This is an XML content feed of journal entries and reviews that have recently published by RealTravel members within Rio de Janeiro. Use one of the buttons on the right to add this feed to your feed reader. tag:realtravel.com,2005:18486 RealTravel members http://realtravel.com/images/logo-for-feeds.jpg (c) 2006 RealTravel.com 2008-03-19T14:30:42Z 340091http://www.feedburner.comThis is an XML content feed of journal entries and reviews that have recently published by RealTravel members within Rio de Janeiro. Use one of the buttons on the right to add this feed to your feed reader. tag:realtravel.com,2008-03-14:6700269 2008-03-14T16:30:46Z 2008-03-19T14:30:42Z Jennontour http://realtravel.com/member-m5403757-jennontour.html <p>a entry by Jennontour from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-brazil-reviews-hotels-d18486.html">Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.</a></p> <p>After a 24h bus ride I arrived in Rio de Janeiro. The bus ride was actually lots of fun ... a Girls Volleyball team from Sweden and a Boys Soccer team from São Paulo in one bus. You can imagine, that that combination was just entertainment pure ;-) ... who wanted to sleep anyway? Too bad, that the boys got of the bus in São Paulo ... the last 6 hours of the ride were kind of boring ...</p><p>The landscape was first still green and almost flat, later it became more and more hilly and even more greener ... while we drove through São Paulo I saw very poor neighborhoods. Some sheds were build ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j6700269.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_q7MNfT6493mBCS98yf06IYDtK-A_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/q7MNfT6493mBCS98yf06IYDtK-A_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_q7MNfT6493mBCS98yf06IYDtK-A_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=q7MNfT6493mBCS98yf06IYDtK-A_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio_de_janeiro-journals-j6700269.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j6700269.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-08-17:5327894 2007-08-17T15:02:18Z 2008-02-28T19:33:16Z Andre & Marcela http://realtravel.com/member-m4327209-andre__marcela.html <p><em>"Ok... so we basically ate lots then waited for camera, then ate some more!!!"</em></p> <p>a entry by Andre &amp; Marcela from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/niteroi-rio_de_janeiro-reviews-hotels-d5327886.html">Niteroi, Rio de Janeiro.</a></p> <p>So... Niteroi was much like a pause in time. We recently had our camera break while we were in Petropolís and getting a new one proved to be a very long process. You see, like most countries in the world, you have to pay taxes for imported electronics. However, Brazil has taken this to an extreme... cameras here are sometimes 2 or 3 times more expensive than in the US. So, our idea was to buy a camera online, have it sent to Andre´s mom, and have her send it to Brazil. All of that pretty much worked as planned, except that when it got to Niteroi we had to pay 60% of the cost of the camera!!! ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/niteroi-journals-j5327894.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_bc05VrhpqwPmLyQCKvps23DxIPk_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/bc05VrhpqwPmLyQCKvps23DxIPk_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_bc05VrhpqwPmLyQCKvps23DxIPk_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=bc05VrhpqwPmLyQCKvps23DxIPk_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Fniteroi-journals-j5327894.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/niteroi-journals-j5327894.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-07-21:5096671 2007-07-21T00:29:48Z 2007-07-21T01:01:14Z Field Hockey Mom http://realtravel.com/member-m5041925-field_hockey_mom.html <p>a entry by Field Hockey Mom from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio-rio_de_janeiro-reviews-hotels-d2085180.html">Rio, Rio de Janeiro.</a></p> <p>Thursday I got up and swam in a heated pool while Katy worked out, then off to the game. The girls won 6-0 over Canada. We went to the Athletes~village, it was so beautiful, electrifying - all the athletes, the flags, the colors of uniforms, all together watching the big screen in the common area outside - watching the Brazil vs Cuba volleyball(Cuba won). Then home and we walked down and had a wonderful dinner in Leblon - I had pumpkin soup with grilled shrimp and a salad with heart of palm. Yum! We shopped for some fruit and groceries and took a taxi up the hill since it was dark.</p><p>Today ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio-journals-j5096671.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_R88IHLdKEVDGJRk06yealPWz4PM_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/R88IHLdKEVDGJRk06yealPWz4PM_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_R88IHLdKEVDGJRk06yealPWz4PM_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=R88IHLdKEVDGJRk06yealPWz4PM_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio-journals-j5096671.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio-journals-j5096671.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-06-27:4896241 2007-06-27T21:47:56Z 2007-06-27T22:13:54Z Leigh & Jo http://realtravel.com/member-m4573244-leigh__jo.html <p>a entry by Leigh &amp; Jo from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-brazil-reviews-hotels-d18486.html">Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.</a></p> <p>Monday 25th June 2007 – Rio de Janeiro</p><p>The day before was a long one! After saying goodbye to Rich and Carmen, Rich with his poor broken arm and then Mel and Jase after a coffee we headed to Heathrow. The queues were extraordinarily long, but Leigh found a baggage drop as we had checked in the night before so passed through quickly. Jo must look dodgy as she got “randomly selected” to have x-rays to see if she was concealing any substances. Thankfully not, so we hopped onto the plane. We sat next to a Brazilian man who gave us some good advise, watched part of a movie and fell asleep for ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j4896241.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_DHbrZdLtvw.0.mmeMqNlkhO5pr4_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/DHbrZdLtvw.0.mmeMqNlkhO5pr4_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_DHbrZdLtvw.0.mmeMqNlkhO5pr4_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=DHbrZdLtvw.0.mmeMqNlkhO5pr4_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio_de_janeiro-journals-j4896241.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j4896241.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-06-10:4740718 2007-06-10T13:59:49Z 2007-06-11T20:19:40Z Allie s Adventures! http://realtravel.com/member-m3703657-allie_s_adventures.html <p><em>"Shootings, Strippings and Reality Tv shows, What a week!"</em></p> <p>a entry by Allie s Adventures! from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-brazil-reviews-hotels-d18486.html">Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.</a></p> <p>As i write this blog party there are tens of thousands of Salvadorians swarming the streets in what can only be described as a Jesus rave. First, i thought it was a huge outdoor festival as I was swallowed by the festive and crazed crowd of revellers. Then I noticed that the swarm of individuals descended on me all wore matching shirts that read in portugese jesus march 2007.</p><p>In Brazil even Jesus gets to party. This country is one massive headtrip. After Diegos party in Foz De Igassu (funny note on that, two of my mates were caught by a federal officer/marshall of the brazillian police ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j4740718.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_Zcs1aU9r1T8kVUjQ6j9mcBKzyKk_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/Zcs1aU9r1T8kVUjQ6j9mcBKzyKk_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_Zcs1aU9r1T8kVUjQ6j9mcBKzyKk_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=Zcs1aU9r1T8kVUjQ6j9mcBKzyKk_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio_de_janeiro-journals-j4740718.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j4740718.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-06-11:4757264 2007-06-11T15:49:16Z 2007-06-11T15:49:16Z 3 Men & Little Lady http://realtravel.com/member-m2709152-3_men__little_lady.html <p><em>"Posted by George"</em></p> <p>a entry by 3 Men &amp; Little Lady from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-brazil-reviews-hotels-d18486.html">Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.</a></p> <p>A mammoth 61 hours after we left our hostel in Auckland, we finally arrived at our hostel in Rio de Janerio. We hadn´t booked anywhere so we were very lucky to find ``The Girl from Ipanema´´ - a quaint litle hostel set in amongst a courtyard with surrounding hostels and resdiental flats and right at the heart of Ipanema.</p><p>Another suprise we found out upon arrival was that there was to be quite a big football game at the Maracana (one of the most famous stadiums in South America, if not the World) that evening. We booked to go on a tour, ran from the hostel, which would take us there, into ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j4757264.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_cW-BM97Fs7aE3E1-jJlGqtgtk3Y_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/cW-BM97Fs7aE3E1-jJlGqtgtk3Y_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_cW-BM97Fs7aE3E1-jJlGqtgtk3Y_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=cW-BM97Fs7aE3E1-jJlGqtgtk3Y_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio_de_janeiro-journals-j4757264.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j4757264.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-06-03:4681064 2007-06-03T16:44:26Z 2007-06-03T16:54:52Z 888 Hours http://realtravel.com/member-m4322174-888_hours.html <p>a entry by 888 Hours from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-brazil-reviews-hotels-d18486.html">Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.</a></p> <p>Day 27 - Wednesday 30 May 2007 ( 634 hours down 254 to go)</p><p></p><p>New York to Rio De Janeiro</p><p></p><p>It is our last morning in New York and whilst we are sad to be leaving this fantastic city we feel that we have done and seen all that we wanted to and had a great time in doing so. Some of our reflections of New York are:</p><p>Black folk are friendlier than the rest.</p><p>New Yorkers are not fat, due to all the walking they do, the out of towners are.</p><p>Black women have big bums, or booty.</p><p>Tipping is a big con, they expect it without doing a bloody thing.</p><p>Shoppi ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j4681064.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_Z26HHY4ol.9zYkntgsPqXS9RL6U_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/Z26HHY4ol.9zYkntgsPqXS9RL6U_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_Z26HHY4ol.9zYkntgsPqXS9RL6U_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=Z26HHY4ol.9zYkntgsPqXS9RL6U_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio_de_janeiro-journals-j4681064.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j4681064.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-06-02:4672970 2007-06-02T21:27:20Z 2007-06-02T21:27:20Z vincentvega http://realtravel.com/member-m1048526-vincentvega.html <p>a review of Mellow Yellow, a place to stay in <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio-rio_de_janeiro-reviews-hotels-d2085180.html">Rio, Rio de Janeiro</a>.</p> <p>Has one of the best reputations in Rio. Big hostel located near Cocacabana. Very good place to meet other travellers. Good bar which serves dinner each night for a good price. Also happy hours and price reductions the more you stay. Good for booking trips as well. Bit more than other hostels though and is more expensive on the weekend.</p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio-reviews-b4672970.html">[Read full review]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_sFPnWNR.RbcYFquGOeldt1PHUuI_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/sFPnWNR.RbcYFquGOeldt1PHUuI_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_sFPnWNR.RbcYFquGOeldt1PHUuI_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=sFPnWNR.RbcYFquGOeldt1PHUuI_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio-reviews-b4672970.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio-reviews-b4672970.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-05-29:4644089 2007-05-29T22:39:01Z 2007-05-29T22:54:11Z Jim & Nats Big Trip http://realtravel.com/member-m3398614-jim__nats_big_trip.html <p><em>"See you soon!"</em></p> <p>a entry by Jim &amp; Nats Big Trip from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio-rio_de_janeiro-reviews-hotels-d2085180.html">Rio, Rio de Janeiro.</a></p> <p>Believe it or not we feel like we have had a busy few months, so the priority was to have a beach holiday at the end of our trip. We extended the duration of our stay in Rio from 5 to 10 days and we are really glad. Rio is an amazing City. Its colourful, noisy, has lots of attractions, is very cosmopolitan, has a great climate and world class beaches. We have managed to see most of the main sights whilst still having a bit of downtime on the beach.</p><p>The first few days were a bit low key as we both brought a little guest with us to Brazil courtesy of our accommodation in the Amazon and ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio-journals-j4644089.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_GXZ7iCAQOX-DH88boK3q9EXtD14_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/GXZ7iCAQOX-DH88boK3q9EXtD14_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_GXZ7iCAQOX-DH88boK3q9EXtD14_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=GXZ7iCAQOX-DH88boK3q9EXtD14_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio-journals-j4644089.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio-journals-j4644089.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-05-03:4427801 2007-05-03T04:04:05Z 2007-05-14T10:13:47Z Craig & Jo http://realtravel.com/member-m1554917-craig__jo.html <p>a entry by Craig &amp; Jo from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-brazil-reviews-hotels-d18486.html">Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.</a></p> <p>Flew into Rio and decided after 10 months of roughing it we could spoil ourselves for the last four days of our trip so checked into a very nice hotel on the beach in Ipanema.</p><p>Spent a fair bit of time watching pay TV in our room and ordering room service partly due to the fact it started pissing down rain the first day we got to Rio and didn't stop for about a day and a half.</p><p>Managed to catch the final of the Cricket World Cup and cheered on with a few other Aussies in the pub as Gilly dismantled the Sri Lankan attack....although we did catch Jo a couple of times having a bit each ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j4427801.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_s9VwJV5Oid9dDD.cFaH0KRCojFM_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/s9VwJV5Oid9dDD.cFaH0KRCojFM_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_s9VwJV5Oid9dDD.cFaH0KRCojFM_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=s9VwJV5Oid9dDD.cFaH0KRCojFM_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio_de_janeiro-journals-j4427801.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j4427801.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-05-10:4494649 2007-05-10T17:35:10Z 2007-05-10T17:35:10Z John & Bexster http://realtravel.com/member-m2767365-john__bexster.html <p>a entry by John &amp; Bexster from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-brazil-reviews-hotels-d18486.html">Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.</a></p> <p>We finally arrived in Rio after a long 24 hour bus journey and decided to spend a few days in the City to see the sights such as Sugar Loaf mountain and the Big JC, which was amazing with great views.</p><p>Becky also had chance to get into full Carnaval gear whilst visiting the cultural museum at the Carnaval center.</p><p>Next we moved to a hostel in Copacabana, and it is a much more lively area but by far the most expensive place we have been to on our travels. It was good fun and a few good nights outs were had, although we did get unlucky with the rain and did not get chance to fully ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j4494649.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_FhIdhDZDeJ6faBZF5lBn0.cb8sk_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/FhIdhDZDeJ6faBZF5lBn0.cb8sk_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_FhIdhDZDeJ6faBZF5lBn0.cb8sk_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=FhIdhDZDeJ6faBZF5lBn0.cb8sk_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio_de_janeiro-journals-j4494649.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j4494649.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-03-10:3927977 2007-03-10T18:57:48Z 2007-05-07T18:02:51Z Ivan and Sarah http://realtravel.com/member-m2412995-ivan_and_sarah.html <p>a entry by Ivan and Sarah from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-brazil-reviews-hotels-d18486.html">Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.</a></p> <p>Another long bus trip (18 hours) followed by a high speed taxi ride through the streets of Rio and we arrived at our hostel in Ipanema. It was still early, so we had breakfast by the pool and chatted to some fellow travellers for a couple of hours before our beds were vacated and we could catch a couple of hours sleep. It was obvious from the untidy state of our dorm that the previous nights inhabitants were used to mum clearing up after them! Batteries topped up we went out for a wander around Ipanema, the more upmarked end of town with various designer shops and expensive jewellers dotted ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j3927977.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_rFBh0FxeRuYelP1ADlL6FbAkv2Q_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/rFBh0FxeRuYelP1ADlL6FbAkv2Q_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_rFBh0FxeRuYelP1ADlL6FbAkv2Q_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=rFBh0FxeRuYelP1ADlL6FbAkv2Q_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio_de_janeiro-journals-j3927977.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j3927977.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-04-06:4202387 2007-04-06T18:59:42Z 2007-04-06T19:13:42Z ZoeML http://realtravel.com/member-m2639777-zoeml.html <p>a entry by ZoeML from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-brazil-reviews-hotels-d18486.html">Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.</a></p> <p>Photos</p><p>http://oxford.facebook .com/album.php?aid =2104490&amp;l=041c1 &amp;id=36804972</p><p>Rio was my big hope and big plan. It is the most amazingly beautiful city, probably visually the best i´ve seen so far, and yet i did not fall in love with her as i thought i would. I spent 12 days hanging out mainly on Ipanema beach (what name dropping!) but was stationed for the most part in slightly more down market Copacabana beach, where to many people´s bitter disappointment, Elton John failed to appear for the promised free concert. Rio is squashed into and around a number of large ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j4202387.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_QvHcRNHMon0mJMdtZR6WxEM63s0_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/QvHcRNHMon0mJMdtZR6WxEM63s0_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_QvHcRNHMon0mJMdtZR6WxEM63s0_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=QvHcRNHMon0mJMdtZR6WxEM63s0_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio_de_janeiro-journals-j4202387.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j4202387.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-03-29:4120685 2007-03-29T15:36:31Z 2007-03-29T15:58:36Z CaLindaR07 http://realtravel.com/member-m2206538-calindar07.html <p><em>"Must visit city before you die!"</em></p> <p>a entry by CaLindaR07 from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-brazil-reviews-hotels-d18486.html">Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.</a></p> <p>Copa, Copacabana! Come lets samba! Oh yes, we shook our hips like the saucy sun queens that we are! Homesick, shmomesick! All cares are lost in this city that ranks unbelievably high on my list of places to see before you die. Any fears we had of the so called ´dangerous´Brazil evaporated with the fun, kind, and colorful nature of the locals &amp; tourists alike.</p><p>How happy was i to step into the 80 degree sunshine of Rio De Janeiro!?! Within 10 minutes of meandering the airport, I had been mistaken as Brazillian about 5 times. This misconception has continued. Luckily, I´ve been able to ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j4120685.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_1XU89jlZ07.rsbe4.4uVRMEKFmE_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/1XU89jlZ07.rsbe4.4uVRMEKFmE_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_1XU89jlZ07.rsbe4.4uVRMEKFmE_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=1XU89jlZ07.rsbe4.4uVRMEKFmE_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio_de_janeiro-journals-j4120685.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j4120685.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-03-29:4120673 2007-03-29T15:36:23Z 2007-03-29T15:36:31Z CaLindaR07 http://realtravel.com/member-m2206538-calindar07.html <p>a review of Ace Cafe, a place to stay in <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-brazil-reviews-hotels-d18486.html">Rio de Janeiro, Brazil</a>.</p> <p>Great staff! Cheap! Loads of fun people. Not in the touristy area (Botafogo). Minutes away from Ipanema and Copacabana. Two second walk from Metro.</p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-reviews-b4120673.html">[Read full review]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_660Li4PVt-8uJ.FIMQ0Yh-OnOEA_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/660Li4PVt-8uJ.FIMQ0Yh-OnOEA_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_660Li4PVt-8uJ.FIMQ0Yh-OnOEA_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=660Li4PVt-8uJ.FIMQ0Yh-OnOEA_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio_de_janeiro-reviews-b4120673.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-reviews-b4120673.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-03-25:4077497 2007-03-25T03:34:24Z 2007-03-28T20:58:49Z RTW trip http://realtravel.com/member-m4075125-rtw_trip.html <p>a entry by RTW trip from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-brazil-reviews-hotels-d18486.html">Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.</a></p> <p>Finally our Journey began in Rio de Janeiro on March 19th and it was well worth it! I must say i had some reservations about Rio but they were quickly dispelled within a day. We had booked into a really nice area of Rio called Botafogo which we would recommend to anybody. The trip from the airport took us through some really interesting areas but when we arrived at our destination we had a really nice hostel. We were a bit tired after travelling for 24 hrs so the first day was a bit of a blur. Also it was 30 degrees and very humid. However we did get to venture to the Botanic Gardens to walk ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j4077497.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_VcHirZ.L5q18E.QI4f7UrwxguXo_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/VcHirZ.L5q18E.QI4f7UrwxguXo_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_VcHirZ.L5q18E.QI4f7UrwxguXo_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=VcHirZ.L5q18E.QI4f7UrwxguXo_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio_de_janeiro-journals-j4077497.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j4077497.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-03-23:4067266 2007-03-23T22:13:15Z 2007-03-24T11:09:55Z James and Naomi http://realtravel.com/member-m2504043-james_and_naomi.html <p>a review of Mercure Apartments, a place to stay in <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-brazil-reviews-hotels-d18486.html">Rio de Janeiro, Brazil</a>.</p> <p>Having read one review decribing the hotel as quite dated with muddy carpets we weren´t expecting too much, but we were pleasantly surprised.</p><p>The apartments have obviously recently had a makeover and our spacious 1 bedroom apartment had new wooden flooring with new modern furnishings. Nothing too fancy but certainly very comfortable. The shower was great and the kitchen facilities OK too. Televisions with satellite TV in the lounge and bedroom and good air-con units in each.</p><p>The buffet breakfast was extremely good indeed and there are great views of Christ the Redeemer and ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-reviews-b4067266.html">[Read full review]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_55HWGOi0762PmYu4B9uh44bhiYE_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/55HWGOi0762PmYu4B9uh44bhiYE_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_55HWGOi0762PmYu4B9uh44bhiYE_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=55HWGOi0762PmYu4B9uh44bhiYE_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio_de_janeiro-reviews-b4067266.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-reviews-b4067266.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-03-23:4067504 2007-03-23T22:34:29Z 2007-03-23T23:35:18Z James and Naomi http://realtravel.com/member-m2504043-james_and_naomi.html <p><em>"Our rivals for the title were old or aging saggy specimens who were all wearing way too little - their modesty protected only by small amounts of sweaty lycra."</em></p> <p>a entry by James and Naomi from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-brazil-reviews-hotels-d18486.html">Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.</a></p> <p>Well, this definitely is the final one.</p><p>Our Rio adventure began at the airport, a 1960´s concrete monstrosity with a textured floor designed to knock luggage trollies off course. Finding a cash machine in Rio that will give you money is an adventure in itself. My cash card, which has behaved impeccably from Tahiti to Tongariro has suddenly become a colourful, but ultimately useless identity card, except if you happen to be fortunate enough to stumble across the one magic machine in every 100 that will give you cash (for a small fee). My quick dash out into Leblon to get some cash almost ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j4067504.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_l5Q00UDYgqP7.ALbQogopICAHac_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/l5Q00UDYgqP7.ALbQogopICAHac_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_l5Q00UDYgqP7.ALbQogopICAHac_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=l5Q00UDYgqP7.ALbQogopICAHac_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio_de_janeiro-journals-j4067504.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j4067504.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-03-15:3985998 2007-03-15T17:51:55Z 2007-03-19T13:46:16Z julierenee http://realtravel.com/member-m2965066-julierenee.html <p>a entry by julierenee from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-brazil-reviews-hotels-d18486.html">Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.</a></p> <p>Although about 3 weeks late, here are some pictures of the Samba parade. It was so beautiful. A few years ago, the city government built a special stadium called the Sambodrome just for this parade. There were thousands and thousands of people there.</p><p>The parade is a competition between different Samba schools. There are 14 schools in Rio and each school has its own songs and traditions and crazy fans. It´s kind of like football in that sense. The parade began at 9pm and was not over until 6am!! Each school took AN HOUR AND A HALF to get down the runway! And there were 7 schools going the ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j3985998.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_2MK4KYailzDqoE6uuCp7PBPun3Y_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/2MK4KYailzDqoE6uuCp7PBPun3Y_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_2MK4KYailzDqoE6uuCp7PBPun3Y_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=2MK4KYailzDqoE6uuCp7PBPun3Y_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio_de_janeiro-journals-j3985998.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j3985998.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-03-19:4017605 2007-03-19T02:09:10Z 2007-03-19T02:09:10Z Tony and Jill http://realtravel.com/member-m3595693-tony_and_jill.html <p>a entry by Tony and Jill from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-brazil-reviews-hotels-d18486.html">Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.</a></p> <p>Arrived early evening in Beijing, once through immigration and customs, very hard to find public transport, took a taxi to the hotel, 30 minute journey £4! Checked into the Hilton Hotel courtesy of Catherine, a very smart hotel, staff very helpful and friendly.</p><p>Saturday took taxi Tianamen Square, could not see Chairman Mao as he was being re-stuffed! Saw the spot from which all distances are measured in China. A couple came up to us and asked if we would hold their child for a photo, fame at last. We then passed the Palace of the People where the day before the Communist Party held a big ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j4017605.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_lC89XLGWPUjvcAL1kYGQW6Fzt9k_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/lC89XLGWPUjvcAL1kYGQW6Fzt9k_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_lC89XLGWPUjvcAL1kYGQW6Fzt9k_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=lC89XLGWPUjvcAL1kYGQW6Fzt9k_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio_de_janeiro-journals-j4017605.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j4017605.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-03-04:3862684 2007-03-04T12:48:35Z 2007-03-04T12:48:35Z Tony and Jill http://realtravel.com/member-m3595693-tony_and_jill.html <p>a entry by Tony and Jill from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-brazil-reviews-hotels-d18486.html">Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.</a></p> <p>On Friday we took a tour around the ‘Fremantle Prison, built by convicts from Britain between 1850 and 1860. They were given a choice when convicted transportation to Australia or death! The prison was shut down in 1991 but had changed little. No toilets were ever provided all prisoners used a bucket. The prison was constructed using doors made in Britain and the floors were made from flagstones used as ballast on sailing ships which brought the convicts from Britain.</p><p>We visited the punishment cells where prisoners were kept in solitary confinement for up to 28 days. Two cells could be ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j3862684.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_GYdrIM-CusE6J4uSUdgFj-lKH5Q_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/GYdrIM-CusE6J4uSUdgFj-lKH5Q_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_GYdrIM-CusE6J4uSUdgFj-lKH5Q_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=GYdrIM-CusE6J4uSUdgFj-lKH5Q_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio_de_janeiro-journals-j3862684.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j3862684.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-03-01:3839634 2007-03-01T18:58:38Z 2007-03-01T18:58:38Z Hitman s adventure http://realtravel.com/member-m3217346-hitman_s_adventure.html <p>a entry by Hitman s adventure from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-brazil-reviews-hotels-d18486.html">Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.</a></p> <p>The adventure continues, this time its me, Raj, Roy and Rotem. This is my second experience of Rio. At this place in time, I was feeling alot more confident and not so paranoid about everything. After Ilha Grande, where you feel so safe at all times, where you take out your camera, my confidence was up and Ive been feeling very lucky about the lovely people Ive met, and not getting into any trouble. So this time I was feeling a lot more confident but sad because Raj would be leaving. I really bonded with my sister over the last 2 weeks, shes really cool. Its funny seeing her getting chatted up ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j3839634.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_rA-kaiiJyYvD-UKXf1ToEkM12-c_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/rA-kaiiJyYvD-UKXf1ToEkM12-c_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_rA-kaiiJyYvD-UKXf1ToEkM12-c_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=rA-kaiiJyYvD-UKXf1ToEkM12-c_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio_de_janeiro-journals-j3839634.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j3839634.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-02-24:3771148 2007-02-24T04:01:03Z 2007-02-24T06:18:58Z julierenee http://realtravel.com/member-m2965066-julierenee.html <p>a entry by julierenee from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-brazil-reviews-hotels-d18486.html">Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.</a></p> <p>Once the boys arrived, we began some sightseeing! The first thing we saw was Sugarloaf, or Pao de Açucar in Portuguese. Sugarloaf is a huge mountain that has the most amazing views of Rio! The name Pao de Açucar was appointed to the mountain by the Portuguese during the extraction of brazilian sugar canes in century XVI and XVII. After the sugar cane was boiled and refined, the sugar blocks were placed in mud containers that had a conical shape called sugarloaves for transport to Europe. Thus, the name Sugarloaf. It stands at 4,290 feet tall!!! The top of Sugarloaf still has species that are ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j3771148.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_quwn56nvEaONg4CyNy-MeACvsNg_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/quwn56nvEaONg4CyNy-MeACvsNg_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_quwn56nvEaONg4CyNy-MeACvsNg_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=quwn56nvEaONg4CyNy-MeACvsNg_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio_de_janeiro-journals-j3771148.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j3771148.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-02-23:3770455 2007-02-23T23:46:03Z 2007-02-24T03:53:20Z julierenee http://realtravel.com/member-m2965066-julierenee.html <p>a entry by julierenee from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-brazil-reviews-hotels-d18486.html">Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.</a></p> <p>Hi! Our time in Rio has been anything but boring! Get ready for LOTS of photos!</p><p>Prior to flying to Rio, we had been calling and calling our travel agent Alan. We rented an apartment from him for our stay in Rio and he was supposed to pick us up from the airport. We were never able to get in touch with him because no one ever answered the phone. We were not too worried about it, so we when we arrived we took a cab from the airport to Alan´s office. Our cab driver Tom was so talkative. We had 45 minutes worth of awkward conversations which consisted of him continually speaking Portuguese ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j3770455.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_48J8TvNaKZqaClencRtRaFLwV5o_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/48J8TvNaKZqaClencRtRaFLwV5o_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_48J8TvNaKZqaClencRtRaFLwV5o_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=48J8TvNaKZqaClencRtRaFLwV5o_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio_de_janeiro-journals-j3770455.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j3770455.html tag:realtravel.com,2007-02-22:3755806 2007-02-22T15:52:47Z 2007-02-23T22:04:45Z Travelling Lousies! http://realtravel.com/member-m3532079-travelling_lousies.html <p><em>"we have developed Dale-like marks on our feet from all the walking and sun-catching on our feet"</em></p> <p>a entry by Travelling Lousies! from a trip to <a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-brazil-reviews-hotels-d18486.html">Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.</a></p> <p>Our last couple of days in Rio saw us being very busy and trying to finish off all of the touristy elements of the city. The day after the Sambodromo was a slow one as we hadn´t gotten to bed until around 3am (fairly early by Carnival standards!) We ventured off up to Santa Teresa, the bohemia and art district in Rio. To get there we embarked on the craziest and probably most dangerous ride I have probably ever taken in my life - however much fun was had. We took the tram up which was rickety trolley bus mounting a vertical hill with very little in the way of barriers to prevent you from ... </p> <p><a href="http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j3755806.html">[Read full entry]</a></p> <p><map name="google_ad_map_zB2vXw9LRmbbk6UPHxQde1btquE_"><area shape="rect" href="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/imgclick/zB2vXw9LRmbbk6UPHxQde1btquE_?pos=0" coords="1,2,367,28"/><area shape="rect" href="http://services.google.com/feedback/abg" coords="384,10,453,23"/></map><img usemap="#google_ad_map_zB2vXw9LRmbbk6UPHxQde1btquE_" border="0" src="http://imageads.googleadservices.com/pagead/ads?format=468x30_aff_img&client=ca-pub-1956712303939423&channel=3810559515&output=png&cuid=zB2vXw9LRmbbk6UPHxQde1btquE_&url=http%3A%2F%2Frealtravel.com%2Frio_de_janeiro-journals-j3755806.html"/></p> http://realtravel.com/rio_de_janeiro-journals-j3755806.html