BRAZIL & ARGENTINA: All the Senses

By: MJ + PJ + AJ

[Time for a written genre change on our places posts. While recounts are reliable for where and when and what, they don’t always reflect the visceral experiences of travel.]

Brazil is known as a nation of color, flavor and expression. We spent 6 days in Joá & Rio and then 8 days in the Iguazu Falls area. In this time, we feel we had just a small but rich taste of what the country was like, however it is a very large country! Our senses were on overload with delicious flavors, intriguing smells, beautiful sights, and exotic sounds. We had a day in Argentina, sensing enough to plan to visit it further while on the continent. Below, we provide a brief explanation of our sensory experience at each location.

RIO DE JANEIRO

Our visit to the Rio area occurred earlier in our adventure than we had anticipated, and was the result of the generosity and availability of a home swap from which to explore the area. 

• Visual: Stop-start traffic is no match for a skateboard and suit in New York, and no match for a skateboard on the busy streets of Copacabana. 
• Visual: The contrast of the favelas and tourism, makes Rio an intriguing place to pass through – scenes of uncertainty along the highways share your attention with scenes of “tranquillo” on the beaches.
• Feel: The uncertainty of being in a new place with a different language in an unsettled society kept us on our guard in Rio.
• Feel: The tug of your seatbelt in the vans and Uber rides, on the winding roads and weaving traffic in the Rio area.
• Sounds: Beeping motorcycles, on every Rio street, inform the vehicles that they are there and are moving through the traffic.
• Sounds: The sound of the Portuguese language rolling off the tongues of the locals. It is a beautiful language, like a mix of Spanish and French.

OUR JOÁ HOME SWAP RESIDENCE

We stayed at Villa Joá, which is beautiful vacation home rental about 30 to 40 minute drive from the city of Rio. We cannot say enough about this place! Our accommodation was fantastic in its style, the assistance exceptional, and its proximity to iconic places ideal. If you are heading to Rio, you should definitely check it out! For more information click HERE.

• Smell: The faint smell of freshly cut fruit greeted us every morning for breakfast, thanks to housekeeper, Francisco. This was the scent of mango, melon, and banana. The scent of coffee was also strong and inviting. 
• Taste: Simple things like cream cheese can taste so decadent when made under different hands, guided by the preference of local tastes, but it is unique to those who visit.
• Taste: A land of papaya and other melons and tropical fruits, that refresh you and tickle your taste buds.
• Sound: AJ dribbling away on the basketball court or thumping a soccer ball against the stone steps on the lazy days we had at the villa.

  

• Sound: The sound of waves crashing on the shore just outside our window.
• Visual: The phenomenal view from our accommodations displaying the beach and hills of the surrounding neighborhood. 
• Visual: The ball players and surf lifesavers, focused on their movements, on Joatinga Beach.

  

CHRIST THE REDEEMER, RIO.

Initially, we thought we wouldn’t be able to see this grandiose sculpture even though we were standing directly in front of it. The weather had rolled in and the clouds were thick on the day we had arranged a city tour. Fortunately, luck was on our side.

• Visual: Shrouded in cloud we stood in hope that the clouds would part to reveal a clear view of both Christ Redeemer above, and the city of Rio beneath. Faith or persistence rewarded us – but only at the last minute as we started down the stairs making us race back to the viewing platform
• Visual: The 360 degree view of Rio below as the clouds parted was so crisp and beautiful. The blue sky and the ocean below in contrast with the white city buildings made for a picturesque view.
• Sound: The fog and cloud that surrounded us until the last minute caused the gathered crowed to be quiet, but when the Redeemer silhouette became more distinct at times there were cheers and shouts. The shouts became more so when the cloud swept clear away – then there was the sound of excitement and awe. Still, the city beneath was silent – too far away to be heard

  

BOTANICAL GARDENS, RIO

Highly recommended by our host, we found the gardens to be flourishing with both botanica and history. 

• Visual: Orchids have a third petal – odd and asymmetrical. Here they have flourished thanks to a gifted horticultural hand decades ago, now forming a formidable collection.
• Smell: On a casual but long walk through the Rio Botanical Gardens, the scents of springtime and exotic flower collections wafted through our path.
• Sound: The sounds of birds and monkeys drift around you as you walk the sandy paths.

IGUAÇU FALLS

Although we visited both the Brazil and Argentina sides of Iguaçu Falls, we combined this experience into one section.

• Feel: The spray that Iguaçu Falls ejects creates its own wind away from the base of the falls, blasting the unsuspecting on the river boardwalk.
• Feel: The feeling of the water crashing down on you as the speedboat made its way through the falls.
• Feel: The feel of the cold yet refreshing pool at the hotel we stayed in.
• Taste: The morning coffee, strong and bitter, tasted crisp and full of flavor. It is easy to drink sans sweetening in those small cups. Especially with the whipped coffee cream.
• Visual: The trail of ants crossing the hotel playground area, making the grass flutter with each yellow and purple flower petal piece. Easy to miss yet fascinating to watch, like a tiny Carnival.
• Sounds: The lightweight clickety-clack of tourist trains is the sound of a vacation for many.
• Sounds: The familiarity of hearing Spanish, being on the Argentinian side of the falls. Although our Portuguese had improved, we are not as fluent in it as we are in Spanish.
• Sounds: The thunderous wall of water sound as you stand at the edge near the base of the falls.
• Sight: The colorful costumes and dynamic movement of the various national dance styles, skillfully performed at the Rafain Churrascaria Show, were mesmerizing.
• Sound: The proficiency of the band and the quite different styles of music of each countries dance at the Rafain Churrascaria Show was simply ear candy.

AVRY, FOZ DO IGUAÇU

Directly across the road from the entrance of the main local attraction of Iguaçu Falls is something not to be missed: The Parque das Aves. This place gives you an amazing glimpse of the diversity of birds of the continent and in the region. 

• Feel: Being surprised by the surge of air as a macaw flys past if you are standing in it’s path.
• Sounds: A space invader sound made by the Plush Crested Jay was quite entertaining at the Avry near Iguaçu Falls. 
• Sounds: We stopped to hear the dronic and simple one chord traditional songs at the Avry – a stark contrast to the complexity of music and sound from the Rafain Churrascaria dinner show, but just as engaging.
• Visual: The abrupt colors of the jungle birds contrasting with the dark green foilage – oranges, reds, blues, greens, and yellows.
• Feel: The suspense as a large fish drifted tantalizingly close past the submerged python in the pond.
• Sounds: The laughs from the visitors, having observed a optimistic water bird catch a much too large fish and having to let it go, the fish then flipping it’s way back into the pond.
• Sounds: The splash sound of an alligator as it pounced on a fish.

Overall, Brazil and Argentina are definitely worth a visit. The people are very helpful and happy. We enjoyed our time in this area of South America. If the opportunity arose we would return to see more – a Brazil visa is expensive coming from the US, but generously lasts a period of two years. Brazil, we may be back soon!