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Greetings from Connecticut! This week, we finish up our trip to South America in style as we travel from Argentina to Rio and check in to one of the world’s most famous hotels: The Copacabana Palace. You won’t want to miss this or one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. We then spend Memorial Day in my favorite place in the world – with friends and family in the Nutmeg State. Shhh … can you hear the music? That’s 50 Cent singing, "It’s my birthday, it’s my birthday!” Dance, everyone! It’s my birthday ... on Sunday!
MEMORIAL DAY IN CONNECTICUT
This past weekend, we celebrated Memorial Day in the United States. It's my favorite weekend of the year and there's no other place I'd rather be than in Connecticut with my family and childhood friends. I grew up in Norwalk, Connecticut (42 miles outside of New York City) and people who come from this neck of the woods understand that Memorial Day weekend is more than just honoring our soldiers, although that’s the most important part. It's also the (unofficial) first day of summer as the weather is finally warm, the landscape is full of color, the beaches are open, the boats are in the water and most importantly, everyone is in a great mood, walking around wearing summer clothes and big smiles.
ROWAYTON, CONNECTICUT
Many of my friends and family live in a section of Norwalk called Rowayton. Anyone with ties to Rowayton knows that there's no better time of year to come back than Memorial Day. Besides all the reasons listed above, this is the weekend that everyone who grew up here has deemed an annual sort of homecoming. Natives travel from all over to make it back for this one special weekend, which kicks off Friday night with a casual martini party on Bell Island. This was the 35th anniversary of the party and it keeps getting bigger and bigger.
PAYING TRIBUTE
The weekend is filled with countless barbecues and soirées. The granddaddy of all the parties -- the Memorial Day Parade -- begins at high noon on Sunday. The parade is small. It lasts maybe 25 minutes -- but it's special. The best part is that practically everyone knows everyone who marches. Marchers range from the Rowayton Fire Department to the nationally renowned Brien McMahon High School band, which has performed at huge venues like the Rose Bowl and Yankee Stadium. After the parade, an emotional ceremony takes place at the canon. Everyone takes their hats off, puts their hands on their chests and pays tribute to our fallen soldiers, as well as all those guarding our freedom right now. If the playing of Taps doesn't give you goose bumps, I don't know what will.
STICKBALL
After God Bless America, everyone walks over to the firehouse for free hot dogs and soda. Then it's time for me and my friends to head to the field where we play our annual stickball game. Growing up, we played every day in the summer. Now, this is the only time we play all year. The perfectly lined oak trees are slowly disappearing (kind of like my hair), and the field has been turned into a dog park. Nonetheless, this is still the highlight, as the old-timers take on the young guns. Of course, we're not that young and the old-timers aren't that old. Just a few years separate the teams. This year, we 'young guns' rallied five runs to tie in the bottom of the ninth and since most of the players had to go home to their ticked-off wives, we called it a tie in the tenth!
MY BIRTHDAY
After the game, my family and friends surprised me with an early birthday (it’s on May 31) party in Harbor View. I knew something was going on when Natalie and my sister Carol and her family flew in special for the weekend. But I had no idea so many friends and family who I haven’t seen in years would show up. A special thanks to my sister Georgie Jet for making it happen and Laina for giving us the space.
ARGENTINA TO BRAZIL
We left off last week from the Iguazu Falls, which essentially borders three countries – Argentina, Brazil and Paraguay. Natalie and I stayed at the Iguazu Grand, a luxurious hotel on the Argentine side and we headed to Rio before flying back to the States. We left the hotel at 8:30am and the line at the Argentine border, which is 300 yards away from the hotel, was about five cars deep and moving slowly. Our driver took our passports and walked up to the window (he didn’t need us to be there) and took care of our exit stamps. That took just 12 minutes. The next stop was a few hundred yards away at the Brazil border. Here, we needed to get out of the car (he left it running with our bags in the trunk) to get processed and that took about 12 minutes also. Nine minutes later we pulled into the IGU airport.
IGUAZU AIRPORT
The Foz Do Iguacu airport is small but appears to be well run. We had a very pleasant experience. There was no line at check-in or at security. Brazil security is easy as can be. Travelers don’t need to take out laptops, take their shoes off or even leave liquids behind. The gate area has a couple of shops including H Stern and a small café. The departure monitor stated we were delayed 10 minutes but we took off exactly on time.
TAM AIRLINES
For the short, one-hour, 40-minute flight, Natalie and I flew on TAM Airlines (www.tam.com.br
). They are Brazil’s largest carrier and I flew them internationally a couple years ago in their comfortable business class from Miami to Sao Paolo and back. This experience was just as pleasurable as the A319 aircraft plane was brand new, passengers boarded from both the rear and front so it took half the time and the plane was half empty so we had plenty of space. The flight attendants were young, cool and spoke perfect English. They came around twice with drinks and once with free hot ham and cheese sandwiches. Just before landing, they went down the aisle with a basket of candies. The highlight, besides landing safely, was seeing an amazing view of Iguazu Falls right after takeoff. TIP: Sit on the right side of the plane for the view!
AIRPORT (GIG) TO COPACABANA
The only bummer about TAM is that they made us check our carry-on bags and it took 20 minutes for them to come out. But I made the most of the time by walking a few steps from the baggage claim to the Transcoopass desk. My Frommer’s guidebook recommended Transcoopass for airport transportation. Although they charge 30% more than a regular taxi, you don’t have to worry about getting jumped or being ripped off. Transcoopass (Tel: 021-2560-4888) sells pre-paid taxi vouchers and their agents were very friendly and spoke better English than me. I paid an 80R ($39) fee to Copacabana Beach by credit card (there is no tipping). The vehicle was new and clean but the driver didn’t speak English and he wasn’t that friendly. The drive from Antônio Carlos Jobim Airport (also known as Galeão Airport) is about 20 kilometers (12 miles) from the beach and it took roughly 30 minutes.
COPACABANA PALACE
The most prestigious hotel in Copacabana, Rio De Janeiro, Brazil and South America is the Copacabana Palace. It was built in 1923 and practically every celebrity (Tom Cruise checked in just after we checked out) or dignitary who has visited Rio has stayed here. They have a wall of photographs on the second floor of many of famous people who have stayed here. The hotel is located in the middle of the horseshoe curve of Copacabana Beach. There are 222 rooms, all large with high ceilings. Natalie and I got upgraded to a suite in their newer tower, several floors above the Cipriani restaurant, where we enjoyed killer views of the pool and the world famous beach down below.
COPACABANA ROOM
The service was excellent. A bellman greeted our taxi with an umbrella the moment we pulled up and you can feel the history (and stuffiness!) the moment you enter. The rooms are built solid so you don’t hear any hallway traffic or next-door neighbors. The only thing the room needed was new TVs. I know it’s a historic hotel but it’s time for flat screens. However, the rooms at the Copacabana do come with a unique amenity: a pair of colorful his and hers Havaianas flip-flops. They aren’t fitted so mine were too small for my size 13 dogs but Natalie’s fit perfectly. There’s no charge for Internet but wireless works only in the lobby and on the fifth floor. Ethernet cords are provided in the rooms.
COPACABANA LATE NIGHT SWIM
Unfortunately, we had terrible weather for the three days we were there so I don’t have many stories or pictures. There’s not much to do when it rains in Rio so we basically just hung out in our cozy room and caught up with work and sleep. However, we did manage to go for a night swim in the pool (it’s open 24 hours). It was raining but we couldn’t pass up a dip. But I gotta tell you: It was kind of awkward walking by the fancy Cipriani restaurant and their piano player with everyone dressed to the T and we were in our bathing suits and robes. They all watched in amazement/horror but it was so much fun!
COPACABANA FOOD
We had breakfast and dinner in the hotel's other restaurant, Pergula Restaurant. It’s situated poolside and serves typical Brazilian dishes. I had the Picadinho Copacabana, which was diced beef stew served with rice, manioc flour, mushrooms, peas, fried banana and fried egg. Yum! It’s not cheap eating in a hotel restaurant – that dish was 65R ($31) and a half-liter of fresh coconut water was 12R ($5.88). If I hadn’t been feeling so lazy because of the rain, I would have gone to some of the (places) I hit last time I was in Rio, which are much more affordable. The service at the restaurant was pretty good but would have been even better if the staff had told a local businessman sitting three tables away, talking loudly on his Nextel cell phone, to shut up. Don’t you hate these walkie-talkie phones? The beep is so annoying and who wants to hear someone else’s entire conversation?
COPACABANA BREAKFAST
Breakfast was included in our rate and they had the most incredible selections of fruit: watermelon, kumquats, lychee, sweetsop, oranges, grapefruit, passion fruit, baby bananas, mango, kiwi, pineapple … Their fruit juices were equally as good and in addition to the usual breakfast fixin’s, they had a wide variety of breads and pastries. They just need to cover everything with screens as there were a lot of flies and gnats flying around.
COPACABANA PALACE OVERALL
I loved the Copacabana Palace! I would go back in a second but the problem is that it’s filled with a bunch of rich Americans, which completely turns me off when I’m overseas. Don't get me wrong! I'm proud to be an American but when I’m out of the country, I want to feel like I’m out of the country so hanging out with loud Americans is not my idea of being away. Copacabana Palace, Avenida Atlântica 1702, Rio de Janeiro; Tel: +55 21 2548 7070.
LIVE LIKE A LOCAL
If you don’t want to pay the high prices of hotels and live like a Carioca, a resident of Rio, there's a booking service called Cama e Café (which means "bed and breakfast"). This service matches travelers up with one of 50 homeowners who rent out one or two (but no more than three) rooms in the artsy, hilltop neighborhood of Santa Teresa. The most fun and cheapest ($0.60) way to get up to this historic and charming town is to take the bonde – an old tram that cruises through the windy streets that are filled with unusual gift shops and quaint restaurants. Cama e Café offers four ranges of accommodations: Economic (90 BRL for a couple or 70 BRL for a single), Tourist Class with A/C and private bath (125 BRL for a double, 95 BRL for a single), Superior which comes with Internet and TV (180 BRL for a double, 140 BRL for a single) and Premium (220 BRL for a couple, 180 BRL for a single). All options offer travelers a clean house and breakfast. I toured four of them in 2007 and they looked good. Long-term rates are available and monthly rentals begin at approximately 1,000 BRL ($490). NOTE: During New Year's and Carnival, rates double, which is not bad considering that the rates at most hotels can rise up to five times the usual cost. Cama e Café, Tel: 55-21-2224-5689; camaecafe.com.br.
THE MOST FAMOUS BEACHES
When you think of Rio de Janeiro, you probably think of three things: crime, the Christ statue and the beach. Rio has 45 miles of white sand beaches and Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches are the most famous. Of course, all Natalie and I had planned to do was hang out on the beach (Copacabana is the more "touristy", nearby Ipanema Beach is more hip and the locals are friendlier). Both beaches have long sidewalks where many Cariocas are busy exercising -- when it’s nice out (even at 6am) in their little bathing suits. Warning: All the men wear banana hammocks and the women wear Brazilian-cut thongs on the beach (they don't go topless which is a bad rumor). Most bodies are incredible and I have know idea how the women get these round butts?
LOCAL TAXI DRIVER
A Brazilian friend of mine recommended I hire her friend as a taxi driver since taxis in this city are a bit iffy. Mr. Ubiratan wasn’t available when we arrived but I did hire him to take us up to Corcovado to see Cristo. He charged 70R ($34) and 60R ($29) to go back to the GIG airport (cash: Reais only). He’s very friendly but doesn’t speak a lick of English so if you call him (8164-2921), it’s best to have someone who speaks Portuguese on hand.
GETTING UP TO CORCOVADO
One of the most famous statues in the world is Rio's Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer). It soars over Rio atop Corcovado Mountain ( Corcovado means "the hunchback"). In fact, in 2007 it was named one of the new Seven Wonders of the World. I had always wanted to see this famous statue up close and in-person, so when I spotted it from afar in 2007, I got goose bumps. Then, standing two feet away from Cristo Redentor, it was everything I had imagined … and more. To get up the mountain (situated 2,330 feet above sea level) requires either a 30-minute drive up the winding road or a 20-minute cog railway ride. An adult return ticket will cost you 44R ($21). This trip, Mr. Ubiratan took us three quarters of the way up the hill. From there, we were forced to buy
tickets (cash only) for a shuttle van run by the city for a 10-minute ride. It cost 13R ($6), which is good for the entry and trip back. Neither drive was scary at all, nor is the cog train.
CRISTO IN THE CLOUDS
Both routes take you through the Tijuca Rain Forest, which just happens to be the world's largest urban forest. As its name suggests, an urban forest is a collection of trees that grow within city limits. Once you reach the top, visitors can get to the statue and viewing platform one of two ways. The first option is to take an elevator, followed by an escalator ride. The second option is to climb the 216 steps to the statue. Natalie and I chose to hoof it. To say that the views on a clear day along the way and from the top are impressive would be an enormous understatement. But this trip, the clouds were so dense that you couldn’t even see Cristo until you were 100 feet away from him
and you could barely see his face standing at his feet . But it was still incredible and symbolic in its own way … even though you can’t see Him, you still know He’s there.
CHRIST REDEEMER
The statue was built in 1931, stands 98 feet tall (not including the pedestal it sits on, which is 26 feet high) and is not to be missed. I don't care how touristy it is – it's spectacular! We made the trip from our hotel and back in under two hours so even if you’re in Rio on business, take your lunch break up at the top.
TIPS FOR RIO
1. Don't wear jewelry, carry lots of cash or leave tourist areas unless you are with a local guide.
2. Carry small change in a separate pocket so that you don't have to pull out a big wad of cash when you're just paying for a bottle of water.
3. Want to blend in with the locals? Wear a skimpy bathing suit (that includes men, too), no socks
and don't bring any valuables to the beach.
4. Learn some basic Portuguese even though almost everyone speaks English. If you are a man, thank you is "obrigado" – "obrigada" if you are a woman. My favorite phrase is "tudo bom", meaning "it's all good!"
5. Don't forget to bring sunscreen, mosquito repellent (although when I was there, I didn't need any), sunglasses and maybe even a hat for additional sun protection.
6. If you plan to travel around Brazil, consider getting a Brazil Airpass at Brol.com/brazilairpass.asp.
BACK TO MIAMI
Wouldn’t you know it! Just as we were checking out of our hotel, the skies began clearing. Walking by the hotel pool on the way to check-out felt just like Hawaii. I wanted so badly to stay because what’s better than a sunny summer day in Rio? The ride to the airport took 30 minutes at 9pm. There was no line at American Airlines’ business class counter and they have a security check like the old days. Someone asks you questions about your bags: did you pack them, were they with you the whole time, do you have any electronics, matches … Then we went to the counter to check in. This is where you need to show your exit card. The immigration line was long but it moved fast as they had seven agents (all the booths were full). Security was still lax and we didn’t need to take our shoes off or laptops out. American flies out of Terminal B and on the second floor is where they have the lounges, which are dated and need a desperate refurbish. The lounge was packed and didn’t have enough chairs to accommodate everyone and the food at the self-serve bar, snacks, juices, cheese rolls, went fast. There was free wireless but most people were gathered around the TV to watch Brazil’s version of Big Brother. It’s uncensored so it makes it much more fun to watch than the American version.
AMERICAN AIRLINES
Our nonstop flight (#2990) to Miami departed at 11:55pm and arrived eight hours and two minutes later at Miami International Airport
at 5:15am. The flight was smooth but the seatbelt sign was on most of the way. Not sure what was up with that. We both slept well in American’s new generation business class seats (a full review can be found here). On this flight
, I learned a valuable lesson. Don’t bend down after landing to put stuff back in your bag. An older Brazilian guy sitting behind me dropped his heavy bag right on my head! If it was more of a direct hit, I would have been knocked right out. He didn’t even apologize and then at baggage claim, he cut right in front of me and grabbed a bag he thought was his and hurriedly pulled it off the carousel and onto my toe. He is lucky I respect my elders, which is why I didn’t smack him.
MIAMI
According to the agent, we’d just missed the long immigration line so there was no wait. Our checked bags came out within 10 minutes and customs was a breeze just like this entire trip.
VIDEO
Here's a five-minute Johnny Jet Video of my 2007 trip to Rio. We also have all the Johnny Jet videos ever made on YouTube, including last week’s video of our trip to Belo Horizonte.
NEXT WEEK
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*PLEASE tell us what you think of this week's newsletter!
Note: This trip was sponsored in part by
Iguazú Grand Hotel Resort & Casino
Copyright 2008 JohnnyJet, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.