Travelingbug.org

Take the Bus - Cheapest way to get from Rio de Janeiro's airport (GIG) to Impanema/Copacabana

When I was planning my trip down to Brazil with my two friends, Hayden and Jared, it worked out to where we were going to meet in Charlotte, North Carolina.  Once in Charlotte, we would fly direct from Charlotte to Rio de Janeiro on the same over night flight.  So when I landed in Charlotte on December 18th, I turned on my cell phone...the first text message I received was from Jared saying that Hayden and him had missed their flight into Charlotte.  I couldn't believe it...

No worries, after talking to them they said that they were not going to be in Rio until Sunday morning (24 hours after I land).  So I had 24 hours to hang out by myself in Rio and meet some new people.  The flight from Charlotte was pretty easy.  It ended up being about 10 hours.  So it wasn't too terrible...no crying babies, nobody hitting the back of my chair.  I only had two problems.  

1.  US Airways only played one movie: which was  Bridal Wars.  Can't they play any movie better than this?

2.  US Airways does not give out free alcohol on international flights.  I had never heard of this...

The flight ended up landing at about 10.AM.  Once the flight landed, I went through customs with no problems, and then was praying that my bag made it.  After waiting about 25 minutes and with only about 3 other people waiting for their bags mine finally popped out! 

When we booked our hostel before we left, we had requested that somebody pick the 3 of us up at the airport.  We figured this would be the easiest, cheapest, and fastest way to get to Impanema.  So after walking out of the baggage area and into the main part of the airport it gets a little crazy.  I would have been a little intimidated if it was my first time in Rio (but it wasn't).  There are about 3 taxi cab companies, 20 people holding signs with peoples last names on them, random people asking me if I wanted a ride, etc.  After 5 minutes of walking around looking for a guy with my friend Jared's last name I realized our  ride had not shown up.  I decided it was time for plan B.

If I was a budget traveler arriving in Rio de Janeiro (GIG) trying to get either Copacabana or Impanema I would suggest the following:

1. Change around $200-$300 US Dollars into Brazilian Reais at the airport.  The exchange rate is not that bad.  Right when you leave the baggage claim area you will see two people in two separate booths that will allow you to change currencies. 
2. TAKE THE Airport Shuttle  Bus- Once you walk out of the main doors of the airport you will see signs that indicate a bus stop.  There are attendants that are working for the Shuttle that can help you.  All you have to do is wait by the sign, and every 30 minutes the shuttle comes by to pick up passengers.   Just tell the employee working for the Shuttle Impanema or your destination.  It is so Cheap...7 Reais.  It takes about 45 minutes to get from the airport to Copacabana/Impanema.  Look for bus Alvoeada Z 5 or Impanema on the front window of the Bus.
3. If you decide to take a taxi.  Make sure that you pay for the taxi inside from one of the major taxi companies.  Do not take a ride from somebody that is walking up to you randomly in the airport.  A taxi ride is going to cost a lot more ...from 60-80 Reais.

I was also able to talk to an employee  of the airport that was at a help desk right by where you exchange money.  The employee was fluent in English so it was very easy to communicate.  She was the one who told me to take the bus and not the taxi!  So I would also recommend talking to the Help Desk if you have any questions.  Suerte!

Havaiana Store in Rio de Janeiro

 

I bought my first pair of Havaianas sandals about 3 years ago on my first trip to Brazil.  I fell in love with them the first time I put them on.  Since then, I have bought several more pairs that are all different colors.  I wear them in the summer, fall, winter, and spring.  I really think they are the best pair of sandals you can buy for their price. 

I was just in Rio de Janeiro at the end of December for vacation.  In Rio, you can buy Havaianas on almost every corner.  You can buy them in pharmacies, grocery stores, and on the sidewalk.  But there is nothing like going to the actualy Havaiana store.  There are two locations in Rio: one in Ipanema and the other in Copacabana.  I had the opportunity to go to the store in Ipanema. 

 

 

The store is actually pretty small, but it had so many different pair of sandals.  If you get about 8 people in the store it actually starts to get too crowded to walk through.  It is really skinny inside the store.  They have plain colored sandals, colored sandals with the Brazilian flag, world cup team sandals, and the list goes on and on.  Inside the Havaiana store you can also customize your sandal.  Customizing the sandals is more for girls, because you can buy little pieces of jewlery to go with your sandals.  An employee then basically stamps a piece of jewlery on the sandal where the brazilian flag usually goes.  The pieces of jewelery range in price from 4 reais to 15 reais.

To actually buy a pair of sandals you have to go to two different people.  It doesn't make sense in my head, but what do I know?  Once you have selected your sandals you have to take them to an employee that is in the middle of the store.  Then that employee gets out a piece of paper, and puts a bar code of the sandal(s) you bought on the paper receipt.  Then she adds up the total on the sheet, and hands you a receipt for your bill.  Once you have the bill, you can then go and pay at the cash register.  I am still confused at why one person can't do both jobs...?

The prices of the sandals are lower than what you can buy them for in the States depending on what type of sandal you buy.  I bought 3 pairs while I was in the store, and each pair was a different price.  I think that I saved about $5 on each pair.  I was with two other friends while traveling through Brazil, and I think they bought a combined 12 pairs of sandals in the store!  They had to be the customers of the day!  I would definitely recommend stopping buy a Havaiana shop before leaving Rio!

You can find the Havaianas stores at:

Rua farme de Amoedo, 76   Ipanema  

Cep:22420-020

Tel:(21)2267-7395  

Rua Xavier da Silveira, 19 Copacabana

Cep:22061-010

Tel (21)2267-2418

    www.havaianas.com.br

Brazil

 

I can't begin to describe how much fun Hayden, Jared and I had in Brazil over the last 17 days.  I got back on Sunday night after 38 hours of traveling.  It was the longest stretch of traveling I have ever done in my life.  It was well worth every hour of the return home for the experiences I just had.  I will be blogging about  the adventures, places, food, and people we met while traveling through Brazil over the next several weeks!  I hope that travelingbug.org can inspire others to keep traveling or to plan a trip in 2010!  Happy New Year!

Renting a car in New Zealand

By Cameryn Korn

If you are debating whether to rent a car versus pay for a tour bus or train in New Zealand, my suggestion would definitely be to do some research before planning your travels (consider the length of your stay, the price of gas, etc.). I recently traveled most of the country by car with a friend. Our stay in New Zealand was only 2 weeks, but we were able to cover most of the North and South Islands. Renting a car is often more cost effective than arranging a tour bus, even with the price of gas. If you don’t mind an older car with miles on it instead of a brand new one from a top car rental company, Ace Rental Car is the way to go. Ace offers great deals with many insurance options. Even though they advertise car rentals for $19 NZD per day, I would anticipate always paying more than that. Rates will also change in the summer months versus the winter months as most people are vacationing and traveling the country in the summer. Also, be sure you indicate whether you will need a manual or automatic car when you make your reservation as your rates may be subject to change.  

Ace offers great flexibility in rental options as well. We began our journey in Auckland and drove all the way down to Wellington where we dropped off our first rental. We then boarded the ferry from the North Island to the South Island, and picked up our second car rental in Picton. Please note that it is very expensive to pay for your rental car to travel on the ferry (upwards of $250 NZD). I would highly suggest arranging two car rentals for North and South Island. Ace will pick you up from the ferry terminal and take you to their onsite location at the Picton terminal. 

Another word of caution is to be sure to pay the extra money for insurance coverage. Although I am always one to ignore any offers for additional car insurance in the United States because I am skeptical and believe it is a huge scam, it is a whole different ball game when you are in a different country. The cars that Ace rents are older and not in the best condition as ones from top rental companies (like Hertz and Alamo). Towards the end of our trip, we drove the entire west coast of the South Island. When we arrived in Queenstown, we noticed we had a flat tire. Even though we had maximum insurance, Ace does not cover roadside assistance for a flat tire. However, because we did purchase insurance, we simply had to put on the spare ourselves (with the help of two nice Kiwis) and drive the car to the Queenstown airport. A new tire was put on free of charge. The great thing about New Zealand is the people. They are always willing to lend a helping hand, which makes your travel experience so much more enjoyable.  

Lesson of the story: check rates with Ace and other tour bus companies if you are debating between the two. While a car gives you more flexibility in what you would like to see and do, a tour bus is less stressful and could be more cost effective (don’t forget the cost of gas). All in all, we were so happy we rented a car because we were able to see so much in a relatively short period of time! Good luck in your future travels!

For information on traveling around New Zealand check out: How to travel New Zealand on travelingbug.org 

Backpacker de la Barra Hostel - New Years

Hayden, Jared, and I are featured in this New Year's video featured on Backpacker's web site (video by Charles Jackoton)

Last year for New Year's I traveled to Punta Del Este, Uruguay with my friends Hayden and Jared.    Before we left the States for South America we decided to book a place to stay, because we heard that in Punta Del Este it is hard to find a place if you just  show up this time of year.  We searched web sites for apartments to rent, hotels, hostels, and we finally came upon the web site for Backpacker de la Barra. 

Their web site mentioned that there is a minimum nights stay for the New Years week.  It is 7 days with the option of either sharing a 12 person room or a private room of 4 people.   The prices for the week of New Years basically sky rocketed, and we were quoted in US Dollars instead of pesos.  Generally speaking,  South America is cheaper than the States and Hayden, Jared, and I didn't know if we should book this hostel or keep looking for another place to stay because of the price.  We decided to book this hostel, because of its location.  I would recommend to anybody looking for a place to stay in Punta Del Este to stay in La Barra! 

We arrived in Punta Del Este after a two hour bus ride from Montevideo.  The bus stopped at the main terminal, and it was still quite a distance to our hostel.  For those of you that don't know, Punta Del Este is very spread out.  If you don't have a car it is too far to walk so you either need to take the "micro" (bus) or get a taxi.  The first option was  to take the "micro" that goes into La Barra, and get off at Parada (stop) 40 and walk the rest of the way.  Or option two was to take a taxi. 

We decided it was worth the extra money to get directly to the hostel!  After arriving in La Barra, we exited off the main road and the road changed from a paved road to dirt road.  We traveled about 4 blocks on this dirt road and then took two turns and arrived at our hostel.  Hayden, Jared, and I all had the same idea in our head: where are we?!  I have never stayed at any place on vacation that is located off a dirt road. 

When we checked in at the front desk we wanted to hear some reassurance that this place was going to be legit during the New Year's week.  The staff assured us that we are in the right place.  After walking through the hostel, and putting our stuff away in our private room (3 of us stayed in this 4 bedroom the whole week...worked out perfect) we saw that there were 6 other people in the whole hostel.  I remember actually having a conversation about changing hostels or even looking to get a hotel room so that way we'd be in the middle of more action.  We were afraid that nobody else was going to stay at this hostel, because it was located a couple of blocks off the main strip. We decided to give this hostel a try for 24 hours...

I can't tell you what Backpacker de La Barra is like 51 weeks out of the year.  What I can tell you is that during the next week we so much fun staying there!  I would highly recommend anybody to stay here during New Years!  The next day Backpacker was completely full, and about 35 people checked in from all of the world.  There were Argentine's, Brazilian's, Australians's, Columbian's, English, and Swedish just to name a few.  This hostel made it really easy to meet people, and it seemed like everybody that stayed there was fun and really friendly!  During the week we stayed there everybody would meet up out back around 7 pm and hang out until about 1 am.  Then at 1 am we'd head out in a big group to go to a club or to a bar until the sun came up!  We did this 6 days in a row! 

I think the best part of the week was New Year's Eve.  Everybody that stayed at the hostel for the week met up around 8pm that night.  The Brazilians were cooking a huge feast, the Argentines brought the music, and everybody else brought the drinks!  Everybody shared what they had brought to the party, and we had a blast until way after midnight when we all headed to Crobar! (check out the YouTube video above)

There are a couple of negatives to this hostel.  Even though this is located in the best part of Punta Del Este, La Barra, it is hard to find it you have never been there.  If we did not hire a taxi I can guarantee that we would have been walking around lost for a long time.  It also does take some time to walk from the hostel into the main part of La Barra to eat/go to the beach/or party (20 minutes).  Lastly, even though they do have free internet they only have two computers.  With over 30 people a day staying here during peak season it is hard to get any time to use the computer.  I still would recommend people to stay here!

Backpacker includes:

1. Free Internet
2. free breakfast
3. a kitchen (which we never used, but other travelers did)
4. pool
5. close to one of the best clubs in Punta - Crobar!
6. bike and car rental
7. 4 bed private room or 12 bed room
8. a really chill environment

Here is a map and contact information to Backpacker:

Calle 9  2306 - La Barra De Maldonado   Punta Del Este, Uruguay

(598-42) 77 22 72 [email protected]

President of Argentina and me in Buenos Aires, Argentina

Last year when I was traveling through Buenos Aires, Argentina I was able to get a picture with the President of Argentina, Christina Fernandez de Kirchner while she was in her car...ok, you got me.  Its not actually her but it kind of looks real with me posing by it.  In front of the Casa Rosada, they had all these pictures of the current President and past Presidents of Argentina on display. 

I have to admit that I have been really lazy about blogging over the last 6 months.  I am going to start cranking out blogs over the next 3 weeks as I am gearing up for another trip down to South America.  I will be traveling to Rio de Janeiro, Iguazu Falls, and Florianopolis, Brazil for 20 days!  I can't wait.  In the mean time I will start posting some new tips, and also other information that could be helpful for your next trip over seas! 

The Butter Cow - Iowa State Fair

The Butter Cow in my opionion is the symbol of the Iowa State Fair.  This sculpture is made out of all butter, and is displayed in a refrigerated glass case for all to see during the 10 day event.  For more information on the Iowa state fair check out http://www.iowastatefair.org/

Molly Malone Statue - Photo of the Week

This picture was taken when I was traveling through Dublin, Ireland.  This statue is located on Grafton street, and very close to the Temple Bar area.  Molly Maloneis a women from the 17th century who had a song written about her.  Here are the lyrics to the song:

In Dublin's fair city,
where the girls are so pretty,
I first set my eyes on sweet Molly Malone,
As she wheeled her wheel-barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"

"Alive, alive, oh,
Alive, alive, oh",
Crying "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh".

She was a fishmonger,
But sure 'twas no wonder,
For so were her father and mother before,
And they each wheeled their barrow,
Through streets broad and narrow,
Crying, "Cockles and mussels, alive, alive, oh!"

(the song lyrics are from Wikipedia)

Rex - La Barra - Punta del Este - The best Chivito in town?

What is there to do in a beach town when it is overcast, a little rainy, and definitely too cold to go to the beach?  Jared, Hayden, and I decided to go in search of the best Chivito in La Barra, Punta Del Este.  You might be asking yourself right now...what is a chivito.?  A chivito is a sandwich that originated in Uruguay, and it can be found in every restaurant in this country.  It is a sandwich that has a toasted bun, ham, mozzarella cheese, a fried egg, lettuce and usually served with french fries.  I have to admit that I was a little skeptical at first when I read this on a menu, but I ended up eating a chivito a day while in Uruguay!

Every restaurant in La Barra has Chivitos, but we did not want to stop at any old restaurant for lunch.  After walking about mile down the road the main road (route 10 km 161) from our hostel, we passed a restaurant that was overflowing with people!  We knew we had to be at the right place!  The restaurant was called Rex.  It had bench type seating outside, inside, and also a bar where you can grab a drink before being seated.

After waiting for about ten minutes we were seated at the best table in the whole restaurant.  It was right in the middle of all the action.   There were so many people walking around, and with music playing through the speakers over head it kind of felt like we were in a club.  Everybody was wearing designer clothes and the music was bumping electronic music.  We even had bottle service at our table for lunch!  We ordered a liter(s) of Patricia, and they brought out a bottle chilled in an ice bucket...thats what i'm talking about!

Rex's has a variety of food and drinks that you can view on their web site, but we ended up all getting the same thing...a chivito with fries!  We ended up paying more for everything we ordered at Rex's compared to other restaurants in La Barra.  A beer is a couple more pesos, the food is a couple more pesos, but I think it is well worth the extra pesos for the atmosphere!  I would highly recommend stopping by this restaurant if you travel through Punta Del Este, Uruguay!

Christmas in Buenos Aires, Argentina - Video of the Week

This last year I spent Christmas in Buenos Aires, Argentina.  They celebrate Christmas a lot different there than in the States.  It is tradition to go to church for a Christmas Eve service, and then go back home to eat a big dinner with family.  Just like any other meal in Argentina, we didn't start eating until 10 pm (still early by Argentine standards).  At 12 am, everybody around the whole city starts to celebrate Christmas by setting off their own fireworks in their backyards or in the streets.  Jared, Hayden, and I celebrated Christmas with my friend Eugenia's family.  We had a great time, and when people were letting off fireworks we went into the street so that way we could see all of the fireworks around their neighborhood.  People were letting off fireworks for more than 30 minutes! 

This was very cool to see how a different culture celebrates the same holiday, because where I'm from in the states it is so cold that nobody wants to be outside for more than 30 seconds.  That 30 seconds is running from your car to the house...It was great to celebrate Christmas in warm weather!  Enjoy the video!