January 3 -6, 2010 (yes 2010)
We were very excited to be off to Peru and Machu Picchu, at last! Consider that our whole reason for taking the cruise was to do a 3 day tour to Machu Picchu off the ship. When it turned out to cost more than the whole cruise, we decided to alter our itinerary to come back to Peru and do a proper tour. The funny thing is that breaking our fare up Rio-Lima and Lima-Edmonton, we actually saved $300 in airfare.
We again faced a long travel day starting at 10 a.m. when we were picked up from the Debret and taken to the airport for our journey to Lima (stopover in Buenos Aires), arriving at 10:30 p.m. Met by an English speaking guide Genero and driver who wisked us off to the Sonesta Posada del Inca Miraflores Hotel and a fabulous 2 bedroom suite!! We were so tired all we did was strip and get into bed.
Barb cooked her curling iron when she plugged it into the 200V not the 110V. Early next morning we were picked up and taken to the airport for our 1.5 hr flight to Cusco. We travelled with a small weekender bag we purchased in Rio and our large suitcases again kept by the hotel.
We changed flight times to Cusco and our assigned guide, who was not informed of the change, was late in picking us up at the airport. This resulted in a shortened version of a city tour and a quick drop off at our hotel the Tera Adina Hotel.
The hotel was located on one of the historic and narrow city streets and was not very impressive from the outside. However, once you stepped inside, the hotel was very inviting and luxurious.
We ended up not far from the main city mercado. Unfortunately we didn´t have much time to explore outside the immediate area of our hotel. But the Mercado was very interesting. It is the one place where centavos can buy something. In our case, a couple of tasty bread buns. We also saw a women sewing aprons (the kind that cover your whole outfit) on an old Singer treadle sewing machine. These markets sell everything from meat and poultry to clothing and kitchen supplies. Fascinating stroll.
As warned by Genero, we had started our altitude sickness pills--they worked as we discovered as the days progressed. Actually, Cusco is about 12,000 feet in altitude as opposed to Machu Picchu at 8,000 feet.
Early morning pickup - up at 5:30 am and off at 6:45 a.m. for the train ride to Machu Picchu!!! We had no idea tht we were travelling luxury class on the Vistadome train and breakfast was included or we would have opted for another 1/2 hour of sleep! Our train took us through the Sacred Valley of Urtumbamba to the Lost City of the Incas. what scenery, what heights, what everything!!
Met at the train station (Peru Rail) in Aguas Calientes by an English speaking guide, Raquel, and a bell hop from the hotel. He went off with our hand luggage and we went off with our guide and 5 other people - 3 from the US and 2 from Vancouver to see the sites. First step was to get on the bus for a 20 minute ride up a mountain. We say up but it was really a very winding road full of switchbacks with no shoulder and no railings.
Raquel, our guide, was an Indian lady and very knowledgeable and spoke many languages including Japanese. She said it was easy for her to learn Japanese because she spoke Quechua, the language of the Incas. She was very short and told us that the Indians prefer a short stature. In fact, in olden days, if they noticed a child was growing particularly tall, they put a basket on its head and two or three years later, voila - a child of the proper height. We think it is because it is likely the Spaniards killed all tall people thinking they were Incas.
She pointed out wild begonias that were in bloom and said there are 245 varieties of orchids that grew in Machu Picchu.
Perched 8200 feet above the valley, Machu Picchu (Old Mountain) was hidden by semi-tropical jungles and mountains since it was built in the 15th century until discovered by Hiram Bingham of Yale University in 1911. Archeologists believe that the Inca "Virgins of the Sun" took refuge from the Spanish Conquistadors here and the pueblo was populated by women. In fact, Rquel told us they had found 85 mummies in Machu Picchu including one they believe to be that of the Chief Priestess. She was 6 feet tall and apparently the Incas were a tall people, judging from various mummies that have been found. Many reached 7 feet in height.
The building was fascinating. There was a pre-Inca culture at this sacred spot and you can tell the difference in building methods. An interesting note is that the structures were supported by stone ball bearings to prevent collapse from earthquakes.
We were impressed with the agricultural terraces cut into the mountainside; the solar observatory, the main temple and the 3 x 7 metre high carved monolith.
We clambered about like mountain goats much to everyone's surprise. We think it is because we have grey hair and all women in Peru colour their hair.
What an experience. Not bad for two old broads as we climbed the stairs of the pueblo and got to the top. We got to use our rain ponchos again as a mild rainfall took over shortly before our walk down. Everyone told us it would be cold - ha! not for us hardy Canadians. We wore T-shirts
We ended the tour with guess what--a buffet lunch--at a swanky restuarant called the Sanctuary. Loaded back on the bus for the trip down to the town and a short walk to our hotel. Got lost as the guide left us at the restaurant, but we did find our way.
A nice hotel called the Adina Luxury, with two very interesting views. One is the railway tracks--that was our view, or a raging river which was the view from the breakfast room. Their definition of luxury is different from ours. But the staff were very pleasant and helped whenever they could.
The hotel was located close to the main mercado so we did get a little exercise going up and down the stairs from the street to the top of the market called the Pisac Indian Market. We also got exercise running down the rail tracks to our hotel before a train ran over us. There is building going on EVERYWHERE. The sidewalks are being torn up to install new pipes, hotels are renovating or new ones are under construction. There are tourists everywhere and this was the slow season!
The next day before we headed back to Cusco with the Inka Rail, again luxury class, which took us to the Sacred Valley, our hotel hand carried our luggage up to the train station. Although our travel info said a tour of the Ollantaytambo Fortresss was included, our taxi driver was in too much of a hurry to get us back to Cusco. The driver ignored our requests to stop so we could take some pictures of a special festival day that was taking place and many of the citizens were in their colourful local costumes. So back to the Terra Andina for one more night before we took off again.
There was some confusion as to the return rail tickets as they were delivered late the morning of our departure. There was a family from Washington, DC who were having the typical North American reaction ... where are the tickets? What is the schedule? Why hasn't the guide contacted us? We had already gone through the "manana" syndrome so were not worried. That is because we cheated and phoned our contact in Cusco the previous night.
The Inka Rail only started operating last year and is the first competition to the Peru Rail monopoly. Peru rail has 3 classes of travel...Vistadome (regular and luxury), Hiram Bingham (utmost luxury) and backpackers. These are the folks who hike the Inca Trail, 5 days from Cusco to Machu Picchu over the mountains. Lots of Australians in the backpacker crowd.
We took pictures but for two poor photographers there is nothing that can match a slide show of Machu Picchu that was sent to Lynne a long time ago. We will email everyone a copy and you can view it at your leisure.
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
GUIDES WE RECOMMEND IN BRAZIL
We found the following guides to be excellent. They speak English in the vernacular and are helpful and personable.
Rio et al
Rakel was our guide to and from Buzios. She speaks many languages and has travelled extensively through Europe, USA and SA. If she is already committed, she can find an equally good available guide.
When we were in Brazil, a private car and guide started at 250 Reals per day. Water, meals etc for all are your responsibility. Also, admissions for guide and yourselves. A larger vehicle also adds to the cost.
rakelhaesbaert@yahoo.com.br
Phone: 21-93365894
Manaus
Hugo Hoyos
hughoy@yahoo.com.br
phone: (cell) 55 92 9122-7523
Hugo was our guide on the Amazon Clipper and helped us tromp through the jungle in raincoat and runners!
He also does Belem, Iquitos (Peru)
fishing and river expeditions
Rio et al
Rakel was our guide to and from Buzios. She speaks many languages and has travelled extensively through Europe, USA and SA. If she is already committed, she can find an equally good available guide.
When we were in Brazil, a private car and guide started at 250 Reals per day. Water, meals etc for all are your responsibility. Also, admissions for guide and yourselves. A larger vehicle also adds to the cost.
rakelhaesbaert@yahoo.com.br
Phone: 21-93365894
Manaus
Hugo Hoyos
hughoy@yahoo.com.br
phone: (cell) 55 92 9122-7523
Hugo was our guide on the Amazon Clipper and helped us tromp through the jungle in raincoat and runners!
He also does Belem, Iquitos (Peru)
fishing and river expeditions
BYE BYE BRAZIL
Even though we tried to detail our travels, we found as we were on our way to the next tour, we forgot lots of interesting tidbits, such as:
1. No matter the size, age or degree of pregnancy, the Brazilian women love their bikinis---hmm
2. Thank goodness for our buffeterias as $24 US for a hamburger at the Copacabana Palace was just a little too steep for our pocketbook but the Arab restaurant we found nearby was just as advertised in Fodder´s--great. We found it as we left the Palace in shock.
3. Space is limited whether it is an apartment or the street. Parking lots are anywhere someone can put up a toll booth and offer space on a street. In fact, on our street such a parking lot was located. Would we trust a stranger with our car keys--well in Rio they do. Drop off your car with keys, let them park it and come back whenever. In the meantime your car is manuvered as necessary when others come after you.
4. We didn´t mention all the cruise ships that anchored not far off the Copacabana beach for all their passengers to get a terrific view of the New Year's Eve fireworks. If you are planning a cruise in this area, remember this!
5. Terrible mud slide not far from Rio because of the crazy rains they had Dec. 30 and 31. It was on CNN Europe, but not sure it was shown at home. We watched the rescuers retrieve a 3 year old from the muddy rubble.
6. Security is everywhere! Each apartment building has a locked entry with 24 hour staffing, our hotel had 2 people at night, businesses have their own security guards etc.
Our fondest memories of Brazil include driving through a rainshower of yellow butterflies in Iguacu National Park, eating breakfast in the Vila de Este dining room on the hill overlooking Buzios Bay, sitting in solitary splendor on the deck of the Amazon Clipper imagining we owned it and walking down Copacabana Beach every day.
Bye the way, the only nude beach in Brazil is in Buzios.
On the whole, the ladies of B.A. are more stylish than those of Rio BUT Lynne still mourns the fabulous purse she found in a basement boutique at the shopping centre near the Continental Hotel in Iguacu...which she did not buy as there was no room in her suitcase.
1. No matter the size, age or degree of pregnancy, the Brazilian women love their bikinis---hmm
2. Thank goodness for our buffeterias as $24 US for a hamburger at the Copacabana Palace was just a little too steep for our pocketbook but the Arab restaurant we found nearby was just as advertised in Fodder´s--great. We found it as we left the Palace in shock.
3. Space is limited whether it is an apartment or the street. Parking lots are anywhere someone can put up a toll booth and offer space on a street. In fact, on our street such a parking lot was located. Would we trust a stranger with our car keys--well in Rio they do. Drop off your car with keys, let them park it and come back whenever. In the meantime your car is manuvered as necessary when others come after you.
4. We didn´t mention all the cruise ships that anchored not far off the Copacabana beach for all their passengers to get a terrific view of the New Year's Eve fireworks. If you are planning a cruise in this area, remember this!
5. Terrible mud slide not far from Rio because of the crazy rains they had Dec. 30 and 31. It was on CNN Europe, but not sure it was shown at home. We watched the rescuers retrieve a 3 year old from the muddy rubble.
6. Security is everywhere! Each apartment building has a locked entry with 24 hour staffing, our hotel had 2 people at night, businesses have their own security guards etc.
Our fondest memories of Brazil include driving through a rainshower of yellow butterflies in Iguacu National Park, eating breakfast in the Vila de Este dining room on the hill overlooking Buzios Bay, sitting in solitary splendor on the deck of the Amazon Clipper imagining we owned it and walking down Copacabana Beach every day.
Bye the way, the only nude beach in Brazil is in Buzios.
On the whole, the ladies of B.A. are more stylish than those of Rio BUT Lynne still mourns the fabulous purse she found in a basement boutique at the shopping centre near the Continental Hotel in Iguacu...which she did not buy as there was no room in her suitcase.
Wednesday, December 30, 2009
NEW YEAR'S EVE ON COPACABANA BEACH
December 27 to January 2
Well they almost had to take us screaming and kicking from our beautiful hotel back to Rio, but since we were going back for the New Year´s festivities, we went.
We are back at the Debret until we leave Jan. 3. Our room is on the side with a decent view of the beach and fortunately several tall trees that are home to some singing birds(in the early morning of course). Best of all, we have 2 sets of closets. The Hotel offered us a remodelled room on the top floor facing the beach but it had a few small drawers and closet space for only 4 hangers. They thought we were nuts to turn it down but it just did not have enough storage for 2 women for 7 days! However, we really appreciated the thoughtfulness of offering us such a trade at no extra cost. Barb thinks she saw a couple with all their belongings in plastic bags chortling as they moved to the top floor.
The Debret is undergoing a renovation programme that is beyond our understanding. They refaced one side of the building but not the other. They fixed the roof so we are back eating breakfast at the top of the building with a spectacular view of the beach. The second floor is being remodelled extensively, but they are still trying to rent some rooms there. The 10th floor (there are 11 floors) has some remodelled rooms and at this rate it will take 5 years to complete.
When we returned to Rio, the weather was lovely but we were tired from the trip. So the next day we decided to take a bus to Barra da Tijuca, which is a suburb of Rio. It looks like any burb of a big city and would fit in at home. They have a very large shopping centre, which was AIR CONDITIONED! The bus ride took us past many interesting sites in Rio and took 60 minutes so it was like a mini tour. Our ride back to the hotel proved to be extremely interesting. We went into Sao Conrado where both the Hotel Intercontinental and the Hotel Sheraton are located. There is a major project underway there with construction of luxury condominiums. It was surprising to see Canadian firms Brascan and Brookfield Properties as developers. We drove past the Botonical Gardens, the Race Track known as The Jockey Club, the Fashion Mall (which we were told was in outer space when it came to prices), the Planetarium all of which we did not have time to visit.
There is a huge slum, called a favella, overlooking these hotels and condos. It is one of the largest slums in Rio. The favellas are, we think, the most famous slums in the world. One of our guides remarked that they are the real Rio. We had an idea that because the favellas are squatters, that they would have no water, plumbing, etc. The favellas are built on the hills behind the flats that border the seashore. In fact, they have full services plus paved roads. They even have taxis to the top of the mountain! The taxis are motorcycles. We remember seeing in Vietnam whole families riding one motorcycle, mother, father and 3 kids. In some very lovely residential areas, the favellas are the next door neighbours. While many of the hilltop mansions were built first, it was impossible to control the construction of the favellas due to the huge numbers of people moving to the city. As a matter of fact, if we look left out of our window rather than right to the beach, there is a large favella behind us up the hill.
On our ride back from Barra, we drove through a section of road perched on the cliffside next to the ocean with the favella up the hill. As we neared Rio, we passed an enticing hotel next to the favellas called The Sinless Hotel with rates starting at 48 Reals per night. What a deal.
The weather turned very muggy in high twenty´s and low 30's with occasional rain during our bus ride, sometimes just pouring. When we got into Ipanema, we got caught in such a deluge but managed to find a bus to take us to Copacabana Avenue. We arrived back quite wet.
We saved the Corcovado (Statue called Christ the Redeemer)and Sugar Loaf Mountain tours for our last week and lucked out as we had a lovely day for the tour. Wow, both are very high up and most of Barb´s friends know how she loves heights!! But she persevered when Lynne insisted Sugar Loaf Mountain, which is two peaks connected by 2 differnet sets of cable cars, is a must. As she pointed out, Barb rode a cable car in Hong Kong up to a peak to see the great Buddah and she could do the same to see the great Sugar Loaf. Our tour also included a stop at the factory that is busy making all the costumes for the 2010 Carnival. All top secret so we couldn´t get in, but we did see last years and for 5 Reals you can get your picture taken in one of the costumes--no we didn´t. We also saw the area where they march out in costume to parade for the crowds. It is like a stadium, only it looks like 2 street blocks with the 'Suites' being closer to the street and air conditioned. The guide stated it was very expensive to attend and it was more for the tourists and the 'Cariocas' the citizens of Rio, don't go.
Another part of the tour included a stop in LeBlon, the last of the areas along the strip of beaches and an up and coming area, where we were told several of their soap operas as filmed are very popular with the other countries of South America and are a high demand export.
We toured another top jeweller in Rio--'Amsterdam, Sauer', but Barb still isn´t buying. She had hoped for a ring with the stones of Brazil, but knowing she still has 6 weeks of vacation left, decided to postpone such a purchase.
On December 30 it started to pour...such a torrent of water, we were worried there would be no New Year's Eve celebrations. By noon on December 31, the downpour started to disappear and low and behold - a pleasant Dec 31 on the beach. We planned our own New Year´s Eve meal as most places charged upwards of $300 (not Reals)so we picked up some goodies at our favourite dining location, a split of champagne and had our own celebration. We dressed up in the traditional white and joined the throngs of people (about 2 million) on Copacabana Avenue for the music and the fireworks. It was great!
We have been having a difficult time with the TV...STARVED for English. But must say, we are continuing to add to our Portugese vocabulary having discovered Fashion Week on television along with Jeannie Becker, of all people!
We have been wandering through grocery stores here as we are always buying water to drink. We noticed that prices are very high. Cherries are $6 lb and they come from Chile. Most of the produce is priced no differerent than at home and we found this very surprising. There are never fresh muchrooms on the shelves (must be the weather). It must be very difficult for people who live here as the minimum wage is $200 a month which is impossible to live on. We think a lot of families have several peope working at jobs one never sees at home. People sitting on a stool and punching floor numbers in a fully automatic elevator and 2 people per bus, one to drive and one to collect fares.
We have found a perfect place to eat that we call buffeteria. A huge selection of food sold at prices ranging from $1.59 to $3.49 per 100 grams. At every one, there is someone at the door to give you a blank bill, all sorts of people running around filling the food trays, selling water, beer etc., cashiers and one person to collect your receipt as proof of payment. We never see so many people running around at home.
We have set up our own little buffeteria in our room with Lynne's portable coffee maker and our own supply of tea bags and cookies for that well balanced evening snack with coffee cups, plates and cutlery from our breakfast room.
CURVES GALS: we took pictures of the Curves location on Rua Migel Lemos 21 in Copacabana and will bring them in when we get home.
We are very glad we came to Brazil and spent enough time here to get a feel for the country. There is a sense of energy and optimism everywhere and if they can solve the problem of employment at meaningful wages, they will be well on their way to general prosperity.
We found the weather a trifle too hot for us (heading to 45 by full summer) and too humid as well. Thank goodness for air conditioning.
We are leaving for Peru tomorrow and are packing now...although Barb managed a couple of hours on the beach this morning. We took our last free hour to update our blog and are not sure when we will be able to post again. But keep in touch.
We anticipate a big change in climate once we head into the Andes.
Well they almost had to take us screaming and kicking from our beautiful hotel back to Rio, but since we were going back for the New Year´s festivities, we went.
We are back at the Debret until we leave Jan. 3. Our room is on the side with a decent view of the beach and fortunately several tall trees that are home to some singing birds(in the early morning of course). Best of all, we have 2 sets of closets. The Hotel offered us a remodelled room on the top floor facing the beach but it had a few small drawers and closet space for only 4 hangers. They thought we were nuts to turn it down but it just did not have enough storage for 2 women for 7 days! However, we really appreciated the thoughtfulness of offering us such a trade at no extra cost. Barb thinks she saw a couple with all their belongings in plastic bags chortling as they moved to the top floor.
The Debret is undergoing a renovation programme that is beyond our understanding. They refaced one side of the building but not the other. They fixed the roof so we are back eating breakfast at the top of the building with a spectacular view of the beach. The second floor is being remodelled extensively, but they are still trying to rent some rooms there. The 10th floor (there are 11 floors) has some remodelled rooms and at this rate it will take 5 years to complete.
When we returned to Rio, the weather was lovely but we were tired from the trip. So the next day we decided to take a bus to Barra da Tijuca, which is a suburb of Rio. It looks like any burb of a big city and would fit in at home. They have a very large shopping centre, which was AIR CONDITIONED! The bus ride took us past many interesting sites in Rio and took 60 minutes so it was like a mini tour. Our ride back to the hotel proved to be extremely interesting. We went into Sao Conrado where both the Hotel Intercontinental and the Hotel Sheraton are located. There is a major project underway there with construction of luxury condominiums. It was surprising to see Canadian firms Brascan and Brookfield Properties as developers. We drove past the Botonical Gardens, the Race Track known as The Jockey Club, the Fashion Mall (which we were told was in outer space when it came to prices), the Planetarium all of which we did not have time to visit.
There is a huge slum, called a favella, overlooking these hotels and condos. It is one of the largest slums in Rio. The favellas are, we think, the most famous slums in the world. One of our guides remarked that they are the real Rio. We had an idea that because the favellas are squatters, that they would have no water, plumbing, etc. The favellas are built on the hills behind the flats that border the seashore. In fact, they have full services plus paved roads. They even have taxis to the top of the mountain! The taxis are motorcycles. We remember seeing in Vietnam whole families riding one motorcycle, mother, father and 3 kids. In some very lovely residential areas, the favellas are the next door neighbours. While many of the hilltop mansions were built first, it was impossible to control the construction of the favellas due to the huge numbers of people moving to the city. As a matter of fact, if we look left out of our window rather than right to the beach, there is a large favella behind us up the hill.
On our ride back from Barra, we drove through a section of road perched on the cliffside next to the ocean with the favella up the hill. As we neared Rio, we passed an enticing hotel next to the favellas called The Sinless Hotel with rates starting at 48 Reals per night. What a deal.
The weather turned very muggy in high twenty´s and low 30's with occasional rain during our bus ride, sometimes just pouring. When we got into Ipanema, we got caught in such a deluge but managed to find a bus to take us to Copacabana Avenue. We arrived back quite wet.
We saved the Corcovado (Statue called Christ the Redeemer)and Sugar Loaf Mountain tours for our last week and lucked out as we had a lovely day for the tour. Wow, both are very high up and most of Barb´s friends know how she loves heights!! But she persevered when Lynne insisted Sugar Loaf Mountain, which is two peaks connected by 2 differnet sets of cable cars, is a must. As she pointed out, Barb rode a cable car in Hong Kong up to a peak to see the great Buddah and she could do the same to see the great Sugar Loaf. Our tour also included a stop at the factory that is busy making all the costumes for the 2010 Carnival. All top secret so we couldn´t get in, but we did see last years and for 5 Reals you can get your picture taken in one of the costumes--no we didn´t. We also saw the area where they march out in costume to parade for the crowds. It is like a stadium, only it looks like 2 street blocks with the 'Suites' being closer to the street and air conditioned. The guide stated it was very expensive to attend and it was more for the tourists and the 'Cariocas' the citizens of Rio, don't go.
Another part of the tour included a stop in LeBlon, the last of the areas along the strip of beaches and an up and coming area, where we were told several of their soap operas as filmed are very popular with the other countries of South America and are a high demand export.
We toured another top jeweller in Rio--'Amsterdam, Sauer', but Barb still isn´t buying. She had hoped for a ring with the stones of Brazil, but knowing she still has 6 weeks of vacation left, decided to postpone such a purchase.
On December 30 it started to pour...such a torrent of water, we were worried there would be no New Year's Eve celebrations. By noon on December 31, the downpour started to disappear and low and behold - a pleasant Dec 31 on the beach. We planned our own New Year´s Eve meal as most places charged upwards of $300 (not Reals)so we picked up some goodies at our favourite dining location, a split of champagne and had our own celebration. We dressed up in the traditional white and joined the throngs of people (about 2 million) on Copacabana Avenue for the music and the fireworks. It was great!
We have been having a difficult time with the TV...STARVED for English. But must say, we are continuing to add to our Portugese vocabulary having discovered Fashion Week on television along with Jeannie Becker, of all people!
We have been wandering through grocery stores here as we are always buying water to drink. We noticed that prices are very high. Cherries are $6 lb and they come from Chile. Most of the produce is priced no differerent than at home and we found this very surprising. There are never fresh muchrooms on the shelves (must be the weather). It must be very difficult for people who live here as the minimum wage is $200 a month which is impossible to live on. We think a lot of families have several peope working at jobs one never sees at home. People sitting on a stool and punching floor numbers in a fully automatic elevator and 2 people per bus, one to drive and one to collect fares.
We have found a perfect place to eat that we call buffeteria. A huge selection of food sold at prices ranging from $1.59 to $3.49 per 100 grams. At every one, there is someone at the door to give you a blank bill, all sorts of people running around filling the food trays, selling water, beer etc., cashiers and one person to collect your receipt as proof of payment. We never see so many people running around at home.
We have set up our own little buffeteria in our room with Lynne's portable coffee maker and our own supply of tea bags and cookies for that well balanced evening snack with coffee cups, plates and cutlery from our breakfast room.
CURVES GALS: we took pictures of the Curves location on Rua Migel Lemos 21 in Copacabana and will bring them in when we get home.
We are very glad we came to Brazil and spent enough time here to get a feel for the country. There is a sense of energy and optimism everywhere and if they can solve the problem of employment at meaningful wages, they will be well on their way to general prosperity.
We found the weather a trifle too hot for us (heading to 45 by full summer) and too humid as well. Thank goodness for air conditioning.
We are leaving for Peru tomorrow and are packing now...although Barb managed a couple of hours on the beach this morning. We took our last free hour to update our blog and are not sure when we will be able to post again. But keep in touch.
We anticipate a big change in climate once we head into the Andes.
Thursday, December 24, 2009
BUZIOS THE BEAUTIFUL
December 21 - 27
We bought a pig in a poke and got a silk purse.
If you want a runaway week, come here. It is a little bit of the Mediteranean and feels like the Greek Islands or St. Tropaz! There is a miriad of bushes and flame trees in bloom with sweet scents in the air. Buzios is a peninsula,feels like an island, and is great for fishing, snorkeling, surfing, swimming, walking, suntanning and general lazing around.
We were picked up Monday a.m. by our interpreter Rakel, her 2 sons and their 2 friends, and our driver and headed to Buzios. Her boys had never been to Buzios and she planned to kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Our return trip will just be us, her and a driver.
It was a 2 1/2 hour drive through beautiful country and another 1 hour trying to find our hotel. It was worth the scavenger hunt as we landed in a pot of jam called the Posada Vila D'Este (www.viladeste.com.br) The photos don't do it justice.
This is a charming boutique hotel with 15 rooms that is built into the side of a hill overlooking Buzios Bay with two tiers of swimming pools (hot and cold) with jacuzzi and sauna, a wonderful dining room overlooking the bay and fantastic staff, not to mention outstanding food. Our roon is surrounded by beautiful flowering trees and a multitude of birds.
We are a 5 minute walk to the central part of town and a 15 minute walk to a wonderful little beach that sells great pina coladas, cerveja and grilled European sausage on a bun. We can also buy 600 ml of cold beer for 3 Reals which is about $2.
Buzios was a fishing village until Bridgitte Bardot came here in 1964. Although she never returned after 1969, the locals revere her memory as she put Buzios on the tourist map and the locals have memorialized her by naming many bars and streets after her. Today it is a popular resort. Since Punta del Este in Uruguay is getting so expensive, Buzios seems to be picking up as a destination stop. We have seen 7 cruise ships in our short stay...3 Royal Caribbean,2 MSC, 1 Ibero, and 1 french ship that holds 196 passengers and plies the water from B.A.to Venezuela.
We found an Argentinian restaurant called Don Juan and were fortunate that we were here for their Tuesday night Tango show. The steak was also great. In fact, their grilling methods are so good we went back for beef ribs which are cut totally differently than what we call beef ribs. You can spend as little or as much as you want for a meal and we have.
The Tango show was a bit of a disappointment as the place was so full of people, there was too little space for the dancers. The singer was good. Can someone tell us why all tango singers sound like Charles Azenouv?
Christmas in Brazil is very different from North America. Here, Carnival is the big deal. Except for an evangelical church with loudspeaker, there were few indications of the frenetic activity that marks N.A. We spent December 24 at our hotel. We started with a fantastic massage in the garden and then into the dining room for a mouth watering meal. We also tried the local lime drink called "caipirinha". Barb liked it once she got over the lime flavour, Lynne stuck with the cerveja. We are told the Dec. 24 family dinner is more important than Dec. 25. Some of the retail stores opened up about 3 pm on Dec 25 so the biggest thing going on for the 25th were the 2 cruise ships that came in. We got off the street and spent the day by our pools.
We added to our Portugese vocabulary such words as cocktail, happy hour and shopping not to mention garagem, Fordje and Fiatje. Like the French, the Brazilians like to make foreign words "Brazilian."
Another thing we noticed is all the dogs. They are everywhere and no one cleans up after them. Some people have 2 living with them in their apartments. So far we have only seen 1 cat.
There is a unique gift store in town that sells resin based art jewellery, evening bags and, would you believe - a bejewelled toilette seat?
We took a walk on the beach past the Centro commercial district and into a residential area where we noted a number of dwellings being rehabilitated. Lynne thinks they are or are being turned into boutique hotels and that this is an investment that will pay huge dividends in 5 years. It appears that the first properties to be snapped up are on or very near the waterfront near Centro. There are a lot of properties for sale and one would have to be careful not to make a costly mistake.
There is a surplus of commercial property and some look like they have been vacant for quite a few years. One former 2 storey restaurant facing the beach would probably make a great posada. A couple of guys from New York staying at the D'Este told us they walked past a vacant storefront and saw 2 dozen turkeys inside so we walked by in daylight....sure enough, 18 turkeys! Guess, some went for Xmas dinner and the rest probably will be a New Year's day feast.
This place is filling up fast with families coming in for New Year. It's out guess that all the decent places are fully booked.
We took an open air bus tour today and got a good look at several other popular spots on the peninsula. Many 5 star hotels, bays that specialize in snorkeling and a very tony and popular horseshoe shaped bay with the priciest homes in Buzios. Most of these locations we would find boring as without a car you are stranded. We are convinced we have the perfect location.
We plan to spend our last morning around the pools enjoying the view and are sorry to be leaving this delightful hotel but are looking forward to our next adventure.
We bought a pig in a poke and got a silk purse.
If you want a runaway week, come here. It is a little bit of the Mediteranean and feels like the Greek Islands or St. Tropaz! There is a miriad of bushes and flame trees in bloom with sweet scents in the air. Buzios is a peninsula,feels like an island, and is great for fishing, snorkeling, surfing, swimming, walking, suntanning and general lazing around.
We were picked up Monday a.m. by our interpreter Rakel, her 2 sons and their 2 friends, and our driver and headed to Buzios. Her boys had never been to Buzios and she planned to kill 2 birds with 1 stone. Our return trip will just be us, her and a driver.
It was a 2 1/2 hour drive through beautiful country and another 1 hour trying to find our hotel. It was worth the scavenger hunt as we landed in a pot of jam called the Posada Vila D'Este (www.viladeste.com.br) The photos don't do it justice.
This is a charming boutique hotel with 15 rooms that is built into the side of a hill overlooking Buzios Bay with two tiers of swimming pools (hot and cold) with jacuzzi and sauna, a wonderful dining room overlooking the bay and fantastic staff, not to mention outstanding food. Our roon is surrounded by beautiful flowering trees and a multitude of birds.
We are a 5 minute walk to the central part of town and a 15 minute walk to a wonderful little beach that sells great pina coladas, cerveja and grilled European sausage on a bun. We can also buy 600 ml of cold beer for 3 Reals which is about $2.
Buzios was a fishing village until Bridgitte Bardot came here in 1964. Although she never returned after 1969, the locals revere her memory as she put Buzios on the tourist map and the locals have memorialized her by naming many bars and streets after her. Today it is a popular resort. Since Punta del Este in Uruguay is getting so expensive, Buzios seems to be picking up as a destination stop. We have seen 7 cruise ships in our short stay...3 Royal Caribbean,2 MSC, 1 Ibero, and 1 french ship that holds 196 passengers and plies the water from B.A.to Venezuela.
We found an Argentinian restaurant called Don Juan and were fortunate that we were here for their Tuesday night Tango show. The steak was also great. In fact, their grilling methods are so good we went back for beef ribs which are cut totally differently than what we call beef ribs. You can spend as little or as much as you want for a meal and we have.
The Tango show was a bit of a disappointment as the place was so full of people, there was too little space for the dancers. The singer was good. Can someone tell us why all tango singers sound like Charles Azenouv?
Christmas in Brazil is very different from North America. Here, Carnival is the big deal. Except for an evangelical church with loudspeaker, there were few indications of the frenetic activity that marks N.A. We spent December 24 at our hotel. We started with a fantastic massage in the garden and then into the dining room for a mouth watering meal. We also tried the local lime drink called "caipirinha". Barb liked it once she got over the lime flavour, Lynne stuck with the cerveja. We are told the Dec. 24 family dinner is more important than Dec. 25. Some of the retail stores opened up about 3 pm on Dec 25 so the biggest thing going on for the 25th were the 2 cruise ships that came in. We got off the street and spent the day by our pools.
We added to our Portugese vocabulary such words as cocktail, happy hour and shopping not to mention garagem, Fordje and Fiatje. Like the French, the Brazilians like to make foreign words "Brazilian."
Another thing we noticed is all the dogs. They are everywhere and no one cleans up after them. Some people have 2 living with them in their apartments. So far we have only seen 1 cat.
There is a unique gift store in town that sells resin based art jewellery, evening bags and, would you believe - a bejewelled toilette seat?
We took a walk on the beach past the Centro commercial district and into a residential area where we noted a number of dwellings being rehabilitated. Lynne thinks they are or are being turned into boutique hotels and that this is an investment that will pay huge dividends in 5 years. It appears that the first properties to be snapped up are on or very near the waterfront near Centro. There are a lot of properties for sale and one would have to be careful not to make a costly mistake.
There is a surplus of commercial property and some look like they have been vacant for quite a few years. One former 2 storey restaurant facing the beach would probably make a great posada. A couple of guys from New York staying at the D'Este told us they walked past a vacant storefront and saw 2 dozen turkeys inside so we walked by in daylight....sure enough, 18 turkeys! Guess, some went for Xmas dinner and the rest probably will be a New Year's day feast.
This place is filling up fast with families coming in for New Year. It's out guess that all the decent places are fully booked.
We took an open air bus tour today and got a good look at several other popular spots on the peninsula. Many 5 star hotels, bays that specialize in snorkeling and a very tony and popular horseshoe shaped bay with the priciest homes in Buzios. Most of these locations we would find boring as without a car you are stranded. We are convinced we have the perfect location.
We plan to spend our last morning around the pools enjoying the view and are sorry to be leaving this delightful hotel but are looking forward to our next adventure.
Wednesday, December 23, 2009
RIO REDUX
December 16 to 21.
After Iguacu, we returned to Rio for 5 days to recuperate from all our running around to fabulous news....Barb's lost luggage was found. Luckily, the baggage claim office was not far from the Debret so we walked over and claimed it.
Barb made arrangements for a tour to the jewellry factory of H. Stern. They have an intense sales programme which includes picking up tourists at their hotel and taking them to the Stern Factory and Sales Floor. Lynne left Barb with a charming salesman but she is sales-proof. Both of us toured the museum and private collection of H. Stern's toramaline gemstones.
When inquiring about bus routes, they kindly arranged for the Stern van to drop us off acrosssthe city at the CARMEN MIRANDA MUSEUM.
It is a small museum and houses pictures, clothing, jewellery, hats and those fabulous platform shoes that are back in style. They also have a small viewing area where Carmen's movies are on a continuus loop. How many of you remember this lady who we just found out was originally from Portugal not Brazil!
We woke up one morning to clear sunny skies (the first in 2 weeks!) and rushed to the beach for a sun burn..Yeah for us. Some of the police boats, helicopters and water bombers were out practicing for what we believe are New Year's Eve festivities.
Other than the factory tour and the return buses from the museum and one large shopping centre, we are walking everywhere.
We discovered a couple of very nice places to eat. Like the cuccinas in Mexico, there are buffets all through Copacabana where they sell food by the 100 grams. Many are just regular buffets but some contain grills where you can also choose steak, chicken, seafood, etc. right off the grill. We discovered one that is spotlessly clean and with a very wide selection so we can try a teaspoon of a local dish to see if we like it. Our way of pretending we are being concerned over what and how much we are eating.
Brazilians are futebol crazy. One evening, our hotel filled up with dozens of people wearing red and black striped jersies. One man was walking around with a stuffed Tucan on his head. Turns out there was a final game to determine who would represent Brazil in the World Cup to be held in South Africa in 2010. These people were Flamingo fans. The game was held on a Sunday and as we walked by a local bar, we noticed about 100 people standing in the street staring at a wall mounted TV in a local bar. The Flamingos won and the fans went nuts....firecrackers, group hugs in the middle of the street etc.
After Iguacu, we returned to Rio for 5 days to recuperate from all our running around to fabulous news....Barb's lost luggage was found. Luckily, the baggage claim office was not far from the Debret so we walked over and claimed it.
Barb made arrangements for a tour to the jewellry factory of H. Stern. They have an intense sales programme which includes picking up tourists at their hotel and taking them to the Stern Factory and Sales Floor. Lynne left Barb with a charming salesman but she is sales-proof. Both of us toured the museum and private collection of H. Stern's toramaline gemstones.
When inquiring about bus routes, they kindly arranged for the Stern van to drop us off acrosssthe city at the CARMEN MIRANDA MUSEUM.
It is a small museum and houses pictures, clothing, jewellery, hats and those fabulous platform shoes that are back in style. They also have a small viewing area where Carmen's movies are on a continuus loop. How many of you remember this lady who we just found out was originally from Portugal not Brazil!
We woke up one morning to clear sunny skies (the first in 2 weeks!) and rushed to the beach for a sun burn..Yeah for us. Some of the police boats, helicopters and water bombers were out practicing for what we believe are New Year's Eve festivities.
Other than the factory tour and the return buses from the museum and one large shopping centre, we are walking everywhere.
We discovered a couple of very nice places to eat. Like the cuccinas in Mexico, there are buffets all through Copacabana where they sell food by the 100 grams. Many are just regular buffets but some contain grills where you can also choose steak, chicken, seafood, etc. right off the grill. We discovered one that is spotlessly clean and with a very wide selection so we can try a teaspoon of a local dish to see if we like it. Our way of pretending we are being concerned over what and how much we are eating.
Brazilians are futebol crazy. One evening, our hotel filled up with dozens of people wearing red and black striped jersies. One man was walking around with a stuffed Tucan on his head. Turns out there was a final game to determine who would represent Brazil in the World Cup to be held in South Africa in 2010. These people were Flamingo fans. The game was held on a Sunday and as we walked by a local bar, we noticed about 100 people standing in the street staring at a wall mounted TV in a local bar. The Flamingos won and the fans went nuts....firecrackers, group hugs in the middle of the street etc.
There are some things you should definitely know if you travel in South America. Society is organized so that there is a little job for everyone. This means that little conveniences that we take for granted are not available and they can drive you crazy! Even so, things are pretty technologically savy. For example, in our hotel in Iguacu, the lights, A/C and TV could be controlled by buttons on the telephone.
- Bring an emersion rod or travel sized coffee/tea maker with you. Even if you stay in a 5 star hotel, there will be no coffee maker in your room.
- Bring a travel iron. The hotels hire people to work in a laundry so will not provide an iron.
- Bring an electrical adapter.
- We hate to say it, but bring instant coffee.
- Bring kleenex.
- There is often no toaster and there is always cake for breakfast.
- Tea here is most often herbal so if you want regular tea, pack tea bags.
- Do not expect people to speak English outside tourist facilities. Make an effort to learn some common courtesies in the local language. This and sign language goes a long way. Not to mention a smile and some patience.
- Adjust your budget to purchase lots of drinking water. The water is safe for bathing and brushing your teeth but NOT for drinking. It is hot and you will drink lots.
- The plumbing systems in Central and South America are not as accommodating as we are used to and do not generally accept toilet paper as a desposit!
We ended this round of "Rio days" with a fabulous brunch at the Marriott which included all the water and champagne we could drink. And we polished off at least one bottle of the bubbly.
We are so looking forward to the resort of Buzios.
Friday, December 18, 2009
IGUACU - One of the world's great wonders.
December 14 - 16
We had a sensible departure time for Iguacu - spelling Iguassu, Iguazzu etc - but we are using the name as spelled at their airport. Instead of a taxi, we took the Real bus and had a little tour of Rio on the way to the International Airport for one tenth the cost of a taxi.
Our flight was pleasant and uneventful and we were actually given a hot sandwich gratis! We also learned this country is cola crazy - no gingerale, no 7-up.
We arrived in Foz do Iguacu (ig-wa-SUE) on a hot day with only a few clouds and were met by our young guide, Luiz. He is a University student studying ecology, etc. Business seems to be slow as this was another tour with few customers...in this case just us.We started tour of the Falls on the Brazilian side.
The next day we journied to the Argentinian side. As we approached the falls, we could see the spray of the largest section of the falls which is referred to as the `"Devil´s Throat. ' Iguacu (in the native dialect meaning the end of the big waters), consists of 275 individual waterfalls in varying layers and sizes. It is very impressive and we must say, beats Niagara Falls. The Brazilian and Argentinian governments have created a huge national park system with amazing walkways that go over parts of the river and also contain balconies for photo taking. The river separates the two countries and also produces the world's second largest hydro electric power in one location.
After finishing our viewing and picture taking, we took a trail to the bottom of the falls where we boarded a jet boat for our Gran Adventura tour with over 35 university students (all singing the local soccer cheer) for a trip into the bottom of the falls (not once but 3 times) getting thoroughly soaked. The kids could hardly wait for the run under the falls. We knew it was coming and saved our raincoats from our Amazon jungle walk just for this. After the dunking, we headed down the river to a truck that was waiting to take us on a 20 minute ride through the jungl.e with a guide who specialized in local fauna and flora.
The entire park area is filled with millions of the most beautifully coloured butterflies we have ever seen ranging from clear yellows, reds, and blues to irridescent colours and many with multi-patterned wings.
WOW!!!! Until we started planning this trip Barb had not heard of these falls. So glad we got to see a UNESCO Heritage Site. Our pictures will say more than words can describe.
We stayed at the Continental Inn. Again a wonderful hotel with a great pool area and of course cold beer. We actually had time to walk to a large shopping centre which was air conditioned and offered a variety of stores selling Brazilian wear.
Flight back to Rio uneventful as was the bus ride, other than we got the slow ride to our Hotel.
We had a sensible departure time for Iguacu - spelling Iguassu, Iguazzu etc - but we are using the name as spelled at their airport. Instead of a taxi, we took the Real bus and had a little tour of Rio on the way to the International Airport for one tenth the cost of a taxi.
Our flight was pleasant and uneventful and we were actually given a hot sandwich gratis! We also learned this country is cola crazy - no gingerale, no 7-up.
We arrived in Foz do Iguacu (ig-wa-SUE) on a hot day with only a few clouds and were met by our young guide, Luiz. He is a University student studying ecology, etc. Business seems to be slow as this was another tour with few customers...in this case just us.We started tour of the Falls on the Brazilian side.
The next day we journied to the Argentinian side. As we approached the falls, we could see the spray of the largest section of the falls which is referred to as the `"Devil´s Throat. ' Iguacu (in the native dialect meaning the end of the big waters), consists of 275 individual waterfalls in varying layers and sizes. It is very impressive and we must say, beats Niagara Falls. The Brazilian and Argentinian governments have created a huge national park system with amazing walkways that go over parts of the river and also contain balconies for photo taking. The river separates the two countries and also produces the world's second largest hydro electric power in one location.
After finishing our viewing and picture taking, we took a trail to the bottom of the falls where we boarded a jet boat for our Gran Adventura tour with over 35 university students (all singing the local soccer cheer) for a trip into the bottom of the falls (not once but 3 times) getting thoroughly soaked. The kids could hardly wait for the run under the falls. We knew it was coming and saved our raincoats from our Amazon jungle walk just for this. After the dunking, we headed down the river to a truck that was waiting to take us on a 20 minute ride through the jungl.e with a guide who specialized in local fauna and flora.
The entire park area is filled with millions of the most beautifully coloured butterflies we have ever seen ranging from clear yellows, reds, and blues to irridescent colours and many with multi-patterned wings.
WOW!!!! Until we started planning this trip Barb had not heard of these falls. So glad we got to see a UNESCO Heritage Site. Our pictures will say more than words can describe.
We stayed at the Continental Inn. Again a wonderful hotel with a great pool area and of course cold beer. We actually had time to walk to a large shopping centre which was air conditioned and offered a variety of stores selling Brazilian wear.
Flight back to Rio uneventful as was the bus ride, other than we got the slow ride to our Hotel.
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