Impressive Iguacu Falls

Brazil shares Iguacu Falls with Argentina. Although smaller in area, Iguacu Falls in Brazil is still impressive. It is easy to go the Falls from the town of Foz de Iguacu. You simply catch a bus from the local bus station costing R$2.65 (US$1.50) to bring you to the Parque Nacional de Iguacu.

At the Park, you have to pay an entrance fee of R$41 (US$23) for a full day tour of the Falls area. There is a free double decker bus that you can take to go to the different sites in the park. You will need at least half a day to fully enjoy the scenery at the park and best time to come is in the morning.

Rio's Beaches

Copacabana


Flamengo


Ipanema

Rio de Janeiro is blessed with three stunning beaches alongside each other. Ipanema Beach on the north side is where the you will find the cleanest sand and waters and this is where the wealthy Brazilians go. In the middle of Ipanema and Flamengo is Copacabana beach which also attracts the middle class crowd.

My favorite is Flamego Beach where you will find the best scenery.The polluted sea is more than compensated by the real great views of the Pao de Acucar and the Cristo Redentor. Across the beach is the Parque do Flamego where there a number football fields and sports courts, and paths for joggers and skaters.

Sweet Pao de Acucar

Pao de Acucar (Sugar Loaf) provides stunning views of Rio de Janeiro confirming that Rio may indeed be the most beautiful city by the sea in the world.

Again there was a huge crowd when I got there, but still the breathtaking scenery from the peak of Pao de Acucar did not disappoint! To get to the peak, you need to take a cable car. Another option for those who are really physically fit and adventurous is to do the granite hugging climbing tours to the summit.

Rio's Peak

Atop the Corcovado Mountain, the statue of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) stands watch over the city of Rio de Janeiro. This world famour statue on top of the mountain as seen from the Flamengo beach area is impressive. But what is more awesome are the spectacular views of Rio and its surroundings at the top of the Corcovado Mountain.

Unfortunately, I was there during Good Friday of the Holy Week which is long weekend holiday in Brazil, and the place was crowded with local tourists. Furthermore, I was with a tour group and we had only a short time to enjoy the place. This top tourist attraction of Rio de Janeiro is a place to be enjoyed and savored at leisure. I would have wanted to linger and enjoy the awesome views at my own pace. Maybe next time...

Rio's Centro

Apart from Rio de Janeiro's beaches and mountains, you can also enjoy its downtown area with its historic buildings, museums, theaters, a truly awesome library, and samba clubs.

Rio's downtown center can be explored on foot and this will take about half a day if you do it at a leisurely pace.

Beaches of Paraty

Another reason to go to Paraty are the numerous fine ivory sand beaches in Paraty and the surrounding islands. Paraty actually has some 65 islands and 300 beaches in its area. There are boat cruises (5 hours cruise cost about US$40) that leaves from its port and this will take you to the better beaches in the vicinity.

However, if you are from Southeast Asia like me, the beaches and islands will not impressed since the scenery is similar to what we have in the Philippines. Time will be better spent enjoying the town.

Paraty's Colonial Past

Paraty is one of the most appealing places in Brazil because of its beautifully restored colonial houses. The colonial center is closed to vehicular traffic and allows for a truly enjoyable walks in its cobblestone streets to see the many white painted structures with colorful doors, windows, and wall borders.

The town is also an art center with many artists, writers, and craftsmen who have decided to settle here. One should not miss Paraty if you are already in Sao Paolo or Rio de Janeiro since the place is only six hours by bus from Sao Paolo, and four hours from Rio de Janeiro.

Subway Sao Paolo

A tourist attraction by itself is Sao Paolo's Metro, an efficient and modern subway system. For Brazilian Pesos 3.0 or US $1.76, your can go to any of the important tourist destinations in Sao Paolo.

The Metro is the best in South America and is one of the best in the world! This clean and efficient subway system made my short visit to Sao Paolo even better because it allowed me to reach my destinations in the fastest possible way at a very reasonable price.

Lovin Sao Paolo

It was not love at first sight for Sao Paolo. At first it seems to be just an ordinary city. But as you stay on, this city grows on you. The many parks, the modern and efficient subway, the historical sights and modern buildings all combine to make it a wonderful city to visit.

There are also numerous weekend markets, art events, museums, trendy shopping areas and restaurants that gives Sao Paolo, a New York feel. So even if I had no intention of visiting Sao Paolo and I was just forced to see it because my plane landed here and I had to go from here to my other destinations, I was glad that I had the opportunity to visit this charming Brazilian city.