Travel
1220winterbride
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My heart is as open as the sky.
Read about it on the blog
2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
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help me pack for Rio de Janeiro - end of May?
in Travel
I've never done South America? TAMS airline...any tips for the flight and connection in Sao Paolo?
In Rio---What to do? What are the can't miss places?
What to buy while there? What should I bring? I'm staying in a house w/ expats there.
My heart is as open as the sky.
Read about it on the blog
2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
Re: help me pack for Rio de Janeiro - end of May?
Do you know what part of Rio you will be staying in? I go twice a year to visit family, they live in Copacabana. I leave my engagement ring at home but wear my wedding band. End of May should be very low 80's, and bring rain gear just in-case.
Like Sushi? Can miss this place : http://www.kotobuki.com.br/site.html
It's at the top of Botafogo shopping center, the food is good, service is nice, and look at the view of P?o de A??car
Speaking of Sugarloaf ( aka P?o de A??car) please go and see the sunset. http://www.bondinho.com.br/ prices are listed on the website.
Corcovado is another site to see : http://www.corcovado.com.br/index_ing.html when you exit you usually come down through the Tijuca forest.
Sundays on Copacabana are fun. One side of the Avenida Atlantica is closed so you can freely walk and enjoy the crowd. Sundays in Ipanema has what is called the "HippieFair" where I got great summer dresses and gifts for people.
Another restaurant I have really started liking the restaurant " Garota de Ipanema" supposedly where the song was written. We usually get the Picanha which is R$ 93 and serves about 4 adults.
Finally, if you like Caipirinhas don't bother getting them in restaurants because they are pretty expensive. Most of the stands on the beach sell them for about R$6.
Have fun!! Also let me know where you are staying so I can reccomend transportation from the airport( unless ofcrouse the family youa re staying with has it covered)
Those are great recommendations, I just want to add that you should make sure to pack sunscreen!
We stayed on Copacabana beach at the Arena Copacabana hotel, and we were able to walk pretty much everywhere, it was very nice. Visit the beach at dusk or just after and stop in at a beach cafe- one of my favorite memories was watching couples samba there at night... so romantic!
We also did tours of the Sambadrome and Maracana Stadium, but it was kind of lame since there were no events happening.
There's an open air market on Sunday, I think, that had some neat stuff for reasonable prices if you want to get souvenirs.
I loved Rio, and it's fun just walking around and exploring the sights, sounds, and tastes of Brazil. The buffets and churrascarias are an awesome experience, but don't get sucked into a super expensive one like Maruis Crustaceos on Copacabana beach... what a rip off.
How could I forget sunscreen?? My Black a$$ has been sunburned every.single.time
Also how could I forget Sucos Bars located on pretty much every corner. YUM!!!
TAM
I find it's an okay airline. I fly them because they're a Star Alliance member, and while I don't like them as much as some airlines, they're definitely not the worst. And on both my Heathrow-Rio flights they gave out little comfort kits with earplugs, a toothbrush, and socks. Kind of nice, since so few airlines give any comfort amenities these days. I did have a rather gross issue with my plastic-wrapped airline blanket & pillow being wet on the inside of the plastic! Eww! But they gave me a new one. FWIW, I've also flown them short-haul within South America, and that flight was great.
What to do?
The absolute must-dos are: Corcovado (the statue of Christ), Sugar Loaf, and walking along Copacabana beach.
I would suggest going to Corcovado before Sugar Loaf, because I thought the views from Sugar Loaf were actually better. What's a view of Rio without the statue of Christ? Also, I found Corcovado to be more of a hassle. Taking the train up was neat, but it was crowded and required a bit of a wait.
I'd suggest Sugar Loaf at sunset, especially if there's a clear day. OMG Beautiful! And not very crowded on weekday evenings.
Copacabana is a great place to walk, but don't expect to swim too much! The water is startlingly cold! If you look closely at photos of Rio, you'll find that even when the beach is packed there are relatively few people in the water! Buy a coconut water from a kiosk along the beach, and if it's a particularly good coconut, you can ask them to cut it open so you can eat the flesh as well. Yum. The Copacabana Fort is worth a visit for the view back to the beach, and you stop and have a caipirinha at the outdoor cafe tables, looking back at the city.
Ipanema is prettier, but I find that since it's smaller, it can be more crowded and sometimes not as nice for a leisurely stroll.
I have yet to find the time to do it, but DBF and a lot of my colleagues rave about taking the ferry over to Niteroi and having lunch at the fish market. I also haven't made it to Santa Theresa, for which I am deeply ashamed.
And it's kind of a given to go to a churrascaria at some point. A lot of people rave about Porc?o, but I found the meat way too salty for my tastes (we went to the one in Botafogo). On my next visit we went to Fogo de Ch?o, and I liked it much better (and better than the ones in the US).
If you'll be there on a weekend and are up for a night out, consider an evening drinking & dancing in Lapa.
What to buy?
Everyone raves about Havaianas. I don't really know what all the hype is about, but they're cheap, and they're everywhere. And to be fair, I definitely like mine the best of any flip-flops I've owned. It's worth checking out one of the shops just to see the unbelievable variety!
Cacha?a. When you order caipirinhas, a lot of places give you options of what kind of cacha?a you want. They really are different, and I've had some that I seriously dislike and some that I love. Keep track of which ones you like, and consider taking a bottle home with you. They're kind of like whiskeys or microbrews in that there are lots of varieties, but the ones you'll find outside Brazil are often the mediocre mass-produced varieties. (FWIW, I really like N?ga Ful?)
What to bring?
Beachwear -- a swimsuit, cover-up, and sandals to wear walking around on the beach. Even though the end of May is heading into winter, you might have some days warm enough to lounge at the beach, so better to have it and not need it! And feel free to break out your skimpiest bikini. You'll probably still look modest next to all the dental floss!
Sunblock. Especially for your face if you'll be out walking around.
A light jacket, wrap, cardigan, etc. The evenings can get chilly, especially when there's a breeze. At the end of May, the temps will be dropping towards winter, and it can be a lot cooler than you'd expect. On my first trip to Rio, I was very happy to have packed a few maxi dresses, because I was too cold without my legs covered.
Something for your hosts! Find out if they need anything from the US. The import taxes are ridiculous, so ask if there's anything you can carry down for them. I had a friend ask for an iPod charging cable, because it would be three times the price if she bought it in Rio! Also, maybe there are some foodstuffs they can't get locally? As an ex-pat, I love it when people bring me cake mixes, TexMex spices, Mac & Cheese, Reese's Cups, etc. Also, over-the-counter cold medicine, my favorite brand of deodorant, etc. Find out if there's anything they miss that you'd be able to bring them.
Thanks so much for the details!
I'll be in Leblon and they have cars. I will Def bringing some SPF and maxi dresses. thanks for the tip.
My heart is as open as the sky.
Read about it on the blog
2 Corinthians 12:9 But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.
Wow! Great advice from all!
I might add that I really enjoyed the Jardim Botanica - it is so peaceful.
The Hippie Market is fun and has lots of interesting and different things. I bought a handbag there in 199?; still carrying it!
My favorite thing to do in Rio, is to visit H. Stern!
In regard to caipirinhas, they do have a bit of a bite. If you like a smoother drink, ask for a Caipiroska; same idea, made with vodka instead of cacha?a. Warning: both can bite you in the a$$ when you aren't looking!
L'isle Sur la Sorgue, Provence
Santa Teresa is lovely to wander around in on a Saturday afternoon. It's the traditional day to eat feijoada- black beans with big chunks of ham in it- and the very best feijoada I have ever had in my life was in a little place on the main street in the Santa Teresa neighborhood.
It has been years since I did this, but is still one of my very favorite Rio memories. And also happens to be one of the things nobody else seems to have mentioned above.
There's a great little book available in Portuguese everywhere with a list of the hottest bars/places to get small bites. The name is completely escaping me right now, but every Rio native swears by this little guidebook and I found the recommendations to be spot on. I loved the bar food- pork sandwiches with a pineapple on top, hamburgers with a fried egg, etc. Mmmmm!
I also liked the street food, particularly churros recheios de doce de leite (and as I type this, I realize I only know the equivalent terms in Spanish, is there really no word in English for a churro or for dulce de leche???) and any kind of salty snack as well. When you see the guys coming around the beach selling fried cheese, try some! It's delicious.
#1 I may be consulting GilliC for all future trips she gives some great advice. I just have a couple funny comments and questions
I have family in Santa Theresa. It's so hilly my Dad "jokingly" asked for a divorce while being forced to walk up the roads, LOL!!
Does the Fogo de Chao in Rio have the same amount of Sushi as Porcao? The sushi and view is what keeps me coming back
My dad says these are super duper hard. I have to bring Nike flip flops from the states.
True story, I go to the store pay $R 4.95 a bottle and bring at least 4 bottles back at a time. I bring Antarctica Guarana as well.
YES YES!!! OP I am usually asked to bring makeup, facial cleaners, tampons, etc. I once had a pack a microwave!!
Mmmm. This is one of the things I miss about living in NYC. The ability to get Guarana almost anywhere.
This is a wonderful thread already.
The only thing I have to add is that I love churro carts on the street. Fresh-fried and filled with either hot caramel or chocolate. Please eat!
No, I don't think Fogo de Ch?o has any sushi on the buffet. Personally it's not a big deal to me, because I can afford to eat sushi here, and meat costs so much that we drive to Sweden to stock our freezers. So when I'm headed out to a churrascaria, my goal is to eat enough meat to make up for the fact that I can barely afford to buy it at the supermarket! Haha! (And after having dinner at one of the local take-away sushi places here, DBF said sadly that he's never taking me for sushi in Rio again, because it just couldn't measure up. I guess I'm sushi-spoiled!)
Some of my Brazilian friends here have complained that it's hard to find a lot of Brazilian ingredients here, so DBF brought me some p?o de queijo mix last time he visited. Oddly enough, I happened to see Guarana on the shelf of a convenience store at the mall! Of course at $6/can, I wasn't all that tempted!
Oh, my! How could I forget about that?!
L'isle Sur la Sorgue, Provence
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How could I forget Colombo?? If anyone is really hungry go upstairs and get the Buffet for R$55 :
I agree with what everyone said, but here are my additions.
Take the ferry to Niteroi and walk to the Niteroi Contemporary Art Museum. We have never gone inside the Museum (it was closed both times we visited,) but it is an amazing piece of architecture.
Our favorite restaurant is Pax in Leblon, make sure to get a table on the upstairs balcony.
I also recommend walking around the CBD, we take the subway there from Copacabana.
So Tasty, So Yummy
We went last time I was in town, and the clientele was all ex-pats and visitors, but the food & drinks were great!
Side note: has anyone been to Siri Mole near Apoador? DBF was born in Bahia, and we've been meaning to try it for the moqueca (but we usually just end up making it at home instead)