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Photo by Eva Barbier

Brazil

Why Brazil?  Diverse & friendly people, picturesque beaches, fun loving culture. 
Dates traveled: January 2009
Itinerary: 2 days in Rio, 3 days in Buzios, 1 month in Sao Paulo (work)

Eat, drink, be merry....snooze

Rio: We stayed at the Sofitel, conveniently located right between Copacabana and Ipanema beaches.  We enjoyed the beach in the morning and then visited the Pão de Açúcar (sugarloaf mountain).  A cable car lifts you to the top of the mountain, providing stunning, sweeping views of the city along the way. Definitely worth the trip. We didn't have time to hike up to Cristo (pictured above) but it is on our list for the next visit.   At night we ate a typical Brazilian dish called feijoada at Casa da Feijoada near Ipanema.  Chris loved it.  Eva preferred Brazil's other signature dish - moqueca.

Buzios: We stayed at Casas Brancas, a lovely boutique hotel situated near town. This hotel has amazing views and a great restaurant that serves delicious caipirinhas.   However, the service could have been better and they botched our airport transfer so we had to negotiate a rate on our own at the hectic Rio airport. See our full review of the hotel on Trip Advisor.  We visited several beaches in Buzios and enjoyed shopping downtown on a rainy day.

Packing Ideas

Sao Paulo: I spent a month here working on a rotation with my company and loved it. The city is HUGE and full of wonderful restaurants, bars and shopping. The best part of this trip was definitely the people - friendly, hardworking and fun loving!  I stayed in a 1 bedroom apartment at the Gran Estanconfor Itaim, located in Itiam-Bibi, a very cute neighborhood, near shopping, restaurants and a short run from Ibirapuera Park. Some of my favorite experiences included: trying new fruit at the Mercado Municipal, seeing Funk Como Le Gusta perform at Bourbon Street Music Club, drinks on the roof deck of Hotel Unique (shaped like a watermelon), eating noodles in the Japanese neighborhood of Liberdade, seeing the diverse art collection at the Sao Paulo Museum of Art, running through Ibirapuera Park,  going out for cafe & brigadiero, visiting the Sao Paulo Cathedral, and shopping.

Shopping:  I really enjoyed the fashion in Brazil. If you are in Sao Paulo check out the Iguatemi mall.  Some of my favorite stores were Animale & Farm. Paulistas are fashion forward and they embrace color. Note, it does not come cheap! After traveling throughout Argentina with just a carry-on, I thought I could purchase work attire in Sao Paulo for a small investment. Wrong. Clothing prices in Brazil are higher than in NYC.  However, it was a blessing in disguise because now I have a couple interesting pieces that I wear all the time.

Tunes

Sergio Mendes - Magalehna
Gustavo Lima - Balada Boa 
Sergio Mendes - Mais que Nada
Black Eyed Peas -  Mas que Nada
Bellini - Samba de Janeiro 
Seu Jorge - Tive Razao
Elis Regina e Adoniran Barbosa - Tiro ao Álvaro
Cartola e Leci Brandão - Deixa Pra Lá
Michel Telo - Ai se eu te Pego
Marcelo D2- Desafabo (ff to 1:38)
Axa Bahia - Gata Brasileira
Joao Gilberto - Corcovado (Miles Davis does a great instrumental version)
Stan Getz /Astrud Gilberto - Girl from Ipanema 

Tips

Safety first: While most Brazilians are very friendly, there is still a lot of crime here, often violent. Be more careful than usual: never wear expensive jewelry, always take a taxi from a taxi stand (do not hail a cab here), do not walk around with expensive gadgets (ie phone, laptop bag). Avoid driving, but if you do drive, choose an inconspicuous vehicle and try not to stop at red lights at night...carefully roll through them. Don't walk alone and avoid questionable neighborhoods (especially favelas). The last thing we want to do is scare people from visiting because Brazil is truly a worthwhile destination. Just be smart, extra vigilant, and always pay for the safest alternative.