Rio de Janerio, Brazil

What to Pack

The first order of business is to pack light. Brazilians don't ‘dress up’... like AT ALL. I'm talking about going to the club wearing a t-shirt, shorts, and flip-flops. Even fine dining restaurants were filled with people in casual clothes. This was a real struggle for people like me who love dressing up.

Pack lots of sunscreen, bug spray, swimsuits, light, airy dresses, etc. Pack TUMs because you don't want to spend your entire vacation suffering in the bathroom. I was eating all the time, and this saved my life! You've been warned. It is also very important to pack American dollars.

I recommend you travel with $500 US dollars minimum in cash. Don't change your money at the airport; most hotels have currency exchange with better rates. You can also withdraw cash for a better exchange rate at an ATM. I wouldn't recommend this as your first choice as I don't think ATMs are that abundant.

In Brazil, their currency is called the Real. One dollar equates to about 5 reals, and the American dollar goes a long way in Brazil. They don't take USD cash in most places, but in almost all spots like restaurants, they accept credit/debit cards. Cash helps when shopping in the local markets, for tips, and when you want to just buy stuff on the beach. 100 reals, which is about $20, is very commonly spent.

Next, it will make life easy for you to download the Google Translate app because Portuguese is not for the weak! Communication was a struggle in Brazil, but the power of non-verbal communication came through a lot for me, ha! Portuguese is a Latin derivative like French and Spanish but also so different. I say this to say that most Brazilians will understand some Spanish, but they will respond in Portuguese. This may not be all that helpful for you but perhaps helpful enough to get a message across.

Covid is still around so make sure you have your negative PCR test within 72 hours of your flight or an antigen test within 24 hours of your flight. Most U.S airports have a covid testing site in case your results don't come on time before your flight. This happened to me. CVS almost made me miss my flight as they promised results in 1-2 days, and results came in 4 days when I was already in Brazil! Brazil also requires you to be fully vaccinated before stepping foot on their soil, understandably. Please do double check to make sure you are current with all the covid information needed at the time of your travel as things change unexpectedly.

When traveling internationally, truly get to the airport at least 3 hours beforehand. I'll even go as far as to say four or more hours since we are in a pandemic. The check-in lines were very long, so plan accordingly. Lastly, before you leave the U.S., call your cell phone provider to get on an international plan. I forgot to do this, and it was an inconvenience trying to get a hold of my service provider while in Brazil. I paid only $35 for ten days' worth of 5G data—well, it was mainly 3G or no G at times, but it was better than nothing.

Oh, and pack tequila if that's your drink of choice because finding tequila in Rio was like looking for a needle in a haystack. Now you're all packed, get ready to embark on your exciting journey!

The Journey

The journey from Dallas, TX, to Rio de Janerio, Brazil, took about 12 hours in total. The first leg of the trip was a 2-hour flight from Dallas to Miami, where we had a layover in Miami for 1.5 hours before an 8-hour flight to Rio. Most of the Rio flights are overnight, so if you can manage to fall asleep on the plane, you might just wake up when the plane is touching down. Some flights from other cities are direct to Rio, like Houston, TX. You could fly from your city to San Paolo, another major city in Brazil, then fly a couple of hours to Rio.

Lodging

Hilton hotel Cococabana beach, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

In terms of places to stay, I can only really talk about my lodging experience while there. We stayed at the Hilton Hotel in Copacabana Beach pictured above. This was the tallest hotel on the beach, and we were on the 32nd floor, so the views were magnificent! I really loved our hotel because it was nice and clean, and we had a very spacious suite with a full living room and two full bathrooms. I don't cut corners with my lodging when I travel, especially not in a foreign country over 5,000 miles away from home.

My hotel was smack on the beach. Literally, the hotel lobby to the beach was about 10ft. away from the sea. Another reason I loved staying at the Hilton was the impeccable service. We arrived at the hotel at 7 am, and they let us check in that early. Secondly, the hotel provides towels, umbrellas, and beach chairs on the beach. Overall, it was a great, comfortable stay. I personally will not recommend anyone visiting Rio for the first time to stay in an Airbnb. Safety should always be your number one priority in a foreign country.

Rooftop of the Hilton hotel Cococabana beach, Rio de Janerio, Brazil

Ipanema Beach seemed more upscale, so if you're the super bougie type, you might consider staying on Ipanema beach or in the Leblon area. However, Ipanema Beach is smaller and more congested, which explains why I preferred Cococabana Beach.

Food

Since our hotel was on the beach, there were several restaurants walking distance away. Think of Ocean Drive in Miami if you’ve been, with all those restaurants but not as many as that. We ate lunch at this one spot called Martinez. They didn't have English menus, but some apps translated menus for us, so use them when you go.

Before the trip, I decided that I would spend my time eating on this trip, and I did just that. Brazilian food seems to consist of a lot of meat, seafood, and fries. They love them some fries over there, and I do too, yum! I was disappointed they didn't have fried plantain anywhere. I searched far and wide, trust me. The food at Martinez hotel was ok tasting, but the cocktails were bomb! Cocktails were like $3 each, so I drank like a fish. I love a good cocktail and for that price, make it open bar, please!

The food in Brazil is so cheap compared to the United States; my meal of an 8oz steak with fries (and God knows how many cocktails) only cost 20 bucks. Like I said earlier, the American dollar will go a long way there. We had dinner at the Maguje Botanical Garden that night. The food here was ok but has really nice aesthetics. Be wary of ice in drinks as this may be from unfiltered water and may upset your stomach. Remember the TUMs!

I went to dinner in the Santa Teresa area, which was located in the downtown area. I got dressed up and went to this restaurant called Aprazivelle. My uber ride there was 30 minutes, and it cost me just $7. Yes, uber is dirt cheap there, so getting around is no problem. Ubers are available everywhere within a few minutes. I decided upon arrival to Rio that since food was so cheap, we would have dinner every night at a fine dining establishment. I mean might as well!

Night time views from Aprazivelle restaurant, Rio de janeiro, Brazil

This Aprazivelle restaurant was very chic; the weather at night was perfect, so I sat down outside and enjoyed the beautiful views of the city. The food was amazing—I had the tropical fish. As far as cocktails I would recommend the “aprazivelle” and the “beijo de jambu.”

Feeling slightly bold on vacay I tried octopus for the first and last time at that restaurant. Octopus seems to be their thing in Rio as almost every menu features it. I didn't expect the octopus to still be octopus-looking on my plate, ahhh! I still cringe at the thought of it. It tastes very rubbery and bland. It is not for the weak; that's all I'll say, lol. Nevertheless I tried it, and for that, I am glad.

Being in Brazil, naturally, I had to have dinner at Fogo de Chao (I learned it was of Brazilian origin on the trip). Unfortunately, I couldn't make it due to time constraints, so I opted for a similar fine dining restaurant just walking distance from our hotel. The food was good, but if you’re anything like me who gets full just by looking at food, I suggest you skip this type of restaurant setting.

Tereze Restaurant and Marius Degustare. I had planned to go to two well-reviewed restaurants, Tereze and Marius Degustare, but didn't get the chance. The latter is a popular artistic buffet restaurant and was a 5-minute walk from our hotel.

If you're fond of cooking your own meals, even on vacation, there's a supermarket a few blocks from the Hilton Hotel we stayed at. You can stock up on your water and snacks for your hotel room upon arrival to the hotel. I was so eager to try Brazilian snacks and soda from the supermarket. I got a bunch of cookies for the plane ride back, and everything was delicious! The supermarket is like any typical supermarket in the U.S. I tried a Brazilian soda called "wewi" with a smiley face on it. Little things like this excite me!

Overall, I'll say Brazillian food didn't blow me away, but it was good

.Entertainment

We were looking for a Brazilian club with good music, an actual dance club, ya know. We decided we would go to a strip club since it was a Thursday. It cost us $20 each to get in, and admission came with two free drinks (much to my amazement). We walked in, and not even two minutes later, we realized we were in a brothel! Let me just say this: Rio has many brothels, especially Cococabana since it is a tourist hub. Most 'clubs' serve dual purposes here, I soon realized.

We walked into this one spot called Casablanca, and the ratio of men to women was like 5 to 95! The women there were so aggressive, omg! They came to our section in droves just speaking Portuguese, and we couldn't understand a word. They were bringing out their phones to use Google Translate to ask us if we wanted sex in so many words.

Honestly, I felt so uncomfortable, yet so bad for these beautiful young girls in that lifestyle. The music was perfect, so all I wanted was to dance with my hubby, but I wasn't comfortable in a brothel. We were forced to watch our belongings like a hawk because I'm sorry to say, I'm sure those women would have grabbed something. Like I said earlier, locals in Rio are hustlers!

The club had a stripper pole, and one girl went up there to dance, but that was about it. They clearly had zero exotic dancer training. To summarize, this was no strip club but a full-fledged whorehouse. This experience was quite enlightening, I must say. The mental health professional in me wanted to talk to them. I just wanted to save them so badly, but in the famous words of J. Cole, "They don't want to be saved."

We left Casablanca and proceeded to a certain Pestana Hotel, with an outdoor club called Deck lounge with incredible beach views. This is apparently where Brazilians with long money stay. There was live music, and the Brazilians were genuinely enjoying themselves. I enjoyed watching them dance and just vibing to the music. I couldn't quite get into that particular music style, and my feet were on fire in my heels. Ladies, please don't bother with heels as people were wearing flip-flops, yo! After this day, I didn't wear heels out anywhere anymore. Lesson learned.

DECK LOUNGE BAR -Rio de Janeiro - Copacabana

Avoid the villa Mimaso area, which is apparently one of the most dangerous places in Rio—like real-life ghetto. We weren’t aware of this beforehand unfortunately. We were in our uber heading there when all of a sudden, we drove through a sketchy back alley. Our uber driver stopped the car and asked us if I was sure I wanted to go to this spot, saying how dangerous it was, etc. I remember us replying, "We don't mind," though we should have heeded his advice. I got out of the uber and walked into this spot.

We were welcomed with some knock-you-off-your-feet mustiness as soon as we got in. Gosh, I'm still disgusted about the smell as I type this. I felt very unsafe. I had this overwhelming, scary feeling of needing to get the heck out of there immediately! My uber could not come fast enough!

There were prostitutes there and very sketchy-looking people. I felt like it was at that moment it dawned on me that I was in a foreign country and, for the first time, I felt terrified. We got back in the uber, and I was legit shaking for a good 30 minutes.

What I have just described is a primary reason I decided to start this blog--to help others traveling to a foreign country for the first time. I'm willing to have these unpleasant experiences so that you don't have to. After that experience, I was so happy to return to the touristy beach Cococabana beach area.

Now let me share about a pleasant night out thanks to a club called Brusque, located in the Leblon area. You absolutely have to go here! It was exactly what we'd been looking for since we arrived in Rio. It was an indoor-outdoor club with great DJs, perfect weather, and beautiful people. I was litttttt in this spot! Hubby and I danced the night away and shazammed a couple of songs I am in love with now.

My hubby and I even found “our song.” Just thinking of that moment makes me so happy. It was indeed perfect in every way possible. Brazilian music is fabulous. Whenever you go to Rio, make sure you go here. This was on a Sunday, so I can't vouch for any other days, but I would assume it should be this way every weekend. Please don't take my word for it.

After having a blast, we left Brusque and decided to stop by a strip club next to our hotel called Marakesh. It was a small club, where they played only American music (think hip hop, pop). If you're looking for this vibe, this is not a bad place to end your night. Strip clubs/brothels close at 4:00 am or 5:00 am every day of the week.

Another club that was popping was called Vitrine (an indoor setup); check that out on Saturday. I didn't get a chance to go, but I know people who went while I was in Brazil, and they all reported they had a great time.

The Beach

The Hilton provided us with beach chairs, towels, and umbrellas, so my time on the beach was a breeze. The hotel service attendants set everything up for you when you arrive at the beach equipped with a big ol' smile.

The best part about the beach service was the availability of food and alcohol just a couple of feet from our lounge spot. They offered a great menu of meat, chicken, and fries with all kinds of freshly made cocktails with real fruit! Beware of cheap rum, as this can mess up your stomach. I stayed on the beach for hours upon hours, just eating and drinking without a care in the world. The food on the beach was amazeballs!

Since we are on the topic of the beach, let me let you in on a few things to take note of. DO NOT leave your stuff unattended even for one second. Remember that Brazil is still a third-world country, so people are hustling hard. Even though Copacabana is a high-density tourist area, many locals come to the beach selling everything under the sun.

While some people are trying to make an honest living, others are coming to steal. GUARD YOUR STUFF AT ALL TIMES.

To enjoy the best time there, I would recommend heading to the beach around 3 pm when the sun is not so overhead, and you can start to feel the ocean breeze. We went there at noon one day, and I almost passed out from the heat. Heed this advice. The sun sets around 6:30 pm in January and throughout the year, so you have a good 3.5 hours to enjoy the beach.

Cococabana Beach is a beautiful beach adorned with volleyball nets, a stunning sea, mesmerizing sunset views, and, of course, gorgeous people. The waves are mighty on this beach, so tread carefully. I got knocked off my feet by a wave, lost my earring, got sand stuck in my hair for two days, and my phone submerged in water. I'll advise you to leave your phone behind and any valuables on the beach before heading into the water.

There are usually so many children in the water just riding the waves, and it is such a beautiful sight to witness. If you are a fan of people-watching, Rio is definitely the place to do it. People always said Brazil had the most beautiful people in the world, and it turns out they were 100% right! Brazilians are so beautiful to look at, my my—bronzed even skin tones, beautiful hair, fit bodies, killer smiles.

It is evident that there has been so much mixing of people over the centuries that almost everyone looks racially ambiguous. So much glowing melanin on the beach. I just sat there mesmerized. Oh! I was looking hard for all the Brazilian butt lifts (BBLs), but I honestly struggled to find women with this shape. All the women there looked natural to me and super gorgeous.

Another thing to note is to practice saying "NO" sternly. I know that sounds harsh, but those beach vendors WILL take advantage of you. On my first day at the beach, these women who offered massages came up to me and asked if I wanted a massage. I politely replied no several times, yet one came behind me and started giving me a neck massage anyway.

Initially, I was irritated, but I won't lie... it felt great, so I let it go. She gave me a back and arm massage for less than 15 minutes and wanted to charge me $50, but I negotiated it down to $25. Still, see how I just spent $25 by force!

The next day on the beach, when she came around again, I looked her in the eye and said, "No!'" frown and all. No is a universal language, so they understand it even if they pretend they don't. I did admire their hustle, though.

Tourist Attractions

Christ the Redeemer Statue

Before you go to Brazil, don't make the mistake of booking any Christ the Redeemer tour as the prices are outrageous. I saw like $100 for a tour online. I can see how someone going to Brazil for the first time who likes to plan ahead might fall victim to this. It cost us $15 to go to and from the statue on an official Christ the Redeemer tour bus, which is available throughout the city and along the beach. Please save your money and get on one of these buses—plan for at least three hours for this excursion.

The trip from the Hilton in Copacabana Beach to the statue took us about one hour. The bus ride is a good 45 minutes up a winding mountain road. The views as you're going up the mountain are not as visible due to the trees but what awaits you at the top makes it worth the wait. The bus dropped us off, and we had to take a second bus to go further up the mountain. Then we climbed what seemed like a thousand stairs. Whew, I didn't think I'd make it, but I did, yippie!

As I climbed those stairs leading to the statue, the incredible views served as motivation to keep going. Once I got to the top and looked at the Christ statue, I was filled with such awe. It was magnificent, spectacular, extraordinary—you get the point. The vantage point looking up at the statue and the view of the sunlight cutting through the clouds gave me the most incredible scenery I've ever seen in my life.

Views from the stairs leading up to the Christ the Redeemer statue

As a proud Christian, that moment was very impactful. Remember to put your phone away after taking your pics and soak it all in. Our heads were literally so high in the clouds up there. We spent about 15 minutes there, about the average time people spend there. I later realized that there was a chapel under the statue. Welp.

There are about three gift shops as you head down from the statue. You can get all the souvenirs they sell here for much cheaper in the city. It is important to keep the tickets you purchased before the first bus as there are several checkpoints before you get to the statue, and you also need the ticket to get on the bus for the return trip.

By the time we got back to our hotel room, I was exhausted. It is hard to do anything else after that tour unless you maybe go first thing in the morning. It opens from 10 am-4 pm daily.

Selaron Stairs

I headed to the Lapa area to see the famous Selarón stairs. I got to the stairs, and as with any tourist site, it was packed. A little history of the stairs: "Made from tiles in the colors of the Brazilian flag in its 125 meters long, it was called 'The Great Madness' by the artist who dedicated himself exclusively to finishing the work started in the 1990s. After finishing the 215 steps of the ladder, Selarón dedicated himself to working in the surrounding area, putting more than 2,000 tiles from over 60 countries across the world."

Apparently, the artist died mysteriously in 2013. This is one of those must-see attractions in Rio, especially if you love art.

[Scary Moment Alert}

Before we left the stair area while waiting for our uber, a man we had seen earlier yelling at the police came to us, speaking Portuguese aggressively in our personal space. My hubby could tell he was a potential threat, so we clutched onto our belongings. It felt like forever before the uber came; all what while, this man was all in our faces talking, knowing we couldn't understand a word. Once we got in the uber, he tried to yank my friend's chain off her neck! Thank goodness she wasn't hurt.

I'm sharing this story to warn you to avoid standing around too long in certain areas and always be aware of your belongings. Assume that anyone who comes up to you is looking to steal. Better safe than sorry.

Hanging Cliff in Rio

I didn't get to do this, unfortunately, but this is one of those hallmark spots you have to visit. just google this and see all the awesome pictures! I heard the wait could be up to 6 hours so plan accordingly.

Adventure Time

Hang Gliding

If you've never heard of this, please Google it now to get an idea. I'm very adventurous, so I'll try almost anything once. You need to book this excursion ahead of time online, and the activity costs $115 per person. The mountain where we jumped off was in an upscale beach area, and we were taken up by car. I was then given instructions up there for about 10 minutes before take-off.

Quite frankly, learning that every instructor had to have had at least 10,000 flights before working there reassured me. Still, I was very nervous, but everything was fine with the world once I took off. It felt like I was flying, literally.

Below me spread incredible views of hillside mansions with pools, skyscrapers, and the beach. It lasted about 7 minutes. I was terrified of the landing, but the moment I touched the sand on the beach, I was so relieved I'd survived that experience.

Honestly, I probably wouldn't do it again, not because it wasn't fun, but just like skydiving, it's one and done for me, and thank God for keeping me alive.

Para Gliding

You should know that the max weight limit for hang-gliding is 200lbs. My hubby is over 200lbs, so he had to do paragliding instead. It is pretty similar with just a few tweaks.

In both adventures, the instructors give you your pics and videos of the experience immediately after for an affordable price. We went through a well-reviewed company and booked the entire adventure on Viator.

Shopping

Vendors will come to you on the beach, where you can buy jewelry, clothes, food, beach mats, etc. Honestly, they pretty much sell any and everything on the beach, so have cash on your person at all times. Being a tourist beach, everything there is overpriced. Avoid shopping on Sunday in the market as many shops will be closed.

There are several local markets in Rio, and I went to the Uruguaiana market. If you're reading this and were raised in West Africa, you'll understand when I say this market was exactly like the ones back home. It was packed with so many shops, and it was like a maze, so be careful as you can lose your starting point.

This market is where you want to keep your phone concealed and hold your purse tight! Come to this market as casual and simple as ever; the goal is to blend in with the locals. If I had my Kaba and head-tie, I would have worn that and even carried a Ghana-must-go bag to complete my look.

This is the spot to come to for genuine bargains. I recommend that you don't buy anything from the tourist areas as they are way overpriced. Come to this market and get it for 80% less.

For example, I purchased four earrings on the Stairs of Selaron for 100 reals, about $20. At the market, they were selling four earrings for 10 reals. This means that my 100 reals could have gotten me 16 freaking earrings and not 4! And I thought the vendor at the steps was doing me a favor when he added a fifth pair of earrings. Imagine!

So, save your coins and go to the market to shop—if you're brave. The market had many cute bags, bracelets, jewelry, and dresses. I went to that market primarily for dresses since many Brazilian women wore beautiful, flowy, colorful dresses.

It was just too hot that I couldn't stay in that market for too long, not to mention I was in flats versus sneakers. Next time I go to Brazil, I'll wear sneakers and spend no less than 2 hours in that market.

For those of you who weren’t raised in Africa, this Uruguaiana market will most likely overwhelm you, so please prepare yourself mentally for the organized chaos. I enjoyed negotiating down the price as it was nostalgic of my childhood in Cameroon, witnessing my mom "beat down the price."

Transportation

I'll recommend Uber as your best method of transportation. They are readily available, and I discovered that there was no difference between an Uber Black and an Uber X, and the cars were still slightly junky. A 45-minute Uber ride will cost you a whopping USD 10. Alternatively, you can rent a bicycle on the beach and drop it off at bike drop areas around the city.

The subway is also an option if you want to test the waters and are familiar with this mode of transportation. Typically, as a Texan, I wouldn't choose this method of transport, but I did take the subway with the guidance of a friend who used to live in Brazil.

The subway was clean and an accurate representation of the people of Brazil as far as aesthetics. I found out the subway doesn't go past the affluent areas like in most places in the western world—I guess the rich don't want public transportation next to them.

Learning Corner

"Obrigado" is the Portuguese word I used the most, which stands for thank you. "Favela" is what they call slums in Brazil. This is where a lot of the poor people live. About 1/4 of the population live in these. AVOID AVOID AVOID!! These are very dangerous. Apparently, they don't pay tax, so it's the Wild Wild West out there.

I could see the favelas behind the fancy hotel on the beach from our rooftop pool and remember being fascinated by witnessing the clear vision of the wealth gap between those two areas.

Closing Remarks

Ok, folks, there goes by Rio trip. I hope all this was helpful, and if you have any questions, hit the 'Contact Me' tab, and I'll be ready to answer them. Don't forget to share the blog with any family or friends thinking of going to Rio de Janerio. I can't wait to share my next trip with you.

On a final note, Obrigado por visitar meu blog! :)