21/02/20
The twenty-first was a day of firsts. After a leisurely start, Jem and I decided the time was right to try our first açai bowl. With so many options to choose from, it was hard to narrow it down but eventually we settled on Bibi's. We ordered a small bowl with nuts and fresh fruit toppings, but the bowl we were served was anything but small. After three or four mouthfuls of what we agreed was the best thing since sliced bread, our tastebuds soon turned cold, our tongues were numb and finishing the portion in front of us became a mountainous task. Moral of the story: don't take your first bowl of açai lightly. You may be better off ordering a small, medium or large cup before you even attempt a bowl and move into the big leagues. You know how it goes, the best American footballers have to start small before they make it to the Super Bowl. Sorry, that was terrible.
I digress. Juicier than that açai was our first bloco. One of many, huge street parades happening all over the city. Along with that came our first taste of perhaps the most dangerous drink in Brazil AND a first love affair with a real Brazilian man. To quote my diary:
With high spirits and cervejas (beers) in hand, Jem and I hiked uphill into beautiful Santa Teresa for our first bloco. Like something out of a rom-com, no sooner had we merged into the crowd at the top of the stone steps, had I already locked eyes with a tall, dark and handsome stranger who looked like an ethereal Amazonian God. His face was glittered and he was wearing an Indian Chief headdress. He beelined for me, asked my name, where I was from and how long was I in Rio for. His friends moved ahead so he said he had to go. We kissed goodbye and *poof* he was gone.
Realising we were out of beers, we were quick to take up the street sellers offers on premixed vodka drinks, which were available in an assortment of e-number filled colours. These 500ml bottles of bright yellow, pink or blue liquid seemed as innocent and familiar as the WKDs and Smirnoff Ices of our youth, drinks we were well versed in and sure that we could handle. We were wrong. After one each, we swayed and stumbled in swarms of people, following the movement of the crowd in multicoloured chaos. At the sound of thunder we decided to take shelter in the nearest open restaurant and order a plate of rice and beans to soak up the alcohol coursing through our bodies. The waiter tried to take advantage of our drunken state by charging us for 2 chicken main courses that we simply had not ordered. Little did he know that a drunk Lara is not a Lara you want to pick a fight with. I shouted some confused mixture of Portu-span-english at the man and paid the correct fee and we left the place mostly unscathed, luckily unswindled. After this, the exact timeline of events is hazy, nor am I confident that the rice and beans did much to save Jem and I from remaining in states of incoherency. Somehow we ended up partying in a hostel for the rest of our evening before eventually calling it a day and making our way back to our humble abode.
Our second day of of Carnival was our last in Rio and we were due to be following the festivities north to Salvador. It started with an incredible hangover lunch in Ipanema and a slow journey to Botafogo for another crack at a bloco. You'd think we'd have learnt our lesson this time but actually we just doubled our intake of beer and the rainbow drinks of death leading to another wild and wonderful day. The next morning with little memory of the day before, we checked out of Copa Roots and got an 8-hour bus to Vitoria, our stopover before a 21-hour bus to Salvador. This small town in Espírito Santo was in full party mode by the time we arrived. Dying for some good food, the only place we could find was a random Pizzaria. The kind of pizzeria where 40 year old mothers were being carried home by their 10 year old daughters and we were rightly or wrongly judging them for it from our sad sober corner.
We had a relaxed breakfast in the hostel, deciding how to spend our day in Vitoria and planning our onward route. We chose to hike up Penha Convent then get a self-service lunch at the bottom of the hill. This experience was only slightly hampered by the discovery of an unknown insect on Jem's plate, something we didn't have the heart to report to the friendly staff. Having stretched our legs and eaten well enough, we were off to our coach, stopping in the pharmacy for some antihistamines in the hope that they might knock us out for the overnight journey.
Food...
Bibi Sucos in Copacabana
For a first taste of açai, this place is a solid option. Bibi's is a chain with 7 others in Rio but there are also many other options, you only have to type 'açai' into google maps and you will find choices all over the city. There are some açai self-service bars that charge by weight so you can choose from an array of toppings, sauces and flavours too.
Viasete in Ipanema
Due to its trendy location and variety of dishes catering to a modern European taste, the bill here will definitely cost a little more but be worth every real.
Carnival Tips
1. Download the app Blocos de Rua. It has a full list of all the blocos happening in Rio, Salvador, Sao Paolo and more. The app is in Portuguese but still has the most reliable up to date information including the number of people expected to attend each bloco so you can get an idea of which ones will suit your mood better. This was so useful for us when we were deciding which street party to go to.
2. If you are determined to go to Ipanema or Copacabana street parties (we didn't) then definitely do not bring anything valuable except your phone and cash for the day and make sure that they are well hidden. Pickpockets are everywhere and the only people we met who had anything stolen (including girls having necklaces ripped off their necks) were the ones who were in these two very touristy parades.
3. You can only buy single metro tickets with cash so make sure you have some before heading to your bloco. I would recommend buying 2 singles for each day you intend to go to carnival in advance to avoid long queues in the metro on the day.
Accommodation
The Hostel World app came in very handy whenever we needed to book a night's stay here or 3 nights there. Check the booking policies before you book just in case you think your plans might change. We were charged by hostels we didn't end up staying in due to not reading their rules carefully!
Hostel Guanaaní in Vitoria
An absolute find! The free breakfast included a great variety of fresh fruit, some cakes, bread and butter, tea and coffee and fruit juices. The kitchen was clean and well equipped, the staff were really helpful and the rooms were clean. The terrace was a highlight. Just what we needed after our bus from Rio.
Convento Da Penha in Vitoria
We loved our active yet peaceful stroll up to the convent and enjoyed panoramic views out to sea from the top. We didn't have time to explore more but would have gone to the beach if time allowed us.
Bus Tips
1. Don't buy lots of junk food/snacks for the bus. The long buses stop for a meal about halfway depending on the departure time/arrival time/driver's whim. See Jem pictured here with a scrumptious platter of weigh-then-pay local grub. Top notch. These meals came to be one of our favourite things about travelling in Brazil.
2. Neck pillows are an absolute must. Mine cost 20 quid but it was a worthwhile investment. Eye-masks and earplugs also help if annoying people decide to have their reading light on or watch videos out loud.
3. A portable charger would be handy but not essential as some buses do have plugs.
4. The bus stops for loo breaks only once or twice so make sure you go if you don't want to have to use the much smaller loo on the bus whilst going over bumpy roads.