7/11/2005

“Tall and tan and young and lovelyThe girl from Ipanema goes walkingAnd when she passes, each one she passes goes – ah”
Getz & Gilberto 5/64

Latin Triangle-Rio de Janeiro, Foz Do Igacu, Buenos Aires-12 days

There were several reasons not to go on this trip. Foremost, was Gerry's broken foot. Somehow, we managed to pull it off, and it was fabulous.

We traveled in business class and stayed in nice hotels, but really had the most fun when we got away from all that crap and mingled with the locals whom we found to be open and friendly.

In Brazil we would throw out Spanish to see if it would stick, and often times it did. The Portuguese has similarities to Spanish but also has some major differences. It was fun to learn some Portuguese.

Highlights of this trip include:

-Morning runs on Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches

-Sipping caiprinhas on the beach and watching all the pretty people

-Hanging out at sexy samba and tango clubs
Tango at a street cafe

-Taking in the spectacular views of Rio from the tops of Sugarloaf and Corcovado
CopaCabana

-Soccer madness at Maracana the world's largest stadium

-Hanging out at Garota de Ipanema restaurant where the famous song was
penned (The girl from Ipanema)
Great song!

-Screaming through Igacu Falls on a speed boat
WOW!

-Viewing Blue Morph butterflies, Macaws, and Tucans

-Exploring the colorful La Boca and Recoleta neighborhoods of Buenos Aires. Dining on the best beef in the world. Shopping at sidewalk street artist fairs and visiting Cenentario de la Recoleta where Eva Peron rests, along side dozens of generals and doctors. This is clearly the cemetery of choice for Buenos Aires elite.

-Strolling through the splendid museums. Quintella Martin was our favorite.


Rio

Occupying one of the most spectacular settings on the planet, the Rio De Janeiro we saw was a city with the beaches, mountains,skyscrapers and favelas all woven into the landscape.

Favelas are ghettos growing up from individual shantys that crawl up the sides of Rio's mountains. People that live in the favelas are "squatters" that tap into the city's electrical and water systems at no cost.

Far from the favelas was our hotel, strategically located between the storied Copacabana and Ipanema Beaches. Here, are where the beautiful people play. Most everyone really takes care of themselves and is a splendid physical specimen.
Alas-El Lobo' washboard ABS have been smothered by a thin layer of fat. It's time for the soup diet!

We traveled from one spectacular setting to another. Igacu falls was simply awe inspiring. The roar of 275 different massive waterfalls plunging 250’ into the Rio Igacu was deafening. These are the world’s largest waterfalls crashing over the mountains of Parana.
We took a short trip to Paraguay to get a closer look at the Cataratas and Itaipu Dam, the world’s largest hydro electric power plant. I hate Damns!

"Don't cry for me Argentina"

We loved the elegant European buildings of Buenos Aires and the river walk, but our favorite was the atmospheric Cafe Tortini where we experienced tango up close and personal.

The Argentines bottle some very nice wine, best with beef. You can have a great steak dinner (much better than Ruth Criss) for under $5 US dollars.

Men & Women Behaving Badly (Blame it on the Bossa Nova)

-Gerry for being seduced by “Emerald Madness” at H. Stearn in Rio. After blowing our travel budget on a killer ring, she regained consciousness and let loose of the matching earrings that she had a death grip on.

El Lobo for getting “T-shirt madness” and going to Hard Rock Cafes in Rio and Buenos Aires to add to his world’s coolest T-shirt collection.

-Gerry for exclaiming “That’s the most action” I've had in two weeks!” after the speed boat ride at Igacu Falls. Hmmmmmmm, I wonder what she meant by that?
Hey Dude! That's my woman!!

Gerry for not responding to the hotel elevator alarm that El Lobo kept ringing when trapped inside a death chamber for an hour just down the hall.
She was icing her foot, annoyed by the incessant ringing of the alarm, but not getting up to check it's source.

El Lobo for perhaps enjoying the "scenery" (Brazilian models)on the beaches a bit too much and being constantly reminded that being a dirty old man is not an attractive trait.

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