INTRODUCTION
Being in quarantine hopefully gives all of us some time to reflect on those things which are really important in life, like health and family.
And in my case, after many weeks, some time to sit down and write my first TR. I haven’t developed a TR writing style yet, so this will be a work in progress. I know DDF members like myself enjoy reading TRs and rely to some extent on other DDF members’ experiences when choosing a particular Tour guide/company/ etc., so I will try to provide my personal experience with those that I’ve used over the years. I also enjoy knowing prices, and I will try to provide that as well when possible.
After close to a decade lurking on DDF, I officially joined the DDF family, and it’s truly an amazing place. It is only appropriate to take this opportunity to thank Dan in particular and the extended DDFF at large for some of the many amazing experiences and opportunities I’ve had over the years thanks to this amazing Forum, from booking and flying same day from EWR to LAX on Delta one (lie flat) for an extended family member’s Simcha ($80 RT) back in 2013
Here to flying for free with my good friend
@Tom Brady to Shallots Bistro for dinner with a stay at the PH Chicago (of course we did, its TB) back in 2017
Here and everything in between. I also must mention
@Something Fishy for his extremely helpful guide to uploading pictures on DDF
Here .
This trip could not have happened without the contribution of
@Yehoshua , who was gracious and patient enough to plan this itinerary with me.
OUR TRIPBH my DW and I are fortunate enough to be able to take off a bit of time in the summer and winter to go on vacation.
We love to travel and explore the world, experiencing culture shocks in countries with foreign languages, and marveling at iconic landmarks and natural wonders that we read about as kids and can finally experience in person.
So this past fall I was exploring travel to Brazil, as its been high on my list for some time, but with cash prices at around 1k pp, I decided to explore some of the other destinations on our bucket list. I finally settled on Bali, and after much research I was ready to book when this happened:
direct flights from JFK to GIG in J for 90K UR and just like that I knew we were
IMYH going to SA.
I immediately booked flights on AA from JFK to GIG for an 8 day stay, arriving Mon. morning in GIG and departing Mon. evening from GIG.
SUNDAYSun. evening we drove to the Airport with a quick stop to grab some food at a local eatery in the 5T.
We arrived at JFK and since we weren’t checking in any luggage, went directly to make some peoples day by volunteering to walk the walk of shame as they bark orders and probe peoples private belongings. With some time to spare before our flight, we headed to the AA Flagship Lounge for some Chocolate M&Ms and a hot shower.
After which we boarded a 777-200 (a last minute swap had us sitting in the infamous Zodiac seats, which personally I did not find to be an issue) with seats in 7D and 7H respectively.
Day 1: MONDAY We arrived in GIG early in the AM. After a quick passport control (Visa Free), we went to locate an ATM in the terminal to get some Brazilian Real [ 1 USD to 4 BRL] (use the red ones on the left).
(I always get local currency from an ATM at the airport, using a debit card with no fees. When withdrawing money at foreign ATMs, I make sure to use local currency option and not their hiked up conversion rate to USD)
For example in this case the actual amount charged by my bank was $240 after declining.
We settled in to our UBER (R$42,50) for the 30 min drive from the airport to the JW Marriott (67.5k MT) in Copacabana where we were going to spend our next 2 Nights in Rio. While waiting for our ocean view room to be ready, we checked out the rooftop pool area overlooking Copacabana beach.
An hour later or so our room was ready, so we unpacked and decided to hit the beach for a bit before we would need to head out to our hang gliding tour.
Hang gliding was the first activity on our agenda for Rio. This has been on my bucket list for many years and I was definitely excited to finally experience it with my DW. (Before our trip, we watched this
video of Dan hang gliding in Rio to mentally prepare
)
We took a 20 minute uber to São Conrado beach for our 1PM meeting with our hang gliding instructor Luciano from
Flex 1 Delta (R$600).
The sign in at São Conrado beach and the drive up the mountain in Tijuca forest were uneventful. The Pedra Bonita ramp is the only authorized location in Rio for all hang gliding and paragliding takeoffs. While waiting in line for our jump, we got to watch many others take off, which was really enjoyable and built up our anticipation for our own jump. When it was finally our turn to take that running leap off the edge of the 1700 foot cliff and into the air, the moment was surreal. The incredible feeling of flight is truly indescribable. Seeing the lush forest beneath you and the expansive views of the ocean and the beautiful city of Rio with Sugarloaf mountain in the distance to your left as you glide (so this is what it must feel like to be Superman, was running through my head) is truly a once in a lifetime experience. (or maybe not… my DW insists this is one activity we must repeat). We landed at Pepino beach and got our pictures and videos transferred to our phones.
We then bought some cold coconuts (R$7 BRL) before Ubering back to Copacabana to stroll and check out souvenirs.
For sunset we headed to Arpoador Rock at Ipanema beach. Unfortunately it was a cloudy evening, but it still made for an enjoyable outing.
From there we Ubered to Shaq Shuq for dinner. We ordered a dish called Parilla (this is how SA call a platter of grilled meat) a platter of meat for 2 served with rice, farfoa, roasted rustic potatoes, and a campanha dressing (a traditional brazilin dressing) with a side of breaded banana (R$176)
We headed back to the hotel which is only a block away and hit the rooftop pool for a quick swim, then turned in for the night.
To be continued…
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