FDR Faculty - TripTalk

This year we went to Brazil for the long break. Julie and I spent 1 month in
Brazil from the middle of January to the middle of February. It is a very
hot season to visit Brazil in. If you like tropical heat this is the place to go. You can get by with some Spanish as they will understand you but you won't understand a word they say. No worry, Brazilians are some of the nicest people you will meet for helping forlorn/lost looking tourtists. You need a visa - $65 USD - must be bought ahead of time and a yellow fever shot(with documentation).

Sao Paulo - Curritiba
We skipped the megalopolis of Sao Paulo - we weren't that interested in a
city of 19 million. We picked up one of many busses to the relatively
untouristy city of Curritiba. It is a 6 hour bus ride(turned into 8 hours
with BAD traffic).

In Curritiba we stayed at the Hotel O'Hara - $25 USD a night - T.V., private
bath. There is a lot to see and do. The city has an old town(Largo da
Orden) with cobble stoned streets and quaint European looking outside bars
and restaurants.

Must do's:
Baghdad Cafe - great Middle Eastern food with belly dancers and shisha
pipes(ask Jeff Smith for details) City Tour - a cheap loop of the city with stops at Botanical Gardens, Opera House, and more Parangua Train - a 3 hour train ride through the mountainous jungle to the coast - Parangua is a cool coastal town with great food

Curritiba - Foz de Iguacu
We took the 12 hour bus from Curritiba to Foz - very comfy busses.
Stayed at Hotel Laura is run by a nutty 60 year old Bazilian women that
loves to talk - $10 USD a night. Foz is a steaming hot town this time of year. Not much to do but to see the falls.

Must do's:
Foz de Iguacu from the Brazilian side - feels like you are in Disneyland -
this is one of the GREATEST natural sights I have ever seen - difficult to
describe - check out our pictures - this can be done in a 1/2 day tour.

Argentine side - It is more of a natural experience - you walk along a lot
of trails and get a variety of views, you can take the boat ride up the
river and the climax if the "Garganta do Diablo"(the devil's throat) where
you overlook a 90 meter drop of hundred's of thousands of water falling per
second.

Food per kilo - a great way to eat until you are sick - Brazilians seem to
love buffet style places that leave you feeling ill from all the food you
consume(or maybe that is just me).

Curritiba - Rio de Janiero
This is supposed to be an 18 hour bus ride that is guaranteed to turn into
22 hours if it is your wife's birthday. We stayed at the Sao Marco hotel (ph. (21)2540-5032 - the guy at the bus station will call ahead for you)on Impenema beach for $50 USD a night for a double. We debated staying in cheaper places but this place is 2 blocks from one of the greatest beaches in the world.
Rio has no end of tours and entertainment. The temperature topped 40+ C
when we were there in February.

Walk the Impenema - Copacabana beach - there is a great walking/bike trail.
The views are amazing and there are fresh juice stands the whole way.

Rock in Rio - this is a disco in Barra that places a mix of classic rock and
local music - take one of the city busses to get there - the busses run all
night(hold on tight, they go about 60 miles an hour everywhere!)

Favella tour - we did Favella Rocinho(better known as Favella Light) as you
did not feel to much fear for your life - 300,000 people live on this
hillside - take a tour from a hostal.

Maracana - you must see a soccer game in one to the biggest stadiums in the world - they play every Saturday and Sunday and you don't have to take a tour, just take a local bus.

Rio - Ilhe Grande
We bussed to Angras dos Reis(3 hours) and took the Ilhe Grande ferry(2
hours). Ilhe Grande is an amazing place with lot's of personality. Don't let the
guide book fool you, there are a lot of tourists but no big resorts. We
stayed in the Posada Oriental run by a young French couple($25 USD for a
double ph. (24)3361-5073). It has a great yard, hammocks, and nice simple
rooms.

Must Do's:
Praiha Lopez Mendez - arguably one of the nicest white sand beaches in
Brazil - 2 miles long, silica sand, crystal blue water, and few people
around you *must see pictures.

We visited Praiha dos Rios - a cool 2 hour hike through the jungle(1 hour up
a hill, one hour down) there are some rivers and a prison(shut down 8 years)
to see. The beach is okay.

Ilhe Grande - Salvador de Bahia
We returned to Rio and caught a flight to Bahia(well worth the money compared to bussing!). We stayed at the Praiha Mar - not reccommended but during Carnival was the only place with room in Barra.

Bahia - Cacheiora
We only spent a night and headed to a cool place called Cacheiora. It is a 2 hour bus ride to a quaint, run-down , cigar making town. The town is known for turn of the century Portuguese architecture and cigar factory
tours.
We stayed in the Posada do Convento - high ceilings, old wood floors and a
pool. We visited some of the cigar museums and walked around town. Not
much to do but a nice place to get away from the hustle of big cities.

Cacheiora - Praiha do Forte
We went through Bahia to go up the coast to Praiha do Forte to see the old
fort and the turtle hatchery. We stayed at Pousada Kelmer - a well run and clean place for $15 USD a night. The town has a nice beach front with an old church on the water. We did a tour of the TAMAR turtle hatchery and did a turtle release at night. It was a cool experience to be lucky enough to see the turtles coming out of the
nest and to let them go in the water! We toured the fort -a long walk in the
heat and not much to see.

Bahia - Carnival
If you like HUGE crowds, blasting music, and HUGE crowds go to carnival in
Bahia. We did not feel very safe on the streets at night in Barra - these
are the big parades you see on T.V.. The cool place to see bands and
dancing is in the old town - Pelourinho - there a cobble stoned streets, old
churches, and nice places to eat. You get to go up and down an elevator
built in the 1800's to get there. People are much more relaxed and we spent
most of our time here. If you can endure the price and the hours you can
pay($200 USD and up) to dance in a 'Bloco' with some famous Brazilian bands
for a number of days and all night long.

Bahia - Sao Paulo - Lima
We flew back to Sao Paulo and then out to Lima. The Taca flight to Lima
leaves early in the morning. If you are on the cheap and don't want to stay
at the Marriott you can stay at the the Pousada Opcao - this is a house with
rooms for rent - the owner will pick you up and drop you off at the airport
and speaks English (ph 9272-6879 - email pousadaop@zipmail.com.br).


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