seekingmygreaterperhaps

Oi! Tudo bem?

Thanksgiving looked a little different this year. I joined my friends Alex and Nicole on a trip to Arraial do Cabo, a beach town/city about 3 hours from Rio de Janeiro. These two have been in Brazil for a little longer than me, so I was just along for the ride. They both plan things very last minute… and the planner in me was internally screaming. But I am trying to grow and learn, so I was learning from these two travelers as well as having fun alongside them for the trip.

I almost didn’t go, because the weather forecast called for 90% chance of thunderstorms the entire time we would be there. It’s a beach spot, with not much to do indoors, and that sounded like an expensive place to sit inside and read. However, Alex convinced me that “this is the tropics” and never to trust the weather forecast. We ended up with beautiful weather for most of the time (however, it did rain). I’m glad I travelled, and had a fun time.

The first night we booked a cheap room in Rio because our flight got in late, and it’s a 3 hour drive to Arraial, so we started early the next day. Our hotel helped us arrange transport on the way there. On the way back to Rio to return home, we used a public bus (costing only R$80) that was honestly super comfortable.

Upon arrival… it was pouring rain. We all had to walk to our accommodation, and made our way into town to find a lunch spot before breaking for check-in. Tio Dorp was our lunch spot of choice, with a view of the harbor and delicious fish. I dined on the fish filet with shrimp sauce and it was super tasty. It came with mashed potatoes, so this was my version of a Thanksgiving feast (because this day was, in fact, Thanksgiving).

Brazil’s first World Cup game began at 4 pm that day. We scoped out a bar to watch the game at, and thankfully, Brazil got the win! That put the whole town in a good mood! After the game, the sky cleared up and we watched the sunset over Praia Grande (the best spot to watch the sunset).

Alex is a (scuba) dive master. She brought her scuba gear with her, and really wanted to try to hit the water. I was certified when I was in middle school… and haven’t dove since. But I was trying to be a good sport, so I said fine, I can do the “discover scuba” bit, and Alex can get some diving in.

Well, if I didn’t just eat my words, because it was the highlight of the trip. Scuba diving brings to life an entirely different world. There are beautiful creatures and plant life down there that we simple can’t see from the surface. I was able to see puffer fish, cool black and yellow stripey fish, an eel, and (my favorite) 2 squids! My dad and stepmom dive all the time, and I get why. Arraial do Cabo is a diving destination, so I’m glad I got my fins wet again for the first time in a decade here.

Post diving we went to the cutest lunch spot possibly ever. Casa da Pedra is in a historical house, and the food is all presented in a unique way. Alex and I split entrees, I got the churrasco, which they brought out and the waiter used a handheld torch to add some extra char while at the table. Alex ordered the shrimp at the beach, and they came looking like they were spending a day at the beach, in breadcrumbs and on a lounge chair.

Whenever you look at a blog post about Arraial do Cabo, you see “the stairs.” These stairs you walk down and are at a gorgeous beach- this was our next stop. However, it was a busy day, and none of the pictures I took were as empty as the ones when you google them, so I’ll let Google be the postcard for you. It was busy, and getting near the sunset, so we didn’t stay too long.

Next began the incredibly vertical hike. There are a couple ways back to the main area of town. We took a taxi out to the stairs, but thought walking back would be “more fun.” It was all uphill. Then like a straight downhill. But uphill for an hour. I believe myself to be a fit person. I take a lot of care to exercise, and I walk more now than I every have in my life. During this hike, I had to tell myself out loud “I am having fun.” Alex and Nicole are faster than me, so they left me in the dust, which is fine. But the scenery was boring and full of cacti and mosquitos, so the out loud mantra helped me to keep my mind right-ish.

Fine. The uphill march turned out amazing because of the view of the city. You can see the two distinct beaches there because it’s on a peninsula. Breathtaking. Literally.

Fast forward to Saturday. We went on a boat ride, or a “passeo em barco” aboard the Ericka Barreto. It was almost a private 6 hour tour, it was our group and 1 other couple. We had a blast. Once the crew found out we were American, they even hung up an American flag. Aboard, we were able to see a couple other beaches, as well as go snorkeling, and brave the tides and trek to the “cave of love” which was kind of lame if I’m being honest.

The crew were very fun! They got a churrasco going, and I had cheese on a stick, meat, and chicken. It was a perfect lunch to be on a boat. The majority of the time, we had beautiful weather… until it began to rain.

Kind of a bummer, because it began raining right as we were getting to the gem of the tour, the creme de la creme of beaches. This beach is an eco habitat and only 1 group from a boat is allowed at a time. We were supposed to be able to snorkel and see fish that ONLY live there. However, it was raining. We couldn’t see **** in the water. And it was cold. Not to be a Debbie Downer, but that bit was sad. Bonus- I did see sea turtles swimming around the boat at that beach. That was super cool. 🙂

Upon disembarking, it was pouring rain. One of the boat guys offered to drive us to our accommodations, which was amazing because this little town doesn’t have as many Ubers as we are accustomed to in Brasilia. The rain didn’t let up- it went all night. As soon as we arrived and were checking in (because we had to change places- see above where I said these ladies don’t “overplan” trips)- the power went out. It stayed out for about 45 minutes, and it was city wide. Alex and I decided to eat at the restaurant in the hotel once the power came on, and it was honestly one of the tastiest meals of the trip.

Waking up the next morning, it was overcast but looked like it would be a beautiful day. Alex and I decided to walk across town to the one beach we hadn’t seen yet in Arraial do Cabo. Our path was blocked by flooded streets. We had to go a different way, and ended up walking through what looked and felt like a favela- so I was happy when we arrived at the beach. It was SUPER windy, so we didn’t stay for longer than a walk along the beach.

We spent the remainder of the last day at Praia Grande in beautiful sand, and freezing cold water. There were 2 guys messing around with a futbol near us on the beach. I’m not one who can just sunbathe, I like activities, so I asked if I could join them. Turns out they are from Venezuela on a holiday. I initially got excited because I speak Spanish fluently, but because I am diligently trying to learn Portuguese, the language transfer is real, and I couldn’t remember much Spanish at all. Didn’t matter- sports cross language barriers.

We arrived safely back in Brasilia, if not very tired and not ready for work the next day.

Ate a proxima vez! Tchau!