South America, a continent I am pretty unfamiliar with. Glad to have such opportunity, though it was tiring to stay on a 30 hours door to door travel journey. It was Autumn, getting into Winter. Was glad to get both the gloomy chill and blue skies warm over the week's trip.
Not just the journey, I even had an opportunity to explore another airline - Turkish Airline. I was skeptical or rather placed very minimal expectation to the service. Even after hearing several positive comments. Glad I had that very low expectation, and I could sleep well throughout the journey. Nothing to WoW upon on the plane and service. Certain food (that I could understand from its English menu) tasted not bad, or rather I am not very particular with food.
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| Candle night on the plane |
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| Istanbul's Airport Lounge |
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| Fritter taste like fried popiah, zuccini wrapped cheese |
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| Rilakkuma and Muji travel pillow were my companion |
Learned some Portuguese language. "Bom Dia" as "Good Morning".
Downloaded Google Translate app (thanks to a friend whom introduced it after her solo trip to Japan). The app saved me a few times, especially during a conversation with Havaianas sales assistant.
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| Breakfast in hotel |
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| Entrada = Entrance? |
We were all blessed with good company and great local host (and family) on the Sunday.
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| Sight seeing |
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| Pretty architecture |
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| Mural too |
A local tourist spot selling handcraft items. We tried some local street foods here too. Pastel a.k.a fried pancake and Caldo de Cana a.k.a pressed sugar cane served with assam
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| Sunday tourist market |
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| Pastel store |
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| Pastel choices and menu |
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| Banana, Corned beef and Plain Pastels |
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| Banana filled |
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| I love Corned Beef pastel, and the drink |
We walked into a church. Nice architecture, and I am sure it has a few decades (or century) old.
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| Church view |
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| Art and performance stage |
Foods and drinks were what we explored.
Seafood lunch served.
Caipirinha - one of the must try drink in Brazil. It's a refreshing alchohol drink served with juice, just like a cocktail. Unfortunately, mine was served with extra ingredient - Several flies or insects.
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| My Caipirinha with insect |
We had a short walk after our lunch.
Coffee is also an essential drink to taste. Most coffee beans in the world comes from Brazil, they have wide rage of good coffees, and cakes were good too.
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| Cakes were nice |
We walked back to our hotel, wondered around the streets.
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| Japanese garden |
Hotel usually drop us a personalised card and candy, informing us the following day's weather. It's conventional, yet the thought counts.
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| Weather forecast |
Foods exploration were on going each day. We experienced how the local have their lunch. Weighing machines on a buffet serving style. Each and pay the amount you pick. Just like our local mixed rice, a.k.a.
chap-fun.
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| Grilled lamb and ribs |
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| Mixed food - lunch |
Guarana - It's a popular soft drink in Brazil. High in caffeine and sugar. Taste good too. I love it, it's tasted like apple drink with coke's ingredient, caffeine. Understand the fruit is wold red berried native to the Amazon.
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| Guarana drink |
Pao De Queijo a.k.a. Cheese bread, we loved it very much. Had a few bites every morning.
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| Pao de Queijo a.k.a. Cheese bread |
A Japanese lunch buffet, which I forgot its name. Very localised Japanese dishes, and they are weighing meal too..
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| Japanese weighing lunch |
Another type of snacks we were introduced. Somewhat filled like curry puff, but fried with bread crump. Will update when I recalled the next time.
Another hotel's weather report and introduction of local snacks. Peanut sweet.
This burger was so much more decent than the fast food burger we had the night before
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| Nice burger |
Nice weather came buy, 2 days before I left.
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| Nice weather |
I remembered the potato gratin. It was a nice shared meal.
Another weighing lunch and it was a group lunch. Nice grill everywhere.
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| Sight seeing from the top view |
The liquor coffee was nice. I think I had the mint choco.
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| Liquor coffee |
The entire meal was served as either cheese dip or choco dipped. It was interesting!
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| Cheese dipped vegetable |
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| Fruits went with choco |
Standard hard rock cafe meal. Nothing to shout out, except the strawberry basil leaves soda. Will make this on my own one day.
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| Strawverry basil soda |
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| The streets - pebble everywhere |
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| Turkish Airline Lounge - sesame bread, country butter and local coffee |
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| Turkish pizza |
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| On my way home! |
End of report~
