Blue Backpack Break: Week 6

Hola todos,

Sorry again for the late post. I had this week's update almost done but then it got deleted somehow, so I had to rewrite everything. Well, anyway the last week of my 6-week endeavor was only a partial, but still full of fun adventures, especially since I was with my dad! We got to see Lima, and it was so cool to be experiencing a whole new city and culture together. I'll ruin the ending for you and let you know that I am safely back in BA, where it has been nice to sleep in my own bed and be in my own room with some stability in my life. Without further ado, check out my final week gallivanting through South America!

Day 36: Cusco, Peru to Lima, Peru; distance: 6236 miles/ 10036 kilometers
Today, we packed up all of our things and left Cusco. But first, we walked around the little pueblo just one more time and my dad even bought some cool shirts. We got a cab to the airport, which took us through the non-touristy part of Cusco- the "real" Cusco, as it were. It was so cool to see locals at these open air markets and stores selling an eclectic collection of random things. I wish we could have stayed and walked through this part of town, but we had flights to catch! We each made it to Lima without any problems- although since the Cusco airport has only 5 gates, they don't really bother putting the right gate number on your boarding pass or even the overhead screens. When we landed in Lima, we took a cab to our first "hostel", Inca Frog. (I say "hostel" because although it was technically considered a hostel, we had a private room and bathroom, and it was a classy hostel in a great neighborhood. Much more like a hotel!) After we got situated, we headed to a main walking street that our cab driver had recommended. We walked up and down several main streets, checking out our new surroundings. This neighborhood we are in, Miraflores, is the best neighborhood in Lima and has great restaurants, hotels, shopping malls, and plazas. Ultimately, we decided to stop for an early dinner at a seafood restaurant- since Lima is on the coast, the seafood here is fresh and delicious! Because we were still exhausted from our trek (which finished yesterday), we decided to go to bed early. I really like Lima so far, and I am excited to get to know another city in South America!

We were driving pretty fast, so I wasn't able to get great photos of the "real" Cusco. But here is one that highlights the ever-present sky filled with wires and the dilapidated buildings.

Just a quick Cusco to Lima map for you. We went from an elevation of about 3200 meters in the mountains to sea level on the coast.

Day 37: Lima, Peru; distance: 6236 miles/ 10036 kilometers
Today we had a game plan for what we wanted to do and where we wanted to go but, of course, this trip never seems to stop with the surprises! It all worked out for the better in the end, though. We began this morning by heading from Miraflores to the downtown area of Lima via cab. We wanted to work our way from north to south through the attractions on this side of the city, so we started the day off at the Museo Taurino, the Lima bullfighting museum. However, even though the website said that it was supposed to be open, the museum was completely gated off and closed! I didn't really understand the security guard, but I am pretty sure that he mentioned that the museum was closed for remodeling or something. Regardless, we were now in a sketchy area of downtown Lima with nothing to do! Fortunately, we had maps and knew how to get to the main downtown area, and we weren't alone, so that was good too! My dad needed my Spanish skills and I needed his presence to ward off strange men, so we made a pretty good team. On our way to the Plaza de Armas, the main central square, we passed over this bridge and through a local market area. This is where everyday Peruvians walk to work, eat lunch, and buy clothes, and it was cool to get a feel for the local culture. Also, this area had tons of cheap knock-off shopping, like sunglasses, watches, hats, etc. This was a really nifty area to walk around, and afterwards we headed to the Museo del Convento de San Francisco, which is a cathedral/monastery that was turned into a museum. We had a guided tour of the cathedral and learned a lot about Saint Francis and Catholicism in Lima. Most notably, we got to see the catacumbas, or catacombs, underneath the church. It was a little bit creepy to see human bones everywhere, but the cathedral itself was beautiful. After our tour, we walked to the Plaza Central (or Plaza de Armas) and watched the changing of the guard at the Government Palace (their White House- equivalent). I think that I have seen this done in only two other places: at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier in both Greece and Washington D.C. Now I can add one more country to my list! After walking around this main square for a while, we hunted for a place to eat lunch. We were both protein-craving, and we found this restaurant that was advertising this huge amount of various grilled meat and fries as a lunch special, so we split what was probably a meal for three or four people! After thoroughly verifying our status as omnivores, we walked back to Miraflores- about 6 miles! It was scenic, though, and took us through more non-touristy areas of Lima where vendors on the street were selling peeled kiwis and tuna (prickly pear fruit) and hard-boiled quail eggs. We arrived at our hostel and rested for a while before heading back out- this time for a walk along some scenic parks that overlook the ocean. Tons of people were milling about, laying out on the grass and soaking in some sun, and hang gliding. What a stunning place! We walked around the main streets of Miraflores a bit more and found ourselves in the Kennedy Park, which was full of flowers and cats. We were both still super full from lunch despite our walking around, but my legs were getting tired! We headed back to the hostel to plan out tomorrow- we are switching hostels and my dad leaves late tomorrow night!

 

Call me sheltered, but I'm pretty sure I'd never seen this before. Dead, plucked chickens hanging upside and waiting in line to get their heads chopped off.

The cathedral was wayyy to big for my phone camera, but here is an excerpt of its architecture.

Our lunch. Or should I say feast? Two different cuts of chicken, beef, lamb-heart kebabs (anticuchos), gizzards (I didn't know what that word was on the menu, so we figured it out later), salchicha (hotdog), and chorizo (sausage). Whew! (And did I mention the side of papas fritas, or french fries, that came with it too?)

A view of the Lima coastline from the parks, which were on a hill. It was cool to get a view of the ocean from an above-sea-level perspective... Almost like being in Malibu again!

My dad and I at the Parque Kennedy, or Kennedy Park in Miraflores. What a beautiful place!

Day 38: Lima, Peru; distance: 6236 miles/ 10036 kilometers
Today is a sad day indeed- my dad and I are parting ways! However, he leaves for the airport at midnight, so we still have the entire day to spend together. We started off by packing up and checking out of our hostel (although we left our bags there so that we could enjoy the city during the day before checking in at my new hostel for tonight). We then headed off to the ChocoMuseo, Peru's chain-museum that specializes in my favorite thing- chocolate! When we first walked into the museum, the smell of chocolate was everywhere and we were served chocolate tea during our informational tour of the small museum. (Read: I was in HEAVEN!) We sampled lots of chocolates and fruit-infused chocolate spreads, and we learned a lot about chocolate and how it is produced from bean to bar! After buying plenty of chocolates to sample, we headed to downtown Lima to check out the city's 480th birthday party. We had read and heard about the day full of festivities and the night full of fireworks, so we wanted to see if we could join in on the fun! Unfortunately, we had been told the wrong day- the party was yesterday! We were bummed but decided to make the most of our time downtown and head to the bridge market in the "real" Lima that we had seen yesterday. We bought some cheap items and then walked around and found a late lunch. We eventually headed back to the hostel, got our stuff, and took a cab to my new hostel, which is super close to the airport. This way, my dad can take a quick cab to the airport at midnight and I have a cheap place to stay overnight that is close to the airport for my flight tomorrow morning. We settled into the hostel and then stayed up pretty late just talking and enjoying our last few hours together! We walked around the slightly-sketchy neighborhood to try and find some late-night snacks, and then, at midnight, something super sad happened- my dad left. He had to head to the airport to check-in for his flight to the States that left at 2 am, so I was left alone in Peru. I am so sad to see him go, but I am so glad for the time that we have been able to spend together!

With the winnings from the ChocoMuseo! Mmm... I wish I could have bought out the whole store and just fed my chocolate addiction forever...

A view of the Plaza de Armas of Lima. It was very colorful- the buildings in this photo are yellow, and others were the typical gray and white.

A great view of the "real" Lima and the market on the bridge. People were walking all along the bridge and every few feet another blanket was laid out with goods spread on it. What a cool cultural aspect of the city to experience!

Day 39: Lima, Peru to Buenos Aires, Argentina; distance: 8183 miles/ 13170 kilometers
Today was relatively uneventful. I got a cab to the airport in Lima at eight and waited in long lines to check-in, go through security, and pass through customs. Going through the lines took long enough that I only had to wait for about 10 minutes to board, and then I got to sleep for most of the flight. It left at 10:30 am (Lima time) and landed at 5 pm (Argentina time), so even though the flight was only 4.5 hours, I lost most of the day just to traveling. I took a group shuttle from the airport to the main downtown area and then took the subte the rest of the way home. After a long day of traveling, I ate an early dinner and slept- a lot. It's weird to be back in Buenos Aires after so much time away from the city!

Downtown BA is to the far left of this photo of my view as we were landing!

So this week, although less than 7 days, was still full of adventures and fun times in Peru. Plus, I got to hang out with my dad, which made it even better! I'm home now in BA- with 12 more passport stamps than when I left. I've seen a lot and learned a lot, both about myself and the countries that I've visited. And with only one small school backpack to live out of, I've also realized how little one truly needs to see the world. (Laundry? Pfft. If it smells decent and doesn't have a lot of visible dirt, re-wear it.) I had plenty of highs and some unfortunate lows, but overall this 8000+ mile adventure has been one whirlwind experience that I will never forget!
(Although this is my final "weekly update", stay tuned for several more posts pertaining to this break, including ones about food, Pablo Neruda's houses, and, of course, Machu Picchu!)

Besos,

Tina the Exploradora

Blue Backpack Break: Week 5

Hola todos,

Sorry for the tardiness in delivering this post... Between the questionable WiFi at our hostel and my desire to spend every second that I can with my dad before he leaves, I haven't been able to keep up as much with posts!
I'm in Peru, adding yet another country to my been-there-done-that list, totaling to 6 cities in 4 countries thus far. This week started off in the Rio airport, and finished with me seeing one of the 7 Wonders of the World. Check out what I did below!

Day 29: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil to Cusco, Peru (with a layover in Lima, Peru); distance: 5881 miles/ 9465 kilometers
Well, needless to say, I stayed up all night. It was actually kind of cool to realize that I had seen the sun both set and rise over the air strip. I managed to keep myself occupied, and better yet, I found a café that was open all night with outlets to charge my stuff! By the time 4 am rolled around, I was super ready to sit in a comfy seat and sleep. Really, that's all I wanted. I checked in without a hassle, went through security in what was probably a world-record time, and passed through immigration. I was officially headed to Peru, and no longer (technically) in Brazil! I waited at the gate for the plane, willing myself to stay awake for an hour more. And I waited. And waited. And then my flight was delayed by an hour. AN HOUR. One more hour that I had to push through. Well, ladies and gentlemen, I did it. I got to my assigned seat on the plane before passing out, and I only woke up once- in time for the complementary breakfast! I arrived in Lima without any issues, passed through customs and immigration, and went to go check in for my flight where, lo and behold, my dad was waiting for me!!! I was so excited to see him, and I am so excited that we are going to be spending our time in Peru together. Although we took separate flights from Lima to Cusco (because he bought his ticket with frequent flyer miles and I bought mine with a huge student discount), they departed around the same time, so we were able to hang out until our flights boarded. Once in Cusco, we took a cab to a cute little hotel called El Mirador de Santa Ana, which has a great view of Cusco from our bedroom window. Once we had unpacked a little, we went to go check in with our Machu Picchu trek company. The company requires that you prove that you are in Cusco acclimating to the altitude at least two days before your trek, so we walked around the city a little on our way to and from the office. For dinner, we dropped by a local restaurant,  and even though it wasn't super late, we were both exhausted from the day's travels (and I had gotten roughly 4 hours of airplane sleep in the past 38 hours) so we went to bed early so that we can be rested and enjoy the rest of our stay here!

Me at 6:30 am, getting ready to board the plane that was supposed to depart at 6:30 am. Oh boy, was I tired and done.

Christmas came a little bit late! My dad was able to bring down more clothes for BA, as well as some goods from the US and Christmas presents. Imports included: dry shampoo, the lifeblood of female college students (it doesn't exist in BA); a massive bottle of Advil (the largest size they sell in BA is 30 tablets... what?!); homemade soaps and lip balms; more sunscreen (which is super expensive in BA); a Swiss army knife from my brother (for protection as well as utilitarian purposes), and more!

We were both definitely travel-weary, but super excited to see each other! This is us at the hotel.

The view of Cusco from the balcony of the dining area. I can't wait to see it in daylight!

Some reference maps for you geographically-challenged folks.

Day 30: Cusco, Peru; distance: 5881 miles/ 9465 kilometers
Some of you might be wondering about my laundry. Considering my extremely limited number of clothes, one might anticipate smelly clothing after 5 weeks. And... you'd be right. Mostly. I have tried to do sink-based laundry, but it's just not the same. So... Today, my dad and I started off our Cusco adventure by going to a lavandería, or laundry shop, and getting my clothes washed! The price was killer- 2 nuevo soles for one kilo, or about 60 cents! After dropping off my clothes, we headed to the Inka Museum where we learned all about the Incan empire, their religion, society, economics, and politics. It was extremely comprehensive and even had some skulls and mummies! Once we were done, we walked around a little bit to find a local place for lunch. In order to avoid tourist-based restaurants, we walked outside the main Plaza de Armas by one block and were rewarded with a cute little place advertising local cuisine. After lunch, we walked to Qorikancha, also known as the Convent of Santo Domingo. Qorikancha was an Incan place of worship for their sun god (I think) until the Spaniards arrived and converted it into a Catholic complex. It was getting cold and had been spitting a little rain all day, so my dad and I headed back to the hotel (and picked up my laundry on the way!) to go warm up. Although the lavandería smelled like a dirty dog, I was pleasantly surprised to find that my clothes smelled fresh and clean! After we drank some tea at the hotel, we walked to the locals' grocery store (at the shopping areas meant for cusqueños, or Cuscans, things are a lot cheaper!) and bought some snacks and dinner. What a successful and adventurous first day in Cusco!

I definitely could have fit in this pot that we saw at the Inka Museum. I would have climbed in, but security was too tight...

The buildings on the left are the oldest part of the Qorikancha complex, most of which have Incan architecture. The buildings on the right were built by the Spanish when they converted the temple to a cathedral and convent.

Day 31: Cusco, Peru; distance: 5881 miles/ 9465 kilometers
Today, my dad and I decided to hike a little to the Cristo Blanco (white Christ) statue on a hill just outside of the main downtown Cusco area. We got lost (due to poor internet directions) but we eventually found our way behind some neighborhoods and up some dirt trails to the statue. (By off-roading our hike, we didn't have to pay the entrance fee!) We wandered around on the hill, looking at Cusco from high up. After we wandered back down, it was lunchtime. We headed to an upstairs pub that had a phenomenal view of the Plaza de Armas and ate some lunch before heading to the Catedral de Cusco. At this three-part humongous cathedral, we took the audiotour (included in the entrance fee) and learned a lot about the history of Catholicism in Cusco. We even got to see the very first cross in Peru, the very same one that accompanied Francisco Pizarro from Spain during his conquest! (I wasn't allowed to take pictures though.) After our tour, we headed to the Museo de Pisco which, although its name means "Pisco Museum", is actually a restaurant and bar that offers pisco-making and pisco-tasting informational classes. (Pisco is a grape-based alcohol that is produced in Peru.) We not only leaned about how pisco, the alcohol, is made, but we also got to make our own pisco sours! I chose a cranberry-infused drink, and my dad made the Andean mint, or muña, pisco sour. I felt like a professional bartender, and my drink was pretty good, if I do say so myself! After learning all about Peru's unique drink, we spent the rest of the afternoon souvenir shopping (I bought a sweater made from alpaca wool!) and packing at the hotel. Tomorrow, we leave early in the morning for our trek to Machu Picchu, so we prepared our bags. We did manage to get out of the hotel and go to the Plaza de Armas for dinner- which was both picturesque and delicious!

I didn't get a great Christ the Redeemer photo in Rio, so I found my second chance with Cristo Blanco!

Cusco from Cristo Blanco- wow!

The Cathedral of Cusco. What a stunning building with an amazing history!

 

Pisco sour making! I got to play bartender for a few minutes, and my dad got to relive his bar-tending days.

When we walked into a store to check out the souvenirs, a worker there practically assaulted us with these clothes and forced us to model. We've never been more fashionable!

Day 32-35: Outside of Cusco, Peru, on the Inca Trail towards Machu Picchu
And now, I'm going to cheat a little. I really can't take you day-by-day through my trek along the Inca Trail, especially since almost all of my photos are on my camera and I can't download those until I get back to my laptop in BA! Sooo... I'll just post this teaser photo, and know that I will give my trek and Machu Picchu the post that it deserves when I get back! I had the best time of my life during this 4-day marathon (the trek was just over 26 miles!), and I can't wait to share my experience with you all!

Told you it would be a teaser.

Check back soon for a legitimate post about the Incan city of Machu Picchu, as well as a description of my final week of travel during this vacation. I have less than one week left before I am back in Buenos Aires, and I can't believe that this break had gone by so quickly!

It's not over yet, though, so stay tuned...

Besos,

Tina the Exploradora

Blue Backpack Break: Week 4

Hola todos,


I saw Jesus this week. Man- I hope that got you hooked! Actually, I've seen a lot of the city this week, including the two primary touristy spots to visit, as well as other hidden gems. I finished out this week by pulling an all-nighter... in the Rio de Janeiro international airport. This week has been busier than the last, and now I'm bidding this city adios. Check it out below! (And if you only want to read about/ see pictures of Jesus, skip ahead to Day 26!)

Day 22: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; distance: 3181 miles/ 5119 kilometers
Today was a sad day indeed- we moved back from the hotel to group housing in the city of Rio de Janeiro. As a group of 8, we had booked a private apartment through airbnb that was supposed to be 5 minutes from the beach, but this trip never seems to cease with the surprises. The "apartment" was actually a not-so-private room at a hostel in the favelas, about 15 minutes from the beach. In order to get to the hostel, we had to walk through the favelas from Copacabana. (I know that I mentioned what favelas are before, but here is a refresher: slum cities that are precariously built up hills, filled with extremely impoverished locals and dangerous for foreigners- especially females!) After going to the beach for a little, we spent all evening trying to get a refund and relocate ourselves the next day. We couldn't even find a food place that was open nearby- we had to walk 20 minutes away just for dinner! It was ridiculous, but we were all safe, at least.

Although the "apartment" was a hostel in a super sketchy area (sorry Mom!), the view of Copacabana could not be beat. 

Day 23: Rio de Janeiro distance: 3181 miles/ 5119 kilometers
We moved hostels today back to Beach Backpackers Hostel (which we had stayed at before) because it was in a much better location and we knew what to expect. (Plus, it was cheaper!) After moving in (again), some girls and I decided to check out the Jardim Botánico de Rio de Janeiro (the Botanical Garden), which I think is supposed to be one of the best in the world. It was huge, and it was easy to lose yourself in the Amazon jungle and forget that you were in the middle of a capital city. There were so many different types of trees and flowers, and there were gorgeous waterfalls and fish-filled ponds. We were also able to see some monkeys, including babies! After the garden, we headed to Pão de Açucar (also, known as Sugarloaf Mountain) which has cable cars that visitors ride to the top to experience an incredible view of the city. The lines were super long (think: Disneyland Splash Mountain!) and it was a cloudy day, so we didn't see the sunset like we wanted. However, we still got some cool nighttime photos of the city all lit up!  We walked back to hostel (because the bus never came!) and ate dinner. I finally feel like a tourist here, not just a beach bum!

Here is one of the views in the Botanical Garden. I felt like I was in the Amazon jungle, and it was nice to breath in some fresh and (relatively) non-polluted air.

One of the views from the Pão de Açucar. It was a bummer that we couldn't see the picturesque sunset, but the view was still pretty stellar. 

  

A nighttime view of the city. The beach on the far left is Copacabana, and the brightly lit area on the bottom left is a resort and its private beach. 

It started getting foggy the later that we stayed on the mountain. At least it added a cool effect to our photos!

Day 24: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; distance: 3181 miles/ 5119 kilometers
We went to the beach again today (it was our last beach day). Today, however, we went with some Argentine boys that one of the girls in our group had met at the hostel. We went with them to Sugarloaf yesterday, and we decided to chill at the beach together today! Instead of going to the stereotypical Ipanema or Copacabana, we went to Barra, a beach about 45 minutes from our hostel via bus. The waves were pretty rough so we couldn't really relax in the ocean, like we could at Ipanema or Copa. This meant, however, that we were all chilling in the sun for several hours... and even with sunscreen (and reapplication) we all got burnt! We've decided that it wasn't our fault that every single one of us got burnt despite putting on sunscreen- it is the sun! It is hotter and stronger here. One girl said her mom told here there was a hole in the ozone in this area- I'm not sure, but I sure know that this sun is tougher than the summer Arizona sun, which is pretty scary! 

Day 25: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; distance: 3181 miles/ 5119 kilometers
Today was a pretty cool, touristy day. We decided to get up early and go on a free city tour of downtown Rio (about 30 minutes away via metro). The tour was definitely longer than the two that I had taken in Chile (one in Valpo and one in Santiago, during Week 2) and much more expansive- we walked around the city for nearly three hours! We got learn some interesting Portuguese and Brazilian history and facts about its culture, and got to see several government and cultural buildings with amazing architecture. Additionally, we saw the Arcos de Lapa (Lapa Arches) and Las Escaleras de Selaron (Selaron Steps, or the Lapa Stairs). Lapa is the name of the neighborhood that holds both of these touristy sights. The Arcos are the remnants of an aqueduct system in the city, and the Lapa Stairs are several flights of concrete stairs that are decorated with tiles from all around the world. Much of the design was done by an artist named Selaron (thus the name). Pictures of both are below! After the tour, we checked out a nearby cathedral on our way back to our hostel and we spent the afternoon hanging out with the Argentines we had befriended a few days ago- today is their last day in Rio!

The architecture was stunning at this famous Rio cafe. Apparently, the Queen of England had a tea here.

This was one of the government buildings that we saw. It was kind of hard to keep them all straight, but I am pretty sure this is where modern-day legislation occurs for the state of Rio. Or maybe this was a left-over government building from when Rio de Janeiro was the capital of Brazil. Whoops!

Here are the decorated Lapa Stairs! I found several tiles donated from the US, including California and Georgia!

The Lapa Arches. They used to bring water from the Santa Teresa hill to the richer area of downtown Rio. Now, there is a trolley that takes visitors to and from the neighborhood of Santa Teresa, which is a favela.

This is the inside of the Catedral Metropolitana de São Sebastião, or the Metropolitan Cathedral of San Sebastian. It is in the center of Rio, and has a very strange cone-shaped exterior. This inside features four gorgeous stained-glass windows that go from floor to ceiling- each one is unique. 

Day 26: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; distance: 3181 miles/ 5119 kilometers
I saw Jesus today. Kind of. My group went to the Cristo Redentor statue on the Corcovado mountain today, known in English as the Christ the Redeemer. Although you can hike two hours to the top, we had been warned away from that by practically everyone we had talked to, so we decided to take the train. The weather wasn't playing nice today though- clouds covered what was supposed to be a spectacular view of the city and shielded Jesus's face from view for part of the time too. Regardless, it was really cool to see the massive statue and stand in awe at its power. My group spent about 40 minutes at the statue (after waiting one hour for the train and spending 20 minutes on the train!) to get the perfect picture. With so many people wandering around, it was really hard to get a good shot of you that didn't feature a stranger's arms or legs. After seeing the statue (and buying the obligatory souvenirs!) we headed back to the hostel for some lunch and to figure out our plans for tomorrow- 7 of the 9 girls in our group are heading off to São Paolo, and myself and one other girl are each changing hostels in Rio. A few girls and myself made some pizzas at the hostel (and by "made" I mean we stuck some frozen pizzas into the oven) and had a little dinner together- along with an entire gallon of Antarctica Guaraná (a popular soft drink here in Brazil, made with the guaraná plant).

The clouds cleared just enough for us to see parts of the city from Corcovado mountain.

This was probably the best shot that I got of the statue. Because of the clouds and the sun's position, the lighting on this photo turned out super cool. (There are no effects on this photo! #nofilter) 

I thought that I might include this photo for laughs- one of the many failed photo attempts of the day. 

Day 27: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; distance: 3181 miles/ 5119 kilometers
Today is the day- we are all departing from the hostel. Once we were all breakfasted and packed, we said our goodbyes (it will be over two weeks until I see them again!) and went our separate ways. I headed to my new hostel, which is only five blocks from this previous one, but cheaper and closer to the bus station. Plus, I figured a change of scenery would help me feel less 'stuck' in Rio- after nearly two weeks, I am getting anxious to leave and move on! I got lost trying to get there (thankyouverymuch Google Maps...), and when I found the building number that I was looking for, it was a restaurant- not a hostel! I guess a vehicle had been blocking the sign that said that the hostel was upstairs, but fortunately the hostel manager was inside the restaurant and noticed me looking dreadfully out of place. Hostel Made In Brazil, this new hostel, is probably the most basic hostel I have been in so far: the rooms were just large enough for two bunk beds (lacking almost any floorspace) and the room walls were flimsy metal-and-plastic panels. I settled into my new home for the night and then set off to go see the city. The other girls in the group I was in hadn't wanted to go inside the museums and government buildings that we had seen on our tour a few days ago, but I wanted to check them out! I first tried to go to the Teatro Municipal, which supposedly has stunning interior architecture. Unfortunately, for reasons of which I am still unaware, the Teatro was closed, even though it was around 2 pm on a Wednesday! Fortunately enough, the Museu Nacional de Belas Artes (the National Fine Arts Museum) was right next door. I was delighted to find that the entrance fee of around 8 reals (just about 3 dollars) had been waved- all day, the museum was free! I still have no idea why, but I was so excited to get 'free' anything- especially since I am running low on Brazilian dinhero! After walking around the museum, I crossed the street and headed up the steps to the Biblioteca Nacional (National Library), which holds every document, newspaper, journal, book, etc. ever published in Brazil. Although the upper two floors were closed, I was able to check out the building's stunning architecture and look at the main exhibit, which was on the persecution of Germans and the German language in Brazil. (Regrettably, I would have enjoyed the exhibit much more if I could have understood the documents and informational posters. Although Portuguese is similar to Spanish, it takes me waaay more brain power to read.) A security guard showed me a room full of the rarest pieces in the Library's collection. Upon opening the door to the room, I was assaulted by my favorite scent ever [NERD ALERT!]: the smell of old books. They're probably lucky that they got me out of that building before closing time. I headed back to my hostel and the WiFi crashed, so I headed to the shopping mall that was one block away and ate dinner at the food court while I used its free internet and sorted out the plan for tomorrow. 

The exterior of the Teatro Municipal. Apparently, despite the gold decorations, this building was not the most expensive to construct in the city.

A hallway in the National Fine Arts Museum. Along with sculptures (that were mostly replicas of scupltures in European museums), this museum held a large collection of Latin American and Brazilian art throughout the country's history.

The entrance staircase in the National Library. Absolutely beautiful! Unfortunately, the better photos that I have of the Library are on my camera- and I can't download those until I get back to BA. (But when I am able to post better-quality images, I will!)

Day 28: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; distance: 3181 miles/ 5119 kilometers
There was a plan for today, and it was a pretty solid one, if I do say so myself. With only one major issue: entertaining oneself for 16 hours is hard. Let me summarize: I have an international flight to Peru (!) at 6 am tomorrow, meaning airport check-in is at 4 am. Since buses run unreliably at that time in the morning, not to mention that the city is dark and I would have to check-out of my hostel at nearly 2 am, I just decided that I would pull an all-nighter at the airport tonight. I could sleep on my flight to Peru, which would re-set my body clock, and all would be well. This meant that I had to sleep in as late as possible this morning, and then mosey my way through the day, eventually making my way to the airport where I would keep myself entertained all evening. And the plan worked well, for the most part. I woke up at 11 am for a 12 pm check out, bought lunch and killed time at the mall, and eventually headed to the airport. Unfortunately, I didn't have to wait long for the bus to arrive at the stop, and it was regrettably efficient- meaning that I arrived to the airport at around 2 pm and now had over 14 hours to kill until check-in, not to mention more time until I actually boarded. Another unfortunate aspect of being at the airport was the lack of WiFi. It wasn't that I didn't have WiFi (remember the Cabo Blanco trip? Nearly 5 days without WiFi and I didn't care at all!). No, the problem was that I had to stay awake on too-little sleep (and be alert enough to avoid getting my stuff stolen) without WiFi. Which, although obviously doable, would have been much easier to do if I could have read random Wikipedia or news articles or something.

Another week done- finished faster than I imagined possible. I kept myself busy, but I am ready to leave and move on to the next chapter of this adventure- Peru. It's probably suiting that I stayed up all night in the city known for nightlife (although I'm not sure an airport all-nighter is what people have in mind...). I am, however, very excited to be heading to a country where I can speak the language and not have to pretend like I understood what a stranger said.
Tune in next week to hear about Cusco, Peru and my Machu Picchu hiking trek! (That is, if I haven't died on the trek by either falling or a sheer lack of athleticism...)

11:59 pm: I wonder what kind of weirdos show up to the airport after midnight. Although, I suppose that includes myself...

Besos,

Tina the Exploradora

Blue Backpack Break: Week 3

Hola todos,

Happy New Year! Last week's post about my second week on vacation had a major mistake- I missed a whole day! Click here to read about what I did on my very unusual Christmas Day.

This past week has been pretty interesting- from Christmas to New Years in Rio de Janeiro (with my birthday thrown in there too...), it seems like I was able to get a flavor of Rio while still relaxing- but, hey! Isn't that what vacation is about? Rio de Janeiro is SUPER duper hot and humid, so the ocean and air conditioning have been my two best friends. Check out the past week below!

Day 15: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; distance: 3181 miles/ 5119 kilometers
There isn't much to share about today- we slept in late and then my group met up with three classmates who are staying at a different hostel, and we went to the beach. Not just any beach- the famous Copacabana. It was packed, but we still found an awesome place to camp out. We met some Brazilians and hung out with them for part of the afternoon. Once the sun was setting, we went to dinner at Domino's (yes, the pizza place). It doesn't exist in BA, and Argentine pizza is NOT the same as American pizza. So when we can find American pizza chains, its practically a luxury item! Today was a fun and relaxing day, but I'm glad I brought my sunscreen on this trip! The sun is bright and hot (which is really weird for us, since it is December!)

The famous Copacabana. The view is great, the water and sand are amazingly clean, and it was a warm day but the water temp was perfect! 

 

Us hanging out at the beach! There are tons of cute food and souvenir shops along the street- I'll have to be careful not to bring too much money with me, or I might spend it all...

   Day 16: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; distance: 3181 miles/ 5119 kilometers
Happy birthday to me! My twentieth birthday was very strange. We woke up late and hung out at the hostel, waiting for the other group of students at the other hostel to wake up. When we finally met up to go to lunch, and then the beach, one of the girls in our group was feeling sick and the beach we were going to (Botafogo Beach) turned out to be disgustingly polluted! We decided to stay in the air conditioning and went back to our hostels to plan some activities for the rest of our time in Brazil. We went out to dinner tonight to a local Brazilian food restaurant where the waiters were really pushy and didn't leave us alone all night, which was awkward to say the least. The food was good though (to be explained in a future food post!) and we enjoyed the meal, despite the weird waiters. We headed back to the hostel, where some of the people there invited us out to a street party that was going on, to be followed by a favela party called Black Santa. We decided to go (don't worry- we made sure to have some guys with us for increased safety!) and ultimately had a blast. The street party was held in a downtown plaza- there was a live band, food stands, drinks, and tons of people! After hanging around there for a while, we went to a favela with a killer view of the city that had a party going on- there were a ton of people and the DJ was spinning some awesome tunes. A quick cultural lesson: favelas are poor, slum neighborhoods buried in urban cities. The houses are crammed together and usually built up a hill, and they are often dangerous for foreigners to wander into unawares. However, one of the guys in our group from the hostel was a volunteer in this favela who helped teach the children martial arts, so we were pretty sure that we were safe. We stayed at this Black Santa party until about 5 am... and then we couldn't get a cab until around 6! I was actually able to see the beginning of the sunrise from behind the mountains around Rio, which was breathtaking.
 

Some of the locals at the Black Santa party wanted to get a picture with us. I was told that, as a white blonde, I would stand out a lot; however, the two asian girls in our group were super popular among the locals because they were so foreign!

Day 17: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; distance: 3181 miles/ 5119 kilometers
After such a late night, I was surprised that I was able to wake up at 9 am to head to the beach with some of the girls in our group that hadn't gone out the night before. We met up and headed to the other famous beach in Rio de Janeiro- Ipanema. When we got to the beach at about 10:30 am, the weather was so hot that we were so anxious to get into the ocean! The waves were nice and the water was cool, but around 11:30 or so just about everyone was in the ocean, which made it super crowded! Unfortunately, one of the girls I was with had her stuff stolen while she was swimming- passport, money, phone, and clothes! We had to get back to the hostel so that she could figure out how to get a temporary passport to return to Argentina. The rest of today was just us hanging out at the hostel trying to help our friend out with her passport problems. I got a really bad sunburn at the beach today (whoops!), so I spent all evening in comfy clothes in air conditioning!
 

The famous Ipanema Beach in Rio de Janeiro! The sand was hot but the water was cool and the waves were fun to play in.

Day 18: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; distance: 3181 miles/ 5119 kilometers
Today, myself and three other girls in our group moved from a hostel to a hotel. During this peak holiday season, hostels are as expensive as hotels, so we decided to upgrade our living conditions! The hotel is half of the price of a hostel, especially since four of us are splitting a suite. When one of the girls booked the hotel, however, she didn't realize that the hotel was only in the state of Rio de Janeiro- not the city! (Rio de Janeiro, the city, is the capital of Rio de Janeiro, the state.) We had to travel 30 minutes via metro and then another hour via train to get to the hotel (which also explains why it was so much cheaper than housing in the city of Rio). When we finally walked into the nicely furnished lobby and checked in, however, we could not have been happier. It is totally worth it to have a semi-private bathroom that I don't have to wear flip flops into, and the bed is super comfy! Between the four of us girls, we have two bedrooms and two bathrooms connected by a little hallway. I cannot even begin to explain how nice and relaxing it is to not be in a hostel! (It will be pretty hard to switch back in a few days when the hostels in Rio are more reasonably priced...) We walked around the city of Nova Iguacu (where the hotel is) for a while and bought food at a grocery store. I cannot wait to fall asleep in a clean, plush bed tonight!

I cannot even begin to describe how it felt to walk into our hotel room (more like a suite than a room, actually). I know that I am a poor college student, but I felt pretty rich right about then!

Day 19: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; distance: 3181 miles/ 5119 kilometers
Being at this hotel, especially because our group is spending a total of two weeks in Rio, has changed the mode of my break from "go-go-go tourist" to "vacation time". Sleeping in a comfy bed (not to mention being able to sleep whenever I want- which is not the case in a hostel!), having a killer breakfast (not just different types of bread), swimming in a pool, and having a nice bathroom all really make a difference. I feel clean, well-rested, and, although I enjoy doing touristy things, I am also enjoying the reprieve from feeling the need to fill every day with tons of activities. Today we slept in, ate breakfast, and went back to bed. (What is my life?) In the afternoon, we went shopping at a local mall because the girls in my group wanted to wear white to the New Year celebration at Copacabana that we are going to tomorrow. It is a local tradition to wear white with red or yellow accents to the beach celebration, so we are going to try and follow custom!

This was the view from outside the bedroom window. Although we weren't in a super nice area of Brazil, we were definitely in the "real" Brazil that is raw and non-touristy.

Day 20: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; distance: 3181 miles/ 5119 kilometers
Today is the day- New Year's Eve day, to be specific. We slept in as long as we could in order to prepare ourselves for tonight- which we know is going to be a late one! We woke up around 1 pm and got ready to head to Copacabana (about a two-hour commute via train and metro again!) We all wore white and headed to the beach to meet up with some friends there. We had been under the impression that the beach would be packed with locals and tourists alike, since we had been told that over 3 million people would show up for the concerts on the beach as well as the midnight fireworks show. However... arriving at 5 pm was way too early. Whoops! (If I could do it again, I would show up closer to 10 pm.) We walked around, bought dinner, and then checked out some of the concerts. We couldn't get close to the music though because those areas were the most packed. There were a lot of drunk people, and guys started to grab me and my friends asking if we wanted to kiss them. Ew, no! We walked around the beach area, which by 10-ish pm was full of people and vendors. It was a great place to people watch, especially since there was a huge blend of foreigners and locals, rich and poor. The hotels right on the beach had set up exclusive dining areas with prime views of the beach and the sky for the show- they had transformed the cheap food stations along the beach into catered dining areas! We decided to stick our feet in the ocean for the fireworks, so we headed down to the water line. With our toes in the sand and getting splashed occasionally by waves (and me holding onto my phone for dear life so that it didn't fall into the ocean!), we counted down the last few minutes of 2014 until...

Day 21: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil; distance: 3181 miles/ 5119 kilometers
Feliz Ano Novo, or Happy New Year! The 20 minute firework show began. It was stunning- boats were out in the water shooting off the fireworks so that the ocean reflected the different colors of the sky. It was amazing! That is, it was amazing until we saw three people who were taking pictures of themselves and the show get their phones stolen by this pack of boys that was running through the beach. One of the boys was chased down by the person he stole the phone from, and he got beat up! It was super scary, so of course we all had a death grip on our side bags for the rest of the show. We also kept looking around to make sure that we weren't being surrounded by the thieves- you could pick them out because they were shirtless, moved in a pack through the crowd, and were the only people  moving along the beach at that time since everyone else was standing still and watching the show. Definitely the strangest New Year fireworks show I've been too. Afterwards, we walked back to Botafogo (all public transportation was closed!) where we were going to meet some people to go out and celebrate the new year. We tried to find where they were, but we ended up at a pretty lame house party with a bunch of drunk random people that we didn't know, so we ended up heading back to our friends' hostel. We couldn't head back to our hotel until 7 am because public transportation was closed, so we just stayed up and sat around at the hostel from around 3 am to 7am! It was super boring (I didn't even have WiFi!) and there were a bunch of drunk guys that kept being annoying.(Hey- after being up all night and then not going to a party that you thought would help you pass the time and having to sit at a hostel all night, you would be grumpy too!). I stayed up all night to wait for the metro, which we finally caught at 7 am. When we got to the train station, though, we had just missed our train, so we had to wait another 30 minutes for the next one! Eventually, we crawled back to hotel at around 9:30 am- just in time for the end of breakfast. We ate, showered, and crawled into bed. We woke up around 6  pm and tried to wander around town in search for dinner- but, of course, everything was closed because it was New Year's Day. We found a McDonald's that was open, so our New Year's feast was chicken burgers and fries. (Strangely reminiscent of my Christmas Day meal, as well...) Back at the hotel, we went to the pool and lounged around, but by 1 am we were exhausted again! What?! At least I don't need to forcefully reset my body clock!

Myself and my hotel roommate participating in the New Year's Eve white-out! I had to borrow that tank top because I only have three shirts with me, all of which are colored. 

 

I'm super bummed that I couldn't (safely) get more photos of the fireworks display- it was stunning! And the water reflecting the light was the best.

I can't believe it, but I have officially spent over one week in Rio de Janeiro. This week, full of different adventures from hotel changes to interesting Christmas and New Year's Day dinners, has been one for the memory books.

New Year's Day, aside from its obvious significance, was also a very special day because it marked the half-way point, quite literally, of my South American experience! On January 1st, I spent my 119th day in South America- and had 119 to go until my flight from Argentina lands in the US! This break and my South American experience are both over half-way complete! It's insane to think about how fast this all has gone- but there is still more to come! I have one more week in Rio until I depart for another country... so stay tuned! (And this next week, I am actually going to do touristy things other than go to the beach- I promise!)

Until next week...

Besos,

Tina the Exploradora