Rio Reveillon 2011

The best things in life are free!


So I'll start with a big tip for women (you'll thank me later): If you have frizzy/curly hair that needs constant blow drying/ironing, either get your hair permanently straightened before you come to Brazil, or be mentally prepared to face your true self within 10 minutes of going out :) I did the latter!


So our apartment was a great VRBO find (Thanks Kamala), just minutes from the Ipanema and Copacabana beaches. We reached and unpacked on the 30th night, had a good nights' sleep and headed out to the beach on the 31st morning. The water was beautiful, a bit rough for my taste and I got thrown around a bit. I took the hint and spent the rest of the afternoon chilling in our OzTrail tent. 


New Years in Rio was FANTASTIC. 

Millions of people gather around the Copacabana Beach to watch the heavenly display of fireworks. Traditionally people are dressed in white to welcome luck and prosperity in the following year, and buy and sacrifice lillies to the Goddess of the Sea who grants them 3 wishes. We walked down our apartment towards Posto 6, and found a spot that was relatively less crowded. Nowhere have I seen so many people on the streets late at night, with alcohol in their system, yet so peaceful and full of positive energy!

About 20 min to midnight we settled down with our Caipirinhas, by far the best and the cheapest one from the beach. We also had our bottle of champagne to pop later. The crowd only gets bigger so make sure you are close enough to the water if you want to experience the fireworks in its full glory in the background of roaring waves of the sea. As the atmosphere builds up, the music begins playing: several barges loaded with colorful fireworks go off at the same time and the effect is...simply breathtaking...25 minutes of the best firework display of my life ends with the whole sky lighting up in red, yellow and green specs...the best NYE party so far..and it was free!

Of Forest Hikes and Fishing Trips

The next morning, we had our usual heavy breakfast, packed some cereal bars, fruits, and loads of water for the forest hike. Tip: Wear full sleeves and long pants to avoid getting scratched by trees and bushes and eaten up by mosquitoes. We started at about 9 am. It was an enjoyable 2 hr walk, where we got a feel for the rainforest. On the right is the natural swimming pool (Piscina: don't ask why its called that!), leading into the forest.

Into the rainforest. Photo credit: Rahul

Trees whose barks are burnt to produce incense.

 

Our guide walked us, a group of 10 or so people, with a local, who gave interesting explanations of the natural flora.  For instance we came across parasitic trees, various types of coloured mushrooms and hollow trees that when hit produce such a loud noise that they are used by people who have lost their way.

After this not so intense trail, we made our way back for lunch. A trip to see Brazilian monkeys awaited us in the afternoon, followed by a fishing trip. 

The fishing trip was fun, I got a little bored waiting around, so I mostly took captured Rahul, Kamala and Kannu catching (or attempting to catch) fish. Kamala caught her first one then 

Our guide was a pro, he caught about 7-8 Piranhas in the 1 hr that we were there! We didn't want the fish, so we let them all go...No wonder the fish (in the left) looks so pissed off!

The sunset was spectacular...crystal clear waters, reflecting the pure serene beauty of the sky. 

The day ended with a thrilling adventure trip to see the cayman. It was a hit and miss the previous night, when we attempted to approach them. This time, fingers crossed, we ventured out in full sleeved shirts and long pants to escape the bugs. The best part of this trip was the little canoe which would move side-to-side even if you sneeze. There was drop dead silence, with the occasional mosquito kills and eerie night insect sounds. I loved the suspense, when finally our local guide caught a lady cayman. She was a beauty! I think she pretended to be dead, she was so still. We stroked her and several times, then sensed she would like to go back home. We saw her teeth in full glory and after about 5 minutes of learning about all her body parts (our guide insisted upon teaching us), we let her go. We headed back home satisfied at coming up so close with a Cayman.

Tomorrow, we sail to Manaus, then catch a flight to Rio...Goodbye Amazon!

Meeting of the Rivers

"Hi, I'm Rio Negro". "Hello Negro, I'm Rio Solimoes" Nice to meet you!


After breakfast next morning, adequately caffeinated for the day, we headed out to the region of Amazonas. The journey took us over 4 hours one way (which we were quite unhappy about)!

Some of us caught up on our sleep as we were still a bit jet-lagged, while some of us captured photographs. Our rather annoyingly slow boat took us via Manaus, over the river Negro. On the way, we saw beautiful colored blocks of house, neatly stacked on top of each other. Also, a spectacular view was the dense dark clouds approaching (pretty scary at first), and within minutes the horizon is dark. Something I had never seen before...

We finally reach mid-way where the two rivers meet. The darker river is Rio Negro, and the lighter one is Rio Solimoes (Amazon River). Notice the two rivers meeting, but never really mixing? This is apparently due to the differences in pH, temperature, density and velocity). Amazing, isn't it?


After taking quick snapshots of each other with the meeting of rivers in the backdrop, we reached our destination. 


We reached a small village where we had lunch provided by the lodge. Lunch was good, we met some local kids that had sloths with them. You could touch them for a small price. We cuddled a bit with these funny little animals and got on our way.


To our disappointment, we were told that yet another 4 hour return journey to the lodge awaits us. Our first question was: can't we get into a faster boat? Answer: No. So we head back on the same slow boat, this time all of us slept. 


Tip: If you buy a pre-planned package for Amazon, make sure you know before-hand how your time is going to be spent. If I had to do this all over again, I would not allocate more than 2 days to visit Amazon. You can cover the jungle hike (half day) cayman spotting (night), fishing(evening) and meeting of the rivers(another half a day) without rushing. On the other hand, if you are looking for a lazy, relaxing tour, this is just for you!


Tired, more of the journey, than from the journey, we retired to our hammocks, with our drinks, got eaten up alive by mosquitoes, the remaining parts of us returned to have our dinners and played some Uno in our rooms, until 2 am.  

Manaus to Amazon Eco Park Lodge

Rain rain go away, come again another day...no wait... after 10 days...

We woke up planning to stroll around Manaus after the in-house breakfast. The coffee was really really really AMAZING... wait, did I make that clear enough? It was the best coffee in the world...truly made my day! After greedily gulping down 3 (non-American sized) cups of this delicious coffee, for fear that this may be the only best coffee we'd find, we were about to step out while the rain started pouring...When I say pouring, I mean pouring! The cooks kindly led us to the covered terrace of the hotel and we spent about 30 mins just watching the rain wash over the city... The warm fragrance of the soil, and the gradually building humidity made me strangely nostalgic and so much at home!

Our van arrived to pick us up, and I enjoyed the ride by playing a renewed version of hide-and-seek with Kannu (where the hider must give up his location to the seeker).

We reached at the port and loaded ourselves and our bags (we had packed enough to ensure that if all communication between Brazil and the world were to end, we could comfortably settle down here :) ) onto the speed boat. 

We were welcomed at the lodge with our first tropical drink and led to our rooms. Our cabin was a cute one bedroom, tastefully decorated and a nice patio to enjoy our drinks later (or so we thought...).

Our days had been pre-planned in our package, so we tagged along with our friendly guide-Eduardo, who spoke great English and took us to meet with the locals and watch their dance.

It was quite interesting to see the amusement in their eyes. They grabbed Rahul and Kamala to dance with them. 

We bought some souvenirs and walked around the jungle (close to waters, as that was safest) for a bit before retiring back to our cabins. A shower was a must, as we were soaking wet from the humidity. Tip: wear loose clothes, shorts and trekking/tennis shoes, heaps of insect repellent and copious amounts of sunscreen before heading out.

We chilled (I say chilled figuratively speaking, it was still hot and sultry) in the hammocks (not adventurous enough for us) for a while before heading for dinner. Our day ended with a delicious buffet that had plenty of vegetarian food (okra soup was the drink of the day) and tropical fruits for me and various cakes and puddings for my sweet-toothed friends.

Rio to Manaus

The flight from Rio to Manaus was approximately 4 hours, and was rather uneventful for me ( I am well known for sleeping through a tornado). My friends on the other hand decided to make the orange juice served in flight more interesting by adding vodka. I woke up to 3 really happy faces, a sleeping child and half a bottle of vodka, to find out we had landed in Manaus.


We had booked our Amazon leg of the trip with Amazon Eco Park Lodge, whose friendly agent was ready to meet us at the airport to transfer us to our over night accommodation in Manaus. The next day, we were to be transferred to the Amazon Eco Park Lodge via van and boat. 


Our hotel rooms in Manaus were comfortable and clean and we crashed at about 2 am after exchanging invaluable gossip, haldiram's chilli chatak lachha (a popular indian snack) and a couple of drinks. 

Rio-here we come!

Preparations 

So, its the end of yet another great year 2010... I say 'great' because of the brand new addition to our family-Neo!

We decided to mark it with an international travel...so let's see, where should we spend the New Years? Some warm place was at the top of my list, as I was already tired of the freezing cold winter in North Carolina. After not much of debate, we decided on Brazil. Rio de Janeiro would be our New Years destination! Got our visas - not much of a hassle there. A tip: give yourself at least a month or more to assimilate all visa documents, send it by post (depending on where you live, you might be asked to appear for a personal interview or send docs by post). You will also be required to book your flight and hotel prior to visa application- I know, how silly is that! But I guess that means you will definitely get your visa ;)

We were allowed two check-ins per person - what more can a girl ask for, right? We were scheduled on TAM airlines (RDU ---> JFK ---> Sao Paulo ---> Rio de Janeiro). The only hiccup in the flight was the unavailability of vegetarian food :(. Alas, I had to make do with the rice from the chicken and rice platter. Tip: Request vegetarian food at least a day before you fly! 

Our friends from California were waiting for us to join us for the rest of the trip. We were thrilled to meet them at their hotel to freshen up. We had a 5 hr wait in Rio, after which we were scheduled to fly to Manaus.  

12/26/2010: Half-Day 1: Rio Downtown, four and a half  hungry Indians and the hunt for greens!

Our first destination, few blocks away by walk was the Metropolitan Cathedral. It has an interesting conical architecture and is worth a visit. Inside the stained glass walls gave an amazing effect on that sunny day! 

The beautiful inside of the Metropolitan Cathedral. Courtesy: Rahul

So, did I mention that Brazilians are hard core meat eaters? And unfortunately three of us were vegetarians! Also, good luck trying to explain in Engliguese (what else would you call the half Portuguese, half English we were speaking!!) that we don't want meat. 

Turns out, our options were cheese pizza and fries!! Hey, no one is complaining (yet). Our first beer in Rio was 'Brahma', that tasted more like water, nevertheless was refreshing in the heat and humidity.

After learning that 'pepper' is 'pimenta', not always served on the table with salt, 'water' is 'agua', 'no' is 'nao' and  'yes' is 'sim', we headed out to explore the downtown. Our aim was to take the little red train to Santa Teresa (about a 30 minute ride to-and-fro) which gives a spectacular view of the downtown (Rio Centro), some favelas and Corcovado. The cost for the trip was 60 cents/person. Cool right? Its a great way to get a quick birds-eye feel of the downtown and mingling with the friendly locals.

After half  a day well spent in Centro, we headed back to the hotel, picked our belongings and headed to the airport.

Destination 2: Manaus...

Thanks to Vegas and Canyon

Thanksgiving 2010 saw us packing our bags off to the West Coast. 

Trip Outline:
Fly RDU ---> Vegas. 
Drive from Vegas ---> Tusayan (Grand Canyon South Rim Visitor Center)
Drive back to Vegas...explore Vegas
Fly back Vegas --->RDU

Preparations:

- Lots of warm clothes!! Trust me and pack as though you are going skiing...South rim in November can get very chilly!

- Hiking boots

- Tripod and camera 

- Sunscreen.

Day 1: The Road trip
Our flight arrived in Vegas at about 2 am. We picked our rental car and started our drive at approximately 3 am after sufficiently caffeinating ourselves. This route chosen by  Rahul after some research encompassed parts of  Nevada, Arizona, Utah, Arizona again, and touched  bit of Zion National Park, Utah. 

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The Drive from Vegas to Page, AZ
I am at a loss of words to describe some of the beautiful sceneries we encountered on our way...I hope these pictures speak more than a 1000 words!

Surreal sunrise

Road to....??? 

                 Entering Glen Canyon                                                                 Small town in Utah

Lonely Rock, Lake Powell, Utah

Just to give you a perspective of the size of this rock, spot the white caravan in front of it..

Glen Canyon Bridge

Interesting rocks and patterns of the canyon

In front of the Glen Canyon Dam and Bridge

We set out to our next destination, Horseshoe Bend, on the way to Page, Az, located on Hwy 89. Look out for a sign board that says "Horseshoe Bend Overlook". Follow the sign to a clearing where you will see cars parked. There is a trail (about a mile I would say) that leads up to the view. On a hot day this can be very treacherous, because the trail is largely open desert land, studded with sandstone rocks with pretty patterns that make you sit down and meditate! As we walked up to the overlook, we had no idea about the magnificence of the sight that awaited us...its a several hundred feet drop of rock that stares over a beautiful emerald necklace made by the Colorado river just before it flows into the Grand Canyon. The size of the rock instantly makes you feel tiny!

We spent about an hr or so here, and I had to literally drag Rahul away from the bend. Its was a photographers paradise!

We left the overlook and started on our drive to the South Rim..another 2.5 hr to go.

We stopped on the way a couple of times just to take the desert pics...we caught some green lights in the sky (below).

Can you see Aurora Borealis as far south as Arizona/Utah? Creeeeepy!

We reached Tusayan, AZ (about 6 miles from the South Rim Visitor Center), where we had booked an inn. Many people I know who visited GC prefer to stay an hr or so away in Page, AZ, mostly because there are more hotels. We however preferred to stay closer as our activities were mainly planned in and around the South Rim.

Ready for day 2, we unpacked and retired for the day. Still jet-lagged (remember we flew in from North Carolina, and have had no sleep since 2am!!), we slept like babies...zzz

Day 2: Sunrise!!!

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Luckily for us, being winter the sun let us sleep in until 6:30 am. With a cuppa, and some warm clothes, we rushed out to secure a spot to view the sunrise. The GC being so vast, picking the right spot was a challenge, but after asking around, we picked Maricopa Point. This link is a pretty good guide. Try to get there at least 20 min before the sunrise, and wear layers of warm clothing...I certainly recommend ear warmers, beanies and warm footwear. The desert winter can be cold, but early morning desert winters are a double whammy!! That day in particular was below freezing and the sun decided to not keep up with time. Although we got pretty shots, we could not feel our limbs and ears by the end of the sun rise. 

Colorado River

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After the sunrise we went back to the hotel for breakfast buffer, and got ready to head out for the day. I had a surprise awaiting me. We were going on a helicopter ride over the Canyons!!! Rahul had booked a ride with The Papillon group of of GC. I am not sure of one company is better than another, but we certainly got the bang for our buck with this one! You have plenty of opportunities to take photos and videos during the 1 hr tour over the Colorado River (above, left) North and West Rims (above, right and below). 

After collecting some memorabilia and our photos from the ride group, we set off to the visitor center. Be sure to take a map with you of the free shuttle bus routes. The buses run from before sunrise to after sunset to all the points of interest. We decided to do a short 1-2 hr hike down the canyon and back. It was a beautiful sunny day, although the trails were a little icy, making our hike more adventurous! Carry plenty of water, fruits and snacks with you, dress in layers and wear hiking boots.

2 hrs later, we took the shuttle to the West end of the Canyon to watch the sun set which is spectacular! What a view to end the day!

Day 2: Linville Falls and Grandfather Mountain

The next day, we had some decent breakfast by the hot tub, watched the sun rise over the greenery in the backyard and let our dog loose...Our plan was to return back home, again taking the scenic route.
It was a beautiful day, perfect for taking photographs and letting the top down.

We started at around 10 am. An hr later, we reached the Linville Falls Visitor Center, located near Milepost 316. One of the most challenging hikes is the 12 mile long Linville Gorge, which offers beautiful views of the falls surrounded by the steep walls of the gorge. Our plan was to do a short 30 minute/way trek to the Falls, called Erwins View Trail. The route was beautiful, and Neo made a lot of canine and human friends.

We took a few shots by the falls, admiring the beauty and the colours, and started our drive back on the Parkway. We only wanted to take a birds-eye view of Grandfather mountain (look out for the mile posts), so we stopped  (I think) at Mile post 310. Here is the view that we got! Pretty, isn't it?

The drive back was mostly uneventful, but spectacular nevertheless. We had lunch by a beautiful lake (gobbled up all the leftovers from the night before) and relaxed for a bit. I highly recommend bringing your own food and having it by the nature-side. Its so simple, yet a most satisfying experience. I know now why so many poets and philosophers get inspired by nature...The Blue Ridge experience was so surreal that I think it might have converted Neo into a thinker! 

Ciao...until the next Fall!

Day 1: Blue Ridge Parkway

5 Adults, Baby and a Dog weekend out

Being of tropical origin, I did not understand the real concept of 'Fall'...well, that is until now. Fall in and around our house was simply breathtaking. I did not know there were so many shades of greens, yellows and oranges. The leaves were dancing in the cool breeze showing off their new changing colours (I refuse to spell it the American way) every single day. A friend suggested we visit Blue Ridge Parkway, a 469 mile National Parkway most well known for its scenic beauty during Fall. My very worthy husband quickly found a beautiful 4 bedroom wooded cabin in Burnsville...now all we had to do was find 4 people to share it with! Our friends, Sarup, Avani agreed to join us with their son Om and so did our very sportive friend, Preetha. The plan is mapped out here:

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We packed a lot of ready-to-eat food and drinks (as we usually do :) ), and some warm clothes, and set out first thing Saturday morning. Preetha joined Neo in the back seat and tell you what...he enjoyed her company so much that it made me a little jealous :(After about 4 hours of driving, we reached Blowing Rock, an unusual rock, jutting out from about 1500 sf above a gorge. It was windy and a little bit chilly, but offered superb views of the entire Mountain ranges. Omie and Neo bonded here, the beginning of the doggu-baby friendship!

By now most of us were starving, and after striking more than necessary poses with the Fall colours, we set out to our next destination...Bass Lake. On the way, we couldn't stop but stop at this lovely spot...it literally called out "Take a picture!" So we did! Rahul insisted on taking the top down on the Saab, so now we were not just cold, we were also freezing, as we climbed a bit higher. 

Few miles ahead was Bass Lake, where we had planned on the picnic. We set out the picnic mat, and relaxed beside the lake. Pot lucks are so much fun and full of surprises! Neo was tied up to the strongest tree we could find...although he is a dog, he has horse power! Luckily him pulling the tree down did not work, so he did try uprooting it by digging...Smart fella! Feeling refreshed and rejuvenated, we headed out to our cabin. We wanted to reach there before dark, but somehow even with all technology (3 iphones and 1 GPS), we lost our way. Finally we got back on track, followed a spooky trail (it was a dirt road, that seemingly led to nowhere)...and lo and behold, there was our not-so-spooky cabin...at least from the outside!

I wish I had taken some photos inside the cabin, because the cabin 'decor' mainly consisted of creepy looking dolls that had an eye, an arm or some other body part missing. I distinctly remember that one of the dolls had had a surgery, so it had one blue and one red button for eyes...and I can swear that the buttons interchanged after few minutes!

So as you can tell, we had a great time spooking each other out. After playing some cards, we hit bed at about 1 am, reassured that our dog will protect us if any of these dolls decide to come to life...