Colonia del Sacramento

   URUGUAY

 

 

One cannot resist to the charm of Colonia del Sacramento. The colorful Barrio Histórico (historic quarter) with gorgeous cobbled streets flanked with robust centuries-old trees, the colonial-style houses and their picturesque gardens in a peninsula overlooking the Río de la Plata enchants even the most skeptical. 

 

 

 

 As we arrived to Colonia, we were puzzled to find Calle de Portugal and, in Plaza Mayor 25 de Mayo, both the Museo Portugués(Portuguese Museum) and the Museo Casa de Nacarello (Nacarello House-Museum), the latter consisting of a genuine representative of a typical Portuguese house.

 

We learned then that it was originally called Colónia do Sacramento for it was founded by the Portuguese in 1680 so that the former could smuggle goods across Río de la Plata into Buenos Aires. This colony was the first city of Uruguay and was disputed for a relevant period of time by the Portuguese and the Spanish until eventually it remained under the control of the latter.

 

Portugal Street	Ruins of the 17th-century Convento de San Francisco and the restored 19th-centrury lighthouse

 

History is so present still that the intriguing feeling that time has stopped some three hundred years ago may be quite convincing… We rented a scooter and wandered in the streets of Colonia for hours, enjoying the timeless peace of this place.

   

View over the Rio de la Plata

 

Iglesia Matriz, Uruguay’s oldest church

 

It was a hot day of summer. The burning sun dismayed a timid breeze and only the trees would provide a soothing shelter. We left the historical quarter and drove eastwards along the river shore. It was a lovely ride.  After passing several small beaches, we found the one where we would swim and refresh ourselves.

 

 

In the late afternoon we took the a ferryboat heading to Buenos Aires (Argentina). There were mostly porteños (name of the people from Buenos Aires) returning home and Uruguayans starting their holidays in the neighbor city. It was a journey of 3 hours that presented us a spectacular sunset on the extensive Río de la Plata. A good augury for the coming destination...

 

On our way to Buenos Aires

Maresias, “opa 2009”!

  BRAZIL

 

 

It was the last day of 2008 when we arrived to Maresias (Sea Smells). We were going to spend the New Year’s Eve with another couple of friends of ours. As they were staying in the summer house of some of their friends, we ended up in this beautiful place and met some lovely people.

 

Maresias is the mecca of surf for the paulistas and a very popular destination in this period of the year. Most likely we were the only foreigners over there, although we didn’t feel like that at all…

   

Peacock in the garden

 

We were, indeed, warmly welcomed as friends by our hosts, in particular, and by all the other friends-of-friends, friends-of-friends-of-friends and so on. Brazilians have definitely the natural, sophisticated talent to make one feeling at home.

 

Entrance of Diney and Luís’s beautiful summer house

 

Weather was not perfect but the company was so. We spent wonderful days by the sea, surrounded by lush mountains and enjoying ourselves in this peaceful atmosphere. Days were long and relaxing. We started lose the sense of time. First, it was the time of the day; then, the day of the month; finally, the day of the week…

 

View from the garden

 

Against all odds, we had great days of surf in the Luisinho beach.

 

Surfing in the Luisinho beach

 

At some point we  realized hat too much time had passed since we left home and should give news to our families. As there was no mobile network available, we tried to find an internet connection.

 

For days we were looking in the surroundings for a place with 3G connection but despite all our efforts we did not succeed. Eventually, we found that the only spot with reliable 3G connection was in the garden, a couple of meters from the house where we were staying. As it was raining almost every day, we had to improvise a sustainable waterproof solution...

 

Detail of the garden	Gra’s cybercafe

 

2009 could not have started in a better way. We all dressed in white, according to the tradition the New Year’s Eve tradition, and had a pleasant candlelight dinner in the garden. The evening was warm and the sky full of stars. After the midnight fireworks, we went into the sea and jumped seven waves standing on our right feet. We ended the night in a party at some friends-of-friends-of-friends place just by the beach, drinking and dancing.

 

New Year’s Eve

We said goodbye to Brazil with a a delicious sushi in Jam warehouse, a posh restaurant of São Paulo with some live Bossa Nova sound.

Our special thanks to: Diney & Luís Gra & Bernardo Maressa & Diogo …for their warm and generous hospitality

Rio de Janeiro, Cidade Maravilhosa

  BRAZIL 

 

 

The first decision we had to make when designing our round the world trip was: to the East or to the West? No words were needed. We immediately realized that we wanted to cross the world following the sun…

 

Pedra da Gávea at sunset

 

It was clear then that South America would be our first destination. Brazil would be necessarily our first stop as we have friends living in this open wide arms land.

It is hard for a Portuguese to feel as a foreigner here. The people, the language, the sounds, the flavors, the architecture are so familiar and at the same time so exotic and authentic in the way they mixed with local elements. It is this diversity that makes the beauty and uniqueness of Brazilian culture. Rio is its paradigm.

 

Downtown	View to the Pão de Açúcar

 

The city was named Rio de Janeiro (January River) by the early Portuguese explorers who understood that the extensive bay of Guanabara was a river, when they entered it in January 1502. The exotic beaches, the luxuriant rainforests, and eccentric mountains make the city of colorful and festive cariocas a fascinating natural beauty.

 

  View from the Corcovado

 

We were immediately seduced by the charm of Rio from the first minute. Our hardest experience was standing in a four-hour queue to take the funicular to Corcovado (hunchback) where the iconic statue of Cristo Redentor is. The ticket office was crowded with people, most part of them from other regions of Brazil, as our visit coincided with the the main holiday period here. While waiting for our ride, we were able to make a very nice walk in Cosme Velho and ate a delicious açaí. When the old, fragile funicular eventually came out of the dense rainforest we were offered a spectacular sunset view over the Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvelous City).

 

Boy practicing capoeira

 

We ended our last day in Rio surfing great breaks off in Prainha. It was then the 30th of December. Several people came to the beach dressed in white to offer gifts to Yemanjá so as that she will grant them their requests for 2009. A specific ritual was followed and would be finalized with a wooden toy boats being sent into the sea with flowers, fruits and other gifts inside.

 

By nightfall, we started a new trip…

 

Surfing in Prainha by sunset

 

 

Highlights: - eating açaí with banana and granola - drinking passionfruit caipirinha - cable car to Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain) - funicular ride to Cristo Redentor and the view from Corcovado - hike through Tijuca’s Atlantic rainforest, a 120 sq km refuge - listen to a live concert of Bossa Nova - buy a pair of Havaianas

Our special thanks to: Gustavo & Pati, for their friendship and warm hospitality