Archive for the 'Brasil' Category

Update: In less than 4 days I got my 200 likes (you guys rock my world!), but now Kiwi Collection has challenged me to get 300 likes, thus I am still requesting your help.

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Hello my darlings!

I have always resisted reaching out for help when it comes to winning contests, as I know how precious your time is and you do not need to be spending any of it on me.  However, after much thought I have decided to in fact reach out for help.  You see, when there is a possibility that your #1 life-long dream could come true, then you simply have to go for it!  There are no ifs, ands, or buts.  So, from the bottom of my heart could you please, please, please read this whole post to find out how you can help me accomplish this dream of mine (and the best part is you too can participate and I promise if you help me, I will help you)?

Lots of love,

Background: My favorite hotel website, Kiwi Collection, is running yet another awesome contest.  If you are not friends with them on Facebook or do not follow them on Twitter, you should immediately, as 1) they are the best of the best when it comes to luxury travel and 2) their constant contests and specials are unbelievable!  Their latest contest is about ultimate travel dreams.  All of the details can be found here.

My Dream:

I am a big believer in dreams.  I think having dreams ensures that we get everything we could possibly want from life.  My dreams regarding travel are lengthy, however I am confident that I will achieve all of them, as once I set a goal for myself I do everything in my power to attain it.  Thus, my problem is not in achieving my dreams, it is choosing which dream to achieve first.  And I had this same dilemma with this contest.  I thought about which dream to choose for days and amongst my many thoughts one in particular kept returning: Antarctica.  Since I was a little girl, my family has always joked that I was born with a suitcase in my hand.  The idea of stepping foot on all 7 continents is absolutely thrilling to me and only Antarctica remains.  I cannot think of a place that exudes adventure more, nor can I imagine the feeling I will experience when I first see a glistening iceberg in the distance or hear penguins playing amongst themselves.  It is a grand dream, but what is the point of dreaming small?

How You Can Help:

1. Visit Kiwi Collection on Facebook and “like” them (trust me you will like them in no time)

2. After you have liked them, visit this link or you can find me in their Dream100 photo album

3. You will then see my ultimate travel dream postcard, which looks like this:

4. Once you have stopped laughing, if you could kindly “like” the photo, we will be best friends forever

5. If I get 100 or more likes I get $100 Visa gift card and the chance to win 4 free nights at a Kiwi Collection property.  Unfortunately, they do not have a property in Antarctica, thus I will use my 4 free nights for my honeymoon in Brasil

6. Thanks a million ahead of time!!!

Song of the post:

This is how I began my morning:

A doce vida (the sweet life)!

Then I proceeded to have an incredibly satisfying breakfast with about 5 cups of coffee.  I had a long day and night ahead of me, as I was having to say goodbye to L. and fly back to the US.  Rio 180 Hotel might be outside the city center, but trust me with a view like it has, it is worth having to cab or bus it everywhere.  Plus, we shared a suite there for around $100USD, which included our freshly made gourmet breakfast.

THE view!

With Sugarloaf Mountain to one side. . .

. . .and Christ the Redeemer to the other.

Saying goodbye to a loved one is never easy.  Especially, when you know it will be a looong time before you see them again.  L. and I definitely awoke with sadness in our hearts, however we were also joyful at the decision we made to get married and focused all of our thoughts on that.  Plus, having done this for 5+ years we were now sorta pro’s at it.

Once we finished breakfast we headed to the world famous Copacabana Beach, where L. had booked a room for the night, as he was staying in Brasil for another week.  Originally, he was going to stay in Rio, but he loved Buzios so much, that he ended up deciding to return there the following day.

We dropped our stuff off at the hotel and then headed to the water.  The last time I had been there I was celebrating the beginning of a new year, now I was celebrating the beginning of a new life!  We found a restaurant and even though we ordered some great dishes, we both lacked appetites.  I tried to get L. to not accompany me to the airport, however he is too much of a gentleman to agree to that.

A rainbow appeared while we waited for our meals.

After dinner, we walked along the beach and talked about how,

Who would have ever imagined that 5 years ago when L. bought me a glass of champagne at a club that it would have resulted in us getting married one day.  I suppose our story is a good lesson for those in the future who might encounter a stranger that they want to get to know, be courageous and say hello.  You never know what could happen.  Magic is always in the air!

Copacabana Beach at dusk.

This post was sponsored by Frequent Flyer Credit Cards, a new travel website from Australia where you’ll find tips on earning airline points and guides to airline loyalty programs.

Song of the post:

I discovered the above song through the delightful Travelholica blog (written by a Brasilian).  I love the song, but more so I love the video, which depicts a couple who is in love, but are in a long distance relationship.  It could not be more perfect for these Brasil posts I have been writing about.

L. and I leisurely enjoyed our last breakfast at Casas Brancas and posed for a couple of more pictures before departing for Rio de Janeiro.

My first visit to Brasil was a holiday.  This visit was unexpected.  The next visit will be for my honeymoon (oh yeah, I forgot to mention we decided to take our honeymoon in Brasil).  A year ago I would have never imagined that I would be in Brasil 3X in less than 2 years.  I stopped trying to plan my life ages ago, since it has a funny way of changing on you unexpectedly.  And what a ride it has been taking me on and I am certainly excited for this new adventure called marriage!

When I was last in Rio, I stayed at an incredible pousada (I highly recommend it), however I wanted to stay in a different part of the city this time and on a whim chose the Rio 180 Hotel, which was rumored to have the best view, hence their name.  Well, my whim turned out to be quite the fortunate guess, as this hotel not only did have a jaw dropping view of Rio, but it was also jaw droppingly gorgeous (almost rivaling Casas Brancas).  The owner also treated L. and I like royalty and within minutes of us arriving she made sure we had caipirinhas in our hands.  While L. and her chatted about Argentina, I explored the grounds.

My 2 favorite things about our room were, 1) the view from our private terrace:

and 2) the gigantic jacuzzi:

L. and I decided that since we had already spent a lot of time in a car already, that we did not have the desire to take a taxi into the city.  Thus, we ordered some take-away to enjoy on the main terrace.

As we indulged in some pizza, nutella crepes, and more caipirinhas we watched as Rio changed colors in front of our eyes.

Heads up to my readers who live in southeast of the US, in case you did not already know, USAir last December started a new direct route from Charlotte to Rio, and the flight deals are truly something else.  I was able to score a round trip ticket for $400 within 2 weeks of my trip!

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Song of the post:

As with most trips, the time went be way too quickly.  L. and I had most definitely fallen in love with Buzios and had even flirted with the idea of going real estate shopping to get an idea of how much a house would cost us in the future if we were to move there.

For our final meal in Buzios, we chose to dine at the highly recommended French restaurant Cigalon.  And what a great decision we made, because not only was the food superb (so good that we each had our own 4 courses), but it also had to be the most romantic restaurant I have ever dined in–making it the perfect place to celebrate our unforgettable 4 days in Buzios.   Unfortunately, I did not get any pictures of the restaurant, however to imagine the gorgeous setting, picture a lovely candle-lit terrace that has been built next to the sea and overlooks the boats moored for the night.  Of course the waves crashing against the rocks in the distance and the lady singing lovely French ballads inside the restaurant only added to the mystique.

Celebrating our stay in Buzios with champagne!

I believe that most of my readers already know what happened next, especially since I announced it several months ago, but on our walk back to our pousada L. asked me to marry him.  I will not go into specifics as to how he did it, since it was an incredibly special and private moment.  I will say though that even though we have dated for 5 years and have talked extensivly about marriage, I was still surprised, and this girl LOVES surprises!

The newly engaged couple!

And for you ladies who are wondering what my ring looks like, here are 2 photos:

It was not given to me that night, as my man knows I am very selective when it comes to jewelry.  We did later find the most perfect “Andi ring” though.  Never one to follow tradition, I opted to forgo a diamond for an amethyst and pink sapphires. The wedding is currently being planned to take place in Buenos Aires, Argentina for this coming May.  Updates will definitely be ongoing.

While I was terribly sad to be leaving Buzios, I was eager to return to Rio de Janeiro, this time with my fiance!!!

When traveling throughout Brazil, make sure to purchase some Brazil Phone Cards, so that you can stay in contact with your family overseas.

Song of the post:

Whenever I visit a place that has a beach, I always try my best to fit in some time for scuba diving (one of my most favorite things in the world).  This trip, however, my attention was focused on something, excuse me, someone else. . .

L. and I were still on our quest to find our favorite beach.  Thus far we had only seen 2 and since it was our last day in Buzios we had to pick an extra special beach to explore.  We were told that Praia Tartaruga was both beautiful and that it had excellent snorkeling, since it was known for its abundance of sea turtles (hence its name, as tartaruga means turtle in Portuguese).  This made it the perfect choice for us!  I might not have been able to dive on this trip, but at least I would get some time under the water.

My 1st view of Praia Tartaruga.

Again we had the beach almost completely to ourselves.  We found our spot on the sand and before you could count to 10 I was in the water with my snorkeling gear and underwater camera.  Because there had been some storms overnight, the visibility was poor, though decent enough to see a couple of underwater treasures.

And just as I was about to surface for some beach time, I spotted a turtle!  I followed him gliding through the water for about 15 minutes.  What elegant creatures they are.

After I returned to shore, I gave L. all of my gear and told him that it was his turn to find a turtle while I enjoyed the sunshine.  About an hour later he returned both having spotted a couple of turtles and starving, so we walked down the beach to a makeshift restaurant that had been set up right in the sand.  As previously mentioned I am a devout vegetarian, but when traveling I sometimes make exceptions for seafood.  This happened to be one of those times, because the owner of the “restaurant” would fish in the mornings and his catches were what was offered on the menu.  There is no way you could get more fresh than that!  The owner happened to also make the best caipifrutas I have ever tasted.

Once we were fully satiated, it was time for a walk on the beach.  Along the way I spotted something that I had never seen before, something that I felt had to be a sign of good things to come.

As the sun began to set, we both agreed that the combination of a deserted beach filled with turtles and red starfish, as well as having the best seafood and drinks, simply had to be our favorite beach, well of this trip at least!

That feeling of good things to come was still strongly with me as we departed for our pousada.  If I only had known just how right I was. . .

This post was sponsored by Frequent Flyer Credit Cards, a new travel website from Australia where you’ll find tips on earning airline points and guides to airline loyalty programs.

Song of the post:

I woke up with little butterflies in my stomach, the kind of butterflies that I get when I am about to set off on an exploration.  You see, L. and I had the grand idea that we would rent a buggy, a popular thing to do when in Buzios, and drive from beach to beach.  We were after all on a quest to find our favorite!

Our pousada called the rental company for us and by the time we were finished with our breakfast the buggy had arrived.  We spent about an hour filling out paperwork and once we had signed away our lives the keys were presented to us.  I was the one driving, since L. lives in Buenos Aires and therefore has no need for a driver’s lisence.  As we got into the buggy my excitement turned to dread — our buggy was not an automatic.  Yes, I know, roll your eyes, laugh, but I do not know how to drive a stick shift (it is #44 on my Bucket List to learn how by the way).  L. tried to teach me, though that was an absolute disaster.  After yet another hour, I finally gave up and had to embarrassingly call the rental company to ask for a refund and for them to pick up the buggy, while in the meantime I left it stuck in the middle of the road on a hill.  Not one of my proudest moments!

The difference between tragedy and comedy is a sense of humor (which thankfully both of us have).  As many travelers have learned while on the road:  the worse the experience, the better the story.

Since it was already mid-afternoon, L. and I decided to stay where we were to take advantage of the incredible pool at Casas Brancas and to continue laughing off the unsuccessful morning with some caipirinhas.

Me in my new Brasilian suit!

I know I have done nothing but sing Casas Brancas’ praises for the last several posts, however I simply cannot imagine a more aesthetically pleasing place.

Towards the end of the day the beach along Buzios Bay was calling out to us and we decided to pay it a visit.  It took us about 15 minutes to walk there.

It was not the most beautiful beach I had ever visited, however the calm water was the perfect temperature.  L. and I floated away the time and before we knew it the sun began to set.

And the walk back to our pousada was illuminated by yet another pink sky.

By the time we made it back to our room the moon was now the center of the attention in Buzios.

L. and I were surprisingly tired and decided that we would have a long, leisurely dinner and then buy some cake at a nearyby bakery to take back to enjoy on our terrace.

As we indulged in our desserts under the moonlight, we found it difficult to believe that tomorrow would be our last day in Buzios.  We knew we had to make it special, and special it would definitely be!

Song of the post:

L. and I decided to dine at the restaurant at Casas Brancas.  We had the entire place to ourselves, and while it was definitely romantic, I missed the energy that comes from a crowded restaurant.

L. and I celebrating a fabulous vacation thus far.

After our suburb meal, we took our time walking into town, as it was slightly past midnight and even though we were visiting during off-season, midnight was still too early for the clubs.  Besides the beaches, Buzios is also known for its happening night life all year round.

A view of Buzios sparkling behind me.

Along the way we passed by Brigitte again and could not help but pose for some more pictures with her!

I loved her sense of style and the fact that she was sitting on a suitcase.

L. loved her, well. . .

We stopped in some stores and enjoyed some ice cream to kill more time, and then around 1:30 we decided to go dancing at Pacha.  I have been to Pacha’s all over the world and I am always impressed with the fabulous atmosphere and music, however I doubt there is a Pacha with a better view than the one in Buzios.

Around 4AM, which to L. was still very early since he is Argentine, we returned to our pousada.  As we drifted off to sleep, again with the doors open, we agreed that tomorrow we would rent a buggy and drive from beach to beach.

Song of the post:

The surprise that awaited us at Casas Brancas was truly the most magnificent sunset I have ever seen.  They had promised us the best sunset in Buzios and they definitely delivered!

“We live in a wonderful world that is full of beauty, charm, and adventure. There is no end to the adventures we can have if only we seek them with our eyes open.” ~Jawaharial Nehru

My 1st view of the sunset -- trust me my eyes were wide open!

It was as if the sky was on fire.

I am certain that at first I took about 100 photos and then I realized that I was not enjoying this special moment to the fullest and I put my camera down.  I love that photography enables us to capture  moments in time that we never want to forget.  And when I see something that stirs my soul, I cannot help but take photo after photo until I feel like I have a successful shot.  Though lately I am trying my best to find the right balance between capturing moments with my camera and with with my memory.

It was now time to go get ready for our big night out on the town, since it was after all a Friday night in Brasil. . .

Song of the post:

Lucas and I decided to sleep with the door to our terrace open, so that while we slept we could hear the sound of the ocean.  It was one of the most peaceful sleeps in my life to date!  The beds in the suites at Casas Brancas are built on platforms, which allows guests to have a view of Buzios Bay from their bed.  In fact, the following pictures were taken from bed!

The breakfast that is offered at the pousada is included in the room cost and is a buffet of Brasilian delights ranging from tropical fruit to exotic cheeses to local cakes.  My favorite, of course, was the french-press coffee that each couple received with the meal.

 

As previously mentioned, Buzios has over twenty beaches and no matter who you talk to each person is very opinionated on which beach is the best.  Lucas and I wanted to form our own opinion, thus we decided to spend the next four days seeing as many beaches as we could.  That would prove to be the biggest challenge of the trip; deciding which ones to visit!  The first beach we chose was Praia Brava.  Casas Brancas reserved us a sunbed at the ultra-trendy Rocka Beach Lounge and Restaurant.

 

Before heading to the beach, I took a quick stroll in town to look for a new bikini.  I was inspired by the local women to buy a Brasilian bikini (ie: a bikini that showed more skin than I was definitely used to).  I found the perfect one by Betty Sue, though you will have to wait a couple of posts to see the unveiling.

 

It took us about five minutes to get to Praia Brava by taxi.  And as always the case with Brasil, I was definitely impressed with my surroundings!

Me on our sunbed wearing my silk cover-up I bought at a bazaar in Jaipur, India a month before.

Lucas on our sunbed.

Our view of Praia Brava.

It was easy to understand why Rocka is such a popular place — with a picturesque view of the ocean, against a soundtrack of Brazilian bossa nova coming from the bar, and the smell of fresh seafood cooking — it was the perfect setting to spend the day, even a week.

 

Normally, since I am a sun worshipper, my first task at hand is to find the perfect spot to take in the sun, but I was in the mood for some exploration.

Could this be our favorite beach???

After our walk, it was time for our first round of caipirinhas of the day.

Salud!

And then of course some sun bathing.

Several hours and one delicious meal later, we went for yet another walk, this time to the deserted part of the beach where we had even more fun with my camera.

One of my favorite photos from the trip.

I loved how Praia Brava, despite being one of the more developed beaches, still had parts that were unspoiled.

Once the sun began to set, we decided to return to Casas Brancas.  We had wanted to see at least one other beach, however we loved where we were so much that we ended up spending the entire day there.

As if the day were not special enough, we had an incredible surprise awaiting us at Casas Brancas. . .

 

The best way to keep in touch with family and friends while traveling around Brazil is to buy some Brazil Phone Cards.

Well, I wish I could say that we celebrated our 1st day together in some grand fashion (though I know not all beautiful adventures have to be filled with excitement in order to be beautiful), but all we really wanted to do was sunbathe, drink, eat, and drink some more.  We had another 4 days to explore!

I had a lot of positive feedback on an India post where I included some accompanying music to listen to while reading.  Thus, I thought for my Brasil posts I would include a different song with each post, since I am a huge fan of Brasilian music and would love to share some of my favorite songs.  If you are interested in listening, press play below.

According to the staff at Casas Brancas, the ambiance of Buzios once the summer season has come to an end, which is around March, drastically changes.  Honestly, I think it is silly that there are “seasons” in Buzios, since the weather is gorgeous year-round.  Nonetheless, we were enjoying having what felt like the entire city to ourselves.

The intricate landscape and decorative touches of Casas Brancas makes it almost impossible to even want to leave the grounds.  It was also rumored to have the best sunset view and I make it a point whenever I am traveling to not miss a sunset if possible.  L. and I had brought along reading material, however we could not take our eyes away from the dazzling Buzios Bay.  It truly looked like a painting with its perfectly placed fishing boats and islets.

As the sun began to makes its way over the horizon, I decided to try a new drink: a frozen caipirinha.  It was definitely not as good as one on the rocks, although still delicious.

Sunset + Brasil + sexy Argentine + caipirinha = pure, utter bliss!!!

Once our stomachs started to beg for some food, we began to get ready for dinner.  Just like Argetines, Brasilians dine late, so we made a reservation for 11PM at a nearby Italian restaurant, named Satyricon.  Casas Brancas is only a five-minute stroll from the center of town, making it unnecessary for us to ever need a taxi at night.

In the ’60s, a visit to Buzios from the french actress Brigitte Bardot with her Brazilian boyfriend transformed the city overnight from a small fishing village to a dream destiantion.  To thank Ms. Bardot, the city memorialized her by constructing a bronze statue of her sitting on a suitcase.  It is about 10 steps away from Casas Brancas, located along the seaside promenade, otherwise known as Orla Bardot, which winds along the water and guides pedestrians into town.  I, of course, had to pose with the statue!

One more shot!

Satyricon’s location is golden, since it right across the street from the ocean.  To take advantage of the ocean breeze, half of the restaurant is open to the water.  It is highly regarded by many as the best restaurant in Buzios.  Unfortunately, the prices reflect its reputation (expect at least $150USD for 2 people).  The waiter that serviced us was Argentinean and once he discovered that L. was too he generously sent us over a free bottle of Italian wine.  The caprese salad coupled with the basket of complementary focaccia bread would have been enough, however the pasta dish I ordered was so good, I made room for it all.

Me and L. celebrating seeing each other again.

Yes, another caipirinha.

We needed to walk off dinner, so we took a pleasant stroll through the main cobblestone street of Rua das Pedras, which is lined with boutiques, gallaries, bars, and cafes that stay open very late.

A constant soundtrack of bossa nova music seemed to play in the background no matter where we were and along with the lapping of the waves against the seawall and the twinkling of the stars in the nightsky, I was 100% convinced, and still am, that Buzious is the most romantic place on earth.

We could have wandered around all night soaking up the incredibleness of everything, but L. and I were eager to get some rest in order to have lots of energy to search for our favorite beach the next day!