April 29, 2013

7 Day Itinerary Summary

As a summary to this blog, here is our 7 day itinerary of our trip to Brazil.

Day 1 - Sugarloaf & Urca
Day 2 - Rio Centro / Downtown Rio de Janeiro
Day 3 - Santa Teresa
Day 4 - Ipanema
Day 5 - Corcovado / Christ the Redeemer Statue & Tijuca National Park
Day 6 - Foz do Iguaçu National Park
Day 7 - Foz do Iguaçu Centro & Bird Park


April 27, 2013

Brazil Photo Coasters - DIY Craft



I made personalized souvenirs from my photos from Brazil with this simple coaster craft.  This finished craft can be used for a coaster, trivet, or wall hanging.  I decided to make a set of 4 coasters with 4 different pictures.  I cropped each photo down to a 4 by 4 inch square, then using Photoshop, I added text (i.e. "Rio de Janeiro").  Then I expanded the canvas to 4 by 6 inches.  I uploaded my photos to an online website and had the photos professionally printed.  I attached each photo to a white ceramic tile using Mod Podge and sealed with a clear sealant spray.  Here's the full video showing step-by-step how to make this craft.


April 26, 2013

Packing List for Brazil

Here are a few recommendations on items to pack (other than the obvious, clothes & toiletries) that we found essential for our trip to Brazil.

  • Non-Aerosol Bug Spray - We generously applied bug spray every day on our trip.  Non-aerosol is best for packing in your checked luggage and aerosols are not allowed on the plane.
  • Sun block / Sunscreen 30 SPF or higher - We only spent 3 hours on the beach in Rio, but sun block was essential while walking around Brazil as the rays can be strong.  Sun block is more expensive to purchase in Rio than Atlanta.
  • Bikini - Nobody wears a 1-piece in Brazil.  You can always buy a bikini in Brazil.
  • Flip flops - Bring your own, or purchase flip flops for around R$20 a pair. Flip flops from Brazil make a nice souvenir as most of them say "Brasil" or "Ipanema" on them.
  • Hiking sandals - I found having hiking sandals (i.e. Teva) comfortable for all of the walking I did around Brazil.  Most of the Brazilians walk around wearing flip flops (and not white athletic shoes), so the hiking sandals blended in.
  • Hand sanitizer - As Americans, we are obsessed with hand sanitation, bring your own as hand sanitizer is not quite as popular outside of the US.
  • Ponchos - You never know when a rain shower will pop-up in Rio.  Also an essential if you are visiting Iguaçu Falls.
  • Electrical Adapter - You never know if the hotel / hostel / B&B you are staying in will have European or North American style plugs.
  • Wash cloths - You never know many towels you will be provided at your hotel / hostel / B&B, so it is best to bring at least 1 small or medium sized towel.  Wash cloths are not popular in Brazil.
  • Money belt - As in any major city, there might be pickpockets. If you are carrying cash, it is best to put some away in a second location on your body (i.e. money belt).
  • Lock for your luggage bag(s) - We locked up our electronics / valuables in our suitcases while we were out of our hotel rooms.  There were no safes in the places we stayed.
  • Tablet / Small Laptop - Do not expect your hotel to provide a business center for you.  They provide Wi-Fi access, bring your own Internet capable device. 

Things to Leave at Home

  • Wedding rings / jewelry
  • Nice watches
  • Beach towels - Brazilians use Kangas instead of beach towels
  • White athletic shoes / Anything that makes you look like a tourist

April 25, 2013

Taste of Brazil in Alpharetta, Sunday, May 19th, 2013

We loved visiting Brazil so much, we are planning to attend the "Taste of Brazil" event on Sunday, May 19th, 2013 in Alpharetta, GA.  Address is 4055 Old Milton Pkwy, Alpharetta, GA 30005.  Event time 1-6PM.  Here is a link to their Facebook page.

Day 7 - Foz do Iguaçu Centro & Flight back to Atlanta

After our Bird Park visit, we headed back to the B&B and checked out.  We still had 7 hours until our flight left Foz do Iguaçu, so the B&B employees were nice enough to hold our bags while we spent the afternoon walking around Centro / city center / downtown Foz do Iguaçu.  In case you are curious where we stayed in Foz do Iguaçu, we stayed at Iguassu Charm Suites / Pousada Caroline.  Paul selected it mostly based on the name, Caroline.   It was listed as a B&B, but was more like a motel.  It had everything we needed, clean room, private bathroom, air conditioning, and breakfast included.  Safe to say we were the only US Americans staying there at the time, and the only English speakers, so we didn't have any interaction with the other guests.

Foz do Iguaçu is so close to Argentina and Paraguay, you can take a public bus across the border.  For US Citizens, there is a visa fee that is paid online.  Argentina has a computer at the border so that US Citizens who have not already paid the visa fee can do so on the computer at the border station.
We met an American from Houston, Texas who visited both Paraguay and Argentina.  She mentioned Paraguay did not even look at her passport when she crossed the border, so she did not pay the visa fee for Paraguay.




Foz do Iguaçu Centro was not nearly as touristed as Iguaçu National Park.  There were only a few souvenir shops we encountered along our walk in the city.  One of the few places we found was a combination souvenir and fabric supplies shop, Bazar Setti.
I purchased a patch of the Brazilian flag which I later sewed into a Christmas ornament for my mother-in-law (left).

We spent the afternoon walking around the city, snacking at little cafes and drinking açai beverages.

After our stroll, we headed back to our B&B and they allowed us to use their common shower for R$5 per person.  The price was actually R$10 per person, but we brought our own towels, so they gave us a R$5 discount.  After our shower, it was time to head to the airport.  The B&B offered us a lift for R$45, so we decided to take our chances flagging down a cab.  Almost immediately, a cab pulled up and whisked us to the airport.  We paid R$35 (including tip) for our taxi ride to the airport.  The Foz do Iguaçu airport is fairly small.  So small, that our flight was never assigned a gate number as it was the only flight arriving or leaving the airport within a 2 hour time frame.  We flew GOL Airlines back to Rio, then we had a 1-hour layover before our direct flight back to Atlanta.  This seemed like a good idea when we booked it; I would not recommend having such a short layover in GIG as we literally ran from the baggage claim of one terminal to the Delta check-in desk at another terminal.  Delta just moved locations in the airport, so we had to ask for directions from airport personnel to get us there.  Fortunately, we made our flight back to Atlanta and arrived in Atlanta safe and sound.  There were very few tourists (if any) on our flight back to ATL.  Everyone was either visiting family (in US or Brazil), or US citizens working in Brazil.  The funniest part was when we got off the plane in ATL.  We looked ridiculous as we were all wearing summer clothes (shorts and t-shirts) in 34º F weather.  All in all, it was a wonderful trip to Brazil and we can't wait to go back!

April 24, 2013

Day 7 - Bird Park / Parque Das Aves, Foz do Iguaçu


For our last day in Brazil, we visited the Bird Park (Parque Das Aves), walked around Foz do Iguaçu Centro, and flew back to Atlanta via Rio.
We obtained slightly discounted tickets for the Bird Park from our B&B.  Park opens at 8:30 AM.  We ate breakfast at 7 AM, and we were on our way to make the most of our last day in Brazil.  The public bus stops directly in front of the Bird Park (and is also one stop away from the Iguaçu National Park) so it is quite easy to find.  Click here for a link to the Bird Park in English, but be aware that this site is enabled with bird sounds that start immediately upon the page loading.
The highlights of the bird park included Toucans that had no fear of tourists, the Hyacinth Macaw, and the hummingbird and butterfly exhibit.  At the end of the tour, there was a snake petting area and an opportunity to hold a Macaw.  Overall a great opportunity to see wildlife indigenous to the region.





April 23, 2013

Dinner and Show at Rafain Churrascaria

For our last dinner in Brazil, we celebrated with a dinner and show at Rafain Churrascaria.  The food was a huge international buffet with dishes ranging from pasta to sushi. As expected for a Brazilian Churrascaria, the main food attraction was the plentiful cuts of meat.  Brazil is known for their samba and Carnival, we selected this show to get a taste of that Brazilian culture.  Unfortunately, it was a bit of a tourist trap as we noticed everyone else there was part of a large tour group.  Nevertheless, we enjoyed our last night in Brazil with dinner and a show.