Brazilian Babymoon IV

Th 7.18.13 cont'd

• so we left off with the bus ride from Paraty to Rio...which took a little longer than expected, getting us to the Rio bus station around 2pm...so by the time we waited in the long line for a cab, we didn't get to our hotel in Ipanema until close the 3pm
• we chose to stay in Ipanema, just to check out a different scene, and because a friend had recommend a very basic, affordable (apparently hotels in this area can be very expensive) hotel, Hotel San Marco
• despite its very poor reviews on TripAdvisor, we decided to trust the friend and go with it, mainly because we knew it was basically just a place to crash for the night...thus needing nothing fancy
• good thing we had that mind-set, because it sure wasn't anything fancy! 
• but was clean, in a great location, and the right price
• anyway, we dropped our bags at San Marco and immediately hopped back in a cab to the base of Sugarloaf Mountain (pão de acúçar)
• our goal was to get to the top by sunset, and luckily the lines were fairly short and we were able to make it up in time

• we again enjoyed some stunning views from the top...really worth the trip
• we saw many youth groups in town for World Youth Day and to see "the man", (Argentine...shout out) Pope Francis...many were wearing matching backpacks in green, blue, and yellow, like the one you see here: (hi baby!)

• the view continued to change as the sun lowered in the sky, giving us more and more to awe at (and snap photos of)...can you spot the lit up Christ the Redeemer statue?

• once the sun had completely set and we had had enough viewing, we took the cable cars back down and walked along the waterfront in Urca

this looked fun...a little youth vball practice on the beach,..they were really good!

• we stopped at the point of the little peninsula for a drink and snack at Bar Urca, as recommended in the books/online

• there's no formal seating at this place...you just go to the counter, order what you want, then take it over to the seawall where a crowd of people are doing the same (there is a restaurant located above the counter with nicer sit-down meal options)
• we got some sort of fried fish with tartar sauce (delicious) and me a strawberry smoothie, Jake a Bud Heavy...haha

• then because John's recommendation had been pretty spot-on so far, and we wanted to check out the Samba/dinner scene in Lapa, a renovated historic district just south of the center which features serveral bars with live music and a great nightlife scene, we ventured further north up to Rio Scenarium
• this place proved to be super unique...housed in a refurbished 3-story building, with the second and third floors looking down onto the main floor stage/dance floor...
• also the decor is very interesting, making the place seem like a classy antique shop or vintage museum...every section sort of has a theme, whether it be a collection of old mirrors, clocks, or baby buggies...

first band of the night

• we sat in a little area on the second floor that resembled a pharmacy from the 20th century, and we ordered the soup of the day (amazing sort of split pea soup with ham chunks), I got another fruit juice (mango) and Jake, another caipirinha 

• we split a second appetizer, which we kind of just closed our eyes and picked (not really sure what some of these Brazilian dishes were) and we got basically crackers topped with melted cheese or meat...they were actually quite tasty

• then we split a main course of penne pasta in a bleu cheese sauce topped with sliced up beef; again food was good

• and we went with the Rio Scenarium Cake for dessert...amazing

• we then toured the other floors to check out all the decor, furniture and interesting architecture, all while enjoying the live music

second band of the night...they played longer and were really great

street view out of a second floor window

• we even got down to the dance for a little samba-ing (Jake and Becky style)

view of the stage/dance floor from the third floor

• great night out with Brazilian live music!

F 7.19.13

• I was excited for our morning run around the lake in Ipanema, Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas, a 7.5k loop
• excited until about a half mile in and I had a limp-waddle going on like a 100-year-old pregnant lady
• needless to say, after lots of walk breaks, stops to stretch, and a few frustrated tears, we made it around the darn lake...I guess running while pregnant isn't so easy for everyone (I'm planning to post a training update later this week...)
• we got cleaned up and headed to the supermarket to get some souvenirs

spotted a cute little market in a park on our way

• and look what we found at the supermarket? a normal-sized papaya! 

hey there baby! are you about this size?

• Jake had heard of a café/bakery chain called Cafeína that sounded like a nice place for breakfast, and had a location in Leblon, a nice neighborhood right next to Ipanema
• Jake ordered a drip coffee that he thought was good, but didn't compare to Inteligentsia 

• I ordered a cafe con leche, which was at least better than most I've had in BA 

• ...and the nutella almond waffles were calling my name (I enjoyed every bite)

• whereas Jake went the savory route with an omelet...they kinda got his order wrong but when we tried to explain this to the waitress when we went to pay...she wasn't so helpful (p.s. Portuguese is not so easy)...

• although that whole incident was a bit of a turn off, the place was a decent breakfast stop with nice sidewalk seating
• after breakfast, we walked a few blocks to Leblon's beach:

• which was beautiful...love the black and white tiles all along the coast...a signature beachside walkway pattern in Rio

• was tempted to buy a Brazilian bikini from this guy

• both of us got in the water and caught maybe 40 minutes of sun before it was time to leave
• ...Jake practically had to peel me off the beach to get to the airport in time for our 3pm flight...if we just had one more beach day!

this is me getting a little beat up from the waves...good surf today!

• really, if I had know the beaches in Rio were so nice, I think I would've planned at least one full day to spend enjoying them...
• nevertheless, I think we had a great trip, a relaxing Babymoon, a final little vacation before the little one comes along!

Brazilian Babymoon III

W 7.17.13

• "geez...how many Brazilian Babymoon posts does this lady have?"
• just one more after this one...PROMISE!...4 parts in total

• this morning was another delicious breakfast...I particularly enjoyed today's fresh flowers

• today was boat excursion day...and lucky for us, the weather was looking much better than yesterday!
• after breakfast, we walked over to the pier for our 10am start...the boat excursion was about 5 hours total

• we went with a company recommended by John, and everything ended up going really well...the staff was friendly, spoke English, and catered to our drink and meal needs perfectly...
• only complaint is that I could've used more sun-time, either on the boat (an awning covered most of it, blocking the sun) or on the beaches (we stopped at two, but for only 45 minutes at one and 20 minutes at the other

• before out first stop, we toured around to different little islands where the guide shared information and history about each

• the first stop was just for a quick dip and a bit of snorkeling if you wanted...we did a little of each

• the second stop was the 45 minute beach stop...I took a nap...it was glorious

• then it was back on board for lunch...I got the chicken, rice, and veggies

• and Jake got the seafood risotto with a small side salad

• the next stop was so quick...we both decided to swim to the island rather than being rafted in
• then it was back on board to head back to Paraty

• on the way back, we were given complimentary coffee, tea, and little cookies
• check out the tiny shots of coffee! haha...the cookies were so good, we ended up hunting down a bag of them at the supermarket to bring home with us (made with sweetened condensed milk...melt-in-your-mouth type of cookie)

• this is where I hung out the majority of the ride...at the front of the boat, the only uncovered part...so I could nap and read while getting some Vitamin D

• here's a view of our super sweet tour guide (striped red and white shirt) and some of the other tourists...sitting under the awning of the boat

we bought a wooden boat that looked like these that a man was carving/paitning/selling on the pier...nice little souvenir

• with a couple hours before sundown, we decided to chill on the small beach by the pier and read a little more before heading into town
• that's where we spotted this sweet green bug...can't you picture us cruising around in this little guy? with a surfboard on top?

• we then winded through the colonial town to see what it was like in daylight
• took a few artsy photos with all the fun pops of color

same building as above, but drawing out the yellow instead

• because someone in our group always has to go to the bathroom now (not naming names) we stopped in at Cafe Pingado for an acai smoothie of sorts (and to use their facilities)

• then it was back to the B&B to freshen up for dinner

• John had been recommending Caminho do Ouro for dinner, as he knows the owners and frequents there himself on a regular basis, so we definitely wanted to try it before leaving...tonight was our last night
• we started with an appetizer of hummus, herb butter, and a creamy cheese with various warm dipping breads (oh how I miss hummus!)

• we also asked for a half-order of grilled hearts of palm with pesto, as John said we had to try them...especially because our experience with this food usually involved something out of a can
• I'm still not sure I get palm hearts...but these definitely did taste better than what we've ever had

• and for some reason, after seeing lobster on the menu, I couldn't get my mind off it...I've never even had lobster...so we decided to splurge and split the dish

• this enormous lobster tail came with a side of perfectly cooked sautéed vegetables and creamy coconut rice with chunks of coconut in it...I wished the portion was double in size!

• we were warned about the delectable desserts offered here, which we saw alluringly displayed in the window as we walked in...think homemade little tarts, cupcakes, chocolates...
• but tonight was a busy night...we even had to wait a bit for a table, so between the large group of eight, the family of four, and the little girls who stopped in with a to-go order, there were limited dulces left when our dessert time rolled around...luckily we got to sample one little tart, then went to the self-serve ice cream place next door to finish satisfying our sweet tooths (teeth?)
• look at all those candy toppings!!!

• on our walk back to the hotel, we walked through a plaza that had different food booths set up with tables in the middle
• this guy was stirring what looks to be coconut...

• ...to likely be made into these sweet:

• this cart was offering potato chips or churros...a strange pairing

• tonight's movie pick was The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel (another John recommendation) and although it seems to be a good movie, and we were enjoying it, both of us passed out before finishing...

Th 7.18.13

"...gosh, I'm even going to miss these orchids!"

• our third and final paradise breakfast! so bittersweet! I was really getting used to the delicious fresh breakfast, the flowers, the service the view! ...we'll have to recreate this at home on our terrace...taking notes

• this morning's fresh juice was papaya banana...ironically, thebump.com says our baby is about the size of a papaya this week (week 22)
• so I asked John if he had a papaya I could take a picture with
• he laughed, first at the idea of comparing our baby to fruit (I know, it's kind of funny, huh?), but also when bringing out the kind of papayas grown in Paraty...they're SUPER big and heavy in comparison to what you'd normally get
• so we just had him hold it up to show it's size...not sure if you can really tell by the photo, but I hope my baby isn't that big yet! maybe by the time it's born!

• we quickly finished up our breakfast...

• ...packed up our bags, and said goodbye to the ladies, and to John...

• thanks for the wonderful stay! we love you Paraty and Vivenda Paraty!!!  maybe we'll be back someday!
• we were happy to have previously purchased our tickets for the 9:10am bus back to Rio...we nestled into our seats...and napped/read our way back to Rio for a day of more sightseeing...coming soon in the 4th and final part of Brazilian Babymoon ;)