South America –
July/August, 2015
Left orange county the
morning of July 11 and arrived in Ipanema,
Brazil the following
morning about 9:30 a.m. Took the blue
express bus to Ipanema Osorio and easily found my airbnb, a delightful stay
with Maria. There was a great lively
open air art market going on as it was Sunday so I wandered around looking at
the jewelry, paintings, etc. Stopped at
Terezzo café for lunch and sat outside and enjoyed my delicious leek quiche
before catching the metro into Rio. Visited the museo de belas artes near the old
teatro municipal, modeled after the Paris Opera House.
Art museum was great. A concert was going on in the lobby so you
could hear wonderful music throughout the museum. There were lots of nice 19th and
20th century pieces which gave me a feel for the art in South America.
Back to the airbnb for a shower and a rest and then took a taxi to
Quiteria restaurant. It was rather close
by but I had heard so many things about the dangers of walking around at night
that I decided to play it safe. Had a
very tasty half order of potato gnocchi with oxtail ragout and fried cheese
before returning by taxi.
I tried to access by email
account but got locked out and google “detected” something unusual. I had forgotten my backup email so was locked
out of tarlacuisine during my whole trip.
Luckily my dear daughter opened a new account for me so I could
communicate with family and friends along the way.
In the morning I walked
along the beach to Cafeina for breakfast and sat outside and enjoyed my
“cereal” croissant and an orange. Walked
along the beach toward Leblon and took a bus to the botanical gardens but they
didn’t open until 12:00 p.m. However, I
met a couple of delightful ladies from Argentina and we spent the afternoon
together sightseeing!!!
We first took a bus up to Corcovado (Christ the redeemer), inaugurated on October
12, 1931 by the President Vargas. He
rises more than 100 feet from a 20 foot pedestal and weights 700 tons – very
impressive!!
Afterwards we took a bus
back to the botantical gardens, i.e. 340 acres containing more than 5,000
species of tropical and subtropical plants and treats. First, we stopped at the little café and had
croissant cheese sandwiches before taking the tram tour of the gardens which
lasted about 45 minutes to give us an over view. They left afterwards and I wandered around
another hour or so on my own as it was really beautiful. Took a bus back as it started to get dark and
later took a taxi to Zuka in Leblon for dinner.
I ordered the tuna with ponzu and it was lovely and a Brazilian
chocolate dessert which was decadent.
In the morning I wandered
around the fruit/vegetable market on the square and bought a half melon. I had breakfast at Terezzo on the patio, i.e.
toasted roll and honey, coffee and my melon.
Walked along the beach to copacabana and took the metro to the teatro
municipal and was soo lucky!!! There was
a ballet going on and as it was almost over they let me in to watch the
remainder. Afterwards I had about 30
minutes to visit the teatro and enjoy the beautiful stained glass windows,
marble columns, tiled floors, etc. and didn’t have to pay or wait in line!
I walked down to the
famous cathedral shaped like a pyramid with beautiful stained glass windows inside. Wandered around passing some old unique homes
and took the metro back to Ipanema. Walked to Tupac where I had a wonderful lunch,
i.e. ceviche to start served with crisp and fresh corn kernels, red onions in a
lime marinade which was really fresh, followed by grilled salmon with mashed
potatoes and mushroom sauce.
Tried to find the fundacao
eva klabin which looked to be nearby on the map but just couldn’t find it. Finally asked a policeman in the park and he
was sooo nice. He called them to find out
where they were located and then walked me to the door!!! The home was given to Rio
by Eva Klabin in 1980 just before her death and it is filled with more than
2,000 pieces of art she collected from all over the world. Took a guided tour which was wonderful as the
art pieces were explained and I got to see many of the clothes and shoes she
wore when she entertained many famous guests, i.e. even Henry Kissinger! Took the metro back to the airbnb and checked
out…
Took the metro to
Copacabana and then walked to the hotel where the G adventure trip would
begin. Met Santiago,
our lead/guide from Bolivia
and then we all walked to a restaurant nearby.
A great group of people, mostly from Australia and mostly in their 20’s
and 30’s.
In the morning I walked
along the beach and then had a great buffet breakfast. Most of our breakfasts contained an abundance
of fresh fruit, sometimes eggs, sometimes local cheeses and meat and always
bread and jam. Drove to Angra dos Reis,
stopping for a quick sandwich along the way and then took a ferry to Illha
Grande – a beautiful trip across the water.
Checked into the hotel and wandered around the town until we all walked
to dinner on the beach. Shared a fish
stew with bananas with one of the gals which was delicious. Found the food excellent during the whole trip!
In the morning we took a
ferry near Lopez Mendes and then walked about an hour to the beach which was
lovely. Spent the day relaxing on the
beach, swimming, etc., taking the ferry back just before sunset. Had some delicious tortellini with pesto
sauce for dinner and then stopped at an outdoor café to listen to some music.
After breakfast we took
the ferry back to Angra dos reis and then a bus to Paraty, a beautiful old
colonial town with walking streets made of old cobblestones. At one time it was an important transit point
for transporting gold until a new trail was cut in 1720 straight to Rio. It was
rediscovered and UNESCO has placed it on the list of world heritage sites. Walked around town and along the canals and had
a delicious ice cream in the square.
Later we all went out to dinner at a local restaurant and I shared a
fish stew with hearts of palm, asparagus and potatoes with one of the travelers
and it was quite good.
In the morning we took a
boat around some of the islands for the day, stopping in lagoons to swim. Nice relaxing day. Thai Basil for dinner of pad thai which was
nice.
After breakfast a few of
us went to the cachaca distillery. It is
a local drink made from sugarcane. We tasted
a few variations, i.e. one mixed with tangerines, one with caramel and one with
lemon – all quite tasty, especially the one with coffee. Took a little walk to the river but needed to
get back to catch the bus to Trinidad. Walked down to the secluded beach and enjoyed
the beach. I took the bus back early and
after a shower went to Quintal des letras, a wonderful French/Brazilian
restaurant, for dinner. I had a little “glass” of pumpkin soup, ceviche with
potatoes, fish with manioc crumbs, banana puree, basmati rice with palm hearts
and a chocolate dessert plate composed of chocolate crème brulee, chocolate
peanut tart and chocolate mousse – divine.
Left early in the morning and
arrived at Sao Paulo
airport about 1:30 p.m. Had a delicious
warm hearts of palm empanada and chocolate chocolate chip ice cream for lunch
before flying to Iguazu. Dinner at a
brazilian meat restaurant Churras, i.e. all you can eat for $10!! There was a nice buffet of salads,
vegetables, yams, fruits, desserts, etc. and while you ate waiters would come
by with large pieces of different cuts of pork, beef, lamb and chicken and
slice off a piece or two for you. Great
flavors. Chocolate and caramel flans for
dessert. Won’t need to eat again for a
week!!!
In the morning we took a
bus to Iguazu and then took a train up to the falls. First visited Garganta del Diablo on the
Argentinian side which was unbelievable… It is the highest and deepest of the
falls. We then walked to San Martin
Island for some different
viewpoints. Some took the boat ride to
view the falls from below while the rest of us walked the lower circuit and
really enjoyed the views and leisurely walk.
In the evening we went to a Brazilian “barbecue” on the large patio of a
private home and had a buffet of salads, potatoes, chicken wings and grilled
steaks. It was a bit cold outside so a
few of us went back to the hotel early while others stayed to dance.
After the best breakfast
ever, i.e. fruit, toasted rye bread, cornmeal cake, etc. etc. walked by Hotel
Das Cataracts where I remember staying about 10 years ago and then along a
beautiful walkway bordering the falls on the Brazil side. Bus back into town and dinner at a cute
little Arabian restaurant where I shared hummus, eggplant dip, pita bread and
falafel with a couple people. Overnight
bus to Bonito…
Arrive about 9 a.m. and
took a bus to a nearby river where we put on wet suits and fins and did some
snorkeling down the river. The water was
shallow so we saw a lot of beautiful fish and we leisurely glided down the
river. Had a delicious buffet lunch and
then took a walk around the area before leaving before sunset about 5 p.m. Went to dinner but after such a big lunch I
wasn’t really very hungry…
Had a free day in the
beautiful colonial town of Bonito. Visited a ceramic factory where they were
making some lovely plates. Took a walk
around town, had an ice cream for lunch and then we all met for dinner at
Cantinho across from the hotel where Jordan and I shared delicious fish and mashed potatoes as we
listened to some beautiful music being played on a traditional string
instrument.
In the morning we headed
out in a large air-conditioned bus to the wetlands of the Pantanal where we saw
macaws and caiman (which we tasted as well).
Got into an open truck (like a safari) and drove into the swamps looking
for wildlife. Lots of mosquitos!!! We are all staying in a large room with
hammocks for everyone. There are cold
showers and the room is pretty cold as well.
Had a delicious buffet lunch with pumpkin, rice, tomatoes and cucumbers
and then relaxed on the porch until later in the afternoon when we took a two
hour walk through the swamps. Dinner was
the same as lunch and later some lit a fire and we all sat around talking –
really nice. Very hard to sleep in the
hammocks as there were a lot of people snoring and it was pretty cold….
Got up early and went
horsebacking riding after breakfast which was really fun as we rode through the
jungle, across a river, etc. They
prepared a vegetable torte for lunch which was quite nice along with shredded
carrots/beets arrange like a heart along with eggplant and rice. Later in the afternoon we went out again in
the trucks and saw some toucans and macaws.
Stopped at the bridge to do some fishing and some caught several little
piranhas using long bamboo poles. Later
they were cooked for dinner and were quite delicious. Enjoyed another evening by the fire…
Left the Pantanal after
breakfast and headed for the Bolivian border.
I was the only one needing a visa and had got one before I left so the
crossing was easy and uneventful.
Changed some money and spent the day in a hotel pool where we also had
some vegetable soup for dinner before boarding the overnight bus to Santa Cruz. Not much to do there so took a walk, had
pickled eggplant, carrots, onions and raisins with warm pita bread for lunch
which was nice. There are some famous
Jesuit churches a bus ride away but I didn’t want to go there on my own… Later
we stopped at a little bakery and had lemon meringue pie for dinner, calling it
an early night…
In the morning we flew to Sucre, the capital of Bolivia. Santiago
took us on a city walk and pointed out some museums, shops, restaurants, etc.
and then we stopped by Joy Ride, a tour agency, to book the Inca walk to the
crater in a couple days. Had apple pie
and ice cream in their café for lunch and then walked around the historical
area and the lovely square. Went to a
Bolivian show and dinner later that night which was excellent. The costumes, dances, music, etc. were all
very traditional and the chicken dinner was also quite nice served with quinoa,
sweet potatoes and mushroom sauce.
Took a bus to Parque
Cretacico, housing the world’s largest collection of dinosaur tracks. In 1994, a nearly vertical mudface was
discovered in a cement quarry bearing about 5,000 tracks of at least eight
different species of dinosaur. There are
also several life-size models of dinosaurs all around the park. Pretty interesting…
After returning to town I
visited the museo de etnografia y folklore which contained about 30 different
masks from festivals, etc. Upstairs
there were interesting baskets and information about the people “of the water”
and how they lived. Stopped at Abis and
had a cheese Panini and later that evening we all went to Cosmo Cafe to have
some fresh trout. Afterwards we stopped
by Goblin Cerveza Artesanal and sampled a few of their in house made beer which
was quite nice.
After breakfast we meet at
Joy Ride and took the bus to begin our Inca trail. The bus ride took about 1-1/2 hours and the
walk took about 2 hours, all downhill and really nice. Stopped at Maragua and had our lunch by the
river and then climbed up to the crater where there was a nice view. Walked to a nearby village where a woman was
weaving some shawls, etc. and then returned to Sucre.
Had a delicious dinner at Taberna, i.e. pumpkin soup, trout with rose
petals and chocolate almond cake.
I visited the Museo
costumbrista in the morning and had a guided tour in Spanish which I understand
pretty well. There were clothes worn in
the 16th century, hair accessories, jewelry, furniture, etc. and the
guide explained how the people lived during that time. Really great.
Visited the Church San Felipe de Neri which is a working convent with a beautiful
courtyard and fountain. On the second
floor there are chapels, frescoes and great views from the roof.
Had lunch at the
vegetarian condor café which was a delicious vegetarian empanada and
salad. Spent the rest of the afternoon
in the Textile museum which was very informative about the 3 kinds of textiles,
i.e. upper earth, i.e. sky and stars, middle earth, where we are now and the
underworld. There was also an open-air
market nearby where I wandered as well.
The zipper on my little red kipling pack cannot be fixed so I found a
cute little textile bag that will work in the meantime. Delicious chicken with mushroom sauce/spinach
and potatoes at Taberna…
Drove through Potosi in the morning but
couldn’t stop as there were demonstrations by the miners and it is too
dangerous. Arrive in uyuni about 1:30
p.m. and had lunch at a nearby café.
Wandered the Sunday market and then stopped in a few shops where almost
everyone bought something. It was very
cold!!! In the evening we walked to a
pizza place specializing in quinoa pizza and I shared a goat cheese/spinach one
with one of the travelers – delicious.
Floors are heated in the hotel which kept me warm.
Drove all day long towards
the salt flats. Stopped at the hot springs for lunch, i.e. rice, potatoes, tomatoes and
cucumbers and some spent a few minutes in the hot springs but we were pretty short on
time. Stopped to visit the red lagoon,
green lagoon, some geyers and mud ponds in the national park and saw some
vacuna and llamas as well. Arrived late
to the hotel where four of us shared a room.
VERY COLD!!! Asparagus soup,
chicken, mashed potatoes and warm bread for dinner and then Santiago pointed out some constellations in
the sky which was soo clear!! Had rented
a sleeping bag and hopped in it with all my clothes on to keep warm.
Delicious yogurt, warm
bread and jam for breakfast. Walked down
to the lagoon to see the pink flamingos and storks in the water. Stopped to see some amazing rock formations,
a museum of Bolivian history and a necropolis with stone
caves where people had been wrapped in cloth and buried. Pasta with oniony tomato sauce for lunch
before visiting the quinoa museo next door.
Headed out into the salt
flats with miles and miles of very deep salt with a puzzle like surface. Climbed up a hill to get a better view and
then spent about an hour taking pictures before the sun set. Arrived at the hotel which was a bit warmer
and had a nice meal of roasted potatoes and an onion/tomato mixture.
Back to the salt flats where
we spent a couple hours taking pictures.
There is an interesting perspective that makes things look out of
proportion, i.e. we all “danced” into a pringles can lying on its side, it was
turned right side up by one of our travelers and the lid put back
on???!!!! Stopped by the salt factory
where fine and coarse salt is produced and then returned to uyuni for
showers. Shared another quinoa pizza
with Nicole just before boarding the overnight train to La Paz….
Checked into our hotel and
then had a walking tour of La paz
to the church Francisco, the cathedral and the plaza murillo. Lunch at Sol and Luna and a walk along the
witches market where very strange things are sold... Rode the funicular to the top of the mountain
to get a view of the city and then down into the restaurant area. Had a delicious salad at Fellini restaurant
which was our last meal as a group.
Tomorrow we continue our trip with another guide. Four people are leaving and two new
Australians will be joining us.
A free day so went to the
folklore museum housed in an ornate 18th century building. Wandered down the calle jaen to the museum of instruments which was
excellent as there were unusual instruments from all over the world. Had a delicious vegetarian $5 lunch at
Namas te, i.e. salad with
shredded carrots, cucumber, tomatoes, mung beans, chickpea soup, rice with a
spicy pumpkin corn stew and plantain cake.
Took a taxi to the textile
museum where there were models of native people in traditional dress – very
unique. Later I met with our new guide
Dennis as I was dining at Gustu that night and would miss our orientation meeting.
So enjoyed a wonderful
five course dinner with two half glasses of wine. Started with a tiny potato tart followed by
trout gravlax with caviar, quinoa rolls, beef cheeks with potato puree, rabbit
confit with corn and corn puree, chocolate cake w/chocolate ice cream and
strawberry sauce with strawberries and strawberry gelato – excellent!!! I look forward to meeting our new Australian
couple tomorrow and continuing this fantastic trip which has begun so well!!!
