Happy New Year and My Rio, Brazil

Happy New Year.
Every January I sit and list my goals for the year, personal and career wise. It is interesting to look back and see where we stand today comparing to what we wrote two years ago, and if you make sure to review the goals every few weeks it will keep you on track or at least you can follow the way you look at things differently. I wish us all to reach our goals for 2009 with love and joy.


I spent the holidays and celebrated the new year in Rio, Brazil. Here are some of my Rio highlights and some resources for you or your friends if you go visit, and you should:

www.accomodationinrio.net-we rented a beautiful apartment just off the luxury shopping st. in Ipanema, we found the apartment through the above agency, which was reliable and guided us with other elements of our vacation as well: +55-21-9350-5168
Ipanema is a beautiful, safe area, and that is where I would reccomend to stay in Rio.

Da Silva Buffet
348 Rua barao Da Torre, Ipanema, Rio
The live in house keeper that came with the apartment took us on our first day to experience this local buffet, which became our favorite lunch spot. You only pay for what you choose to eat, based on the plate weight, and the selection includes Brazilian dishes of rice, sea food and meat as well as fantastic desserts. My favorites were the roasted beef, rice with sausage and the guyava, coconut flan.

Polis Sucus
On the corner of Rua Visconde De Piraja and Rua Maria Quiteria
Every day in the morning and after the beach, I picked up a fresh fruit shake and sandwich. My favorites were: Conji and peach juice and the grilled pineapple and steak sandwich.

Other food and beverage highlight:

-The caipirinhas-if on the beach or in a restaurant, the selection of fresh fruit you can have it made with it is great. Try one with the cashew fruit (not the nuts, but the fruit it sits on) which tastes like nothing you ever tasted.

-Alessandro and Frederico
www.alessandroefrederico.com.br
On Rua Garcia D'avila, two locations one a cafe and the other is a wood burning oven pizza, Great local and Italian food with Brazilian influences, the place attracts local elegant crowd.


Bazzar
538 Rua Barao da Torre
+5...
Beautifully designed restaurant with contemporary dishes using local ingredients.
The food is great and beautifully served.

Koni-A chain of fast food serving hand roll cones (Sushi) with salmon or tuna, easy, breezy and delish. try the dessert which is a chocolate mousse served in a waffle cone with passion fruit in the bottom-Yum! One location you can find in Rua Maria Quiteira across from the Paz park in Ipanema.

site seeing:

When in Rio, hire a driver, we had Jorge Silvestre who speaks perfect English which is rare, Jorge is reliable and knows how to locate the right people to help you avoid very long lines. Jorge will also pick you up from and to the airport.
silvestreny@hotmail.com

The Corcovado (Jesus statue)-even if not for religious reason, worth seeing for the views, just then you will have an understanding of the magnitude of Rio.

Sugar Loaf-breathtaking views


The museum of Niteroi-You can take the ferry across the river or use a driver to take you there and to the fortress (don't remember the name, ask when in the Museum). The museum was designed by Niemeyer, great architecture and views of Rio from another perspective.

The botanical gardens

Santa Tereza-The ruinz park

Metropolitan cathedral.

Shopping:

I feel like you can't come back from Rio without new Brazilian cut bathing suits and havayanas flip flops. bathing suits I bought at Blueman (www.blueman.com.br) which has great selection, however, Reserva (www.usereserva.com)with a smaller selection for men only, had very stylish ones that I liked.


The Havayana shop was on 76 Farme de Amoedo, which is also the "gay" street, a very small shop with a large selection, you can even bedazzle or accessorize your flip flops.