In the land of beef and malbec...: Brazilian Babymoon I

Sa 7.13.13

I should start by saying that Jake does not approve of the title of this post (and the three in connection that follow)
ok, I don't fully endorse the whole "babymoon" thing either...it's just a way to get people to spend money on special babymoon maternity clothes, and spend big bucks on a big fancy babymoon trip (Jake doesn't really get the "push present" thing either...that's for another day)
it really can just be called a vacation...or small getaway before baby comes...and really this particular trip was planned for more than one reason: A.) I have my 2-week winter vacation right now, B.) we move back to the States soon and wanted to try to get one last trip in, C.) our third anniversary is coming up (August 7th!), and D.) my husband needs and very much deserves a vacation! (he was invited to the States last month, but took one for the team and stayed back)
reason E. would be the baby...and once the bundle's here in November, we probably won't be traveling much before moving back mid-February-ish
alas, with all these great reasons, I convinced Jake that we should plan this babymoon/trip/getaway/vacation
I must say...it was a bit bittersweet for us to reflect on this trip...our last big vaca as just "us"
if I'm being frank, we really like just "us" and that's about to change dramatically...to include three people, instead of just two
of course we'll have our weekends where we send the kids to grandma's (right mom and dad?) but we'll still aways and forever be responsible for those little humans...we'll still HAVE kids...it won't just be us two
with this in mind, we tried to just enjoy, enjoy, enjoy...as we know each moment in life doesn't last
and don't get me wrong, we are super thrilled for our future lives as parents...and we feel so blessed
it's just the whole "one chapter of our lives closing"...our sort of selfish, carefree 20's, and entering into this next chapter with brand new fancy titles: mommy and daddy
oh dear
this photo is not Jake contemplating whether or not he should jump...we're just chilling in the Iguazú airport where we had our layover on our way to Rio ;)

we arrived in Rio de Janeiro late Saturday night, but with enough time to drop our bags at the hotel (Ibis Hotel...if you're staying in Copacabana, this place is new, modern, clean, and affordable for the area) and head to a late dinner
we thought we'd get the all-you-can-eat steak buffet...churrascaria in Portuguese...out of the way first
we went with a place called Churrascaria Carretao, because of its convenient location a couple blocks from our hotel
we were greeted by the well-dressed hosts (there were a few) and seated next to this salad bar (really appreciated these guys' great attention throughout the night...good service, a nice change from BA)

I know we were there for the meat, but look! they had FRUIT sushi...something pregnant ladies can eat!

strawberry and pineapple sushi

we started right away, careful not too fill up too much on salad and delicious sides that were brought around: plantains, french fries, pao de queijo (like chipa bread in Argentina), some sort of gooey cheese-filled roll, spinach rice...they just kept bringing more!

then came the real deal:

we weren't shy about trying anything and everything...but we definitely liked some cuts over others (here's a little helpful guide to these cuts/kinds of restaurants)

take a close look at the photo below:

spot anything super cool? (besides my face) look again...the guy in the green shirt behind my right shoulder has "the most legit fro I've ever seen" (quote from Jake)
we think there must've been a theater company near by whose cast was "taking 5" for a quick dinner...as many people walked in wearing 70's threads or various costume-looking things...it was fun, and made me realize that I already appreciate Rio's diversity...another nice change from what can be a mundane, monotonous BA
even if we maybe didn't have room for dessert, after seeing a server offer this delectable tray of goodies to the table next to us, we had to go for it too...how could you not?

I usually go for the fattiest, richest looking ones like these?

the cheesecake-looking one beat the ice cream sundae...for some reason the ice cream tasted a little off and the candy toppings weren't my favorite
on our way out, Jake spotted a nice-sized bottle of the country's local liquor, Cachaca (made from fermented sugarcane juice)...which was used to make his drink, the famous caipirinha (a little too sweet for his liking...LOADS of sugar, but fun to try)

Su 7.14.13

the next morning we were up early to do a little Rio site-seeing
first stop was a corner juice shop (they're everywhere) for Brazil's famous acai juice
it's delicious...and is so thick, it more so resembles a smoothie

we continued on to the beach to get some coconut water...another "must-try" in Rio...you can find these huge coconuts everywhere along the beaches...quite refreshing (but heavy)!

one last addition to our little breakfast was at a corner juice shop...I just pointed to two pastries in the window that looked good
both were buttery, flakey, and savory
the one on the left was filled with tuna, the one on the right is pao de queijo

look at all that fruit!!!

then we taxi'd it up to the base of Corcovado (hunchback in Portuguese), the mountain that holds the infamous Christ the Redeemer statue
TIP: go early! there were no lines when we arrived around 9am...but quite long when leaving around 10:30/11ish
we quickly got our train tickets and hopped on the next one up the mount

and what do ya know! there was a race going on...with the finish line at the top of Christ's mountain! how cool!

I really need to make a point of checking to see if any races are going on in the cities we vacation to ...we totally could have done this!
on our walk about a few flights of stairs, we spotted this guy:

then soaked in the amazing view from the top

caught some pretty tough-looking finishers on our way back down...I get so jealous watching races...ugh, it's hard

since we had the rest of the afternoon to kill before our 4pm bus to Paraty, we made our way back to the hotel in time to check out and continue exploring

hit up another corner juice shop (became a trend of the trip...this one is delicious mango)

snacked on some weird crispy snacks while waiting for the subway (Jake said they kinda taste like pizza crust)

know what's sort of cool? the subway has women-only trains...reserved for women to use M-F, 6-9am and 5-8pm...makes the commuting woman feel safer with all those sleezy businessmen hitting on her and squeezing up against her in a super-packed subway car (k, maybe this isn't exactly what happens, but it could)

our goal for the afternoon (after going the wrong way on the subway, and then getting on a line that didn't actually go to Ipanema due to construction...good grief!) was to hit up the hippy market in Ipanema, where we'd grab a bite for lunch, then walk a couple blocks over to the beach to catch a few rays

sadly, this corn was a bit mushy...nothing compared to Iowa sweet corn

some sort of dense toasted tapioca dough thing...

although we did get some local eats, this plan proved to be a bit more difficult than we originally thought due to the luggage we had to lug around with us
we did make it to the side of the beach where Jake enjoyed a cold beer and watched the luggage while I walked in the pristine sand down to the water
after no more than an hour, it was time to catch our bus
the bus station in Rio isn't exactly convenient to get to...it was about a 45 minute cab ride from Ipanema...we still arrived by 3pm, leaving us enough time to buy our tickets for the 4pm bus (side note...Jake had tried to buy these tickets online over the past month, but because we're not Brazilian residents, we weren't able to complete the transaction online)
after hitting up the ATM, [WARNING: I'm telling you we went to the ATM for a reason...our debit card number got stolen somehow from the bus station ATM, and purchases were attempted, but luckily our bank did not allow and no money was taken. We'd advise against using this ATM, or others that are used frequently in touristy areas!] then walking around the station looking for the Costa Verde booth, and a quick bathroom break, we finally asked the info. desk where the darn booth was
of course it was just across from the ATM we used right when we walked in
by the time we reached the booth, it was 3:30...and the lady who sorta cut in front of us in line got the second to last 4pm bus ticket...leaving only ONE for the TWO of us
so...we had to resort to the 6pm bus...
and...we spent the next two hours in the super sweaty and hot bus station...
at least we found a food court that had milkshakes, pao de queijo, and the men's US vs. Brazil volleyball game on TV...we survived

the 4.5 hour bus ride got us in to Paraty around 10:30pm...walked a few blocks to our hotel, Palmeira Imperial Pousada, dropped bags, and headed out for dinner
Margarida Café was highly recommended both in books and online, and it was a hit for us!
we enjoyed the live music...lots of easy listening favorites...think Nora Jones, Sarah McLachlan, Etta James, etc.

more fresh juice for me...a local dark beer for Jake

then after a complimentary salad, our main dishes arrived: Jake a sort of fish cake ball with red marinara shrimp sauce over pumpkin and roasted nut ravioli

and for me, one of the most unique, tasty dishes I've ever had

basically it was a fettuccine with a shrimp tomato sauce, served in a bread bowl....

in all its carby-glory...it hit the spot and I just couldn't stop eating it...even though the portion size could feed a small family
great way to end a slightly stressful evening

M 7.15.13

we needed a good sleep-in after an early morning and long bus ride yesterday

we took advantage, then hit up the hotel's complimentary breakfast just in time
because we were just in time, the selection was no longer great, but we tried some local pastries and picked through what was left of the tropical fruit platter
then, in an effort to NOT have a repeat of yesterday's bus situation, we walked straight over to the bus station and bought our tickets to return to Rio on Thursday
then we hit up a grocery store for water and beach snacks...
you're probably not surprise when I say that I love going to grocery stores in foreign countries...I like food
here are a few fun findings:

AMPLE juice selection...this was only a quarter of the aisle

ever had cashew juice? not my favorite

large coconut milk supply as well

jelly (jam) in a box

corn in a jar

yogurt in a bag...and coconut flavored yogurt

this is supposedly a cheese (mozzarella?) for pizza...see the cow holding the pizza?
It was sort of liquidy and came in a handy pourable bag

fresh fish

carne!

olives, breaded meats, and sausages

then it was time to check out and head over to our "splurge" Paraty accommodations
but not before enjoying Palmeira a bit before leaving...this place really is quite nice for the price...not a super great location, but a good deal