Tag: Brazil

  • Rio de Janeiro Carnival, Brazil – Ipanema Beach

    Rio de Janeiro Carnival, Brazil – Ipanema Beach

    “Tall and tanned, and young and lovely, The girl from Ipanema goes walking”

    …and so do the slightly more elderly and rotund gentlemen. In fact, sit and watch the promenade along the beaches in Rio De Janeiro and you will see people of all ages, shapes and sizes sporting their best swimwear, in the world’s most under-dressed fashion show. Just in case you were wondering, yes, there are thongs (g-strings) everywhere.

    We aren’t massive beach bums but we had done so much running around on Brazil’s coaches in the previous eight days, visiting Buzios, São Paulo, Santa Teresa and partying at carnival, we decided it was time to relax.

    First Impressions

    Ipanema Beach is a curving sweep of bay in Rio’s Zona Sul. This headland lies to the South of the Cristo Redentor and is also home to the equally famous, Copacabana Beach. To its Western end sit the Two Brothers Mountains, named for its two peaks. Their position mean they create a stunning silhouette at sunset.

    When we visited, the sun was full in the sky and blazing hot. We laid out our towels and proceeded to flop down, slathering ourselves in factor 50 suntan cream. The sand was soft and hot, and the sea looked very inviting. After half an hour of cooking, we waded in.

    People on Ipanema beach
    Looking out to sea

    The Sea

    Ipanema translates roughly as “dangerous waters” and wading in we, we could imagine why. The water was very quickly to our waists. The waves were excitable enough to have fun in but not rough enough to wipe us out if you stopped paying attention. Apparently they can reach up to nine feet when the sea is rougher and there is a sneaky undertow. I think we must have been lucky on the day we went.

    A man poses for the camera by the sea
    One over-enthusiastic Carioca

    We quickly attracted a crowd of Cariocas (Rio residents) who goggled at our complete lack of tan and cheered “Gringo!” as we bobbed in the surf. They practised their English and laughed at our complete lack of Portuguese. When the pruning set in, we said “Adieus” and clambered out to lie back down.

    The Zippy Thing

    The beach is populated by men wandering up and down selling sunglasses and other similar bits. We had been diligently ignoring them but my sandy towel was getting on my nerves and I saw a man holding a large Brazilian flag…sarong…thing. He saw me looking and demonstrated how it zipped into itself, creating a small handbag. I thought it was wonderful and bought it. If only I’d bought more! We take it away all the time and I love it. It has been 8 years and I’ve never seen any on sale again. I tried to look on eBay the other day but I don’t even know how to describe it.

    Here it is, along with the rainbow sarong thing I got in Thailand.

    Brazil zippy throw next to rainboe stripe throw.
    My zippy throw

    Along The Beach

    After another hour or so of sizzling, we decided to pack up and take a stroll along the promenade. I tried my first ever fresh coconut, buoyed by the fact that the nutrients inside were excellent for the sunburn that I could feel developing on my back. The promenade has very distinctive black and white paving which I found hypnotising. On Sunday, the road is closed to cars and a large “hippy fair” takes over. Unfortunately, it was just a normal day and so we stuck to that mesmerising pavement.

    People walk along the promenade at Ipnema beach
    The people parade

    Walking East we passed the lifeguard huts (postos) that mark each distinct area of the beach.

    Posto 10

    Chiselled rich men inhabit this section of the beach as it is opposite a very swanky hotel. We had a nice view throughout our day. Just East of this is the gringo area, it is more of an unofficial area but it is opposite the main thoroughfare between Ipanema and Copacabana. It’s where we stopped when we reached the beach, just to prove their point.

    Posto 9

    This is probably the most famous area of the beach. There used to be a pier here and it was the centre point for the city’s counter-culture in the 1970s. Marijuana was smoked openly (despite being illegal) and those of a more liberal bent would gather to share their political ideas. These days, the pier has gone, and after lots of police raids, so has the weed, but it is still popular with liberal thinkers.

    Posto 8

    Between Postos 8 and 9 lies Rua Farme. This area is predominantly LGBTQ. If you are worried that you may stumble into it accidentally, don’t be, the rainbow flag is displayed loud and proud. This area was kicking during carnival.

    Posto 7

    Arpoador is where one come to get the body beautiful. Volleyball nets are dotted all along the beach but here you will find a full open-air gym and lots of people working out.  It is considered by some to be a beach in its own right, as the rock of the same name sits between Ipanema and Copacabana. This area is where the surfers reside. Large waves and the rocky outcrop make it too dangerous for first-timers.

    Sunset at Ipanema beach behind the two brothers mountains
    The sun starting to dip in the sky

    The Evening

    That evening, after watching the sunset at Ipanema, we hit a bar across the headland on Copacabana. Our pink cheeks glowed from the Cachaca as well as the sunburn. After such a long day in the sun, and despite it being our last night in Rio, we had to call it a night early on. One last colourful evening before facing the grey visage of the UK in February.

    A tree growing sideways at Copacabana Beach at night

    Rosie xx

  • Rio de Janeiro Carnival, Brazil – Seeing the Sights

    Rio de Janeiro Carnival, Brazil – Seeing the Sights

    Rio de Janeiro is one the most perfect places in the world to take a city break. I know, I know, I live in the UK and that sounds like madness. But what I mean is, it is one of a few cities in the world that has it all of my favourite things.

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  • Rio de Janeiro Carnival, Brazil – The Sambadrome

    Rio de Janeiro Carnival, Brazil – The Sambadrome

    Rio de Janeiro’s Carnival is an extravaganza of Brazilian colour, music, dance, costume and self expression. The city moves to a samba rhythm. Parties scatter the city for days in the lead up to the main event, The Sambadrome!

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  • Rio de Janeiro Carnival, Brazil – Santa Teresa

    Rio de Janeiro Carnival, Brazil – Santa Teresa

    The Santa Teresa tram has been rolling and squealing its way up the side of the hills South of Rio de Janeiro for over a hundred years. During our Carnival trip in 2009, we took our turn to jump on and explore.

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  • São Paulo, Brazil – Brazil’s Big Apple

    São Paulo, Brazil – Brazil’s Big Apple

    Arriving from Buzios, the first thing we noticed about São Paulo is that it goes on…and on…and on! It is massive. The city of São Paulo  is home to over 12,000,000 people and sprawls over 1521 square kilometres. It is a very dense city, with 6 times more people per square kilometre than my home town of London. Our coach drove for over an hour to reach the centre (read all about our bus travels around Brazil here). When we finally arrived, we got checked in and had an early night.

    The Hostel

    Scan of São Paulo Hostel Downtown Guest Card with room number 407, check in date 17/02 and check out 19/02. The other side of the card has a Subway Map showing 2 lines.
    Guest card and subway map from Sao Paulo Hostel Downtown

    São Paulo Hostel Downtown was a very well run hostel, the second Hostelling International run property in Brazil. The staff were incredibly helpful, you can see even their room card has lots of information on it. They speak English and the reception is open 24 hours. There’s free wifi and a pool table in the common area (always a win with me, despite me being completely rubbish at it).

    Photo of a hostel room with yellow walls, 2 double bed, a table and chair, TV and ac under a large window.
    Room 407 facilities

    The room was a bit fusty but it was big and it had a mini fridge which really came in useful in the heat.

    The Tower

    Photo of a lobby in the background is a tall hanging chandelier, lit up.
    Banespa Building Lobby

    Our first stop was the Altino Arantes building (the Banespa Building now owned by Santander). Karl was particularly excited about this as he is a Santander account holder. He also loves a tall building! On entering the lobby, to the right, is a fantastic old safe from 1882. This is a lovely example of when things were built for beauty as well as practicality.

    The lift took us up to the 33rd floor and from there the expanse of São Paulo spread beneath us. We couldn’t see where it ended. Well, for sight-impaired little me that’s not much of a surprise, but neither could Karl.

    “Every time I think I can see the edge, I realise that it’s not the horizon, but another line of buildings!”

    The Concert – Part One

    Back at street level, we went a-wandering.

    We arrived at the Theatro Municipal to discover that it was shut for renovation. Our disappointment ebbed when we saw a poster advertising a free concert that evening in a smaller concert venue, five minutes walk from our hostel. We popped into the box office and secured our seats.

    Lunch

    After a ten minute pitstop to play with some kittens (Karl does like to tempt rabies) we decided it was time for some food. we found a “kilo” restaurant. This kind of buffet is very typical in Brazil, especially in São Paulo. In the UK, we make sure to load up on  high price items when we go to a buffet but in a kilo restaurant, the price you pay is calculated by the weight of your food. Follow the table around and then place your plate on the scales. I think the only way to win at that game is to hope they have candy floss.

    To walk off lunch, we took a stroll through a park and admire the prostitutes that lined the path. They gazed lethargically into the distance as the midday sun glinted off their golden brown shoulders, bleaching their fake blonde highlights. I’m not sure that I’ve ever seen such a parade in the day time.

    We also took a moment to admire the queue at the bus stop.

    This was the second huge queue we had seen that day. And still it’s us Brits with the reputation.

    The Concert – Part Two

    The concert that evening was a triumph. We turned up, took our seats and let the classical pieces wash over us. We had prime seats in the front row, We weren’t meant to snap any pictures but we couldn’t resist (that’s why it’s a little blurry)

    The Next Day

    We had very little time so we just spent an hour in a large garden before we had to get going to Rio, and the greatest party on earth.

    Rosie xx

  • Rio de Janeiro Carnival, Brazil – The Bloco

    Rio de Janeiro Carnival, Brazil – The Bloco

    Brazil is home to one of the world’s biggest street parties, Carnival and Rio De Janeiro hosts the most famous one of all. Held on the last Tuesday before lent begins, it is a chance for everyone to indulge themselves before six long weeks of deprivation. The whole city becomes one huge party zone, and everybody is welcome. The easiest way to get involved? Join a bloco!

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  • On The Buses in Brazil – Auto Viacao 1001

    On The Buses in Brazil – Auto Viacao 1001

    In February 2009, to facilitate our travel around Brazil, we took three journeys on buses. The company we used was called Auto Viacao 1001.

    Booking

    Our first test was to book the tickets. We made our way to Rio de Janeiro main bus station, Novo Rio Bus Terminal. Looking around, we spied the counters that listed our desired destinations and waited for our turn. Mr Fluskey, armed his guidebook Portuguese, did an absolutely fantastic job and we walked away with tickets in hand. I think he was buoyed up by the queue next to us. It had five people in a row wearing yellow…FIVE! That would never happen in the UK.

    people wearing yellow shirts and t-shirts in a queue at a counter

    You can now book your buses in Brazil tickets on the website so you don’t need to worry about negotiating the queues at the bus station.

    Rosie wearing a blue top, sitting cross-legged on the floor holding a pastry snack, smiling

    Feeling very accomplished, we grabbed a quick bite of Pao de Queijo (cheesey, yummy bread thingies) and made our way downstairs to the bus stops. We only had to wait twenty minutes, and the bus was ready.

    A bus station with 4 white 1001 Viacao buses in Brazil

    Rio de Janeiro to Buzios

    The bus conductor checked our tickets against our passports and let us board. We climbed the stairs to the first floor. As we pulled away from the bus station, somebody appeared bearing a snack tray. They reminded me of a child’s lunchbox in its contents, biscuits, a little juice carton etc. The weirdest component was the ham biscuit. There were two crackers with a meat-flavoured paste in the middle; a savoury custard cream of sorts.

    (NB American readers, a custard cream is a classic British cookie, designed to be combined with a lovely cup of tea…or just several more cookies)

    The coach left Rio de Janeiro via Ponte Pres. Costa e Silva, an amazingly long bridge that ran past the giant Lego-like structures of a shipping yard.

    shipping containers at a port with a crane and ship in the background

    The bridge stretched on for over ten minutes (I know this because I spent a VERY costly seven of them on the phone to my bank trying to get my card unblocked).

    President Costa e Silva Bridge over Guanabara Bay, Rio de Janeiro
    When the surroundings changed from grey to green, we relaxed into the journey.

    The journey time from Rio de Janeiro to Buzios is only just over two and a half hours and despite providing snacks, and the on board toilet, the coach stopped at a rest stop about an hour into the journey. I thought it was spotlessly clean, well designed and with plenty of toilets. The building was quite pleasing architecturally and had nice grass verges so it blended into the scenery. As we walked around, there was a restaurant that served delicious looking food and was reasonably priced (unlike the money sucking sadness centres in the UK and US).

    Brazil has almost no rail network and so a great deal of money has been invested in the road infrastructure. The road was smooth and well maintained with clear markings and wonderful roadside facilities. The coach is air-conditioned and the seats have an impressive recline as well a foot rest. If you are travelling overnight, you get a blanket and pillow. It is all very civilised.

    Read about our time in Buzios, Brazil – Boats, Bella Vista and Brigitte

    Buzios to São Paulo

    Our second journey on the buses in Brazil took us back past Rio de Janeiro, and onto São Paulo. The first coach was a single-decker but the seats were still fantastically spacious. It was a long day with around nine hours of travelling and a stop in Rio de Janeiro to change back onto a double-decker coach. Somewhere on our second leg, between Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, the coach stopped and we looked around in bemusement, there was no rest stop here!? We disembarked to stretch our legs and realised that the bus was leaking fluid.

    Karl in an orange t-shirt eats crisps in front of a white and blue 1001 Viacao buses in Brazil

    Waiting in the sun, we got chatting to a group of remarkably tall young men. Turns out, we were sharing the buses with the Brazilian Under 21’s basketball team!

    young men speak to a person in a breakdown truck behind a buses in Brazil

    After an hour in the sun, another coach stopped to pick us up. This was from a different company and didn’t have the same level of comfort. It was quite old and dusty and had no air conditioning so it was stifling. It stopped at a services with McDonald’s and we gratefully dived in. Salt and sugar were exactly what we needed after an hour sweating it out on the side of the road.

    Check out our odd tradition of dining at McDonald’s all over the world

    Rosie stands alongside tall young men in a queue at McDonald's

    Check out São Paulo, Brazil’s Big Apple

    São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro

    Our final journey on the buses in Brazil went off without a hitch, but we got stuck in an almighty traffic jam on the way back into Rio de Janeiro. We moved at a snails pace for about an hour.

    cars and buses blurred at night on a 6 lane highway

    We watched people moving through the lanes of traffic holding items for sale. Plastic toys, bananas and bottles of shampoo were all on offer. Some of these guys were barefoot and had been out all day in the sun and heat, breathing the fumes from the cars and buses. A very tough way to earn a living.

    Read about Rio de Janeiro Carnival, Brazil – Seeing the Sights

    Rosie xx

  • Buzios, Brazil - Boats, Bella Vista and Brigitte

    Buzios, Brazil - Boats, Bella Vista and Brigitte

    In the winter of 2008, I decided it was time to visit Brazil and attend its famous Carnivale! I planned a one night stay in the beach town of Buzios, two nights in bustling São Paulo and then Rio de Janeiro for the main event. I booked us on direct flights with British Airways and in February 2009, we were off.

    We spent our first night in a hostel somewhere in Rio de Janeiro. I don’t recall the hostel unfortunately. Catching our first glimpse of Sugar Loaf Mountain at the top of the street was quite a thrill. We had arrived late the night before and so it had been hidden in the darkness. We were just using our first night as a pit stop and so we made our way on the coach, later that morning, to Buzios.

    The Hostel

    Knowing I’d booked a hostel on the top of a hill, we jumped in a taxi at the other end. I didn’t fancy dragging my suitcase up the hill (yes, we still travelled with suitcase back then). The place was called Bella Vista Eco Experience, although I don’t think it had the ‘eco’ bit at the time.

    The Kitchen
    The bed

    The rooms were separate buildings, each with an open plan kitchen/bedroom and a balcony with a killer view over the town and harbour.

    We had heard that Buzios was a popular spot for cruise ships and looking out at the bay, we could a small ship at anchor, looking no bigger than a child’s bath toy.

    Check out Why Staying in Hostels is NOT as Bad as You Think

    The Town of Buzios

    Free of our bags, we walked down to the bay front.  We passed a vast restaurant strung with fairy lights. The waiters stood in idle clusters. I wondered why such a small town needed such a dining behemoth.

    More ships arrived as evening drew in.

    Along the narrow strip of beach we came across possibly the coolest internet cafe in the world. It had a row of British phone boxes in,  a very stylish effect. The sun was setting really early, it was dark by 19:00. I should have expected it, it being February, but it was so warm that my brain was in summer mode. That combined with my jet lag meant we were done with dinner by 19:15.

    They even have a phone as the door handle…great stuff.

    We went to visit the sitting statue Brigitte Bardot. Back in the 1960s, she spent a bit a lot of time here, sung its praises and put Buzios on the map. Suddenly the world took note of this gorgeous corner of the world and it was quickly being refereed to as the Brazillian Cote D’Azur.

    Mr Fluskey and Ms Bardot getting acquainted

    Walking back the way we had come, we passed the huge restaurant again. It was packed to the rafters. Every table was full and the waiters were now dashing to and fro, dishes in hand. A cruise ship had pulled up to the pier. The passengers, it seemed, had all disembarked, walked three minutes and stumbled into the first place they could find for dinner. This may be why I have never been on a cruise ship.

    Check out all our travels in Brazil

    The Creepy Crawlies

    Back at our place, in the morning, we witnessed a very similar scene, albeit on a much smaller scale. Sizable black ants were walking in a determined line across the kitchen floor. Following the trail, we saw that they were marching to and from the sugar pot. Not terribly keen on having a stream of insects in the room, we decided to move the sugar. It took an embarrassing amount of screaming and giggling (from Karl) before we managed to get it outside into a giant flower pot.

    We spent another happy 30 minutes prodding it with glee

    The Decent

    To catch our onward transport, we had to descend the hill again. With gravity’s help we figured it would be much easier than the journey up the hill. We had to come down the opposite side to the one we had used before. I’d vaguely wondered why the taxi seemed to be going the long way round on the way up but thought he was just being cheeky because we were on the meter. About halfway down, the road surface deteriorated into a thick red dust track, littered with large chunks of concrete. We had to haul and heft the luggage down the obstacle course which took an age. Thank goodness we had left early! This was the first time I decided that a backpack would be a good plan.

    Thankfully we made the coach, the first of two (well, three) that would take us to São Paulo and the next leg of our Brazillian adventure.

    Rosie xx