Just a heads up for you all on some things down south.

As I posted before our original tour company went belly up and all we had was air tickets for all points along the way. This was all confirmed in advance and we rebooked at a nominal cost all the land options we wanted. In some ways this was far better than getting stuck with all the throwaways (shopping tours etc). I’ve filed a dispute claim with the Ccard co so I’ll see what’s recoverable. Ironically we met a couple of young gals who’d booked through the same company and got stuck as they’d not taken the time to confirm anything. I felt bad for them as they were only going to stay in Rio and then fly back at additional cost. Let that be a lesson to you all, confirm confirm confirm!

Anyway…we were flying AA from Philly to Miami and then TAM to Sao Paulo then a puddle jumper to Rio. Suffice to say that Miami to Sao P is 8.5 alone and we had about 8 hours of layovers total here and there. The price to pay for cheap air, and in some ways it can be a blessing in disguise if there are delays. It was a jammed packed flight to SP and thank the flying spaghetti monster for benzos! Got to Rio minus bags (which we received later in the day) Luxor regente was a super nice place right in Copacabana off the beach.

Rio is a gorgeous town, one of the most beautiful I’ve ever seen. But it has its issues. More on that later. Saw Sugarloaf Mountain from the top, via a cable car. Great views and all sights were going to be somewhat crowded as it was Easter weekend. Same with Corcovado (Christ the redeemer). Jam-packed but the views are spectacular.

Rio is a dicey town after dark. Use your head and stay alert. The city has 800 favelas and these are poverty-riddled cities within the city. The vibe gets very weird as soon as the sun goes down especially if you wander off the main drag. Walk with a sense of purpose and only take with you what you are willing to hand over. I’ve been to some hairy places (I actually enjoy them) and Rio is one of them. There is a massive Police Federale and Police Militare presence and these guys are armed to the teeth, but still be very careful and keep your wits about you. Within two blocks of five star accommodations are incredibly poor favelas, don’t walk the beaches at night though they may be lit. There is also a fairly sizable homeless population. That being said my gal pal and I toured one of the largest favelas and found the people to be friendly and hospitable. There are tour companies that facilitate this and it’s a good way to give back to the community. Just don’t be too voyeuristic with the old camera.

The food was great and the portions were huge, one could spend as little or as much as one wanted. Brush up on your Portuguese, which is a mash up of French Spanish and Italian. I speak a little of each so I did ok. Exchange rate is 2:1 USD$ Not a great bargain Argentina is better at 3:1 USD$

From there it was off to Iguazu falls starting on the Brazilian side. This is in an area called the “Tres Frontieres” where the borders of Brazil Argentina and Paraguay converge along the Parana River. These falls are not to be missed! They are massive somewhere around five times that area of Niagara. We had a charming young guide by the name of Leandro Souza working for Martin tours. He worked hard for us and I would highly recommend him. The Brazilian side of the falls is more developed than the Argie side, which is more park like. They both afford good views but the adventure stuff is in Arg. We did a zodiac tour under the falls the next day from the Arg side, which was great, but be aware you will get completely soaked and wet. Also remember you must have a Brazilian visa which runs about $100USD but is good for 5 years up to 180 days each year. If I get it together I’ll post a photo or two from here. The town of Fog de Iguazu doesn’t have much but you can see the three borders at on point or venture into Paraguay or Argentina (No visas for either I believe) there are also some casinos if that’s your thing. I was too tired and cheap.

We drove over the border and flew from Argentina’s side a small bustling jammed airport to Buenos Aires. If you like Europe than you’ll love BA except it’s incredibly loud and noisy and chaotic. If Rio is the place to see things then BA is the place to do things. Tango shows, café culture with some of the best coffee I’ve ever had and I know of what I speak. See Evita Peron’s tomb the memorial of the Falkland/Malvinas war (25th anniversary celebration, if you can call it that while we were there). If you are a carnivore or a wine aficionado you will be in heaven (Brazil too) and if leather or gems are your thing this is the place. Try not to get run over crossing the street and watch the taxi scams here.

Weather was mid 80’s in Rio mostly sunny beaches uncrowded (Their fall) the rest of the trip was slightly cooler and overcast with rain from time to time.

We left on Monday at 3:30 and arrived in Philly 2PM Tues Urgh!