Buzios

This is simply paradise. It is about 3 hours "up" the coast from Rio De Janeiro. Up being Northeast. I will give some background to see if you are up for this type of journey. I had been to Brazil once before but never had I rented a car or driven there. I had a Brazilian traveling with me but it quickly became obvious that she had never driven and was not tons of help on how the roads worked. She had no problem telling me where to go but just the nuances of the traffic signs escaped her...and me sometimes. It is harder then it seems in that the person who is from there does not know what you perceive as different and everything looks normal to them. Sort of like telling someone everything you don't know. The good part is they are very good with signage. What road you are currently traveling is not important to them. I don't know that I ever saw a "route 65" sign and I can not name one road that I traveled which is not normal for me. The other way to do it is wimp out and take the bus. Pay the extra for the air conditioned one as you will thank me later.

The places to stay are called pasados. I equate this with an inn in the US. But with some major upgrades. Upon entrance you have the reservation desk which then opens into a beautiful garden. I checked out about 4 different places when I was there, and I cannot describe the beauty. One had an incredible manicured jungle surrounding the pool. Another had flowers literally dripping off the veranda into a vista of the bay. Remember this is Brazil, if you and your loved one want to drink champagne at midnight wile dipping your toes in the pool. Just ask. The room s were all nice and clean but not overly fancy. The common areas are really where they spent their time and money and you should be prepared for incredible vista's and/or gardens while you enjoy the complimentary breakfast. Paying cash lowered my nightly rate to around $50. My favorite was actually not looking over the water but "lagosta" which means lobster.

The best was the restaurants. Since this is a premier spot for vacationing, they go all out. I love that I can eat Mexican, Italian and fresh seafood all in the same day if I want. I almost never have a bad meal in Brazil but here they were all excellent. The pricing was little higher then other places for the country but I still never spent more then $40 for 2 people eating everything in site and drinks. Simply wander the waters edge and stop when you are hungry. If you want to save a few bucks for a night or 2, walk towards the centre for 3 blocks or so and the price gets cut in half. I love the ocean and will trade the money for the waves and sea birds but I have been to the point where I just want food and lets just eat.

Rio De Janeiro / Paraty / Angra / Copacabana / Buzios / Coba Frio / Ilha Grande