The Rio Deal! - Traveling Through Brazil
Lush jungles, waterfalls, vibrant music, lively people, and splashes of color - Brazil was
a great soul quencher after traveling through Egypt and Europe. To soak up the scenery
and the humid air while hiking through the rain forests and across the beaches was the
relief from work and the museum hopping travels of late that my mind was looking for.
The getaway was set in motion with the fortune of a conference in Iguaçu that Carly was
invited to give a talk at and I could not let her go alone!
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This two week trip was during the deepest, darkest part of Brazil's winter (August),
though as I'm sure you can imagine, it was not the cold bitterness that higher latitudes
experience! Some nights and one day we had to wear light jackets!
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We had a day in Rio to spare before catching a flight to Foz do Iguaçu for Carly's
conference so we decided what better way to immerse ourselves in the culture than to
spend a day on Copacabana beach, tour Sugarloaf, and then go samba dancing! The
beach was truly a piece of paradise - it stretched for miles and the backdrop was
lush forested steep mountains. Not surprisingly, we were quickly convinced the
Brazilian's were on to something with their national cocktail - the caipirinha!
Made with cachaça (a light rum like liquor), sugar, lime and ice, it was great at
helping to de-stress the work worries.
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After relaxing for a bit, testing the cool water, and practicing our Portuguese on
the hawkers, we took the tram to the top of one of Rio de Janeiro's characteristic
sites - Sugarloaf Mountain. This pair of rounded peaks sitting at a point on the
ocean offers a beautiful view of the city, its beaches, and the ever watchful Cristo
(Cristo Redentor the welcoming statue of Christ perched on a mountain peak above the
city). There we also got our first taste of Brazil's exotic animals. Cute little
ring tailed Sagui monkeys jumped from tree to tree to get the best spot to catch an
unaware tourist with extra food.
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That evening we went out on the town to explore. Samba music spilled out of club
windows and balcony doorways to mix in frothy excitement on the streets. Inside
bodies moved continuously to the music - a contagious seductive rhythm - who were
we to fight against it!?
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The next day we took a short flight to Iguaçu a small town that sits on the boarder of
Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay where the massive Iguaçu River crashes down 260 feet in
a grand collection of 275 individual waterfalls cascading over rock and through jungle.
We had a couple days to tour around before Carly's conference started so we tried to see
as much of the Unesco World Heritage site as possible. I had been looking forward to
seeing this area for years since seeing the scenery in the movie The Mission.
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Our first Iguaçu Falls day was dedicated to the Brazilian side of the river. Hiking along
paths that perched precariously on canyon sides was like a several mile game of peak-a-boo
as it weaved in and out of old growth jungle to overlooks of waterfalls of all flavors.
There were vines, moss, plants growing on plants, and flowers sprouting up everywhere
including on the lush trees. The falls were hypnotizing - there were gentle spouts and
cascading flows over some cliffs and over others - tumultuous powerful pounding falls
whose roar can be heard from miles away!
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We checked out an aviary outside the park and were able to get up close looks at the
colorful toucans, macaws, parrots, humming birds, flamingos, and butterflies that we
spied from afar throughout the trip. In one walk through enclosure one of the many
toucans disagreed with the flip flop choice of an unfortunate tourist - the guy was
chased through the enclosure with the toucan hot on his heals nipping away!! Pretty
funny to watch, but probably not real funny for the guy - those are big beaks!
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The next day we crossed the border into Argentina to view the falls from the other side
of the river. It was a bit more developed there which meant more elaborate trail systems
and overlooks. One brings you to the very throat of the main waterfall! We hiked all
around and then did a jungle jeep and hiking tour with a guide that pointed out mate
trees, jaguar prints, and other forest gems.
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Both days we saw many animals but the best were these the cute pointy nosed coati (a
raccoon like Brazilian animal). They were very accustomed to people and sometimes
swarmed those that were careless with food!
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The next day Carly went to her meetings so I decided to kick around the area a bit -
went to a Brazilian buffet to taste all sorts of unique foods, toured the Itaipu Dam -
a massive Brazilian and Paraguayan hydroelectric dam took a bus tour that crossed briefly
into Paraguay, then headed back to the hotel for a beer and watched an England soccer
match, phew - see what happens when you leave me alone for a day! Carly did not believe
I could have done all that in the short period she was gone - and grounded me from
visiting other countries while she sat in meetings…
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So the next day (confined to Brazil) I went back to the Iguaçu falls and did a forest
tour with 4 other people. We started with a 9k hike through the natural, wild forest
and were able to spot all sorts of animals including large capuchin monkeys jumping
across the tree tops. We came out at lagoon feature of the Iguaçu River where we
spotted alligators and all sorts of water birds. Next we boarded a boat and toured the
river banks checking out more alligators. Next we hopped into inflatable kayaks and
paddled down river 2k toward the waterfalls (with visions of being churned into little
bits from the gators or going over the falls) - the guides said we were perfectly safe
so why not!? Though there were several forms… ;-)
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The next day we flew back to Rio where we had an exciting travel adventure to find our good
friends Amanda and Mark who work at an American school there. It involved several bus hops,
a bit of walking with our packs, and a daring center median pick up after they spotted us
on the street - all without the aid of cell phones or coordinated meeting time!! Amanda
and Mark were very hospitable and expanded our horizons with a fresh passion fruit
caipirinha version. The place they were renting was amazing nestled in the mountains
and the perfect place to relax after the bustle of the big city.
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Not wanting to miss out on the signature Brazilian experiences we went to a soccer match
the next day! It was held at the main stadium in Rio - The Maracanã. It was a huge place
that continuously pulsed with energy and sound from cheering and drums throughout the game.
It was between one of the local teams Flamingo who won against Ceará, a team from the north.
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The four of us did some scenic driving and hiking the next day through the mountains
above Rio including the Tijuca Park then up to the top of Corcovado where Cristo overlooks
the city. The group got a big laugh when one of them spooked me as I was leading them
through a well overgrown and spider web protected part of the forest. To my displeasure
I landed in a pile of dog droppings… though it turned out to be their displeasure as well
on the drive home ;-) We also walked around a beautiful botanic garden - Jardín Botánico.
To cap off our stay in Rio we hit a rodízio for Brazilian BBQ where we kept the waiters
coming back time after time with more tasty skewered meat!
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The bus ride south to Paraty meandered along the coast dropping in to beautiful sandy
bays then back in the forested draws beneath jagged forested mountains. Glimpses of
emerald islands sitting on a sapphire ocean teased and called us to leave the city life
for something simpler. We stayed in an old Pousada (inn) in the old town of Paraty
nestled in a bay below the tall lush mountains. The Pousada was walled and simple looking
on the outside, but the inside was a gorgeous open area with gardens, a pool, and
colonial style rooms and décor - quite enchanting.
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The colonial style of the old town was around every corner. Tight cobble stone streets
and absence of cars allowed the imagination to drift to another time. We strolled around
the town and the fort high above the bay relaxing and of course enjoyed the beaches. One
night we took a "cooking class" which turned out to more of a social event with two other
couples - it was quite entertaining and we learned a lot!... just not about cooking local
fare! :-(
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We were finally presented with sunny warm day so we took full advantage of it. We jumped
aboard a boat with a sun deck, bar, and live guitar music and went island hopping. We
pulled out the snorkel equipment on a shallow reef, tossed the frizbee on a sandy beach,
and enjoyed relaxing in the sun and sand! What a way to wrap up a trip!
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If you would like to see any other pictures of specific
parts of the experience, or want
higher resolution copies of what are on the web site, just let me know. Also, don't hesitate
to ask if you have any questions.
jon.pineau@colorado.edu
Check out some pictures from other trips
here
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