Rest Your Raunches in Rio

Now, don't get us wrong, we love each other very much. Like, newlywed amounts of love goin' on over here. That being said, we also love things like space, and conversations with other people. After 4 months (time flies, guys) on the road, and having the last month of that be with almost no contact with friends and family, we could not have been more excited to meet up with Thomas and Lizzie in BRAZZZILLL!

After a flash-in-the-pan night in Sao Paulo we headed up to Paraty (pronounced par-ah-chee), halfway between Rio & Sao Paulo. We had the most kickass Airbnb, complete with gorgeous views, a pool, and -best of all- FRAMILY!

We had so much fun hanging out, making food, drinking wine, exploring the adorable city, and taking full advantage of the pool.

Reasons to have cool friends/cousins:

• They know how to play euchre.
• They will bring you important things like face lotion and chocolate.
• They are down for exploring and drinking local drinks.
• If you're lucky, they can help you cobble together enough Portugese to order surprising food (like takeout hamburgers, and breakfast sandwiches for 3).
• They are awesome! 

After we left Paraty, we took the bus to Rio. [Pro tip: Take the bus. It was way cheaper than a ride service, and the buses were safe and legit]. We were a smidge nervous about it because of that little thing called a "military takeover" going on, but Thomas found us an awesome Airbnb in Copacabana, which is relatively safe.

We were only there for 2 days, but really loved it (never mind the military with machine guns in the streets). We were really glad we spent some time there. Here are our 3 favorite things:

1. Sugarloaf Mountain: You take cable cars up to the top for an incredible view of Rio, and, if you're lucky, Christ the Redeemer. Another protip: for not much more money, you can buy Golden Tickets, which lets you skip the line at the bottom, and, more importantly, includes a glass of champagne.

2. Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches: Lucky for us, Thomas had booked us a place right between them! We enjoyed walking around Copacabana, and lounging on the beach in Ipanema. Highly recommend.

3. 40 Graus: We got this recommendation from our Airbnb host, and it was great. Actually, the whole Lapa area is hopping (as long as you keep an eye on your purse/phone). 40 Graus specifically has 3 levels, including a night club, a billiards hall, and a samba club.

We really had no expectations of Brazil before coming- we ended up here because it was the cheapest entry point to South America from Africa, and were excited to spend time with Lizzie & Thomas. We are absolutely amazed by how beautiful and green it is here.

After a week in the state of Rio, Brazil is easily one of the highlights of our trip.