Brazil, specifically Rio de Janeiro and Caxias du Sol was a very fun experience for me as I met up with a childhood friend of mine. This would have been a very tough place to get around without knowing Portuguese.
I flew from Edmonton to Toronto, Toronto to São Paulo, and São Paulo to Rio de Janeiro.
Rio de Janeiro is where I met up with my friend, Fabricio.
(Caxias du Sol —> São Paulo —> Toronto —> Edmonton on the way home)
All together this was $2,600 for a round trip, however only booked two months in advance.
I can not comment on the hotels in Brazil as I stayed at Fabricio’s families.
The time this trip took place was February 2023.
The things I remember the most from Rio de Janeiro:
- The weather was very hot - remember to not only bring sunscreen but apply
- Caipirinha’s (their signature cocktail) helps cool you down while being very tasty - sold for about $5 CAD on the beach
- I thought Copacabana beach was a lot nicer than Ipanema beach. Both very popular but Ipanema had garbage in the water and near the shore.
- There is a local restaurant that is nothing fancy but locally known and the food is delicious - it is called Boteco Bel Rio and sells healthy fast food like chicken and rice. Gem.
- There was a lot of rain there which altered some plans but very normal at this time of the year - it flooded the street to knee high in some areas so best not to get trapped outside and plan around.
(This was Fabricio and I when the streets flooded in Rio de Janeiro.)
From Rio de Janeiro, Fabricio and I went to his hometown in the south, called Caxias du Sol.
Caxias du Sol was a lot different from Rio de Janeiro as it seemed like a normal town compared to a crowded city like Rio de Janeiro.
Caxias du Sol would not be as popular if you were a tourist however this is where there was lots to do for us.
This was also when the Carnival was, which is when everyone in Brazil celebrates their tradition and parties for a week straight.
Caxias du Sol is where we celebrated the Carnival, which consisted of a lot of late nights. This really surprised me, as we did not head out to the bar until 2:00am and got home around 8:00am.
After exploring Rio de Janeiro for a week and celebrating the Carnival for a week, we took it easy for the last one. This consisted of hanging out with the nicest family ever that cooked the best meals, working out with Fabricio and meeting his friends.
Let me know if you plan on going to Brazil and if you have any questions… ciao.
- Reid