A trip in my bucket list that took fourteen years from its inception in 2005 to culminate in 2019, a year before Brazil succumbed to COVID. I escaped the polar vortex by a mere 16 hours one Friday evening in January, when I boarded the red eye flight to Sao Paulo. What was unique about this trip was that I was determined to make it a solo journey.
I took 6 weeks to prepare since it is not like hopping on to another province in Canada. I had the National Geographic guide and my Grand Uncle for the preparation. I had also taken precautions and backups ,having a good head on my shoulders. Thankfully I had South American like urban wear to easily blend in with the residents and my personality is quite down to earth, without being too flashy.
For years I have been listening to Latin music and I had dreams of dancing the night away in Brazil like the music video Despacito, but unfortunately that part is unwise for a solo traveler. I had taken a travel yoga thinking I would be taking selfies of me doing yoga against amazing backgrounds.
My Grand Uncle advised to pack light. In hindsight, that is wise if you are travelling to many places. One can avoid extra baggage fees in smaller aircrafts and you don't have to wait for your checked in luggage at the conveyor belt. It's been 2 years since the trip so it will be just an overview as I have forgotten the details.
There were 4 destinations that I saw in 3 weeks and spent 3 days at each thanks to the expertise of my Grand Uncle who loves to travel. Brazil is very large and multifaceted so it would not do justice to give each place just a few lines.
1) Sao Paulo
2) Rio De Janiero
3) Iguazu Falls
4) Florianopolis, an island beach town.
This will be a short overview. I will dive in with a little more detail in separate articles for each destination.
Sao Paulo - is a lot like New York and Toronto .As the plane lands, you see really tall skyscrapers. It's known for its food , its thriving economy , art, museums, upscale shopping malls and restaurants. This was the resting home base wherein I spent time with my extended family.
Rio De Janiero is a beautiful city. However, it is also the most dangerous since it abounds in pickpockets. My Grand Uncle was kind enough to accompany me. By some cosmic coincidence I visited it in January, the month it was discovered. Rio de Janiero means River of January. So being practical, I did not see it during Carnival time, when it is crowded and prices hike up for tourists. It's a bigger version of the Caribana parade here in Toronto. Nothing I have not seen. Perhaps it is the energy of the pulsating city that is the differentiating factor.
Iguazu Falls is a waterfall much more rugged and natural than Niagara. It's located at the border of Brazil and Argentina. I would say this was the best part of my trip. I was completely alone , protected in a hotel and tour company and I liked it.
Florianopolis ( Island Beach town). It is perfect for young couples who want some quiet alone time. It's known for its shrimps. I tasted Acai here for the first time. Although the least well known out of the four destinations, here is where I had the most experience. Imagine being alone in an island where I come across 2 % of people who speak English. The picture above is Campeche Island. I missed seeing it since advance online bookings were needed for the ferry from Florianopolis to Campeche Island.
I travelled at the right time in my 30s, so I took a calculated risk of going solo. I had heard of Uber and Airbnb, but I always thought of practicalities before travel. I would rather wait to celebrate or overwrite a chapter in life so that I get to lead a balanced life. I learnt to travel light.
Brazil is not for the faint of heart nor for the resort loving person. The confidence and guts I gained by navigating unchartered terrain during this trip was priceless. I believe travel should be about soaking up authentic experiences and one can be creative in curating the experience. Humans like novel things so doing the same thing in every destination, however beautiful does not enrich one's life in any way.
All it took was seeing a National Geographic guide book at the Dollar Store 6 months prior to the trip that propelled me to see Brazil sooner than circumstances were perfect. Even I could not have foreseen that a year later, COVID would change the travel industry and Brazil.
I would love the chance to go again, once I have seen Europe, this time with somebody equally in love with the culture and the country.
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