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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.

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