Exploring The Natural Wonders Of Brazil, by PBaruch (July 2024)

[PBaruch]

Finding business class award flights for a family isn't always easy, but availability does sometimes arise. Last summer we were very fortunate to find business class availability to Japan (https://forums.dansdeals.com/index.php?topic=134493.0) for a very reasonable 60k Alaska miles per person one way.  This time around, I was alerted to a Brazil business class deal for only 45k Alaska miles, per person one way, booked on Latam.  It was simply too good to pass up.  As with Japan, Brazil has been on my bucket list for a while and following extensive negotiations with DW, she agreed to go.  Oldest Kid, unwilling to deal with bugs, immunizations, and the inability to flush toilet paper, refused to go.  It all worked out well in the end, as Oldest Kid was accepted into a paid research internship program for the first half of the summer.  She was quite happy with her choice as the perks of her internship were a free apartment, a Chabad in the lobby, and the ability to roll out of bed and into the lab with ease.

This trip would not have been possible without the help of several individuals.  Many thanks to @Yammer, who put me in touch with his cousin Alex P. in Brazil.  Alex and his wife were a tremendous source of help both before and during our trip.  Alex also invited us for Shabbos meals for the two Shabbosim when we were in São Paulo.  In addition, he saved us from being hungry when our flight was delayed on our return to São Paulo from Iguazú Falls, following the CrowdStrike outage.  We arrived at our hotel two hours before Shabbos, and all of the kosher stores were already closed.  Without even asking, Alex said "I'll ask my wife to send food..."  (Alex invited us for Friday evening meals, but we were too tired to eat with him at night and Little One couldn't stay up).  Alex is a tremendous source of inspiration for his ahavas chesed.  Many thanks as well to Shlomo C., who answered numerous questions and put me in touch with Yoni Haifatz.  Yoni prepared delicious frozen vacuum-packed meals, that we took with us to Fernando de Noronha.  And yes, @Dan, you can visit Fernando de Noronha and not starve.  We also owe a thank you to Chabad of Recife, for the delicious Shabbos meals.  Last but not least, many thanks to our corporate sponsors - Chase Bank and Bank of America.

Part 1 - Planning and Preparations

Brazil is quite large and despite having about three weeks, it wasn't enough time to see all of its natural wonders.  Also, flights within Brazil are very poorly executed and I found many instances where South American airlines force you to endure multiple connections and travel all day while the actual travel distance wasn't very far.  In addition, for flights within Brazil, I found that choice flight times and direct routes (or routes with the fewest connections) were unavailable with miles bookings.  Instead, these flights were only available through cash bookings (which can also be made through credit card travel portals).  Since we couldn't find decent flights to visit Manaus (gateway to the Amazon), that was ruled out.  I had several must-see Brazil places on my list, and we eventually decided to visit Fernando de Noronha, Lençóis Maranhenses, and Iguazú Falls.  Since Fernando de Noronha and Lençóis Maranhenses are fairly close to each other, it made sense to visit both in one trip.  We chose to spend a Shabbos in Porto de Gallinhas, near Recife, after departing Fernando de Noronha on the way to Lençóis Maranhenses.  The logistics worked and were able to purchase kosher food from Chabad of Recife for Shabbos and restock our supplies.  We had a quick direct flight from Fernando to Recife, and I thought we had another quick direct flight from Recife to São Luís, the closest airport to access Lençóis Maranhenses.  However, Azul canceled our direct flight from Recife to São Luís and instead rerouted us with a connecting flight in Belém.  Apparently, all direct flights between Recife and São Luís mysteriously disappeared. 

This was not, however, the worst of it all.  I had much bigger problems dealing with Latam.  The first major issue arose when they downgraded us on the return connecting flight to New York from business class to economy, claiming an "equipment change."  After a lot of back and forth calling Alaska Airlines, I was finally able to reroute our return flight through Lima, Peru (instead of Santiago, Chile) in business class.  Of course, Latam couldn't simply give us a decent normal connection time, and we ended up with a 13-hour layover in Lima.  We decided to take the Latam lemons and make lemonade by visiting Chabad of Lima for lunch and dinner and touring the city.  Other issues I had with Latam included boarding passes incorrectly displaying on my phone and an inability to check in for flights online or by phone.  One time the Latam representative said to sort it out at the airport, but on another occasion, I was able to get boarding passes after emailing Latam.  All of my issues with Latam were ultimately resolved, but you should be prepared to deal with problems of your own if you decide to book Latam flights. 

Although DW fretted about getting kosher food in Brazil, it was much ado about nothing.  São Paulo has a few kosher supermarkets and several excellent kosher restaurants.  There are also quite a few Chabad houses in Brazil, where you can purchase meals.  In addition, as mentioned above, we were able to get vacuum packed frozen kosher meals from Yoni Haifatz in São Paulo, which we brought with us to Fernando de Noronha.  With a little planning and preparation, you too can have a wonderful Brazilian adventure with delicious kosher meals. 

After many hours of searching and planning, our itinerary was set as follows:

1.    Flight into São Paulo on a Thursday, with a stay at the Renaissance Hotel for Shabbos;
2.    Flight to Fernando de Noronha on Sunday;
3.    Flight to Recife on Thursday, with a stay in nearby Porto de Galinhas for Shabbos;
4.    Flight to São Luís on Sunday, with a four-hour drive to Barreirinhas, gateway to Lençóis Maranhenses National Park;
5.    Flight from São Luís to Iguazú Falls on Tuesday;
6.    Flight from Iguazú Falls to São Paulo on Friday, with a return stay at the Renaissance Hotel for Shabbos;
7.    Flight home on Monday, with a 13 hour layover in Lima, Peru (where we visited Chabad and toured the city).

Part 2 - Flight to São Paulo

We began our journey with a visit to the Delta One Lounge at JFK, where we were treated to kosher prime rib steaks. We were pleasantly surprised to have a real kosher meal at a lounge - something we had never experienced before:

Delta One Lounge, JFK by P Bryan, on Flickr

And then we were off on our Brazilian adventure:

JFK-SCL-GRU by P Bryan, on Flickr

Latam Business Class - JFK - GRU by P Bryan, on Flickr

During our stopover in Santiago, we visited the Latam Signature Lounge, which was spacious and empty.  We even found kosher Häagen-Dazs mini-ice cream cups at the lounge.  The lounge had an area with what they called sleeping chairs, and we all sat down to rest and promptly fell asleep.  Luckily, Little One had been playing on my phone and realized the time.  He woke all of us up in time to make our connecting flight to Sao Paulo.  Lesson learned - never sleep at an airport lounge or you just might miss your flight. 

Latam Signature Lounge, Santiago, Chile by P Bryan, on Flickr

Latam Signature Lounge, Santiago, Chile by P Bryan, on Flickr

These "sleeping" chairs are more comfortable than they look and are able to recline:

Latam Signature Lounge, Santiago, Chile by P Bryan, on Flickr

Part 3 - São Paulo

We arrived in São Paulo on a Thursday, and were picked up at the airport by Valdir.  Alex P. put me in touch with Valdir, his former school bus driver.  Valdir has a nice sized van and he shuttled us to and from the airport as we flew in and out of São Paulo.  Although Valdir doesn't speak English, we were able to communicate through Google Translate.  We highly recommend Valdir, who can be reached via WhatsApp here:

https://wa.me/5511973736474

We then checked into the Renaissance Hotel (a Marriott property), located in the Jardins neighborhood, where we stayed on the first and last Shabbos of our trip.  Jardins is one of the two Jewish neighborhoods in São Paulo and Alex P. suggested that we stay at the Renaissance as it is a short walk to nearby shuls and his house.  Information about the Renaissance Hotel can be found here:

https://www.marriott.com/en-us/hotels/saobr-renaissance-sao-paulo-hotel/overview/

The rooms were nice and the hotel was very accommodating for Shabbos.  Our two connecting rooms:

Renaissance Sao Paulo Hotel, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Renaissance Sao Paulo Hotel, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

São Paulo has a number of excellent kosher restaurants, and we wanted to try out as many as possible.  For our first meal we visited Bero Pizza, information about which can be found here:

https://beropizza.com.br/beropizza/sp?dd=menu

The pizza was delicious and the fries were among the best we've ever had.  Clockwise from top - Berô Pizza (mozzarella, seasoned eggplant and golden garlic); Catupiry coxinha; and Pastel de queijo:

Bero Pizza, Sao Paulo, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

The following day, we checked out Capanema Restaurant for lunch.  I couldn't find a website but they do have an Instagram page:

https://www.instagram.com/capanemarestaurante/?hl=en

The food was alright, but we wouldn't eat there again.  A sample of our dishes - clockwise from top left: Aracini caccio e pepe  (rice balls with cheese and pepper); Mil folhas de batata (potato, truffle aioli and parmesan); Lasanha de bacalhau (cod lasagna); Peixe do dia & risotto de tomate (tomato risotto & fish of the day); Caccio and pepe al tartufo: (pasta with truffles, cheese, and pepper):

Capanema Restaurante, Sao Paulo, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

When we returned to São Paulo for the final weekend of our trip, Sunday became tasting day.  We started with breakfast at Matok, located at Alameda Barros, 921 - Santa Cecilia, São Paulo - SP, 01232-000 (there does not appear to be a website for Matok).  Photograph of one of the display cases and some of the treats we purchased:

Matok Cafe, Sao Paulo, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Afterwards, we went to lunch at Sushi Papaia, an outstanding restaurant, information about which can be found here:

http://sushipapaia.com.br/

If you ever find yourself in São Paulo, we highly recommend a visit to Sushi Papaia.  It was by far our favorite restaurant in São Paulo.  Had we known how good it was, we would have visited more than once.  A sample of our dishes - clockwise from top:

Sushi Papaia Restaurant, Sao Paulo, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

For the grand finale, we went to dinner at Or Gastronomia, a kosher steakhouse, information about which can be found here:

https://www.instagram.com/explore/locations/305219959/or-gastronomia-delivery/

A sample of some of the dishes we ordered:

Or Gastronomia Restaurant, Sao Paulo, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

The grand total, including tip, for a party of 5 adults and 5 kids came to around $200 USD.  For those of you who enjoy a good steakhouse, Or Gastronomia will not disappoint.

To get around in São Paulo, we used Uber, which is quite inexpensive.  We averaged around $4-5 USD per trip, including tip. 

Part 4 - Island of Fernando de Noronha

In the golden age of exploration, Italian adventurer Amerigo Vespucci referred to the Island of Fernando de Noronha as a "natural wonder."  The history of the island is a bit murky, but Fernando de Noronha was supposedly discovered on August 10, 1503, by a Portuguese expedition with Amerigo Vespucci aboard.  The expedition was financed by Lisbon merchant Fernão de Loronha, whose name is often misspelled as Fernando de Noronha (which some say was deliberate).  Noronha was a Portuguese Jew who outwardly converted to Catholicism, as did many Jews seeking refuge from the Inquisition.  But those who doubt Noronha's allegiance should note that he changed the name of his ship from the "Sao Cristovoa" (St. Christopher) to "A Judia" (The Jewess) and a harbor he discovered and named Cananea is 32 degrees south of the equator, while the ancient Israeli city bearing the same name is 32 degrees north of the equator.  I firmly believe that coincidences do not exist and that Noronha was a crypto-Jew who did not forsake his heritage. 

I concur with Amerigo Vespucci that the Island of Fernando de Noronha is still a natural wonder today.  There are not many times when I have been in complete awe, but this was one of those occasions. I first learned of the existence of Fernando some years ago, when I came across a short video about the island, and resolved to visit one day.  Due to its remoteness and difficulty in getting there, it doesn't appear that Fernando is on the radar of many Americans, and in doing research, couldn't find anyone in my circle who had previously visited.  To get there, you must first fly to Recife, and then transfer by propeller plane for the approximately 1 hour and 45-minute flight to Fernando. 

GRU - REC - FEN by P Bryan, on Flickr

Our arrival on Fernando:

Arriving at Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

To enter the island, you are required pay a daily environmental fee, either online or at the airport upon arrival.  The fee is approximately $17.50 per day per adult over the age of 18. I had some difficulty paying the fee online, and instead paid upon arrival at the airport. 

In addition to the daily environmental fee, to access the marine national park areas of Fernando, you must also purchase access tickets for adults over the age of 18.  The access pass is good for up to 10 days, at an approximate cost $62 USD.  You can purchase the access tickets in person when you arrive on Fernando or online here:

https://tickets.parnanoronha.com.br/

There are no large hotels on Fernando.  Instead, you will find many pousadas, something of a cross between a hotel and bed and breakfast. 

Enjoying the view at our pousada:

Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

We opted to hire a guide for an island tour and used Daniel Oliveira.  We were so pleased with Daniel that we hired him for a second all day island tour.  Daniel was very attentive and quite knowledgeable about the geology, fauna, birds, and marine life in Fernando.  We would have missed out on quite a lot had it not been for Daniel's guidance. You can contact Daniel by WhatsApp here:

https://wa.me/5581997928859

Daniel initially took us to Praia da Air France (Air France Beach), where we saw many species of birds:

Air France Beach, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Great Frigatebird:

Great Frigatebird, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Afterwards, we visited the very special Baia do Sancho (Sancho Beach).  To access the Sancho, you must descend a series of ladders, and it does get a bit tight at times:

Sancho Beach, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Sancho Beach, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

But the effort is very worthwhile:

Sancho Beach, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Sancho Beach, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Red-Footed Booby birds nesting on Sancho Beach:

Red-footed Booby, Sancho Beach, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Red Footed Boobie, Sancho Beach, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Red Footed Booby in flight near Sancho Beach:

Red Footed Booby, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Red Footed Boobies and Brown Boobies nesting near Sancho Beach:

Red Footed Boobies and Brown Boobies, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Red Footed Boobies and Brown Boobies, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Red Footed Boobie near Sancho Beach:

Red Footed Booby, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Brown Boobie near Sancho Beach:

Brown Boobie, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

We saw Brown Boobies diving into the water for fish at Sancho.  This one was flying over the water and probably looking for fish:

Sancho Beach, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

White Terns near Sancho Beach:

White Terns, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Checking out Sally Lightfoot Crabs at Sancho Beach:

Sancho Beach, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Sally Lightfoot Crab, Sancho Beach, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

The wonders of Fernando extend to the sea as well, where we swam with a huge school of sardines.  Thanks to a little help from Daniel, Little One went snorkeling for the first time on his own with a mask and snorkel, and he even went into the deep to snorkel with the sardines:

Sancho Beach, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Sancho Beach, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

We visited the nearby Baia dos Porcos (Bay of Pigs):

Baía dos Porcos, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

To access Porcos, you need to scramble over some rocks while wearing a hardhat provided by national park employees:

Baía dos Porcos, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Baía dos Porcos, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Baía dos Porcos, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

The surf was too rough for us to go swimming at Porcos, but the kids had fun playing in the sand:

Baía dos Porcos, Fernando de Noronha by P Bryan, on Flickr

Of course there were plenty of crabs all over:

Baía dos Porcos, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Daniel also took us snorkeling at Praia do Porto, where we saw many schools of fish, octopus, turtles, lemon sharks, sand sharks, and sting rays.  The variety and quantity of marine life was simply incredible.  Snorkeling with turtles:

Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Lemon Sharks:

Lemon Sharks, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Lemon Sharks, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Stingray:

Stingray, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

We also visited Sueste Bay, but were told that swimming is not permitted due to the presence of tiger sharks in the area:

Sueste Bay, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Sueste Bay, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Wild Cereus insularis, a type of cactus, growing near the beach by Sueste Bay:

Wild Cereus insularis in Suesta Bay, Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

During one of our tours with Daniel, he stopped at a gas station to fill up his car.  Craving something cold, I popped into the store at the gas station and found exactly four mini cups of kosher Ben & Jerry's Ice Cream.  I did not see any other kosher ice cream.  Coincidence?

After three full amazing days, it was time to leave Fernando:

FEN - REC by P Bryan, on Flickr

Leaving Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Leaving Fernando de Noronha, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

[PBaruch]

Part 5 - Porto de Galinhas

Porto de Galinhas is a resort area near Recife, and a destination in its own right.  It's a very popular vacation destination for Brazilians, and we didn't see any other foreign tourists while we were there.  For us, however, it was just a transit point for Shabbos where we could purchase kosher food.  We were able to order Shabbos meals from Chabad of Recife, which were delivered Thursday night.  Chabad does not offer delivery of food on Friday, at least not while we were there.   I was originally thinking of staying within walking distance of Chabad in Recife and eating with them on Shabbos, but was told that they didn't have regular minyanim and I couldn't get information about the safety of the area. 

Since we only had one day (Friday) to enjoy Porto, and due to the on and off thunderstorms, we decided to stay in the resort area.  The beach in the resort area where we were staying was small and crowded, but it was still an interesting experience. 

Floating restaurant with the catch of the day:

Porto de Galinhas, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Porto de Galinhas, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Little One enjoying an ocean bicycle:

Porto de Galinhas, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Ant then it was time to prepare for Shabbos.  I made my usual fried potato kugel on an electric burner and we put two Meal Mart parve cholent meals into a Hotlogic (used with a 220v - 110v converter as all Hotlogics are only 110v):

Making potato kugel and warming up cholent in a Hotlogic for Shabbos in Porto de Galinhas, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Part 6 - Parque Nacional dos Lençóis Maranhenses

After a relaxing Shabbos in Porto de Galinhas, we were off to the next leg of our adventure - Lençóis Maranhenses National Park.  As with Noronha, Lençóis does not appear on the radar of many Americans, but it's quite popular with Brazilians and Europeans.  I first learned about Lençóis when @Something Fishy posted some pictures on his WhatsApp status some years back, and when I realized  Lençóis was in Brazil and near Fernando, we had to go.  Lençóis is a very beautiful and unique area, with sand dunes that fill up with rainwater during the rainy season.  Small fish mysteriously appear in many of the lagoons, which some say is a result of the river overflowing into the lagoons, while others speculate that fish are accidentally dropped by birds into the lagoons which then propagate. 

As discussed above, we thought we had a direct flight from Recife to São Luís, the nearest airport to Lençóis , but Azul decided to change our direct flight with a stop in Belém, and all direct flights mysteriously vanished. 

REC - BEL - SLZ, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

We booked roundtrip transportation from the São Luís airport, a two-night hotel stay in Barreirinhas, and a full day tour of Lençóis with Caetés Expedições Turismo e Aventura.  Their price was reasonable, the service was exceptional, and the staff was very kind and attentive to our needs.  We wholeheartedly recommend their services.  Information about Caetés can be found here:

https://caetesexpedicoes.com.br/

Mr. Ryoma from Caetés Expediçoes can be reached directly via WhatsApp here:

https://wa.me/559899689196

We arrived at the São Luís airport in the early afternoon, and were picked up by a taxi arranged through Caetés for the approximate four-hour drive to Barreirinhas. 

Sao Luis to Barreirinhas, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

São Luís was an interesting city, where we saw a Ferrari and Mercedes dealership next door to a tractor dealership.  The drive from São Luís to Barreirinhas was even more interesting, with an occasional cow, donkey and horse meandering across the highway to graze.  I was told that these weren't stray animals, but that their owners let them roam to graze.  When it was time to go home, the animals knew the way.

The following morning, we were picked up for our full day tour of Lençóis.  To reach the park, you need to take a ferry across the Preguicas River:

Barreirinhas, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

We then had to drive over sand and dunes to reach Lençóis Maranhenses:

On the way to Lençóis Maranhenses, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

On the way to Lençóis Maranhenses, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

After reaching the park, it was time to walk up and down several dunes to reach the lagoons.  The effort was very worthwhile:

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Driving over to another part of the park:

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Time to do some climbing:

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Swimming in one of the lagoons:

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

The sand was powdery soft with the consistency of flour:

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

For scale, if you look closely, you can see a few trucks with people in this photo:

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

As sunset approached, it was time for everyone to head back:

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Part 7 - Iguazú Falls

Due to time constraints, we only had one full day at Lençóis Maranhenses, and on the following day we packed out early for the nearly four-hour drive back to São Luís.  We bid farewell to the magnificent dunes and lagoons, ready for the grand finale, Iguazú Falls.  There were no direct flights to Iguazú, and we were routed through São Paulo:

SLZ - GRU - IGU by P Bryan, on Flickr

For our first full day at Iguazú, we stayed on the Brazilian side of the falls.  We recommend going early or late, as it gets quite crowded in midday. 

The water level was very high during our visit, resulting in a lot of mist in the air:

Iguazú Falls, from the Brazilian Side by P Bryan, on Flickr

Iguazú Falls, viewed from the Brazilian side. by P Bryan, on Flickr

Double rainbow by Devil's Throat:

Iguazú Falls, Brazilian Side by P Bryan, on Flickr

More views from the Brazilian side of the falls:

Iguazú Falls, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Iguazú Falls, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

On the following day, we visited the Argentina side of the falls.  Although visiting the Argentina side of the falls is possible on your own, it is much more difficult without a guide.  @Yammer recommended using Cristian Albino as a guide for Argentina, and it worked out quite well.  Cristian picked us up from our hotel, drove us across the border into Argentina, and helped us (mostly) avoid the crowds.  We highly recommend using a guide if you are staying in Brazil and wish to visit the Argentina side of the falls.  If you'd like to use Cristian, he can be reached via WhatsApp here:

https://wa.me/554591136030

The border crossing was fairly quick and uneventful, but trouble arose as we neared the entrance to the park.  It turns out that a number of Argentinian park employees had been fired, and they were protesting by blocking the entrance to the park.  Apparently, it is completely legal to block roads as a form of civil protest in Argentina.  The protestors were letting vehicles into the park for 10 minutes each hour, and after about an hour and a half of waiting, we finally gained entry into the park.  At first, I was quite upset about the whole fiasco.  Later, I realized they were doing us a favor, by keeping the crowds out of the park. 

Capuchin monkeys inside the park:

Capuchin monkeys, Iguazú Falls, Argentina by P Bryan, on Flickr

We saw a multitude of butterflies on the Argentina side of the park:

Iguazú Falls, Argentina by P Bryan, on Flickr

View of the falls in Argentina:

Iguazú Falls, Argentina by P Bryan, on Flickr

Iguazú Falls, Argentina by P Bryan, on Flickr

Iguazú Falls, Argentina by P Bryan, on Flickr

After about five miles of walking, we were a bit tired and headed back to Brazil (we had also walked around 8 miles the day before).  We were considering a visit to the Bird Park, but ultimately were too tired to go.  However, even without visiting the Bird Park, we saw quite a few wild beautiful birds at the Brazilian side of the falls.

Plush-crested jay:

Plush-crested jay, Iguazú Falls, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Black-fronted Piping Guan:

Black-fronted Piping Guan, Iguazú Falls, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Green-headed Tanager:

Green-headed Tanager, Iguazú Falls, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Toucans high up in a tree:

Toucan, Iguazú Falls, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

We also saw a Coati in a tree:

Coati, Iguazú Falls, Brazil by P Bryan, on Flickr

Part 8 - Return to São Paulo during the CrowdStrike Outage

After two full exhausting days in Iguazú Falls, it was time to return to São Paulo.  We don't usually travel on Fridays out of fear of getting stuck before Shabbos, but I thought the risk was minimal since the flight between Iguazú and São Paulo was direct and relatively short at about one hour and forty-five minutes.  But that is exactly when the CrowdStrike outage happened.  I woke up early Friday morning to see my phone blowing up with news of a worldwide computer outage resulting in the cancellation of many flights.  I checked our flight schedule but everything seemed fine.  We made our way to the airport and everything seemed normal at first.  However, when the airplane hadn't arrived at the gate by the scheduled time, I began to get worried.  Ultimately, they made an announcement that the flight would be delayed by two hours.  With this two-hour delay, we would arrive in São Paulo a scant two hours before Shabbos, with little time to prepare.  When we finally boarded the airplane, there was a further delay.  My good friend @YankyD, who I think lives in an alternate universe, suggested that I go and tip the pilot to get us to São Paulo quicker.  According to @YankyD, "If you have some cash tips (they) go a long way."  Suffice it to say, I did not approach the pilot and attempt to bribe him to get us to São Paulo quicker.  We ended up making it to the Renaissance Hotel in São Paulo with a few hours to spare.  In the end, everything worked out but DW commented that we will not be traveling on a Friday again. 

Part 9- The Long Way Home

As discussed above, Latam routed us with a 13-hour stopover in Lima, so we took the opportunity to tour the city.  DW reached out to Chabad of Lima, who put us in touch with Diana Fihman, a local tour company operator.  Diana arranged airport pickup, transported us to Chabad of Lima for lunch and dinner, and arranged for a city tour.  Diana can be reached via WhatsApp here:

https://wa.me/51951797065

After we were picked up at the airport, we first went to Chabad of Lima for lunch.  I must say that the drivers in Lima are absolutely crazy - there do not appear to be any rules of the road and everyone was pushing their way in and out of traffic.  I don't think we've ever encountered such insanity.  We first visited the Miraflores neighborhood by the ocean, which was quite beautiful. 

Miraflores neighborhood, Lima, Peru by P Bryan, on Flickr

Afterwards, we went to the Huaca Pucllana, a pre-Inca ceremonial site built using millions of adobe bricks.  Huaca is smack in the middle of the city, and we were told there are other similar type sites in the city as well.

Huaca Pucllana, Lima, Peru by P Bryan, on Flickr

Huaca Pucllana, Lima, Peru by P Bryan, on Flickr

Huaca Pucllana, Lima, Peru by P Bryan, on Flickr

We also visited the Inca market, where various vendors sell a multitude of clothing and souvenirs:

Inca Market, Lima, Peru by P Bryan, on Flickr

And then it was time to head back to Chabad for dinner.  We had chicken causa (a Pervian dish) and chicken cutlets, and both were very good:

Dinner at Chabad of Lima, Peru by P Bryan, on Flickr

Our route home:

GRU - LIM - JFK by P Bryan, on Flickr

Part 10 - Conclusion

I really enjoyed seeing the many natural wonders of Brazil but DW thought it was a "stupid trip."  She said it was too much sun, sand, and bumpy Jeep rides.  As for me, it was a lot of schlepping but very worthwhile.  The kids had their moments where they alternated between kvetching and enjoying.

Thanks for reading and we hope you enjoyed this trip report.  As they say in Brazil, Ciao Ciao!

[BarryLincoln]

Fantastic TR as always from @PBaruch...  Photos are incredible!!

[Yaalili]

Wonderful trip report, thank you for taking the time to write this up and share with the rest of us!

It has been 11 years now, since the year that I spent in Sao Paulo, Brazil and the restaurants and neighborhoods brought back fond memories of my time there. Pizza Bero, Sushi Papaia, Matuk (which was also used for the KSML out of GRU), and the other places you mentioned.

When I was in Lima, I also found the drivers and traffic to be some of the worst of any place I have been. In fact, in our 24 hours there, our taxi/shuttle got into (minor) accidents twice. Your experience seems to be the same there.

[CountValentine]

Great TR as always. How long did it take you to put the TR together?

[PBaruch]

Great TR as always. How long did it take you to put the TR together?

Probably took as long as the trip....

[tavster]

Probably took as long as the trip....

Fantastic TR
Thanks for taking the time

[Joe4007]

Amazing! Thanks for sharing!

[Yehoshua]

Wow, I just had time to read this whole thing. I makes me want to go back to Brazil so badly! Thank you very much for sharing.

[cgr]

Amazing TR! Brought up some memories of Lima traffic that I thought had been permanently deleted...

[Dan]

Incredible TR and good memories, I really have to do an Amazon, FdN, and Lençóis Maranhenses trip.

Does Matok still have amazing soft serve ice cream?

Have you done Rio before? Didn't have a couple extra days to add it?

[PBaruch]

Incredible TR and good memories, I really have to do an Amazon, FdN, and Lençóis Maranhenses trip.

Does Matok still have amazing soft serve ice cream?

Have you done Rio before? Didn't have a couple extra days to add it?

I regret to inform you that, according to Middle Kid, the soft serve ice cream at Matok was "gross."  She says it was grainy and tasted like parve ice cream.  Little One shared but didn't say anything one way or the other.

As for Rio, it wasn't a place I was interested in visiting for several reasons, among them being tznius as its known as a party town, obviously no interest in seeing the statue, and safety.  I would like to go back to Brazil, but still wouldn't plan on visiting Rio - I was also told that the Jewish community in Rio is a shell of its former self.  For a future visit, I would definitely go back to Sao Paulo to visit Alex P. and his family, to eat at the kosher restaurants we enjoyed, and of course to stock up on food from Yoni. 

[Dan]

I regret to inform you that, according to Middle Kid, the soft serve ice cream at Matok was "gross."  She says it was grainy and tasted like parve ice cream.  Little One shared but didn't say anything one way or the other.

As for Rio, it wasn't a place I was interested in visiting for several reasons, among them being tznius as its known as a party town, obviously no interest in seeing the statue, and safety.  I would like to go back to Brazil, but still wouldn't plan on visiting Rio - I was also told that the Jewish community in Rio is a shell of its former self.  For a future visit, I would definitely go back to Sao Paulo to visit Alex P. and his family, to eat at the kosher restaurants we enjoyed, and of course to stock up on food from Yoni. 

Rio is probably the 2nd prettiest city in the world, after Cape Town. The view from Sugarloaf is 2nd to none.

Looking forward to your Pantanal and Amazon TR one day.

[PBaruch]

Rio is probably the 2nd prettiest city in the world, after Cape Town. The view from Sugarloaf is 2nd to none.

Looking forward to your Pantanal and Amazon TR one day.

Alex P. told me that someone in the community organized a kosher tour to the Pantanal in the past - I asked him to let me know if they ever do it again as we plan to be there. Perhaps you'll come as well.