Without a doubt, Brazil is one of the places I would love to visit. However, I didn’t include it in my original plan (flights were so expensive even if flying from the US!). But since I was going to the Peruvian Amazon (Puerto Maldonado), the Brazilian border was now within reach! There must be a way to get to Rio de Janeiro on the cheap. Also, because applying for a Chilean visa was supposed to be easy but turned out to be complicated, I didn’t have time to wait. So Brazil made it to my super duper over mega final itinerary. Lol!
I was aware of the dangers ahead of me. I’ve seen videos of muggings circulating the web. It was scary, especially for a tiny girl like me (I enrolled in a Muay Thai class before my trip lol). But anything could happen anywhere. We are at constant risk, and it comes in different forms. But as per Doe Zantamata.. “Don’t let the fear of what could happen make nothing happen”. So I started planning..
After countless sleepless nights and Google searches, it appeared that this route was not that popular for tourists/travelers. There was very little information, and outdated!
Option 1: The one that interests me was the Transoceanica bus route that runs 6300km across South America. From the Pacific (Lima), it passes through the Andes, the Amazon (it stops at Puerto Maldonado so I can wait for the bus from here), the Pantanal, and ends at the Atlantic (Rio de Janeiro). It takes 100+ hours (more or less 5 days!), making it the longest bus ride in the world (not cheap either!). Imagine how scenic and stomach-churning this overland journey would be (oh hello sharp turns, steep, and narrow roads). It may be a crazy and boring idea for some, but I would love to give this epic ride a shot. Unfortunately, I only have 1 month of vacation, so it was a no for me.
Option 2: The nearest airport from the Brazilian border is in Rio Branco, where I can take the flight to Rio de Janeiro. There’s a bus (Moviltours) from Puerto Maldonado to Rio Branco. Transoceanica bus stops at Rio Branco as well. From the bus stop, take a taxi to the airport. As much as I would like this option due to convenience, neither bus schedule work. What’s worse, it seemed like both companies don’t service this route anymore.
Option 3: Take the Colectivo (van) from Puerto Maldonado to Iñapari (the border town on the Peruvian side), which takes about 3-4 hours. Get the exit stamp at the Peruvian immigration. Take a tuk-tuk to cross Assis (the border town on the Brazilian side) and onto the Brazilian immigration to get the entry stamp. Take the same tuk-tuk back to Assis, where there are shared cars/taxis and buses available that go to Rio Branco (about 4 hours ride). My Peruvian Amazon tour guide confirmed this to me. It was even better.. he said that I could take a car (he meant Colectivo) from Puerto Maldonado to Iñapari. Then transfer to another car onward to Rio Branco. And that cars leave every hour. I was completely sold!
So, I mustered up the courage and decided to push through with option 3, which later appeared to be a dubious plan—as if I had another choice lol!
My flight to Rio de Janeiro (from Rio Branco) was scheduled at 1:45 AM. Right after lunch, I took the Colectivo from Puerto Maldonado to Iñapari. I had enough time to make it to the airport. But sadly, a 3-4 hour trip became eternity lol! The road was paved, but construction was going on for some reason. Only one lane was passable, so vehicles from both sides had to take turns. I wanted to panic, but it surely won’t help. The local passengers started to get off, one by one, until I was the only person left. Eventually, we arrived at the station in Iñapari. It was already dark (I didn’t want to look at the time lol). The driver got out of the van, opened the door for me, and asked where I was headed. He doesn’t speak English, so Google Translate came to the rescue. After a few minutes of typing, he returned and revved up his van. We were running out of time, the immigration office was about to close. He could’ve called it a day and just left me there. Instead, he drove me both to the Peruvian and the Brazilian borders. He didn’t ask for anything in return.
* The Migraciones office in Iñapari is next to Puesto de Control Fronterizo Iñapari (border checkpoint). It is a small single-story building with 3-4 counters inside. At that time, only one counter was working. There was a local who got in first, so I waited for my turn. The officer only asked where I was going and then stamped my passport.
* The one in Brazil, Policia Federal, is right at Alfândega Brasil-Peru (customs checkpoint). It is a very small room in a two-story building with only 1 counter. The officer asked how long was my stay and then stamped my passport.
YAYYY! I made it!! And the real horror begins.. LOL!
The Peruvian driver drove me back to Assis, where I could get a ride to Rio Branco. As if his kindness wasn’t enough, he parked his van and looked for available bus/car/taxi while I stayed inside. I saw him talk to a couple of guys. I couldn’t help but be a little nosy, so I got out of the van, wishing for good news. Unfortunately, there were no more buses available. The locals suggest that I spend the night in Rio Branco. They said there was a cheap hotel nearby, and I could just take the bus first thing in the morning. Nope! I didn’t want to! In the middle of our conversation, another local approached me and asked if I was French. Not sure where that came from, but I’m Asian in every angle lol. Feeling hopeless, I got back into the van. The Peruvian driver went on looking for a ride. Moments later, he found a shared car! The former now acts as the translator. Peruvians speak Spanish, while Brazilians speak Portuguese. Whatever conversation they had, he typed it into my phone (although I also had Portuguese on Google Translate). Then I typed my reply, and he relayed it to the Brazilian driver. But there was one instance when the Brazilian driver suddenly took my phone and typed something in. It did take some time before we came to an agreement. And I knew exactly that I was getting ripped off.
Scheme # 1: The cost of one seat in a shared car/taxi was 110 Reals. There was another passenger in the car, but he was just going to Brasileia, about 1.5 hours away; Rio Branco is 4 hours away. If I wanted to leave now, I had to pay for all 4 seats, that’s 440 Reals (around USD80). He didn’t even consider the other passenger! I only had 250 Reals at that time (I exchanged my remaining Soles in Puerto Maldonado so I could pay for the bus, I didn’t know it would cost me more lol). I told him I’d pay USD100, but he needed to take me to Rio Branco Airport instead of the bus/taxi/shared car station (so I wouldn’t have to worry about taking another taxi, but my suggestion backfired, my bad, lol).
Scheme # 2: The airport is just 15-20 mins from the station, but the additional USD20 was not enough! He asked for 250 Reals. Fine. So, USD100 plus 250 Reals (about USD45) from Assis to Rio Branco airport. Deal! I didn’t have a choice anyway.
I profusely thanked the Peruvian driver. I don’t know what I would have done without him. I could’ve missed my flight trying to figure things out. I gave him all the Soles I had left. He was surprised. Then he smiled and thanked me as if I were the one who had done something good for him. We waved goodbye, and then I rushed into the shared car.
I was in the back seat, and the other passenger in the front seat. The 2 guys were talking to each other in Portuguese. An hour passed, and the other passenger got off. Now, it was just me and the scammer lol! After some time, we suddenly pulled over in front of a house. I had no idea what was happening, he didn’t even bother to tell me. He went inside and spent a good amount of time, while I was in his car, waiting. He knew that I was pressed on time but it seemed that he didn’t care. He got back with a lady who occupied the front seat. Must be his girlfriend/wife. We left the house and went on. The towns in this part of Brazil were deserted, they literally looked like ghost towns. And there was one long road that had no lights at all, it was pitch dark! You know, those scenes from crime shows/movies, lol. After another hour, we pulled over again. This time, he borrowed my phone. So now he knew how to talk to me huh?
Scheme # 3: The driver said that Rio Branco was too far and he wanted to go back home! I was startled. I had no words. Then he looked for another taxi.
Scheme # 4: He found a taxi. He borrowed my phone again to let me know that I needed to pay more! I could barely understand the translation, but the amount he entered was obvious.. another USD60 or 300 Reals! It was like I was the one paying for the 2nd taxi when it should’ve been him since he cut the trip short. I tried to argue, but it was hard when you are in a foreign land and you speak a different language. He was very adamant, I let my guard down. I just wanted to get it over with, so I gave him USD60, which was all I had left. He was very good, he knew what was in my wallet lol. Maybe I could’ve done better in terms of negotiation/haggling but I didn’t think it would help (and also because I’m not really good with that lol). Before transferring, I told him I would no longer pay anything extra (plus an eye-roll lol). Then he responded, “No, no, no”.
I got into the other taxi, super exhausted. We immediately left. The driver drove as fast as he could, but he was cautious and respectful of his fellow drivers. I had a gut feeling that he was a good person, so I succumbed to slumber. Finally, after 11 hours of misadventure, I arrived at the airport. Just like the Peruvian driver, I thanked him repeatedly. I wish I had extra Reals to give him but the scammer got it all, as well as my USD. He flashed a big smile, and then we said goodbye.
Fortunately, Rio Branco Airport is small, so checking in was a breeze. I think I got there 30 minutes before boarding! While waiting, I replayed different narratives from the whole ordeal in my head lol.
I made it safe and sound. It was such a relief that Uber is popular, at least in Rio de Janeiro (Maybe because of the taxi scams? One local told me about the taxi mafia so maybe it was really a thing?).
It was too early for check-in and it was only now that I realized I hadn’t taken dinner last night. I was so stressed I didn’t even feel the hunger lol. I left my things first and had brunch at the nearest fast food I could find.
Since I was so tired, I decided to just spend the whole day in my room. But Gabriel from the reception offered to show me around after his shift. We walked through the area, spent some time in Botafogo, tried local snack, and we ended the day with a Caipirinha back at the hostel. Glad I went out.
Paola had the same plan as mine to go to Sugarloaf. I got so excited, but it was short-lived. When we were having breakfast on the rooftop, there was a sign of impending bad weather lol! The Acuzar can be seen from there. But what was supposed to be a white cross gleaming on the hilltop turned into a silhouette enshrouded in clouds.
I checked the weather forecast that day, it was awful. So, obviously, our plan was canceled. She chose to go to museums, which was not what I came for. So I stayed in the hostel, still thinking about how I could go to Acuzar at least (not even thinking about Sugarloaf anymore). Victor, my other roomie (a local from São Paulo), had plans to go to the botanical garden and the beaches. It was his last day in Rio, so he had already been to Acuzar and Gingerbread (Sugarloaf). Ipanema and Copacabana were on my list as well, so I joined him.
We went to the botanical garden first. Actually, we only got to Parque Lage and didn’t go further to see any flora because of the rain. At the entrance is a gorgeous mansion that was converted into an art school and a cafe. Since it is located at the foot of Corcovado, the famous statue with open arms signifying redemption serves as a beautiful backdrop.
For those adventurous peeps, there is a trail there that leads up to Acuzar. After admiring this architectural beauty, off we went to the beaches.
Ipanema and Copacabana are right next to each other, connected by a small rocky peninsula- Arpoador. Both are lovely but I prefer Ipanema more, just because of the view from there. I was surprised to see how fine and white the sand was. It would’ve been nice to take a dip but it was too cold. We spent quite some time just strolling along the beach.
Victor had to fly back home in the afternoon, so we had a quick lunch at the nearest mall (Botafogo Praia Shopping Mall). We went to the food court on the top floor (8th, I think); it has a viewing patio overlooking Botafogo Beach and Sugarloaf! Unfortunately, Sugarloaf was still shy, it just wouldn’t reveal itself.
As soon as we finished our meal, we headed down. We took the escalator (I can’t remember if the mall had no elevator or was just broken at that time), and I tried to connect to different WIFI on each floor so I could book an Uber to take me to Acuzar, but none of them worked. Yep, I didn’t have second thoughts about not going there despite the weather. After several more attempts and finally reaching the first floor, I connected and successfully booked an Uber. My trip to Acuzar was short and bitter. You may check Christ the Redeemer blog for more details lol.
It was indeed a busy day and the weather forecast was on point.. the skies did not clear at all. I may not have seen Christ the Redeemer and Sugarloaf in all their splendor, but I can always go back next time (if I can find cheap flights lol!)
After Rio de Janeiro, I went to Iguazu to start making my way back to Peru (with stops in Argentina and Bolivia). A visit there wouldn’t be complete without seeing the mighty Iguazu Falls– the largest waterfall system in the world, which is shared by two countries. It took me forever to decide which side of the falls to visit: Foz do Iguaçu in Brazil or Puerto Iguazú in Argentina. I would love to see both, but I didn’t have much time. According to my research, the Brazilian side has more views, so it won.
There was no Uber in Foz do Iguaçu or maybe it was not that popular yet. And since I was traumatized by taxis lol, I took buses instead. The hostel where I stayed was just across the bus stop, so it was relatively easy. The staff was friendly and gave me all the information I needed. I bought the National Park ticket from them so I didn’t have to line up when I got there, but for the rest, I was on my own. I didn’t join any tour.
I reached the park in no time. At the entrance, you had to take the double-decker bus that goes to the trail’s starting point, where you will be greeted by a bunch of coatis, a member of the raccoon family.
After taking selfies with these cute coati creatures, I began walking. There are several wooden platforms where you can enjoy different amazing views! Iguazu comprises 275 waterfalls (or cataracts in Portuguese), spans 2.7 km, and is as high as 82 meters! It is easy to see why it became a UNESCO World Heritage Site and one of the New Seven Wonders of Nature! The Brazilian side is a single trail, so it was short and sweet! 80% of the falls are in Argentina so it makes sense that you will get the most panoramic views from Brazil. But it also means that you will get to experience the waterfalls more in Argentina! No wonder they have several circuits (trails). Both have something awesome to offer, it’s just a matter of personal preference. It was a bit rainy, but you’ll get soaked anyway, so it didn’t bother me at all.
At the end of the trail, there is an elevator to another platform that gives you the best views of the falls.
Since I still had time left, I took a bus again and thought I would go to Marco Das Tres Fronteiras aka Triple Frontier aka Three Borders Landmark– where the 3 countries meet (Brazil, Argentina, and Paraguay). They are separated by the union of 2 rivers (Parana and Iguazu). The borders are technically in the deepest part of the rivers, you don’t get to step on it but there is a good vantage point to see the rivers and the border markers in one picture! Each country has an obelisk painted in its national/flag color (Yellow and green for Brazil; White and Sky blue for Argentina; White, red, and blue for Paraguay).
From the looks of it, the Brazilian side was more lively. Next was Argentina. I saw tourist buses so there must be something interesting in there. Paraguay, it seemed like just a port and nothing else?
The place is not that big but there’s so much stuff going on. There are playgrounds, shops, food stalls, a museum, a film about the discovery of the falls, a maze with mirrors, and some murals.
It is recommended to watch the sunset, and I bet this park glows after dark with all the lights and cultural shows, but the park is on the outskirts of the city. I wasn’t familiar with the bus schedules and the area, and I didn’t want to stay out late, so I had to give it a pass. While waiting for the bus back to the city, I saw the couple who took my picture. They sat next to me. We exchanged smiles, followed by a never-ending chat on Google Translate. I can imagine what it’ll be like if we speak the same language. They are locals from São Paulo on vacation in Foz do Iguaçu. They invited me for dinner. Unfortunately, it was a long way from where I was staying, so sadly, I had to decline.
The next day, I had to go to Puerto Iguazú Airport in Argentina to catch my flight to Salta. I booked a taxi with the hostel, so this must not be a scam lol! Crossing the border was easy. I had to go to the office to get my passport stamped while the taxi was parked somewhere waiting for me. In Argentina, they have like toll gates (like in Europe) where you just have to give your passport, and they will stamp it.
Overall, I would like to think that my short trip to Brazil was a success. The taxi scam is inevitable, and it can happen anywhere. About the weather, hmm.. it wasn’t that bad, at least it wasn’t a typhoon. Sometimes, the only thing in your control is the way you react to something (I forgot where I got this from, sorry, lol).
Brazilians are caring and protective (even the flight attendant on the plane warned me!). They don’t deny the dangers, so you will be constantly reminded to look after yourself, at least in my experience.
I’m extremely grateful to everyone I’ve met on this trip! Cant wait to come back!
