhouse.
The beautiful Cascatinha waterfall that is 30meters high.
We also stopped at the pink Mayrink Chapel which was built by one of the wealthy Portuguese settlers and is home to a beautiful painting by Candido Portinari - one of Brazil's most famous painters. Unfortunately I could not go in the chapel so could not take a photo so instead took a photo of the bell tower.
A map of Tijuca Forest done by the Portuguese colonists on of course, Portugues tiles.
After the serene and beautiful forest, it was time to explore historical Rio which is located in Centro (Central Rio)
Our first stop was the Rio de Janeiro Cathedral, which is the seat of the archbishop of Rio. It's quite ugly to be honest from the outside. It's conical shape. Here's a photo of it reflected by the glass from a building across the street from the cathedral. The inside was OK but the stained glass was beautiful.
Then we walked around Centro where Mathilda took us to many of the historical building of Rio. It's easy to spot because of the colonial architecture. Much of it has been destroyed though, although a conservation effort is now taking place. It was quite crowded as it was Friday and for the first time we saw Cariocas walking around in suits.
Our plan was to have lunch at the famous Confeitaria Colombo, Rio's most famous and opulent cafe. It's quite grand. It was established in 1894 and rivals any of the grand cafes in Paris and Vienna. But it was SO CROWDED! So instead of lunch, we ordered a snack to go. I had a pumpkin empanada like thing and chicken and cheese croquette like thing. Both were OK. I have not been impressed with the food in Brazil (except for the pizza!) but I'm glad I tried it.
Super crowded Confeitaria Colombo
So instead Mathilda took us to a restaurant located in a cute alleyway in the old town section of Centro. This was my favorite part of the centro tour. The buildings were quite quaint and the alleyways were quite. There were many nice restaurants and club lining the alleyways.
We then headed back to the Cathedral (on the left below) where our car was parked and headed to our last tourist spot.
Our last tourist spot was the famous steps of Lapa - Escadaria Selaron. It all started in 1990 when an artist from Chile, Jorge Selaron decided to fix the depilitated steps in front of his house. His neighbors first laughed at him as he used tiles in colors representing Brazil. But he was obsessed and started using red tiles and painting many of the tiles himself. He is still alive and unfazed by the attention the steps have given him over the years. He consider's the steps never finished so continues to update and change the tiles.
Lapa is a very cool neighborhood. It used to be the brother district and in some sense still is as you see many "hotels' in the neighborhood. It is where struggling artists, prostitutes and struggling writers live. The samba night clubs are famous here. It is not a safe neighborhood but very colorful and full of character
Looking down at the steps, you see NO tiles!
Our last activity was shopping! Shopping for Havianas, the famous Brazilian flip flops. Mathilda took us to the most famous store which happens to be in Ipanema. And the prices were excellent. It was hardcore shopping though. It was so hot and everything was crammed in the store. Anyhow, got gifts for my sister and nephews and a pair for myself. But should have bought more cuz they are comfortable and half the price you will pay in the States.
It was a great way to spend our last full day together. And fortunately the weather cooperated for most of the day so we got to see alot. If visiting Rio, I recommend everyone take a one day private tour as you get alot done in one day and also learn alot.
So the main purpose of our trip was to enjoy Carnaval. And boy, did we! We went to the famous Sambadrome and saw the schools compete. The samba schools are from the favelas, but through corporate sponsorships, they have been able to create elaborate floats and costumes. Each Samba school parades down the Sambadrome for about an hour. The parade tells a story. We saw parades from two Samba schools. One parade was about the animal kingdom and the second parade was about Hollywood! We had reserve seats near the end of the parade which was nice but unfortunately could not get a good view of the folks dancing on the floor. Each parade is opened by a Maestro followed by dancers, floats, more dancers, floats, dancers etc. Each samba school has about 8-9 floats! And as you can see from the photos and videos they are elaborate! They people dance to the music specially composed by each samba school. We got a guide which has the storyline for each school's parade and the words to the music but it was in Portuguese so difficult for us to follow. The audience watching have flags and T-shirts of the samba school they want to support. And there are thousands of people cheering and dancing throughout the night. The parades start at 9pm to fireworks and typically ends around 3-4am or so. It is held on the Sunday and Monday before Ash Wednesday. Quite a show.
Getting to the Sambadrome and to your section can be a challenge. We hired a radio taxi which is an official Sambadrome taxi so was able to take us directly to our destination. Otherwise, one has to walk through some seedy areas but given they are tons of cops should be safe. But even outside the Sambadrome, everyone was partying and getting drunk. The "locals" sit in the free sitting zone and it is PACKED with people.
If I have a chance to do it again, I would join a Samba School and march in the parade. We met a couple from the States who just did that. Amazing.
Unfortunately, my battery died on my camera so had to take photos with my iphone. They weren't coming out great so instead used the video feature of the iphone. (I should start using it more!)
We left around 1am and were able to get a radio taxi right outside the gate. Very easy. but a late night for us!
View of Leblon and Ipanema on Carnaval night
The parade was broadcast live. The TV studio is in the dome. The Sambadrome was designed by Rio's famous architect Oscar Niemeyer and seats 90000 people. It was packed! The Sambadrome was specifically built to handle the Samba School parade/competition
Nicky and Sandra dressed up to party!
Look at those outfits!
All the floats had dancers/singers dressed in elaborate costumes
Here's a video of the ambiance
Carmen Miranda! The most famous Brazilian actress
And King Kong!
My only regret is not being able to see the folks parading and dancing on the floor. Also the prices are so expensive for good seats (1000 USD plus) that our taxi driver said that most people watch from TV and do block parties instead. Because ordinary Cariocas (Rio residents) can no longer afford the prices, block parties are becoming more popular.
What makes Rio special and unique is the surrounding beautiful tropical landscape. The mountains are steep, majestic and lush. So in addition, to enjoying the city, we spent time to enjoy the tropical landscape of Rio.
On the first Monday of our trip, Nicky and I took a cab ride to the Botanical Gardens. The gardens was founded in 1808 by the reigning Portuguese prince at that time. The Portuguese royal family actually moved to Rio and is the only monarchy to have established residency in a "colony". It's a huge park, 137 hectares where 55 of the hectares are open to the public. It holds a botanical collection of around 9000 specimens of brazilian flora and a well renowned orchid center.
We found the gardens to be green and not very colorful. There was a sad rose garden where most seem dead. I guess roses are very hard to grow in the tropics. The trees were magnificent though and as they were pretty dense and lush, it kept the grounds cool. And of course, like all botanical gardens, they also had a Japanese garden with a pagoda, koi pond, japanese maple trees and bamboo. The bamboo was doing well and thriving but the maple tree seemed to be struggling.
It was worth a visit though just to see the different palm trees and the rare and beautiful orchids. It's also a nice way to get an introduction to tropical Rio. I only wished they had better signs explaining the origin, names of the plants and trees that grow in the park.
Row of palm trees
A strange looking fruit growing on this native vine from the Amazon.
The Giant Water Lilies of the Amazon. Unfortunately, no flowers when we were there.
Beautiful and rare orchids
On Wednesday, we decided to take a tropical island tour with the tour agency from the Sheraton hotel. We were picked up at 8am but then spent a good hour driving around Rio picking up more tourists. Unfortunately, the streets were messed up because of Carnaval which screwed up the pickup route. Anyhow, after picking up tourists from Poland, Germany, Netherlands and Iran (yes Iran!) we headed to Itacuruca which is about an hours drive from downtown Rio. During the drive, we got to see alot of Rio including the port and the warehouses where the floats from Carnaval are kept. Sadly, we also saw the warehouse that caught fire where one of the important Samba schools lost are their floats.
We had a pit stop at a small town where many Brazilian-Japanese live. (Brazil is home to the second largest Japanese population). So for that reason, I expected to see onigiris to be sold at the pit stop but all they had were chips and local pastries. But an interesting thing happened at the pit stop. The Iranian tour guide started playing Iranian music on a portable CD player he brought and some of the Iranians started dancing. And the tourguide started rapping! We found out later that his name is Alijan and what a great way to break the ice, so to speak.
So Sandra gets into the music and joins the dance and I take the photos. It's becoming a tradition of ours in every country we visit it seems. We get to know the Iranians especially the tour guide as he speaks fluent English. I find out he travels ALOT and after this Rio trip he is picking up a few hundred Iranian tourists to take them to Singapore and Malaysia. He was such a nice guy. He also tried fixing us up with his "rich" clients. He did say that in his country though, men can have multiple wives but they guys travelling with him don't have any. Anyhow, he was funny and we had a good laugh.
Alijan, the Iranian tour guid and rapper
Sandra dancing with the Iranian tourists
After another 30min drive or so we arrived at Itacuruca to catch our boat. The town is located on the bay of Sepetiba. We took the boat to explore the bay, go for a swim on an isolated beach and have lunch at a hotel on one of the islands in the bay. Apparently they are 50 plus tropical islands in this bay and some rich folks from Sao Paolo own some of the islands and have vacation homes. It's a very pretty bay dotted with lush islands with great beaches.
We stopped by one island where we could jump from the boat and go for a swim. The water was warm and since it is a bay very calm. Ideal and safe for swimming unlike the beaches in downtown Rio.
After taking a swim, we got back on the boat and headed to Hotel Pierre which is on one of the main islands. There we had a delicious buffet lunch followed by another short swim. We also tried the kayaks but then got in trouble as it was for guests staying at the hotel only. The hotel is beautiful and quiet. But also expensive! Found out by checking the website that its about 300$ per nite!
After lounging around the hotel, reading, napping, it was time to head back. The return trip was shorter as we took the direct route and I napped on the bus ride home. It was a full but fun day! My only regret was not getting the email address of Alijan as he seemed to be a very nice guy that could give good advice on travelling.
Our boat
The girls with one of the Iranian tourist and Alijan (the far right)
The bay
Our bartender on the boat. He made great caipirinhas.
"We are just two people. Not that much separates us. Not nearly as much as I'd thought."The Help by Kathryn Stockett
The first Sunday in Rio (March 6), Nicky arrived and we decided to hang out our "private beach" in front of the Sheraton. I had just finished one book and was totally engrossed in the second book I brought called "The Help" by Kathryn Stockett. While listening to the waves and sipping wine on my comfortable lounge chair under an umbrella that the waiter constantly moved so I would not be exposed to direct sunlight, I was getting deep into the book. But drinking wine and water meant I had to take a bathroom break and upon returning, I noticed the irony of the situation. (You'll have to read the book to understand.) In the unmarked "Sheraton" beach zone, no one except for a few hotel guests were in the water. The waves were treacherous but I knew they were great waves to body surf and boogie board. To my left and right, outside the "Sheraton" zone, kids from the Favela ( "slums") were playing in the water. Body surfing, boogie boarding and just plain having fun. Now, the flight attendant from our flight from Miami to Rio, cautioned us to not wear jewelry etc while at the beach in front of the Sheraton cuz the "favela" kids hang out nearby. So I was at the beach with no jewelry and had my camera and room key tethered to me the whole time. But as I was reading the book, I began to question my behaviour.
The "Sheraton" Beach
The Scene to the Right of the Sheraton Beach
The Scene to the left of the Sheraton Beach
I have a passion to travel because I want to be a better human being. So when planning the trip to Rio, I learned about Marcelo Armstrong who is a pioneer of Favela Tourism. My knowledge of the Favelas were gained from the movie "City of God" (which I recommend everyone to see) and newspaper articles. I have to admit, when I thought of Favelas, I thought of crime, drugs and filth. But ever since a shameful experience about 20 years ago where in midtown NYC, a carload of black folks called on me where I worked with one of them but did not recognize him, so I cowered because I assumed they were "gangs from Harlem", I told myself that I have alot more learning to do to become a better person. So I asked my BFFs if they were open to going to a Favela tour which they were. I chose Marcelo, because he donates proceeds to the tour to programs for the Favela and his focus was on educating people on life in the Favelas and how one can help.
So on Thursday March 10, on a foggy but humid morning, we went on Marcelo's Favela tour. Our tour guide was Marina who is a volunteer and whose husband worked for IBM! What a coincidence. She was fantastic. Our first stop was the Rocinha - Rio's largest Favela. What shocked me the most was how close it is to the wealthiest section of Rio. Most Favela's are located close to the rich, because the people serve the rich and need to be able to walk to their "employment". As Sandra says, the most dramatic moment of the tour was that as the van was going up to the street, to the right one sees the entrance to the most exclusive private school in Rio (The American School) where tuition is about 33000USD per year and to the left is the entrance to Rocinha Favela.
The "Favelas" originated when soldiers from Rio who fought against an uprising of poor in the late 19th century were promised land by the govt after victory built their own community after the govt did not honor the commitment. Favela is a local plant that causes skin irritation and grows in the mountains surrounding Rio. Thus the soldiers built their homes in the mountains with the best views in town and even today, the Favelas all over Rio have the best views of all of Rio.
Unfortunately, as the milatary dictatorship in the '70s (funded by US money) took control of Brazil, the Favelas became home to the drug lords. Rocinha, for example, is today controlled by ADA - a very powerful drug lord family. Thus I was not able to take many photos especially of the motorcycles. The current govt is trying to eliminate the drug lords so there is much paranoia amongst the drug lords.
Racinha is a world in itself. They have free Internet, their own cable TV and a rising middle class. It really is a city within a city. They have their own market, stores and a vibrant art market. I bought a beautiful painting of the favela from a local artist. I wish I could have taken a photo of the market. But there were alot of young kids on motorcycles staring at us. I'm sure they were keeping an eye on us. I felt like I was on a movie set of West Side Story.
If you've seen the City of God DVD and watched the "extras" where the directors interviewed the drug lords, residents and police, you learned about the distrust the favela residents have of the drug lords and how much they rely on the drug lords for protection, food and medicine. The govt have tried eradicating the drug lords via force only to fail with 1000s of innocent residents killed in the crossfire and another drug lord take the place The good news is that in the early 2000s, President Lula understood the linkage between poverty and crime and invested close to 2B USD to provide for running water, sanitation, roads, etc. Also, he formed a new police division called the Pacifier Police Division. The police still are responsible for arresting the drug lords but once gone, the police formed a presence in the Favelas so for the first time the citizens of the "pacified" favelas had police protection.
Although Racinha is still under control by the ADA (Amigos Dos Amigos) drug family, the people are enjoying the benefits of clean running water, paved streets, sanitation services, etc and one can feel the growth of the middle class. I found the folks I spoke with in the market, shops etc to be very warm people. I also sensed the community spirit. I hope they can live free from the drug lords soon.
Racinha: one of Rio's largest Favelas. The govt built this bridge and community center for the people
Racinha
The electrical system at Racinha. They also have free Wi-Fi!
One of the main streets in Racinha. The road used to be used for Formula One racing
The view of Rio from Racinha
View of Ivo PItanguy's house from Racinha: The world's most famous plastic surgeon. He is also known in the favelas for his free clinic and is loved by the citizens of Rio.
Our next stop was Vila Canoas. A small Favela but free from control of the drug lords. Here we were able to take photos and walk around freely. What amazed me were the alleyways which now have "street names". Favelas were built by construction workers who knew how to build homes but have no architectural experience. So design, safety, building codes, etc do not exist. Also, as public schools in Brazil are not very good as teacher's salaries avg 500 R (350 USD) per month, many of the kids from the favelas do not get a decent education. Moreover, the public schools are only 1/2 day long What's great about Vila Canoas is that the founder of Fiat has funded a school for kids to go to after they are done with public school. So instead of hanging out on the streets, they spend the afternoons in school. Our driver for the tour has 3 daughters and all of them took advantage of the school that the founder of Fiat formed. One is a doctor, another is a Vet and the youngest is studying for medicine. He said he cried like a baby when the oldest got her medical degree as it was something that was unattainable for him.
But even in this Favela, the drug lords, let the people know their presence as they mark their symbol on some stores. I can only hope that as Brazil becomes an economic power, that they spread the wealth so that those that serve and fund the wealthy get their share of the benefits.
A dog welcomes us to the Vila Canoas
To the left mansions, to the right Favela
Inside the school funded by Fiat. Notice the view from the window. There are no building codes in the favela so unfortunately, views of a wall are common.
One of the narrow "streets" The streets are named after cities in Brazil. Because the residents now have street names, they can get mail delivered to them directly.
A courtyard surrounded by a maze of narrow alleyways. I found it to be very clean.
Our driver's house
Check out the stairs to get to one of the homes
Each resident decorates/paints their home.
The electrical wiring is scary though
The ADA (Amigos Dos Amigos) letting the residents know they are close by
Across the street from the Sheraton is a Favela. And I learned that most of the employees of the Sheraton live in the Favela. I got to know several of the Sheraton employees pretty well as our ritual was to have breakfast and cocktails at the Starwood club room On the last day, they made us a lime pie which was delicious! They were the friendliest people I've met with huge hearts. I am not sure if their favela is under control from a drug lord and violence still occurs in the favelas around the city as the police continue to try and eradicate the drugs. But for the sake of the majority of the kind and wonderful people living in the favelas, I hope the drug war ends soon.
Thanks to the American college boys who are on spring break, I only got about 3 hours of sleep as they returned from partying drunk and decided to continue their partying along the hallway where our room is and then into their rooms. Anyhow, after tossing and turning for about 30 minutes, got up around 3am to try and do some catch-up work only to find the Internet not working. So ended up starting a new book and at 7am hauled my butt to the spa and worked out for an hour. Sandra ended up joining me at the gym 30 minutes laters. We met up again at the lounge for breakfast and slowly got ready for the activity of the day which is a trip to Santa Teresa..... in POURING rain. It's been raining on and off since we've been here so have not seen any sun. We're hoping that will change soon!
Getting to Bonde (tram) station that takes us up the hill to Santa Teresa was an adventure in itself. We have a fun cab driver who luved checking out the beautiful girls of Leblon, Ipanema and of course, Copa Cobana on the way to the center of town. In addition, he had to navigate through block parties. Unfortunately, there was a huge block party going on in the center of town so had to drop us off 4 blocks away from the Bonde station. Well, all the books and including the concierge told us not to walk around the center of town during the weekends. We figure there's tons of people enjoying the HUGE block party so we will be OK. I will say I was a bit nervous as the crowds were massive and it seemed we were the only tourists. At one point, the crowds were so thick it was difficult to get thru. Sandra and I agreed to not speak English and use sign language to communicate as we did not want to attract attention on ourselves. Then I found 4 very muscular guys with scary looking tattoos making their way through the crowds in the directions we wanted to go so we followed them until the crowd thinned out where we could continue safely our walk to the Bonde station. Once at the Bonde station, well, huge lines. After an hour in line we debated whether we wanted to do this our not, but decided to wait another 30 minutes while the rain just go heavier. Good thing we waited as just as we were about to leave, the tram arrived. And it was a fun experience! Everyone was in a party mood so a lot of cheering going on as we made our way up the cobblestone hill to Santa Teresa.
The Bonde: Finally Arrived!
We got the last row behind 4 well armed Military Police. As we have to go through the Favelas, the police are on the tram to make sure "nothing happens"
View of the center of town from the Bonde
I love the graffiti in Rio. Especially near the Favelas. Here are some scenes from the Bonde ride
This guy was SO DRUNK
More cool graffiti
We saw alot of half naked guys, gals while walking thru the block party at Central but did not take photos cuz it was a bit scary. But after getting off the tram, we saw some locals (half naked) getting on the tram. Lots of guys dressed as girls too were abundant
Luv these banners. Unrinating in public apparently is a huge problem in Rio. We saw plenty of guys violating the rule and just doing their business against a wall
Santa Teresa is a rough and tumble neigborhood of Rio De Janeiro known for its crumbling 19th century mansions set along windy cobblestone roads. It used to be a very high class neighborhood in the 19th century so the mansions are spectacular albeit deteriorating. The wealthy moved South and artists and bohemians moved in the 60s, 70s. Today it is a rich neighborhood of artists, musicians and people living below the poverty line. Given the economic growth of Rio, this neighborhood continues to get restored which means it also houses one of Rio's best boutique hotels : Hotel Santa Teresa.
Although it was pouring rain, the neighborhood did not disappoint. Impromptu street parties were happening, cute handicraft stores and many cool and divey bars, restaurants.
Hotel Santa Teresa: Very cool boutique hotel. We had a drink or two there.:))
Impromptu party in front of Bar do Mineiro: one of Rio's best loved botecos -spot for a cold drink and local food. So crowded so we did not go in.
Everyone in the town was in party mood. However, unlike the block parties, this won was a true neighborhood party so no wall2wall crowds
Unfortunately, the museums and the Parque das Ruinas ( a former mansion that is now a park with spectacular views) was closed due to Carnival so we missed the historical sights of Santa Teresa. We did however, find a fabulous restaurant that served Amazonian cuisine called Espirito Santa. Highly recommend it if in this area. We had two delicious dishes: collard greens stuffed with shrimp and corn, and tilapia with a plantain sauce. Yum! And I loved their hot oil so much they gave me a jar to take home! Everyone is so generous and nice here. Just luv this place.
Espirito Santa
Collard Greens stuffed with shrimp. The yellow stuff is fresh cornmeal
Tilapia wrapped in collard greens with plantain sauce. Very Good and unusual
Impromptu party in front of Espirito Santa
We took a cab back to our hotel as we DID NOT want to experience that crazy block party in Central. It turned out to be a great idea cuz we saw another part of the town including the Sambadrome getting reading for the Samba school competition and parade. We are going Monday nite! So exciting.
Despite the horrible weather, Sandra and I managed to have lots of fun. We ended the night with a nightcap at the hotel lounge, and we were sound asleep by 9pm!
Wow, slept in until 830pm. Jet lag and wine does wonder! After getting up, we had a fabulous breakfast at the Starwood Lounge with delicious coffee. We then spent a good one hour getting our tours booked and restaurant reservations with the concierge.
Our first stop of the day was H Stern. The famous Brazilian jewelry store that started in Rio De Janeiro over 60 years ago. Our hotel gave us a voucher for a free tour of the museum. It was quite a VIP experience as a car picked us up and dropped us off at the museum in Ipanema. We took the tour and learned about all the fabulous stones that come from Brazil. They include diamonds, emeralds (which I love), citrine, aquamarine, topaz and then the very rare imperial topaz. After the tour we met Honey, a naturalized Brazilian who came from Germany at the age of 4. And guess how old she is now – 75 years old and has been working at H Stern for 55 years! Oh, how tempting to buy a gorgeous piece of jewelry. I really, really want an imperial topaz pendant but the price tag was 11000 dollars which is a “good deal” as US citizens can buy it tax free. Common sense though kicked in and did not get it. However, Honey showed me some other great citrine pieces that I’m thinking of getting. Sandra did do some damage and bought a gorgeous citrine ring for herself as a memento of Brazil. Honey was a fabulous salesperson who treated us to a delicious cappuccino and a caiprianha, which we enjoyed while trying out the beautiful jewelry.
H Stern!
Our sales lady Honey with Sandra and I
After spending about 2 hours at H Stern, it was time for us to get our Mani-Pedi at a place recommended by Honey. It was quite an experience as it was “primitive” and not quite relaxing but one can’t complain for 30Rs!
We then explored Ipanema including the beach which did not impress me. What did impress me was the Bossa Nova music store – Toca do Vinicius. Luved that store. Sandra brought 2 CDs which I can’t wait to here! While walking around we stopped at Via Sete which is a highly recommended organic people watching place where I had a passion fruit caipirinha. We also shared these salt cod empanadas which were a special because for some reason, it’s salt cod week. I believe it has to do with Carnivale. The empanadas were delicious! We also met this American guy who is living there cuz he is fighting the mistress of his father who passed away for rights to a 5m$ condo overlooking Ipanema. He’s been fighting for 2 years! But he gave us some good advice on what to do and a warning about attending Carnivale block parties
Toca de Vinicius
Ipanema
Via Sete: A Place to be Seen
Passion Fruit Caipirinha
Salt Cod Empanadas
We then headed back to H Stern to catch a complimentary ride to Leblon where we wanted to have our first Carnivale experience. Well, it was a block party, that we were warned against. Thank God we were early as I can see it get out of hand. EVERYONE was drinking beer and bottles of Vodka. A not so good samba band played very loud music on top of a bus. It seems to be a place where people get crazy drunk and dance. We’ve been warned that people will start throwing beers at you etc so before things got out of hand we got out of there.
Party Time in Leblon: Block party to prep for Carnivale
So instead, we stopped at a grocery store for some wine to bring back to the hotel and had a light dinner at Sushi Leblon which is highly rated. Disappointment! The fish was good but sushi – very mediocre. I would not recommend it at all. It was not made well and no wasabi on the sushi! But it was definitely a place to be seen.
Interesting tree we ran into in Leblon. Think its a Banyan Tree?
Sushi @ Sushi Leblon: Supposedly the best sushi place in Rio. NOT!
After dinner, we took a cab back to the hotel to chill out, have some wine, write this blog and finish the book I’m reading.
So in summary, it was a good day. I have a mission now to save money to buy an Imperial Topaz pendant and learned that block parties during Carnivale are for college kids.
Good Morning Brazil! After travelling for 1.5 days which included airplane mechanical delays, 1 hr plus lines for immigration and lost luggage, Sandra and I finally made it to Rio De Janeiro yesterday. We arrived on a drizzly late morning to relatively mild temperatures (mid 70s).
Our first day was relatively easy day as we were both pretty tired due to lack of sleep at work and jet lag and had some to-dos for our next ten days in Rio. Once we checked in the hotel, we confirmed our Favela tour, then walked to the main drag in Leblon to look for sandals, t-shirt and shorts for Sandra as she had no clothes (her luggage did not make it). You see Sandra's plane from SFO - Miami was delayed over 3 hours. At the beginning, I did not think she'll make the Miami- Rio flight so assumed I was on my own and will meet her the next day. However, the Miami- Rio flight ended up being delayed for 2 hours due to mechanical delays. So she ended up making the flight but not her luggage. Come on American Airlines, you knew the luggage did not make it so why make us wait in baggage claim for an hour so that we have to wait for the last piece of luggage to appear to find out hers did not make it! So Sandra had to queue in another line and report her bag lost. No amenities from American but she complained and they offered her a 50$ voucher.
Anyhow, I digress. We got on the radio taxi (which I've been told is a safe mode of travel) and headed to our hotel - Sheraton Hotel and Resorts in Leblon. My first impression - Rio reminds me of a tropical, less developed Hong Kong. Why? The mountains that jut from water, stacks of homes built on the sides of mountains and modern skyscapers towards the city with lush greenery.
Upon arrival at the hotel, we checked in to our junior suite with a view of the Favela and the ocean. We then walked in the drizzly rain to the main shopping street of Leblon where Sandra bought some cute sandals and a T-shirt. First discovery - there are a lot of fabulous shoe stores in Brazil! I can go crazy here. We then had to head back as I needed to pick up the Carnival tickets. While waiting for the tickets, Sandra and I went in the H Stern shop at the hotel. Oh My! So many beautiful pieces of jewelry made from local topaz, aquamarines, etc. As we found is very typical in Brazil, the sales lady was so nice (considering we were sweaty, damp and still wearing the same clothes from the plane) and gave us a small gift and invited us to a tour of their museum. So guess what we are doing today!
Anyhow, afterwards, instead of going out we went to the lounge for Starwood members, had some wine and snacks for dinner. The waiter in the lounge was also very nice and actually taught us how to make a Caipirinha! So over wine, Caipirinha and snacks, Sandra and I decided on an itinerary for the rest of the week, which includes a jeep tour of Buzio(if we can get a reservation), Favela tour, hanging out to listen to Bossa Nova and go to Samba dancing nite spots. And of course, Carnivale! My other BFF Nicky will be joining us on Sunday and think she will be in for a surprise as we have created quite an itinerary.
And now we are off to breakfast before our tour of the H Stern Museum, Ipanema and Copacobana finishing with our first Carnivale experience in Leblon.
View of the Favelas from our hotel. Despite the phenomenal economic growth, majority of the population still lives in poverty
View of the beach from our hotel room
Our waiter at the Sheraton lounge, teaching us how to make Caipirinha
Cachaca(sugar cane liquor): The essential ingredient for Caipirinha: Apparently this brand is top of the line
Caipirinha and Wine: Cure for jet lag
The waiter's recipe for Caiperinha
* In a shaker, crush 6-7 halves of limes with 1 T sugar
* fill shaker 1/2 full of crushed ice
* Pour capiperinha and count to ten. At ten, stop pouring