Overview
This is part 6 of a 6-part series which covers the Brazil portion of our 54-day journey. Our trip took us through Central America and then down the west coast of South America to Antarctica before ending in Brazil.
The Complete Series can be found here:
Part I — Central America & the Panama Canal: The Journey Begins
Part II — Across Ecuador & Peru: Markets, Monasteries, and Lost Civilizations
Part III — Chile: Ten Days Along the Edge of the Andes
Part IV — Argentina, The Falkland Islands & Antarctica: To the End of the World
Part V — Uruguay Beach Resorts and Wineries
Part VI— Brazil: The Final Stretch North
Itajaí, Brazil – A Road Trip into Brazil’s German Heartland
Our next port of call is Itajaí, Brazil, a bustling port city located in the state of Santa Catarina, Brazil. It was Founded in 1860 and sits at the mouth of the Itajaí River. It is known for its strategic maritime importance, vibrant cultural mix of Portuguese, German, and Italian influences, and its role as a major hub for shipping and trade in southern Brazil. We enter the mouth of the Itajaí river which takes us up through the city center before arriving at our pier about an hour later. It’s a bright beautiful day and from here we set off on a road trip into one of the most unexpected cultural pockets of the entire voyage.
Heading Inland from Itajaí
The plan for the day is to explore Blumenau, a region originally settled by German immigrants in the 1840’s. This region also attracted Italians and people from the Portuguese Azores, but it’s predominantly influenced by Germans. As we ride through the countryside, we see more flat land than expected, but the hills off in the distance add ambiance.
A Textile Capital Built on Reinvention
Today the area is a major textile hub – especially for bikinis and swimwear. For miles and miles before reaching Blumenau, the road is lined with shops full of mannequins in swimsuits as well as billboards advertising every style imaginable. Apparently, a significant portion of the world’s swimwear is produced here. Who would have thought? Early German settlers realized they couldn’t grow wheat in this climate, so they had to pivot – and textiles became the answer. The shift shaped the entire region. The city’s specialized factories and skilled workforce have positioned it as a major hub in the international swimwear industry.
A Slice of Germany in Southern Brazil
We spend the afternoon exploring German-themed houses and businesses. We learn Blumenau hosts the second-largest Oktoberfest in the world, drawing over a million visitors each year. You can see the scale of the festival in the massive Bavarian-style buildings throughout the town – beer halls, timber-framed facades, and architecture that looks like it was lifted straight out of Bavaria.
Lunch
We have a delicious German-style lunch near the center of the Oktoberfest area. We then wander around and explore.
Museum Area
Next we visit the Museum da Familia Colonial (aka The Founders Museum) which provides a glimpse into the lives of Blumenau’s early settlers. It showcases artifacts, photographs, and living spaces highlighting the challenges and daily routines of the German immigrant families who helped shape the city.
Beer Garden
We don’t have time to go through the Museum of Beer but we do have time to sit down at the museum’s beer garden to enjoy a beer on a patio overlooking the river and the city.
A Fascinating Cultural Detour
Blumenau is a fun and fascinating look at a unique area of Brazil. It is a place where history, immigration, and adaptation created something completely unexpected. It was a memorable day and a reminder of how many layers this country has.
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Porto Belo & Florianópolis, Santa Catarina – Beaches, Bridges & A Wild Lunch Story
A Delayed Start in Porto Belo
Our day starts a little differently than planned. We are supposed to leave at 7:00am, but the water is choppy enough to delay the tender by half an hour. We make the twenty-minute ride from the ship to a small dock on the outskirts of Porto Belo – a surprisingly large region, home to nearly fifteen million people when you include the greater metro area.
Once ashore, we find our bus driver and guide Isaac. We are delighted to learn only sixteen people are on the tour making it feel relaxed and personal. Isaac speaks excellent English and we soon learn why. He had done an internship in Arkansas and now teaches high-school English in Brazil. His clarity and enthusiasm make the entire day richer.
The Road to Florianópolis
The drive from Porto Belo to Florianópolis takes about an hour and twenty minutes giving us time to watch the Brazilian coastline and countryside. This part of Santa Catarina feels surprisingly modern – new condos everywhere, huge shopping centers, outlet malls, and constant construction. It has the energy of a fast-growing, first-world region, though definitely crowded.
Along the way, Isaac gives us a history lesson. Santa Catarina was settled largely by Portuguese from the Azores as well as Germans and Italians. Unlike northern Brazil, this region never developed a plantation-based slave economy. The demographics reflect that history and more than 90% of residents identify as white Europeans. It’s a very different cultural mix from the sugarcane regions farther north. He also tells us that at one point, the government outlawed the use of any language except Portuguese, so Italians and Germans left to live in other areas.
Exploring the Historic Center
Our first stop in Florianópolis is the city square. From there we walk to Praça XV de Novembro – November 15th Square – which commemorates Brazil’s independence from Portugal. We visit the Catholic church on the square, admire the monuments, and learn about the historical figures honored there.
Public Market
Afterward, we head to the public marked for about 45 minutes of browsing. The main market is a huge indoor complex, but the surrounding streets are full of lively vendors as well. We quickly find our traditional shot glass souvenir for about $1.55, then wander through the vendor stalls. Nancy picks up a wooden spoon carved from the famous red Brazilian hardwood – and later realized it cost $1.12 (once the charge showed on the credit card). She jokes she would’ve gotten more if she’d realized it.
A Bridge with a Story
Before leaving the city, we stop at a viewing platform overlooking a massive suspension bridge built in 1926. It was designed by The American Bridge Company – the same firm that built a similar bridge in Ohio. When the Ohio bridge collapsed years later, inspectors discovered a major flaw (a cracked link) in the Florianópolis bridge as well. Due to layers of bureaucracy and contractor delays, it took nearly 28 years to repair and reopen. It’s a striking landmark. A nearby restaurant has one of the cracked links on display.
Our driver makes a wrong turn on the way back which leads to some tight, narrow-street maneuvering. At one point our guide hops out and directs him through a tricky corner. We didn’t realize we were off-route until we nearly reached the bridge again. It iss an entertaining detour.
Lunch Drama at the Brazilian Steakhouse
Our tour includes a late lunch at the modern, upscale Ataliba Churrascarias Brazilian steakhouse. As we scan the others at the restaurant, we recognize several people from our ship. Brazilian steakhouses typically have a buffet for appetizers and side dishes while servers come to the tables with a wide variety of skewered meats that are cut onto your plate. We enjoy mostly different types of steaks, but also chicken, sausages and pork.
Midway through the meal, a woman from another tour group tries to open an enormous glass sliding door between the seating area and the buffet area, easily 15 to 20 feet tall. She tries pulling it open rather than sliding it open and something goes wrong. The door suddenly comes off its track – she shrieks and ducks to the side as it falls to the ground and shatters on impact. We watch it happen and time seems to move in slow motion. Miraculously, it misses everyone. As you can see in the photo, it was a good thing there weren’t any tables where it fell. It’s one of those moments that stays burned in your memory.
The Ride Back and a Quiet Evening
The return trip takes longer thanks to heavy traffic near the port. It is stop-and-go for quite a while, but it gave us a chance to see even more of the new construction shaping the area. Clearly, the region is booming, though they’ll need to rethink traffic flow soon. By evening, we are still full from the steakhouse, so Nancy orders a room-service delivery of a margherita pizza and a cheese plate. We watch a couple of movies and drift off to sleep after a full memorable day in Santa Catarina.
Santos & São Paulo, Brazil
A Long Glide Through the Port of Santos
We pull into the harbor of Santos early in the morning and begin the long cruise through its massive port. The harbor stretches nearly 10 miles through the city and the ship crawls along slowly enabling us to have great views of Santos itself. This area is a major summer destination. It regular population is about 500,000 residents, but the populations can swell to several million on peak days as people from all over Brazil flock to the coast.
It takes almost an hour after entering the harbor to finally reach our dock where 2 other MSC ships are already tied up. We grab breakfast, head down to the terminal, and make our way through a proper cruise passenger facility with tighter-than-usual security. Once outside, we board our bus and meet our guide, John.
Santos to São Paulo
The drive from Santos to São Paulo takes about an hour and a half, climbing steep switchbacks into the mountains. The views are stunning – unfortunately mostly on the opposite side of the bus. We hope the return trip will give us an additional opportunity for photos, but we ended up taking a different route back with views again on the wrong side of the bus. Thankfully, we hand our camera to folks on the other side, and they snap some pictures for us.
First Impressions of a Megacity
Greater São Paulo is home to around 15 million people, and it shows. It’s heavily industrial, with car manufacturing and countless factories. The city sprawls endlessly, with a mix of concrete buildings, dense neighborhoods, and areas that look like deep poverty. Our guide explains that many residents in those areas work in the factories nearby. Traffic crawls as we passed a jumble of small shops, repair stalls, and worn-down buildings. It’s not the cleanest city, at least what we see.
A 1920’s Italian Designed Museu do Ipiranga
Our first stop is a massive museum built by Italian architects in the 1920’s – Museu do Ipiranga. The building is grand and beautiful, surrounded by French-style gardens. It sits up on a hill with sweeping views to the city below. We don’t go inside – it is a photo stop. It is a photo stop not only for us, but apparently it is a popular place for Brazilians to take photos. The place is buzzing with (mostly) women in elaborate dresses posing for photos. Some appear to be graduation photos, some are wedding photos and a few are capturing 21st birthday celebrations. We even watch a couple staging their engagement proposal for those perfect photos. We spend about 30 minutes there before moving on.
Railways and a Touch of England
Our next stop wis São Paulo’s major art museum, supposedly the second most important museum in Brazil. It sits beside a huge British-built railway station from the early 1900’s that looked like it is lifted straight out of England. It even has a tower reminiscent of Big Ben.
Pinacoteca Art Museum
The Pinacoteca Art Museum itself is filled primarily with modern art – the kind that makes you wonder whether a third grader could have done most of it. We aren’t particularly impressed, but the architecture of the building itself makes up for it.
A Drive Through the City Center
After the art museum, we do a driving loop around the city center, passing the enormous cathedral and several grand old buildings. We don’t get out, but we get a good overview. What stands out the most are the vast number of people living on the streets, many clearly struggling with addition. Our guide assures us the area is safe now thanks to heavy police and military presence. Overall, São Paulo isn’t a city we feel the need to ever return to.
Lunch
Lunch is at D’Brescia Churrascaria – another Brazilian steakhouse. It is decent, though the one in Florianópolis was better. The place is huge, packed with several hundred people. Afterward, we visit one of the city’s major parks, see a few monuments and watch crowds enjoying the warm, sunny weather of the afternoon.
Back to Santos
The drive back to Santos is similar to the morning – a mix of modern high-rises, aging infrastructure, and dense neighborhoods. We also make a quick stop at the Monument of the Bandieras which honors the explorers who ventured into the interior of Brazil in the 17th and 18th centuries. We arrive at the dock around 5:30pm and head back onboard.
Parati, Brazil – A Long, Colorful, Exhausting Sunday
A Chaotic Arrival
The tenders start running around 10:00am and sure enough, it is a full 45-minute ride from the ship to the dock. When we step off the tender and it feels like half of Brazil is here boarding one of close to 100 party boats. Many have water slides and all are gearing up for a big Sunday out on the water. We’d been warned that Parati gets crowded on the weekends, and they weren’t exaggerating. It takes some effort to push through the crowds pouring onto the pier while we walk against the grain.
Into the Historic Center
Once we clear the chaos, we walk along a vendor-lined path selling beer, ice cream and souvenirs. We finally make it into the historic center, and it is worth every bit of the effort. Parati is stunning – a dense collection of colorful colonial buildings, old churches, and cobblestone streets. The stones are laid in an oval pattern, and at high tide, the streets actually flood. When we arrive, that water is out and streets are dry. We notice the little wooden bridges set up for later when the water is in.
Back in Punta del Este, Uruguay, we met a couple named Marcia and Lou. Lou had been in an auto accident about 2 years ago and his injuries make it challenging and painful to walk on cobblestone, so he opts to stay back on the ship today. Marcia appreciates hanging with us rather than exploring solo. The three of us wander through town, browse souvenir shops and take plenty of photos of the churches and narrow streets. Nancy accidently left her sunglasses back on the ship, so she enjoys finding a pair to wear on this super sunny day and gives her another souvenir.
Lunch Before Our Tour
With our tour time approaching, we find a small restaurant for lunch – Cana da Praça Cachaça Bar. No one speaks English, but with Google Translate, we manage just fine. We split a traditional chicken-and-rice dish; Marcia orders a caprese salad. Together we enjoy a relaxed hour with a couple of beers.
A Delayed Departure
We walk back to the dock to meet our 1:30pm tour group – only to learn the tour is delayed. First, they say 15 to 20 minutes, which turns into 45 minutes, but this gives us time to wander back up into the outskirts of town and watch the tide coming in and flooding the streets. We later learn the morning tour group was delayed because their tender got stuck on a sandbar and had to be towed off – and since their tour started late, ours is now delayed.
Into the Mountains and Rainforest
Our group of around 30 is split into groups of 4 to 6 into 4×4 jeeps for our off-road adventure. Our first stop is a waterfall high in the Serra da Bocaina forest. The hike through the rainforest to the waterfall is beautiful, though the rocks are wet and slippery. Harrison falls and gashes his hand. Nothing serious, but the guide has alcohol to clean the cut and he also wraps it.
Pedra Branca Distillery
After that we visit Pedra Branca, a small sugarcane distillery producing cachaça (pronounced ka-cha-sah) and we sample a few varieties. The setting is gorgeous, tucked deep inside the forest.
Second Waterfall
Then we visit another waterfall and this one is full of local families enjoying their Sunday. Kids and young adults are sliding down smooth rock formation like natural waterslides – it reminds us of Slide Rock in Sedona, Arizona.
Back to the Ship
As we return to the dock and the ship, the last of the party-boat passengers are still disembarking. It’s funny to think that while we’d spent the entire day touring the town, eating lunch, and exploring the mountains and Atlantic forest – the party-boat crowds had spent the same hours out on the water and are only just returning.
Angra dos Reis, Brazil
Originally, our next port call was Ilha Grande – but there was a scheduling mix-up that wouldn’t allow us to anchor. Only one ship can be in near the port at time and our ship is sent instead to nearby Angra dos Reis. We are grateful we don’t have a tour booked for today or it would necessitate additional transportation from Angra do Reis to Ilha Grande for the tour.
Angra dos Reis is a picturesque coastal municipality in the state of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil and is known for its stunning bay dotted with over 300 islands. We just plan to hang around the town harbor exploring on our own and then find a great place for a late lunch.
Exploring the Town
We spend a couple hours walking the streets and soaking in the views and the people before spotting Casa da Picanha as a possible place for lunch.
Late Lunch and live music at Casa da Picanha
Casa da Picanha turns out to be a pretty good choice. The food is great and we have live music. We hang out for a part of the afternoon just listening to music and watching the world go by before heading back later in the day. It is nice to have such a relaxing day after yesterday’s long adventure. For the record, picanha is a specific cut of beef taken from the top of the rump (also known as the sirloin cap in English-speaking countries). It is one of the most beloved cuts of beef in Brazil.
Búzios, Brazil – Rain, Pizza & People-Watching
A Gray Morning in Búzios
We arrive in Búzios under an overcast sky and today’s weather forecast calls for rain around noon. We decide to head ashore around 11:00am, taking the tender in. It is already spitting rain and our rain jackets are doing their job keeping us dry. We set out to walk the main strip, turning left toward the Brigitte Bardot statue. The actress made two several month-long visits here in 1964 for some self-reflection. These trips helped put Búzios on the international tourism map! The rain starts picking up so we decide to head in the other direction to explore.
A Locals Beach Town
Búzios feels more like a locals’ beach town than a polished tourist stop – small shops, casual cafes, and a relaxed vibe. Unfortunately, as the forecast has predicted, the rain becomes heavier. Umbrellas go up, and the rain keeps coming, so we duck into a little pizza place that looks promising. We are lucky to beat the rush and snag an inside window table overlooking their covered outdoor patio. For the record, the overhang isn’t doing much to keep the outdoor tables and chairs dry.
Pizza, Beer and a Two-Hours of Rain
With the menu entirely in Portuguese, Google Translate once again becomes our best friend. We end up with a surprisingly delicious Brazilian pepperoni pizza. Harrison has a few local beers, and Nancy enjoys the traditional drink called Caipirinha (made with the cachaça liquor we tasted at the distillery yesterday). Since the rain doesn’t look like it is going anywhere, our lunch turns into two hours of people-watching. The shop across the street is selling clear ponchos nonstop. Plenty of people are completely soaked – mostly beachgoers in swimsuits and coverups who had clearly surrendered to the weather.
Heading Back to Pack
The rain finally eases up around 2:30pm, so we head back to the ship. With disembarkation coming up in 2 days and full-day tour tomorrow, it seems like a good time to pack after 2 months of adventuring.
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Sugarloaf, Christ the Redeemer & a Rain-Soaked Adventure
A Gray Moody Arrival in Rio
It is six in the morning when Harrison heads up to the Horizons Lounge to grab some coffee and watch the ship ease its way into Rio. The scene outside feels a little ominous – low clouds, steady rain, and that gray, moody light that makes you wonder what kind of day you’re about to step into.
Sugarloaf Mountain
After breakfast, around 8am, we head down to meet our excursion: a “Highlights of Rio” small-group tour. Sixteen of us board a compact bus and set off through the port area, winding our way toward the cable car station for Sugarloaf Mountain.
Sugarloaf is actually two massive granite monoliths, each reached by its own cable car. The cars hold up to 65 people, so they move crowds quickly. Even in the misty, foggy rain, we look up and catch glimpses of the famous Christ the Redeemer statue peeking through the clouds – an early preview of what is ahead!
At the first summit, we are surprised by how large the area is. There are restaurants, food stands, souvenir shops, and wide viewing platforms offering sweeping views of Rio – even with the clouds drifting in and out. Nancy grabs a latte, we find a shot glass for the collection and Harrison snaps several decent photos before we take our second cable car ride to the second monolith.
The second peak has a similar setup – vendors, cafes and more viewpoints. There’s also a small hiking trail that winds down the side of the mountain. Harrison explores the area while Nancy browses the shops. After about forty minutes, we take both cable cars back down and rejoin our bus. It is pretty high at the top and at one point we are looking down as airplanes land at the smaller regional airport in Rio. As we leave, we run into some of the monkey’s that live on top of the mountain.
Christ the Redeemer
Our next stop is the iconic Christ the Redeemer, the world’s largest Christ statue sitting at the top of the 2310-foot-high Mount Corcovado. It is the largest art-deco-style statue in the world. Begun in 1922 and completed in 1931, it stands 98 feet tall and the outstretched arms span 92 feet.
The rain picks up again, so we pull on our jackets. An antique cog railway carries us up the mountain in about 15-20 minutes. It was built during construction to transport supplies. From the station, it is then a climb of roughly 220 steps to reach the top. There’s also an elevator, but we opt for the stairs. When we first arrive, the fog is so thick we can’t even see the statue’s head. The crowds are intense – people posing with outstretched arms to mimic the statue’s pose. There are endless selfies, even women in flowing dresses doing full photo shoots. It is usual big attraction circus we often encounter. After about five minutes, the clouds shift just enough to reveal the statue and even a partial view of Rio below. We grab our photos while we can. There is a small chapel inside the base of the statue where a mass is underway. We peek in and continue on.
Copacabana Beach
Back down the mountain, we drive to Copacabana Beach, one of Rio’s most iconic stretches of sand. We are reminded it is NOT the same Copacabana immortalized in the Barry Manilow song of the same name – that’s in Havana, Cuba. It is, however, the setting for “Rio Carnival”, an annual festival one might compare to Mardi Gras in New Orleans. Carnival is the world’s largest and most vibrant festival, blending samba, street parties and elaborate parades in a week-long celebration before Lent. It dates back to the late 16th century. We can’t begin to imagine the crowds as they estimate 2 million people participate each day.
Another Brazilian Steakhouse
Lunch is at yet another Brazilian Steakhouse – Rio Brasa – this one overlooking the water. The food comes fast and nonstop – skewers of meat, side dishes and those addictive little cheese-filled pastries. Having been to two steakhouses already on this trip, we’ve learned not to bother with the buffet – just sit still and let the parade of meat come to you. We leave thoroughly stuffed.
Final Packing
Afterward, we head back to the room for the final pack. We set our two checked bags out in the hallway by the mandated 10:00pm. Another full day behind us, it is surreal that the trip is almost done and that tomorrow is disembarkation.
Rio De Janeiro – Hidden Gems, Narrow Streets & The Journey Home
Disembarkation and a Rocky Start
Today is the day we finally leave the ship. Up early and done with breakfast by 6:30am, we disembark by 7:30am. The idea is simple: grab our luggage from the main port, meet our private driver for an all-day “Hidden Gems Tour: Your Amazing Second Day in Rio!” tour and then head later to the airport for our evening flight.
Before we leave, Harrison takes one last opportunity to walk the upper deck of the ship, taking last minute photos of the harbor. Then we meet up, grab our backpacks and leave our home of the last 54 days. We reach the meeting point about 10-15 minutes early and eventually spot our driver, Fernando. It turns out he parked his car several blocks away in what looks like a sketchy parking lot. And the car itself? A tiny little thing with no trunk. Harrison sits up front with Fernando and Nancy gets the back seat along with all our luggage. We don’t even make it a block before a motorcycle pulls up in front of us at a traffic light. The rider and Fernando exchange heated words, in Portuguese, along with some expressive hand gestures. Fernando explains the guy is a scammer claiming the parking lot requires payment, but Fernando insists he’s been doing tours for 20 years and knows the free parking spots. It was a very interesting start.
Star Wars Bars
As the title says, this tour focuses on second-day highlights and lesser-known spots. The first stop isn’t far from the port: a Star Wars themed pub with a Chewbacca status holding a beer. It is 8:00am, so not exactly bar time, but it looks like a fun place to hang out.
yA Hidden Monaster
A few blocks away, we reach Monastery de São Bento. We take an elevator from street level up to it and suddenly, we are in what feels like a peaceful oasis hidden in the middle of the city. The monastery is active, home to about 30 Benedictine monks, and the church inside is ornate – gold, statues, intricate details everywhere. We spend about 20 minutes exploring and taking photos of this place that was established in 1590.
Museum of Science and Technology
Next, we walk to the nearby waterfront square to see the Museum of Science and Technology. It isn’t open yet and we don’t have time to go in anyway (we would need at least 2 hours), but we admire the building, supposedly shaped like a particular Brazilian flower: bromeliads.
Paróquia de São Francisco
We make a quick stop at a church: Paróquia de Sao Francisco.
Confeitaria Manon
Our next destination isn’t open yet, so Fernando takes us to a tiny century-old café he knows. There’s no English spoken here so Fernando serves as our translator to get Harrison a black coffee and Nancy a latte. The owner comes to our table bearing a free traditional pastry to share. It was delicious and by the time we finish, our next stop is open.
Real Gabinete Portugues de Leitura
Also known as the Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading, Real Gabinete Portugues de Leitura is stunning. It is one of the most beautiful libraries in the world. In 1837, just 15 years as Brazil gained its independence, a group of Portuguese emigrants decided to create a library to expand the knowledge of its members and the community. The lobby has a beautiful tile floor with a central medallion. The arches and chandeliers are incredibly decorative. The ceiling of the reading hall is 98.5 feet high and bears a beautiful colored skylight that forms an octagonal rose window. The ceiling’s chandelier is made of iron and bronze with 48 smaller lamps and nine globes. The walls are lined with 50 shelves containing about 200,000 volumes, some so incredibly rare, only few highly trained “keepers” are allowed to touch. The room also contains several ornate reading tablea, a bronze bust of the greatest Portuguese poet, Luís de Camões, bronze medallions honoring 40 different important Portuguese writers and a neo-Manueline showcase in carved wood displaying a particularly rare book.
Cathedral Metropolitana
Driving past the massive cone-shaped cathedral, Harrison mentions we’d seen it from the outside the day before. Fernando asks if we want to go inside and of course, we do. Inside, the cathedral is striking: modern, colorful stained glass rising in tall strips, each color symbolizing something different. Fernando explains the symbolism – the red glass represents the blood of Jesus (for example). We spent about half an hour exploring.
The Selarón Steps
As we head to our next destination, we pass the Arcos da Lapa which use to be an aqueduct that brought water to the city but now serves as a trolley bridge. The neighborhood was rough — Fernando reassured us it was safe, but it was definitely gritty. We reach the Escadaria Selarón, the famous tiled steps. The steps themselves are incredible: over two thousand tiles from all over the world, donated or collected by the artist over decades. It’s been the setting for U2 and Snoop Dogg clips. It began in 1990 when Selarón chose to renovate the dilapidated steps that ran along the front of his house. Per usual, it is packed with people – selfies, photo shoots, couples posing dramatically. Nancy opted not to climb all 200+ slippery steps, so Fernando and Harrison went partway up to get photos. Crowded or not, it is definitely worth seeing.
Theatro Municipal
We stop to admire the Theatro Municipal (National Theatre) which is a stunning example of early 20th-century architecture inspired by European opera houses. It opened in 1909, and serves as a cultural hub for opera, ballet, and classical music performances, showcasing Brazil’s rich artistic heritage and vibrant cultural scene.
Archbishop House
We also roll by the huge Archbishops house as we tour through the city.
Into the Hills: The Maze
We venture into the impoverished Favela neighborhood to visit The Maze, a legendary B&B created by an Englishman who fell in love with the view. Over the years, he invited artists to stay for free in exchange for creating mosaic art. The result is a wild, colorful, artistic labyrinth that includes a bar and a small stage known for jazz nights.
To get there, we take a local VW van taxi up the narrow, twisting streets. Then we climb steep winding steps through the neighborhood until we reach the house. We hadn’t done any pre-research on this place so as we work our way to it, we really wonder what we’ve gotten ourselves into.
The view is spectacular – over the bay, and on clear days, a straight view of Christ the Redeemer. We tour with two young women who are very into their selfies, then sit with a beer enjoying the break from the rain, the soft breeze and the beautiful view. When it is time to leave, Fernando leaves to fetch the car (instead of waiting for the “taxi”) while we wait on a corner watching daily life unfold around us. It feels a little edgy, but nothing happens and soon we are on our way.
Lunch by the Beach at Barraca da Chiquita
By now it’s around 2:00pm and we are starving.%
