last days in Rio 🇧🇷

so... I was able to do the last three things that I mentioned in my previous post!! 

Luckily, the weather was sunnier on Saturday and Sunday, before I flew out Sunday night!! 💫

On Saturday morning, I took an Uber to where you ride the cable cars up Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain). It started off cloudy, but eventually the clouds moved and you can see all of Rio de Janeiro from the top!! 🌞

óla rio!! 🇧🇷

Copacabana Beach 🏖

Cristo Redentor on the top of the hill ♰

Since it was my last full day in Rio, I booked a guided tour to see a favela in Rio. The one I booked was to visit the biggest and most well known favela in Rio called Rocinha. 

Walked from the top to the bottom! 💙

It was quite the experience to be able to walk through the favela! Down the narrow paths and stairs. Smell all the smells, and see how life is really lived in Rio. We only get a glimpse into life here... and one can only imagine the rest.

[Sunday, September 18th]

It was my last chance to go to the viewpoint and see the Cristo Redentor (Christ Redeemer). I arrived at the railway station 10 minutes before 9:00AM, and I thought it was pretty early. Sure enough it was not that early because there were plenty of people at the top taking a zillion selfies with Christ. 

I only spent 30 minutes up there because it was so crowded!! Also, how many selfies does one need with a statue of Christ?? 🙈  It turned out to be good timing because it takes some time to get down and out of this area... I noticed a coffee shop I wanted to try when I came here on Tuesday, and I couldn't go up because it was too cloudy... SO I walked down to the coffee shop and then went back to the apartment to check out. The last thing I really wanted to do before I left Rio was to have Japanese food!! I know... kinda random and I know it won't be the same as in Japan... but I thought... since there's such a strong Japanese population in Brasil... I must try the Japanese food!! AND so I did... 😋 the broth was good, but the noodles were not ramen noodles. Overall, the meal hit the spot and I was content!!

Ramen from Azumi Restaurante Japonês in Copacabana

After I finished lunch, it was about 1PM and I knew I wanted to get to the airport by 6PM... so I decided to go check out some museums before heading to the international airport in Rio.

Museu de Arte Moderna (Museum of Modern Art) *Free Entry

Museu do Amanhã (Museum of Tomorrow)

I really enjoyed visiting the Museum of Tomorrow! You do need to purchase a ticket, but they store luggage for free. I was very intrigued by the temporary exhibit on the Amazônia (photo from above). I was also very moved to see the recognition of human impact on climate change on the planet. There are 5 exhibits: Cosmos, Earth, Anthropocene, Tomorrows, and Us. Each exhibit had a narrative walkthrough.

Terra - Earth Exhibit

Nós - Us Exhibit

"Which tomorrows can we imagine?"

And just like that... my time in Brazil had to come to close... 

Flying from Rio to São Paulo to Buenos Aires [9/18-19]

rio de janeiro → "river of january"

i first arrived to Rio de Janeiro on Tuesday afternoon, but i mostly stayed by my apartment in Ipanema. everyone kept telling me how dangerous Rio is, so i definitely had that engrained in my head when i arrived... i was nervous to go walk around by myself, and i kept thinking someone is going to try to steal from me. yes, people would look at me, maybe because i stood out from the White European ancestry, Black African ancestry, or mixed ancestry, which are the main demographics of Brazil. People from Rio are called Cariocas, which means "white man's home" in the native Tupi's language. it's interesting to me to be in a place where i stand out, but majority of the people around me are not native to the land here too... i wonder where all the asians are.

today I felt a bit more comfortable in the area I am staying at... I did typical stuff I would do back home in Seattle. I went to get my nails done, I had coffee and sat in a coffee shop called Cafecito, I went to the gym, and I went to the supermarket. it's kinda nice to feel like a local and see what life would be like living in another city even if you do not speak the language or look like anyone else around you.

Sand Art on Copacabana Beach

yesterday, i tried to go to the Cristo Rendentor (Christ the Redeemer) statue, but it was too cloudy... so i did wait around a little and then i decided to go another tourist attraction: Escadaria Selarón~

tomorrow is supposed to be another rainy day, so we shall see what i end up doing (do I need to do anything?)... the weather on Saturday and Sunday is supposed to be sunny... so if it is, then maybe I'll try to go to Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain), do a favela tour, and see the Cristo Redentor... I leave Sunday night for Buenos Aires!! 

Murals on a wall near Escadaria Selarón

bye bye Brasília 👋🏽

one week in the capital of Brazil went by really quick!!

last weekend in Brasília: 

live samba music and feijoada at Brasília Choro Club

Brasília TV Tower

Pontão do Lago Sul

It was such a pleasure and honor to get to spend a week with Juliana & Camila!! I learned so much about Brasília and about Brasil. I am learning some Portuguese at the same time too!! Just enough to get by. Luckily it is categorized with the "romance" languages with Spanish, and written with similar characters too... so I can read most things, but not everything is the same as Spanish or English. Brasil is the only South American country where Portuguese is the official language!! 

Some things that I have observed so far are:

• most restaurant of food establishments have you pay after you finish eating or drinking ✓
• tip is included in the bill 💰
• NO products in the toilet!! flush only your excrements~ 💩
• hang dry your clothes culture 🌞
• Lunch self-service places weighs your plate by the kilo 🍽

I'll be in Rio de Janeiro until Sunday, September 18th!! Which will give me 2 weeks in total in Brazil... it seems long and short at the same time. I wish I had more time to spend in São Paulo too!! BUT that would just mean for me to have to come back to Brazil. ☺

*I also saw that the Seattle Education Association and Seattle Public Schools have come to a tentative agreement, and today (September 14th) will be the first day of school for the 2022-23 school year. Best wishes to all the educators who fought for the much needed supports for students, schools, & your community!!! ✊🏽✊🏽✊🏽

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trekking in the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park

 a magically cosmic journey to the chapadas~ 🌟👽🔮

On Tuesday, September 6th, my friend Juliana drove us to an area north of Brasília known as the Vale da Lua (Moon Valley). We hiked into the moon valley and were able to swim in the pools of water. It's called Vale da Lua because of the rock formations and it's known for being a mystical place.

After Vale da Lua we drove to a small town called São Jorge to have a late lunch and find a place to stay for the next two nights. I kept seeing the word cerrado, and that reminded me of Spanish which means closed, but for Portuguese and this specific area it is the type of landscape and is translated to English as "savannah." We found a restaurant that was open named Restuarante Sabor do Cerrado, and we are charged by the weight of the food by kilo. This is the first time that I weighed my plate of food in Brasil, and Juliana said it is common for lunch places to do this in busy places in the city too.

São Jorge is a small town located at the entrance of the Chapada dos Veadeiros National Park. As I mentioned, this area is known for its cosmic energy, and they have lots of natural crystals. As we approached the town, we saw many green aliens. You can also find them all over the town and in gift shops. 

The next day [Wednesday, September 7th] we spent the whole day in the national park hiking 11km!! We did the Saltos do Rio Petro Trail, which consisted of seeing 4 main sights. Since it is the dry season (May to October), we can swim in the water for the last 3 locations.

Entry into the National Park~

Mirante dos Saltos (120m)

Garimpão Waterfall (80m)

Carrossel Waterfall 

Corredeiras Rapids

It definitely was a tiring hike!! Especially since it is the dry season. I had at least 2 liters of water, and I wish I had more!! 😰 I was so ready to get back to our chalé (cottage) to shower and then go eat dinner!!

Entrance to Chalés toa Rosa

On Thursday, we did another short hike to Cachoeira dos Cristais, which was a waterfall and pools. As we entered the main waterfall location, we were told there were 2 snakes. Luckily they were not poisonous, and no one bothered them so they left on their own.

Even though it is the dry season, and the temperatures were in the 90s (farenheit)... the water temps were very very cold in all the locations I mentioned above. It was very challenging to get in the water, but once you got in and swam a little you'll warm up... and then get out and warm up in the sun on the rocks too.

It was a beautiful experience to be out in nature outside of Brasília, and I am so grateful for Juliana for showing me this amazing nature. ☺❤

arrived to Brasília !!

bom dia!!

en Miami with my carry-on!

after two flights, I have arrived to Brasília, Brasil!! 

First Leg | Miami → Panama City ~3 hours

Second Leg | Panama City → Brasília ~6 hours

I arrived around midnight, and my friend Juliana picked me up from the airport [BSB]. We did study abroad together on The Scholar Ship (TSS) back in 2oo8!! And the last time we saw each other was in 2o16, for our friend’s wedding in Monterrey, México. So, it’s been a hot minute, but that’s the beauty of us TSSers… we are always open to meeting up again wherever we are in the world!! 

Today I walked over from Juliana's + Camila's apartment to have lunch with Juliana.

Lunch at The Plant 🌱

On the walk over I noticed maps along the walking path, and when I arrived late last night Juliana was telling me that we are on the south wing of the plane of Brasília. I just thought it was a coincidence that the city is in the shape of a plane, but it was part of the actual city planning!! It’s a plane!! She said Brasília became the capital of Brazil 60 years ago, and is known for its futuristic modern design! ✈️ Most places are closed on Monday, so I'll check out the City Center on Friday.

Juliana has 2 beautiful cats!! AND I'm really allergic to cats, but they keep all the windows open in the apartment. Hopefully, the Claritin & Flonase will help fight my allergies!!

Also, we will head out tomorrow for some natural sightseeing trips outside of Brasília. 

I can't wait to see some waterfalls and the beautiful nature here in Brasil!! 🇧🇷✨

TCI Life~ 🇦🇨

*I tried adding a voice audio, if you'd like to listen and read along!! ☺

The island of Providenciales (aka Provo) is only 38 square miles in area. Public transportation is challenging, so we rented a car for the 7 days we were there, and it was totally worth it!! 

We did a mini road trip on the west side of the island where our Daihatsu Mira 🚙 can reach:

Chalk Sound 

Lunch at Da Conch Shack

Conch Salad + Drinks at Omar's Beach Hut

 

Those were the main stops we had on the mini road trip, and then we went back to our villa by Grace Bay Beach to enjoy the sunset. Some establishments close early or had limited hours or already closed for the off season. When we looked up coming to Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), it said it was hurricane season... so it was a risk for us to come, but we got lucky with the weather!! It did rain here and there, but it wouldn't last long. 

Sunset at Grace Bay Beach

My friend Jojo found this place on the island where we can walk potcake puppies!! We did this Saturday, August 27th in the morning. We went to Potcake Place K9 Rescue store front and was assigned Tinka!! She mostly wanted to chill on the beach in the shade. Folx can foster the puppies, and you can be a courier too!! I applied to be a courier, but maybe i gave too short a notice to help bring a puppy home to Miami cuz i didn't hear from them. It was nice to be able to walk the puppy and we saw other folx walking the puppies along the beach too. 

Potcake K9 Rescue Dog Walking

Saturday Night!! We had to go out! even though we all wanted to stay home in pjs and watch Indian Matchmaking Season 2... We decided to check out Aziza Lounge, which was all open air and we randomly found out that Kevin Durant was there!! Apparently Drake was in Provo the same time too, but we did not see him... he went every other night to Aziza, BUT Saturday night... hahah. I'm not even a super big fan, but I thought it'd be fun to see him in real life~ We did see KD, and that was super neat!! It must be annoying to be famous, cuz everyone's just taking pictures of you the whole time you're in public and watching you... 👀

Night Out at Aziza Lounge

Kevin Durant on his phone 🏀

Sunday [o8.28] was Jojo's last day with us, and we were looking for the Guinness Extra Stout beer to take back to LA, but we forgot that there are NO alcohol sales on Sundays.

Our last few days were chill~ Jess did parasailing, we chilled on the beach, and we did kayaking. We also went to our fave fresh juice spot called Tropical Taste by Jamaican owner Ricky, and we also tried Jamaican patties at The Patty Place. Ricky said there's lots of Jamaicans, Bahamians, Filipinos, and Thai folx on Provo.

Last Dinner in Provo at Mr. Groupers

Kayaking in a Clear Kayak in Mangrove Cay

Sea Turtle Swimming Along

It was truly a grand experience to be in Provo~ There are other islands you can visit, and there is a ferry you can take to North Caicos island, but Provo is the most populated island of TCI. If you wanna check out Providenciales, I highly recommend it AND be prepared to pay higher prices since almost everything is imported to the island!! 💸

Also, if you want to see more pictures of food I had... here it is!! 😋

https://www.instagram.com/p/Ch7LomngdZS/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

island life 🏝

I didn't realize that not many folx are still friends with their childhood friends~

When I told Laura that I was going to Turks & Caicos with 1 friend I've known since 1st Grade (circa 1992), and 1 friend I've known since high school (2001), she was surprised. I thought it was common for folx to still talk to friends they've known since grade school days!! Well, lucky for me I am traveling with these two amazing girls + we are having an amazing time. ☺

Here's what we've been up to on the island of Providenciales, Turks & Caicos:

Arrived in matching clothes! White shirts, and olive green bottoms (not planned!!) [o8.23]

Adjusting to driving on the LEFT side of the road, and driver side on the RIGHT side!! 😮

Turquoise Blue Waters on Grace Bay Beach [o8.24]

Sunset Photos [o8.24]

We did a half day snorkeling tour with Caicos Dream Tours:

Snorkeling in the barrier reef~ [o8.25]

Caribbean side of Halfmoon Bay!

And every Thursday night there's a fish fry event!!

Coconut crusted grouper with crab rice and coleslaw!! 

I've been reading and learning about some of the history of the islands on their tourism website (https://www.visittci.com/nature-and-history/history) and the indigenous people before Columbus colonized the land are the Lucayans or Tainos. There is not much natural resources, but in the past they used to harvest salt and trade it to neighboring islands. Currently, only about 35% of the island are locals, and the rest are expats!! No wonder why prices are so high here... almost everything is imported and catered to tourists. Another fascinating thing is that the official currency is USD! I read it is because that most folx visiting are Americans, even though it is under British rule, but it makes more economical sense to use USD.