It rained off and on last night with the sounds of the jungle seeping into our ears like the white noise on a meditation app. We both slept quite well, and then enjoyed an underwhelming breakfast that seemed to be enjoyed much more by everyone else. We have not yet acquired a taste for cold soggy waffles or one inch diameter “scones.”
After checking out, we requested a taxi to take us to the airport on the Brazil side. As soon as we left the driveway of the hotel, we encountered a backup of traffic to cross the border. Luckily, we were in a taxi which afforded us a bit of line cutting. Even still, it took probably 30 minutes to go through both sides. Argentina seems to be anti-stamp, so we weren’t even there as far as our passports are concerned, but we did get a new stamp from Brazil, where they also checked vaccine cards. Fun fact: Brazil used to require a fairly complicated and inconvenient visa to enter the country. This went away temporarily during the 2016 Olympics, and the results proved far too efficient to bring back. They also used to require some sort of health declaration during the pandemic, but I guess the website was very glitchy, so they’ve stopped doing that too. It was a fairly short drive from the border crossing to the Foz do Iguaçu Airport which is only probably five miles from the Cataratas del Iguazu Airport on the Argentine side. The two airports don’t really seem justified, but perhaps it’s a matter of national pride.
The Brazilian airport was significantly less crowded, however, which was a nice change of pace. We were able to check-in without waiting in line too long and went through security in a matter of seconds. We had about two hours to kill in an airport that didn’t have a lot to offer. We spent the time figuring out our next steps and how we plan to get home.
After having a light snack and some water for “lunch” we boarded our LATAM flight to Rio De Janeiro. This was our presumption anyway. While in line on the jetbridge, a ramper came down and singled me out to ask me something in Portuguese. The Brazilian gentleman in front of me said, ”He’s asking you where you’re going,” and shrugged his shoulders. “Umm…Rio?” This provided a fair amount of material for the passengers around us to have a laugh about. “As opposed to everyone else getting on this plane,” they chimed in.
It was a bumpy flight up to Rio in a windowless exit row of an A321. I did my best to peer through the tiny exit door peep hole, but the flight attendant eventually closed this — throwing literal shade at me, no doubt to spite me for that cheeky “I’m going to Rio” quip with the ramp agent earlier. In truth, she did slide the shade back open after taking her jumpseat across from me and was actually very nice. Her name was Isabelle and she helped me take some pictures during our approach to land.
Being a domestic flight with no checked bags, we were out of the airport and in an Uber within minutes. It was about a 25 minute drive to the Hilton – Copacabana. The post-sunset drive was a feast for the senses. The skies turned pink and highlighted the lush green hills surrounding the city. The odors emanating from various bodies of water were sewage-like in stark contrast with the beautiful scenery. The city was very alive, at one glance looking rather edgy and quite posh just one blink later.
We soon found ourselves in the busy Copacabana beach neighborhood just as it was getting dark. We got in line for checkin amongst a bunch of flight crew. We fit right in with our crew bags. Once they saw that Nicole was a Hilton Honors DIAMOND member, we were escorted to a special check-in area. We were briefed on all of her perks including a happy hour that we would take advantage of a few minutes later. We elevator-ed up to the 26th floor and elevator-ed back down to the Executive Lounge for some snacks and local ale.
Then we went from there to the fourth floor to the restaurant where I had a very reasonably priced filet mignon (equivalent $17). It was a surprisingly relaxing evening for being in the middle of a bustling city after a travel day. Tomorrow we explore the city of Rio. Boa Noite for now.
passports & pepto bismol 