Brazil Update

So close, and yet, so far away.  

I'm going to write today about Brazil, as I need a short mental vacation from the -15 degree winter that is currently taking place outside my window.  Seriously, MN?  WTF?  This has to be the worst winter EVER.   Yes, EVER.  I'm declaring it.  Really wish we would have planned Brazil for February, I need to escape stat.  

My backyard

We finally settled some details about Brazil!  After much procrastination, we sat down and hashed out some ideas.  Here's what we decided:

We will fly to Rio, spend 3-4 nights there, see all of the beaches and tourist stuff.  Then, we will hop a short flight to Florianopolis, a beautiful beach city about an hour up the coast from Rio.  We will be there for 5-6 nights, bask in the sun and sand, then fly back to Rio for a night before flying home.  

Rio

We decided to forgo a trip to Manaus to visit the rainforest, as it would have easily added a few thousand dollars to our trip price tag for just a few days in the jungle.  I'm bummed we will miss it, but not too bummed since it means spending extra time on the coast.  I plan on living in my bathing suit in Florianopolis! 

Florianopolis

I have started my Portuguese lessons, and so far, so good.  Its been pretty basic stuff so far, so it has been mostly review for me, but im sure it will get harder soon.  I am now able to count to ten, tell you what color your bicycle or car is, and tell whether the boy/girl is running, walking or swimming.  Cant wait to use it!

Ashley and Chester sent in their passports to be renewed, and they should get them back soon.  Next step is applying for visas, which are stupid expensive  For an American to get a tourist visa for Brazil, its $160 a person.  Yikes.  I'm thinking they jacked up the prices for the World Cup and Carnaval?  Oh well, nothing we can do about it.

So that's where we are at, only 45 days to go before departure!  :)  In the meantime, I will just change my desktop wallpaper to this beautiful photo of Florianoplis:

Paradise

Early Christmas Present for Me! Bom Natal!

I just bought myself an early Christmas present:

Ever since we started talking about going to Brazil, I have wanted to buy Rosetta Stone for Brazilian Portuguese.  Normally $400, I held off since it was so expensive.  Then, I got an email saying it was on sale for $250.  Hm.  Then 2 days later, another email saying it was only $240.  Still, I waited.  When I got another email today saying the price went down to $230, I decided that was a fair price and took the plunge.

Citizens of Brazil:  Be ready for me to come practice!

Wish List Item Granted!

I was planning on writing a post about this wish list item a while back, but now my wish has been granted!  

I am now the proud owner of a Canon Rebel T3i DSLR Camera!

On our recent Europe vacation, our friends Ryan and Kari brought a really nice DSLR camera along to capture the trip moments.  When we came together after the trip to share photos, it was painfully obvious that the quality of photos I took with my little point and shoot was significantly lower.  It has served me well for the last 4 years, but it is time to upgrade.  After a lot of research on DSLR cameras, I knew the Canon T3i was the right one for me.

Not only does it shoot in 18 megapixels, it has a super fast processor, HD display and video recording, a million shooting modes and options (ok maybe not a million), super fast shutter speed, continuous shooting mode, and its fairly light weight.  

Now, when I post future trips and adventures on the blog, the pics will be super swank.  Time to start practicing!

Yes Please

At the tail end of the most unbearable season in the Midwest, I'm sure you can relate when I say my cabin fever is at an all time high.  To make myself (and you) feel better, today's post is all about BEACHES!  ENJOY!

Cristiano, where did you come from???  What a surprise. 

CNN's "17 beaches we'd like to be lounging on" 

CNN's "World's 50 Best Beaches"

US News' "Best Beaches in the USA"

Coastal Living's "21 Best Beaches"

And Minneapolis' Very Own "Best Beaches"

Necessities - Best. Sandals. Ever.

When you are traveling, good shoes can make or break your trip/excursion.  If you have a lot of walking to do on an upcoming trip somewhere warm (aka NOT Minnesota), and want great sandals for walking around in and still looking good, try Borns!

I bought two pairs of the Born Aberlin Sandals for my recent Europe trip, one in black and one in gold.  They are spendy on the Born site, but you can find them for a much lower price on other shoe websites like Amazon and Zappos.

 

Ladies, these sandals are cute, flexible, and slightly cushioned.  I walked around in them for hours without so much as a hint of a blister.  Did I mention how cute they are?  They can be casual for everyday walking around, and since they aren't flip flops, they are also acceptable to wear with a dress or skirt to a nice dinner.

 Even if these aren't your style, almost all Born shoes are very confortable.  I have purchased flats from this brand as well, which I loved.

Dudes, I can't personally vouch for the men's shoes, but a family member of mine swears by them.  Check 'em out.

Happy Walking!

From Around the Web

Our very own Twin Cities made the Lonely Planet list of Top U.S. Travel spots for next year - Top 10 US travel destinations for 2013 - Lonely Planet
 

Nat Geo's take on the best trips to take in 2013 - I'm excited that Quito made the list! - Best Trips 2013

Skipping the holiday stress for this?  Not a bad idea - Abandoning the hearth for Christmas - CNN Travel  

Nat Geo's Photo of the Day comes from Spain - National Geographic Photo of the Day

Never heard of the Whitsunday Islands, but sounds like I should have by now - Kayaking Australia’s Whitsunday Islands

Adventure Wish List #1

Oh, Pinterest.  You are so much fun to look at, but you suck so much time from my day without me realizing.  Damn you.

I don't know about users, but when I log into Pinterest, my home screen is FILLED with gorgeous pictures of faraway places that people have repinned.  It's like Pinterest knows how much I like to travel, and it decides to taunt me with all of the places I haven't been to yet.  It prompted me to make a board of 'Places to Go' that is pretty full.  

Here is what I was greeted with today.  Sigh.

So instead of pinning every pretty pic of places to go, why not focus realistically on one place at a time?

First Item on the Adventure Wish List - Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

¡Vamos para o Carnaval!

I am choosing this first since it recently became a near-future possibility.  My best friend's husband, Chester, had missionaries for parents.  He was born and raised in a rural area of Brazil before his parents moved him and his family back to the United States in his late childhood.  He has since married my best friend Ashley, and now wants to take her to Brazil to see his home country.  While at dinner a few weeks ago they asked Dustin and I if we would be interested in going to visit Brazil with them, and I mentioned how crazy it would be to go there during Carnaval, which is Brazil's national celebration during the six weeks before Lent.  It is Brazil's biggest holiday, and the country pretty much shuts down to party and throw elaborately costumed Samba parades.  Interesting fact from Wikipedia:  80% of Brazil's annual beer consumption and 70% of tourism happens during Carnaval.  

So, it sounds like Mardi Gras on a much larger scale.  Who wouldn't want to do that?  Plus, we have a Brazilian native and fluent Portuguese speaker to travel with.  Perfect.

Besides the festivities of Carnaval, the beaches are amazing, you can visit the Amazon rainforest, and Brazilian food is delicioso. 

I am hoping we can make this trip happen, so we better start planning soon!  In the meantime, feast your eyes on the beauties of Brazil and Carnaval :)

Wiki Page: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Brazilian_Carnival
Official Carnaval Page: http://www.rio-carnival.net/