Conquer Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer)

August 10, 2015

Part of my preparations for my upcoming travel, I always do some advance research and readings: read some blogs, search for tips and try to weigh down reviews from other travelers as well. While finalizing my itinerary, I always check and double check if my schedules are well laid out, no time conflicts and should provide enough time in between activities. This will help me to manage my time properly; this will also avoid idle time while on travel. As I’ve said in my previous post, I always join group tours to get the most out of the place.

me and Cristo Redentor

I opted to join the tour granting early access to Christ the Redeemer though I had a tour a day before on the Sugar Loaf Mountain that comes with a package that includes the Christ the Redeemer. Why I didn’t join that? Christ the Redeemer is world renowned one of the New Seven Wonders of the World and Rio de Janeiro is also a favorite for tourists, so you should always expect crowds flocking the area. If I joined the other day’s package wherein they are going to the statue in the afternoon, I will have to join with the large crowds and as expected, pictures with lots of people and that is my real reason, to avoid such crowd that i cannot have a good chance of taking pictures with the statue.

park ticket

park information

As I read the tour with an early access, it was emphasized that we are beating the crowd and should be there 15-30 minutes prior to the first train arrival. The only difference is, to get there early, we must leave our hotels early as well. I was instantly interested when I read the reviews that you can really beat the crowd; having the place as your own, with freedom to take photos without photo bombers.

My scheduled pick-up time is at 7:10am (not that early). I booked it online with www.viator.com and the service was done by Amigo Tours in Rio de Janeiro. The pick-up service was on time and we’re ready to go. We drove straight to the Corcovado Mountain going to the ticketing station. After taking our tickets, we transferred to another van, Tijuca Forest Park’s van to take us to the statue. When we arrived at the place, we are one of the few people enjoying the place; those who drove straight same with us also.

We own the place for the first 20 minutes. We had all the corners for photo opportunities. Even the viewing deck where you can have the panoramic view of the city is still available and vacant. We took several selfies and our guide offered her photography skills taking us pictures one by one on the statue. We really had a great time.

Cristo Redentor meets the crowd

After we had all those photos, the first train arrived, the crowd started to flock the area. It’s true that when you are with the crowd, you’ll going to be haggling for photo opportunities. Lots of people come together, not enough space for a good view of the statue. Oh well, I still enjoyed being with the crowd for quite a few minutes and in fact I took pictures of them as well. Then I returned back to the meeting place taking the stairs going down. Lots of souvenir shops along the way, though for me it’s a bit pricey, yet it’s the thought that I bought it on site really counts. I just bought few little things and two rosaries. I was thinking of buying the replica of the statue since our guide told us that whatever the materials made with the original statue is the same with the replica that the shop was selling. What made me decide not to buy it’s because I’ll be going to Peru for a week and I am afraid I will just broke it into pieces while on travel and I still have enough time to scout for souvenirs when I’m back in Rio after a week.

Cristo Redentor ar sunrise (view from my hotel room in Copacabana)

Cristo Redentor's first visitors for the day

It was a nice trip; it was worth all the effort to go there early. Being there early gives us a nice weather as well, not with the striking heat of the sun. Cold breeze from the forest, you’ll feel fresh since it’s just early.

We went back to the park’s van for them to take us back to our van waiting at the ticketing station. The views along the way are impressive. We can pass by the Tijuca rainforest which as per our guide was once rehabilitated due to drought in the city. A bit of history was shared by our guide, I cannot remember it all but it’s so nice knowing how it was before and how it became what it is now. The area of the Christ the Redeemer statue was once a frequented area by the Emperor (not quite sure of the term but a thought of a high ruler of Brazil). And when Portuguese came as a symbol of Christianity, the Christ the Redeemer statue was built.

Another access to the Christ the Redeemer statue is by train. It is said to transport passengers from ground station to the top for 20 minutes and the train departs every 20 minutes as well, and operating daily from 8:30 am to 6:30 pm. Due to limited capacity, considering the number of tourists who wants to go to the park, sometimes waiting in line in order to get on board the train will take an hour or two. It will be a sacrifice but I guarantee you, it’s all worth it.

Ending our trip with a drop off at our hotel.

Conquer Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Sugar Loaf Mountain

August 9, 2015

After a quick city tour, we drove straight to Urca neighborhood to which the terminal of the cable car to Sugar Loaf Mountain is located.

view from the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain

We got off the bus and lucky for us, there’s no queue. We went straight to the waiting area because our tour guide was taking our tickets at the counter. At the waiting area, it’s fascinating to see the cable cars on the two mountains.

By the way, there are two mountains in the area. The first cable car trip is from the ground terminal to the Urca Mountain and the second cable car trip is from the Urca Mountain to the Sugar Loaf Mountain. A bit of trivia as per our tour guide, Sugar Loaf Mountain or Pau de Acucar as what was known to the locals was an island before. It was just reclaimed due to urban expansion in the early 20^th century. You will clearly notice the sand is different from the sands in Botofago and Copacabana. It was known as the Praia Vermelha or the red beach.

the Sugar Loaf Mountain

round-trip ticket

cable car with Copacabana in it's background

How it was called Sugar Loaf? According to my guide, there’s no name for that mountain before. Then there is this concentrated refined sugar that shaped like that of the mountain, so since then, they called it Sugar Loaf Mountain.

There are many ways to go to the top of the Sugar Loaf Mountain. Some were doing the rock climbing in order for them to get to the top. But for easy climb, just get the ticket and ride the cable car. It was in operation for a century now in which it first operated in 1912. Since then, upgrades were made for efficiency and capacity.

Two cars are working, taking passengers to and from the top of the hill. Aboard the cable car from ground station to Urca Mountain, you’ll be able to see the whole neighborhood, the bay, the yacht club. Upon reaching the terminal at Urca, alight the cable car to go to station III where you will have a ride at the cable car from Urca Mountain to Sugar Loaf Mountain. On your way to station to, you will pass through mini forest where you will see small monkeys. They were a bit domesticated; maybe they were used to the crowd already. They were never shy on photos, but tourists are forbidden to feed them so they will not depend on the food given to them by the people; still they will hunt food for themselves.

Boarding the second cable car gives you a higher view of Rio de Janeiro. The beach at Botofago as well as the yachts on the bay, the parks at Flamengo, even the downtown skyscrapers were the very scene on board the second car. Then you will have a glimpse of Copacabana beach and the Atlantic Ocean.

cable car used before

Breath-taking view of Rio de Janeiro awaits you on top of the Sugar Loaf Mountain; panoramic view of the Guanabara Bay, the Ocean, the City of Niteroi which is located at the other side of the bay. If you’re a plane spotter, you have a very good view at the Santos Dumont airport. You can also see the 14-km long bridge crossing Guanabara Bay connecting Rio de Janeiro and Niteroi. I am lucky, we went there on a sunny day. The sky is blue and the view is clear. You will really feel the breeze.

view of Rio de Janeiro from Sugar Loaf Mountain

 

In each mountain, there are shops on top. You can buy souvenirs, jewelries and even food stuffs when you’re starving or drinks when you’re thirsty. We spent approximately 30 minutes taking pictures, enjoying the majestic view, roaming around the shops, looking for souvenirs and I met a Filipina working at the jewelry shop. She approached me first and invited me to her shop. I called my fellow Filipino tourists to come to the shop as well. She gave us lucky charms.

What’s good with our tour is that we have a videographer. He’s been taking videos on us while we’re busy roaming around. It’s not included in the package but for a minimal fee only. It was such a nice souvenir.

It was almost lunch time when we went down from the mountain. We had a quick stop at the Urca Mountain where they had a replica of the old cable car on display and for photo opportunities. When we arrived at the ground station, our bus was waiting and we’re heading for lunch at Ipanema. I joined the group for lunch at my expense then went back to my hotel.

Conquer Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Quick City Tour

August 9, 2015

I used to travel alone. I am keen on organizing things, keeping track of my schedules and maximizing the time spent to one place. I am the type of person that when I travel, I see to it I will visit the must-see places in the area.

Lapa Arches

When planning my route/itinerary, I list all the attractions and have an advance reading on it. Some say it is better to DIY (do-it-yourself) tour, check on the mode of transportations on how to get there and see for yourself. That does not work for me. I knew myself I can do it but I never attempted to do it. I find it more interesting and informative when you come to join a group tour. Well, it comes at a price but for me, it’s still worth it.

Why? In a group tour, itinerary is already organized by the agency. All you have to do is to hop on the coach and listen to what your guide was saying. If you have an advance reading, you can participate in asking questions or clarifications. The places of interest also were already planned and they are really focusing on the significant one. The price also includes convenience that you don’t have to fall in line for an entrance tickets.

the Sambadrome

In my case, I signed up an online membership on a tour agency, Viator. I already have tried and tested their services when i went to Europe, they have travel agency tie ups and in Rio, they have Grayline Rio de Janeiro.

I booked for a Half-day Sugar Loaf Mountain tour and part of their itinerary was a quick city tour. My pick-up time was at 8:30am in front of my hotel. They were on time. We drove out of Copacabana after the last pick-up stop near my hotel. It was worth knowing a little history of the city. It was interesting to note that Rio de Janeiro alone have more than 100 tunnels connecting several neighborhoods.

San Sebastian Cathedral

We went straight to the Sambadrome, a 700-meter hall where the samba schools dance their way during the Carnival every February. She told us that every Samba school is allowed only 1 hr and half to finish dancing the whole stretch of Sambadrome in order to cater all other participants.

Along the way, she explained to us the Favelas. She also added some insights on the railways, and other exciting neighborhood. We  passed through the main street of downtown Rio, its Sunday and nobody is there. She told us that the financial district is primarily for business only. No residential buildings in the area.

inside the Cathedral

We passed through the arches in Lapa, it was known to be an aqueduct before but now, a tramway connecting Santa Teresa neighborhood to the city center. Near the Arches is the Cathedral of Rio de Janeiro. As per my tour guide, more weddings are celebrated here. If you want to get married here, you need to book at least 2 years before your big day.

We had a quick visit at the Cathedral. It is magnificent. I love its architecture. I love its stained glass all the way to the ceiling. In the outside, you cannot tell if it’s a church because of its design. But it’s very nice. We were given 15 minutes to explore the place: photo opportunity, bathroom break and etc.

The bus was just waiting outside, we boarded our bus and we’re off to the Sugar Loaf. Passing along the neighborhood of Flamengo and Botofago, it’s nice to see the city even if it is that quick.

Conquer Rio de Janeiro, Brazil: Everything Copacabana

August 8-10 & 18-20, 2015

Copacabana

When in Brazil particularly in Rio de Janeiro, it is a must that you have to visit the world’s famous Copacabana Beach, known for its 4 kilometer long beach facing the Atlantic Ocean. When I searched for hotels, I was trying to look for budget hotels/hostels or rental properties but it’s quite far from Copacabana so I changed my search to beachfront areas.

Avenida Atlantica, Copacabana

Most of the beachfront hotels are pricey, taking advantage of the location. I compared prices, hotel categories and amenities taking into consideration the accessibility to public transportation as well. Luckily, one deal was offered to me for a 4-star hotel at a price of 3-star and I suddenly grabbed the opportunity. A nice beachfront hotel, close to restaurants and walking distance to shops.

I arrived in Rio de Janeiro one Saturday evening, August 8, 2015. I was thinking of going out for a party yet I felt like staying in my room since I didn’t have enough sleep during my 14-hour flight from Dubai. I just went out at night; at the snack bars along the beach to grab some food to eat (I had my burger at one of the joints a kilometer away from my hotel). Nice ambiance; feeling the sea breeze and listening to a Brazilian performer on his guitar.

the beach

The following day, August 9, after my tour at the Sugar Loaf Mountain, I joined with my group for lunch at one of the best churrascaria at Ipanema. It’s a buffet restaurant wherein they have food choices at the buffet table and all the meat fresh from the grill will be carved right on your plate. So appetizing, their meats are all of good quality.

bikers, joggers and hikers on the road

During Sundays they have the hippie market at the park in front of the Churrascaria wherein you can buy some souvenirs and other things at a bargain. The park is just a short walk to Ipanema beach. I walk towards the beach to take a glimpse of what Ipanema was; it was full of beach enthusiasts. Truly it’s high time for them to enjoy the beach on weekends.

From Ipanema, I decided to take a walk to my hotel rather than taking the bus or metro. It was a long walk like 3-4 kilometer distance; I didn’t feel any tiredness since I really enjoyed the beach. Everybody also was enjoying it, some were just there sunbathing.

Havaianas outlet store

In Copacabana, Avenida Atlantica is a 6-lane road wherein 3 lanes going to Ipanema and the other 3 lanes on the opposite. I was just amazed that during Sundays, the whole stretch of the 3-lane road coming from Ipanema is closed for vehicles. They are giving this to the beach lovers, joggers, bikers and others who are walking on the area.

Hotel Astoria Palace

When in Rio, you come to think of the famous flip flop Havaianas. It is all over the place, even a pharmacy is selling havaianas. You won’t ran out of souvenirs because just around the corners are shops that are selling what you want. I had bought my souvenirs just along our block at the back. They sell at a bulk prices. They are also selling havaianas at a very low price and if you ask for discounts on bulk buys, they are giving it too. I want to buy some more, unfortunately, I am only allowed two luggage so I cannot add one for the flops itself.

Overall, it’s an advantage to stay around the place so if you shop or party, it’s all just around the corner.

I stayed at Hotel Astoria Palace, classified as 4-star at Booking.com but I was able to get a deal at a price same as 3-star. Not really a big hotel, the location was beachfront, my room was huge, and I got a twin bed room during my first 2 days of stay. When I came back from Foz do Iguazu, they gave me an upgraded room, a king size bed and a beachfront view. I am so thankful for that. Other thing, the breakfast buffet was superb with a wide array of food choices. You will not leave the hotel on an empty stomach in the morning.

All these made my stay at Copacabana a memorable one.

Conquer South America: A 2-week Journey

August 8-20, 2015

Below are the only countries in South America offering no visa for Filipinos.

·       Bolivia - 90 days

·       Brazil - 90 days

·       Colombia - 90 days

·       Ecuador - 90 days

·       Peru - 183 days

·       Suriname - 90 days

Cristo Redentor

So I grab the opportunity to visit my two favorite countries for two weeks: Brazil and Peru.

Why Brazil? Mainly because Brazil is the home of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer), one of the New Seven Wonders of the World.

Sugar Loaf Mountain

Aside from that, Rio de Janeiro is also touristy place where we can find nice beaches like Copacabana and Ipanema, lots of things to do and lots of tourist’s spots like a must-visit to Sugar Loaf Mountain where you can have a panoramic view of the Guanabara Bay. Every February, they are celebrating the ever famous Carnival. 

Iguazu Waterfalls

 Adding to Brazil’s attraction is the Iguazu Waterfalls, also one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature. Featuring a majestic waterfall comparable to Niagara Falls. Located in the province of Parana, along the border of Argentina and Brazil. Within the area also is the Itaipu Dam, being one of the New Seven Wonders of the Modern World because of its massive engineering: a binational territory of Brazil and Paraguay

Machu Picchu

Now why Peru? Mainly because of Machu Picchu, the lost city of the Incas. Inca Empire reigns for three centuries from the early 13^th century up to the 16^th century upon the arrival of the Spanish in Peru.

Peru have a very rich culture, you have lots of things to do and places to visit. I only have a week to explore what Peru is and I only visited two cities: Lima and Cusco. Spanish influence is evident in Peru; the language and religion particularly. When the conquerors arrive, it is said that most temples built by the Incas and Pre-Inca empires were destroyed; lots of restorations are being made upon discovery of the dwellings.

Pisaq, Sacred Valley

Cusco has a lot to offer when it comes to Incas. There is the Sacsayhuaman, located above Cusco wherein you can see lots of big rocks piled by Incas. Inca trail also was being restored. Furthermore is the Sacred Valley where the Vilcabamba River flows, most of the Inca ruins are near the river like the Ollantaytambo Ruins. Pisaq is along the Vilcabamba but just above the mountain, where they have discovered lots of mummies as they make it as one of their burial grounds.

Ollantaytambo ruins

Three hours away from Cusco is the world famous Machu Picchu. It is said that the complex is kept secret from the Spanish; they have never reached the area. As per my guide shared to us, the battle of Ollantaytambo made the last descendants of the Incas to withdraw going to sacred valley. They thought that if they will head away going to the opposite direction to Machu Picchu, they will save the complex from being destroyed by the conquistadors. They were right in their decisions; Machu Picchu was kept hidden for another three centuries until a professor from Yale University, Hiram Bingham, discovered the complex.

Such an exciting theory, more insights on my next posts.

I have several advance readings on the attractions before I finally decide on pursuing my trip. Actually the preparation took so long, like more than 2 years until I finally decide to buy a ticket. It’s all worth it.

Half-day Date with Mt. Mayon

March 10, 2012

arrival at the airport

It all started when Cebu Pacific launched its P1 fare. I scheduled my mom a trip to Manila from our province in Mindanao. I booked her a flight from Thursday to Sunday. She had an appointment on Friday and making her Saturday available. Since we already roamed almost all attractions in Manila, I checked for an airfare going to Legazpi, Albay and there were available slots.

I booked the earliest flight leaving Manila at 6am and arriving Legazpi City after an hour, with a return flight leaving Legazpi City at 2pm and arriving Manila at 3pm.  It was a same day flight since it’s the only vacant day for my mom.

my mom at the airport

Early morning, we went to NAIA Terminal 3. Have the normal check-in procedures without any baggage and then went inside the departure area. Good thing the flight departed on time so we can have ample time to roam around Legazpi even for just a day only. 

Minutes before 7am, the plane glided towards Legazpi Airport. On the left side of the plane you can see the majestic beauty of Mt. Mayon and on the other side was the aerial view of the city. It was a sunny morning in Legazpi when we arrived at the airport. What surprised us the most was the view of Mt. Mayon showcasing the perfect cone shape without any clouds distracting it.

We didn’t have any checked-in luggage so we went directly to the taxi stand. My initial plan was just to hail a cab going to Cagsaua Ruins and after that, we’ll just kill our time roaming around the city. So I negotiated one taxi cab for the plan. At first, we agreed at a price of Php 500 just a round trip to Cagsaua Ruins.

at Cagsaua Ruins

Without further delays, we drove straight to Cagsaua. It was a 15-30 minutes ride from the airport. Just near the place, there was a portion that the vehicles cannot pass thru since the bridge was destroyed, repair was on-going. So we had to stop there and just take a walk towards the ruins. It was not that far. I love the place, it’s a typical scene in the province, just like in our place.

Near the gate you may find the souvenir shops around. Several displays can really capture your attention and made you think exactly what you want to buy when you come out.  We paid entrance fees and other fees before feasting our eyes on the ruins. I also read a blog that there were tourist assistants around the area offering quick tour guide. They also know how to take the best photos with the ruins and Mt. Mayon with some stunts. So when a guy came near to us and offered to take some photos, I actually asked him his price. He just told us that it is up to us how much we can spare.

With his knowledge on the photo stunts, I and mom now have an instant photographer. I entrusted my camera to him and he began directing our poses. We were told to stand, lean over and even raise our hands. The outcome was nice. It’s like we’re giants leaning on the bell tower. He also took us to the inner ruins of the church itself. I was busy enjoying the beauty of the place. I was stunned on the rocks forming the church and a bit saddened on what happened to the church. We took several pictures in the church and then decided to go out the field where we can have a very nice view of Mt. Mayon.

pose at the ruins

On the outside of the church, we can see the huge volcanic rocks still present. It formed part of the landscape around the area. You can really imagine how these rocks destroy the church. On the other hand, since it’s just morning, Mayon was not yet covered with clouds so you can really see its majestic beauty featuring its perfect cone shape. The sunny morning bring so much beauty on the volcano. We did the ever famous jump shot on the place making Mayon as our background. We really enjoyed our visit to the place.

ever famous jump shot

I gave some tips to our photographer since we were satisfied with what he did. The shots made it remarkable. We went to the souvenir shops to look for some keepsake on the place. I bought a small item, a miniature Mt. Mayon carved on the lava rock. 

We met with our driver just near the shops. Our driver asked us where to go next and I said I don’t know, maybe we’ll just kill our time at the Embarkadero. But the driver offered me a half day service that instead of paying him Php 500, I can add Php 2,000 for the half day service. He will take us to the planetarium, embarkadero, to the boulevard, to Lignon Hill and back to the airport for departure. So I agreed with the plan since we don’t have other destinations after Cagsaua Ruins.

We walked back to our cab and off we drove to Planetarium. It was quite far, we went our way along the Legazpi – Tabaco Rd then we turned left towards the back of Mt. Mayon. It was a road going up the mountain; the location of the planetarium is like halfway up the summit of the volcano. The place was amazing and refreshing. When we reached the place, we were the only visitor that time. It was overlooking the bay. We can see Tabaco City from afar. It was colder since we’re on a higher altitude. I and mom just feasted our eyes on the views around that we decided not to go inside the Planetarium itself. We bought Pili nuts and some snacks since we’re a bit hungry; we only had a light breakfast.

After a while of roaming around, we were surprised that several tour buses came to visit the place. It’s a wow that even it was far from the city, several educational tours were also making planetarium their destination. We decided to leave the place since there were lots of students coming out and also we are making most of our time for our half-day visit. 

lunch at Sibid-Sibid

From the planetarium, we decided to have our early lunch first before going to embarkadero and boulevard. We had a stop at Sibid-Sibid Restaurant. On the Tripadvisor, this restaurant was highly recommended diner in Legazpi. So to have a taste of it, we didn’t miss the opportunity for our lunch. It was a nice, cozy place. With hardwood table and native decors, the ambiance was really great. We arrived early enough for us to choose which place are we going to eat, we also enjoyed the beauty of their displays. We immediately ordered our food. I never missed to order my ever favorite kinilaw na tangigue. It was so delicious that we really enjoyed our food. We were satisfied with their serving size that we need to take out the leftovers, I let the driver bring to his family anyway he knew it was clean and safe since we ate together.

tissue holder at Sibid-sibid

So we proceed to Embarkadero then to the boulevard. We were hoping to get a good sight of Mt. Mayon at the boulevard but was shy that there were clouds all over the tip. If it was early in the morning, I bet Mayon would be very attractive at the boulevard. The boulevard was great; it was newly paved right along the coast. Fresh sea breeze with the gushing waves really greeted us as we came out of the cab.

at the Boulevard

We didn’t waste our time since we need to visit Lignon Hills first and it’s already mid-day. So we rushed to the Hill to catch the beauty of Legazpi. It was overlooking the airport and the city itself. There were nice facilities and activities up the hill. They have the famous Zip Line adventure going to the other part of the hill. It was sunny and it’s so hot so we decided to go back and be dropped at the airport directly since our flight will be at 2pm. For sure, since it’s already 1pm, the check-in counter is already open.

Overall, our Legazpi trip was spectacular. The half-day we spent was worth it but I am looking forward to spend more time and explore the beautiful city of Legazpi. Maybe that time, I’m going to take the train from Manila to Bicol.