Waking Up in Rio de Janeiro and Bahia
RIO DE JANEIRO, RIO DE JANEIRO
My first time visiting Rio de Janeiro was back in 2015. School was out and I would spend the next month and a bit backpacking South America. First up was Rio. I fell in love with this place the moment I arrived in its beauty and lets be honest my first Caipirinha. Lost in translation, not being able to communicate with most people and even with the airline loosing my luggage which meant I would spend the next few hours or days in Toga wear was all apart of the journey. From the meat (huge meat lover), the people, the environment and the vast amount of options I had at my hands, I knew I would visit again.
This time I was able to journey back to Rio and for the first time, Salvador. Of course I loved it too, especially more so now that I had help! José was my voice box as he speaks fluent Portuguese. I didn’t realize until that moment how much of a difference speaking a main language in a country would mean. Because of José speaking the language we were able to journey out further and feel less stressed. It was good to not get lost and struggle with transportation.
ACCOMMODATION
ARENA LEME HOTEL:
This was the perfect location if wanting to stay right by Copacabana beach but without the overpriced stay. It was a more affordable but complete hotel experience. Customer service, free wifi, breakfast, rooftop pool, and right across the street from Copacabana beach. I truly have noting bad to say about this hotel.
EXPLORE
CORCOVADO:
You can book a day tour to see Christ the Redeemer or journey on your own. I definitely recommend doing it on your own as your less restricted and saves you money. There’s a passenger van that covers the cost of transportation to and from the Christ the Redeemer, the entrance and buses that take you up and down the mountain for an affordable price. There’s two meet up locations where you can buy your passes but we took the passenger van from Copacabana beach. The service is quick and very simple which is what I really liked about it especially that I didn’t have to break the bank to visit.
Price: R$ 28 / $11 CAD (roundtrip)
SUGAR LOAF MOUNTAIN:
I don’t know why but I expected so much more from this “must see” attraction. The sunset, day drinking, and dancing was nice but I you could get that anywhere and for a much cheaper cost. I’m truly happy that I didn’t spend much at this attraction as the bigger mountain was under construction.
Price: R$ 40/ $16 CAD (roundtrip)
PEDRA DO TELEGRAPHO:
This location is about 1.5-2 hours journey by car but completely worth it. Not just for the cliff but the views. I was astonished by so much beauty and as much as I hated the journey it paid off in the end. I mean just look at these gorgeous pictures.
*Note that the following two options aren’t the only way to visit Pedra do Telegrapho. Other options include taking the bus or booking with a tour company.
Price: R$140/$55 CAD (cost of Uber) or R$80/$30 CAD (cost of a rental for a day)
FLAMENGO FOOTBALL TEAM:
This game was probably the highlight of my time in Rio. The football scene is huge there and the experience was epic! I did not sit the entire 90 mins of the game and I did not want to. Besides, you couldn’t really sit because everyone else is standing.
Purchased the tickets through the hotel and it came with transportation that picked you up at your hotel. Best experience ever!!
Price: R$200 reais/ $80 CAD (roundtrip/entrance)
WALKING TOURS:
I always recommend taking walking tours. They’re the best way to see a city and can be very inexpensive. You also get to meet other travellers and if you’re a solo traveller you know how important this can be.
Price: Free (excludes tip)
MUSEUM OF TOMORROW:
Not really into Museums at all. They have my attention for as long as I can take pictures. This one I actually took my time to explore but in one section. This section explained how much of a negative impact humans are doing to the earth and that got my attention. I found it to be very interactive but I still would not pay for it. Go on a Tuesday, its free for both English and Portuguese listeners.
Price: Full day R$ 20/$8CAD ; Half day R$10/$4 CAD
Tuesdays: Free
RESTAURANTS
MARIUS DESGUSTARE:
Up for the famous Brazilian Steakhouse. This is the place to eat at for fresh seafood and some good meat. Its very pricey so get ready to spend some coin.
BOTECO BELMONTE:
This place was always packed and if theres one thing I’ve learnt is that when a restaurant is pack its either two things, its new or the food is good. The food here was amazing!! I had some coxinha and omg they were to die for.
PETITO CARIOCA:
Located at the end of Leme, this small restaurant had the best skewers. I would consider it to be a snack restaurant. Didn’t have much options except for skewers.
BAR E RESTAURANTE OS XIMENES:
I felt like this place had more of authentic dishes and they were delicious. If you go you have to try Moqueca. I could eat that dish everyday.
VENZIANA:
I love pizza so yeah I’ll say no more.
NIGHTLIFE: Lapa & Copacabana
LAPA: I must admit that I do not remember any of the bars I went into. With that said, Lapa is always a good time. Cheap caipirinha, tequila and free samba practice.
I’m sure the nightlife in Copacabana is fun but I’ve never experienced it. The area was way too overpriced for my liking and its always a good idea to save as activities in Brazil can be quite expensive.
SALVADOR, BAHIA
The last time I was in brazil I didn’t get to experience Salvador and I made sure it didn’t miss me this time. The Afro Brazilian culture makes you fall in love with the state especially after visiting Pelourinho.
You know when you’ve arrived somewhere and all you wanted to do was be apart of the people. This is the feeling Salvador gave me and my time was complete with just exploring and meeting new people. I didn’t need adventure, didn’t want to book tours, I just wanted to get to know the people.
ACCOMMODATION
GALE SALVADOR:
This wasn’t my favourite hotel. I felt as though because I wasn’t a Portuguese speaker my treatment was terrible even when I asked to speak to someone who speaks English. I would ask something and then the person (male/female) would respond to Jose like I didn’t exist. They always ran out of food during breakfast, and my golly the room looked nothing like the pictures on line. The only thing I liked about the hotel was the room size, the pool, the view and free caipirinha and transportation to my favourite restaurant in Salvador. Definitely wouldn’t recommend staying here.
EXPLORE
PELOURINHO:
I loved everything about Pelourinho. The Afro Brazilian culture was very prominent and you could listen to Samba all day long. It’s a very busy area thats full of life. From the details on the building to, the samba playing in the streets, people dancing all made for a great experience.
RIO VERMELHO:
Didn’t visit during the day but got to experience the nightlife. I would say this location was on the younger side. It felt really packed with teenagers to be honest, you could just pick them out of the crowd.
BARRA:
I loved everything about this area. It’s where I got the most exercise in on the trip. We would walk everywhere, try different restaurants and hang out at the beach. If returned I would stay in this area.
RESTAURANTS
BARRAVENTO:
We must have eaten at this restaurant 5 times the way we loved the food and customer service. Or was it the free Caipirinha we kept on going back for. No, it was the food. Their shareable plates were very affordable and filling. A must visit.
PARO RESTAURANTE:
Recommended to us by someone who had been living in brazil for over 15 years. Very nice restaurant in an intimate setting. Food was mediocre, wouldn’t visit again.
EMPADA BRASIL:
Upon first look you probably won’t enter but the food was delicious. Never judge a book by its cover. Plus it was all you can eat, no weigh your plate business and it was extremely cheap. About $20 CAD with an alcoholic beverage.
Date Visited: November/December 2017
Thanks Dolls and Gents.
Love,
Kissy
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