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Ilha Grande (Brazil): a small paradise on earth
Only 3 hours from Rio, Ilha Grande (“big island”) is an island with no road/motorized vehicle. Once reserved for prisoners and lepers, this island has become a must-see in the Rio region. It is spelled IL-HA and not IH-LA Part 1: Travel Diary Part 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary Day 1 : This morning I discovered with horror red patches covering my arms, neck and legs. It itches a little. I don’t have a fever. But we still leave for Ilha Grande, hoping that the fresh air will calm me down and cure my allergy We go to the bus terminal of Paraty and finally someone explains us…
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Paraty (Brazil): Travel diary
After Rio, it’s time to explore the surroundings. The weather isn’t very nice at the moment, so instead of going to Ilha Grande where the main activity is to go from beach to beach, we decide to go to Paraty Part 1: Travel Diary Part 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary Days 1 & 2 : We take an Uber to go to the bus terminal of Rio. This terminal is located in a crappy area so it is better to go there by cab or Uber. We buy 2 tickets at Costa Verde on the first floor on the right. 90 reais/person for Paraty The departure is planned…
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Learn Portuguese to travel to Brazil: review of the Michel Thomas & MosaLingua method (promo code inside)
For our two weeks around Rio, I thought it would be nice to have some bases in Portuguese just in case.. Even if the receptionists of hostels/hotels almost all speak English, this isn’t the case for waiters, street vendors, bus terminal employees… most of the premises in a way. Knowing a few basics in Portuguese is always better than nothing I started learning Portuguese 10 days before the trip, but I was in Uruguay and Argentina, surrounded by Spanish speakers, so the learning did not progress much The day before departure, I was finally motivated to listen to two CDs by Michel Thomas in a row and learn 100 words…
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How to visit Christ the Redeemer in Rio: Transportation, tickets, budget, advice
I find the Lonely Planet (Kindle version) from Brazil particularly sloppy. The proof: I have to find out for myself how to go and see Christ the Redeemer all by myself. The information found on the Internet isn’t very clear either. So I give you here the simplest version, with the least amount of waiting to visit one of the New 7 Wonders of the World. Note: Uber is really cheap in Rio so forget about shuttles, towers etc. I did the calculation for you, it’s the simplest and cheapest way (when you travel with 2 or more people). City Center -> Christ the Redeemer Take an Uber (X or…
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Rio de Janeiro (Brazil): a city full of contrasts (1/2)
Oi, tudo bem? We are finally in Rio de Janeiro! Our small passage in Foz do Iguaçu did not make us realize that we were on the Brazilian ground because too close to Argentina. But this time, yes! We hear the accent carioca everywhere around us, we are well in Brazil! Part 1: Travel Diary Part 2: Practical Tips Part 1: Travel Diary Note : The last time our luggage went through a Brazilian airport (in transit from Bolivia to Paraguay), my luggage was very badly treated: padlock ripped off and bag searched (0 loss fortunately). I realized this because my stuff moved around. So, this time, for our trip…
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1 week in Argentina (Iguazú & Buenos Aires): Itinerary, assessment, budget, guide, advice (2/2)
To read the first part of the guide about Patagonia, click here Ahhh Argentina! This country so vast and whose must-see are so far away from each other that we had to visit it in 3 times. After 15 days in Patagonia, we visited Chile, Bolivia, Peru, Paraguay, before spending a few days in Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil, and crossing the land border to Puerto Iguazú in Argentina Itinerary Puerto Iguazú (3 days): after visiting the Brazilian Falls, we cross the border by local bus to Puerto Iguazú (Argentina) for 20$AR/person. See our guide on Iguazú Falls here. The visit of the Argentinian falls takes us a full day…
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15 days in Argentina (Patagonia & lake region): Itinerary, assessment, budget, guide, advice (1/2)
I was very hesitant to write this report only for Argentina, especially since this first trip to Argentina has many border crossings with Chile. But then again, the budgets are really not the same as in Chile so Argentina deserves to have its own article. These 15 days in Argentina cover only the Lakes Region and Patagonia, we will come back here in a few months to explore Buenos Aires & Iguazu and will put online the 2nd part of the article. Itinerary Ushuaia (2 days including 1 day of bus): 16h of bus from Punta Arenas (Chile). We had only 1 day of visit to go around the city…
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Buenos Aires (Argentina): an air of France in South America
After several months of junk food (especially in Paraguay & Uruguay), homesickness is beginning to be felt. Fortunately, we have planned a week in Buenos Aires, a version of Paris (for the better) Travel Notebook Reminder: In the previous episode, we were in Uruguay, in Colonia del Sacramento exactly. After a very hard night because of many bites (of unidentified insects), we get up at 8 am to take the boat to Buenos Aires at 10:30 am (it is necessary to be at the terminal at 9:30 am to pass the immigration controls). I notice that the bites are swollen. Neither one nor two, we go directly to the hospital…
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12 day tour in Uruguay: Review, itinerary, guide, practical advice…
Uruguay is one of the countries we are very eager to discover. We have the impression that it is the most developed country we have visited in South America. A lot of small details give us this impression: the fact that everything is on time, to the minute (buses, breakfast, shows), buses only stop at bus stations (instead of stopping anywhere to pick up passengers), credit card accepted everywhere, super clean beaches and streets, shopkeepers preferring to spend time with their families instead of trying to scratch a few pennies, free wi-fi everywhere (even on long distance buses), high speed internet, many public buses even on weekends, a feeling of…
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Moody ticket: Uruguay, bed fleas, hostels
If I’m not posting as often as I used to, it’s because I’m not inspired and because I frankly don’t feel very good here.. Because of the very high cost of living in Uruguay (in summer anyway), we have to opt for dormitories in youth hostels (15€/person). Usually, youth hostels in South America attract frequent travelers, traveling through South America in 4-6 months. They are independent, intelligent, funny and know how to behave as a community Here in Uruguay, we find ourselves with young Argentinian/Brazilians who come to spend a few days in “fiesta vacation” mode. It isn’t the same atmosphere nor the same level of education. It’s not uncommon…
