July 2010
21 posts
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MUITO OBRIGADO, from the bottom of our hearts
If you have been following this blog, you must have heard about the amazing trip to Brazil my friends and I recently took. You must have heard me remark more than once about how incredibly lucky we got. We are back home in Cebu already, but I am still in that wide-eyed, jawdrop, headshaking mode, believe it or not, and I hope I never recover. See, one thing I learned in Brazil is to live a...
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One last hurrah in Sao Paulo!
Day 8: Flight back to Sao Paulo, Lunch at Rascal in Paulista, World Cup finals!
Today, we bid goodbye to Rio: the amazing sunrise from our hotel window, quiet strolls by Copacabana beach, the bohemian night scenes of Lapa among others. We caught a 10 am flight back to Sao Paulo where we are to catch our flight back to the Philippines in the evening.
We tried to push back the bittersweet...
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Copacabana!
On our last day in Rio de Janeiro, Cristiane gave us the rest of the afternoon off to enjoy Brazil’s most famous beach, Copacabana. Everyday, we wake up to the amazing sight of the beach just below our hotel window and have been enjoying great morning jogs or quiet strolls whenever we can squeeze the time. But since we have had such a jampacked schedule to see the rest of Rio, we were...
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We want to stay in Rio forever! Lord, please...
Day 7: Historical City Center Tour (Mosteiro do Sao Bento, Candelaria Church, Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil, Municipal Theather, National Library), Confeiteria Colombo, flea markets, Copacabana, dinner at La Fiducia, last chance to SAMBA!
Bom dia, happy soles!
Today is our last full day in Rio de Janeiro so we were a bit sad at this thought, but there is no room for unhappiness in Brazil so...
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“O scratch e a patria de chuteiras”
“The national team is the...”
– Nelson Rodriguez (spotted on a mural in Maracana stadium)
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The continuing adventures of the happy soles in...
Day 6: Pao de Acucar, Porcao Churrascaria, Sambodromo, Maracana Stadium, Cable Car ride to Sta. Tereza district, second attempt at samba at Rio Scenarium
Bom dia, happy soles!
We woke up to another sunny morning in Copacabana ready for another jam-packed day of adventure. Our lovely Brazilian guide Cristiane wanted us to see as many Rio spots as possible and happy soles that we are, we jumped...
FIFA Fan Fest - Rio de Janeiro
Right in front of our hotel in Copacabana, Porto Bay Rio Internacional Hotel, was a large venue with a high-definition screen for viewing World Cup matches live. Put up by FIFA (I was mistaken in an earlier blog post about it being sponsored only by the Rio de Janeiro City Government), it is only one of six venues hosted by FIFA for fans of the World Cup games around the world outside of host...
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SAMBA!
Day 5 PM: Restaurante Aprazivel, SAMBA at Lapa District!
Cristiane told us to put on our dancing shoes as tonight is going to be the night we experience Brazilian samba! First, she took us dining at Restaurante Aprazivel. It was a lovely quaint restaurant with a magnificent view of Rio’s night lights.
Oona and I pose with the Rio nightscape in the background.
Cheers to...
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Conquering the Corcovado Mountain
Day 5 AM: Christ the Redeemer at the Corcovado Mountain, Lunch at Delirio Tropical, Ipanema Beach!
It’s another beautiful sunshiney day, Happy Soles!
The summer here in Rio de Janeiro is truly endless and we are off to yet another adventure, this time to the most iconic spot in Rio, the Christ the Redeemer!
The Christ the Redeemer, or O Cristo Redentor in Portuguese, is considered the...
WatchAs we promised in our winning video, we want to make the world happy by teaching everyone how to play drums! If you’re in Brazil especially, you cannot escape the pulsating beats of percussion anywhere, be it in a street performance of Capoeira, or the mellow rhythm of bossa nova streaming from an outdoor cafe, or the contagious beats of Samba practically anywhere, along the beaches of...
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Welcome to Rio de Janeiro!
Day 4: Flight to Rio de Janeiro, Lunch at Porto Bay Rio Internacional Hotel, Stroll around Copacabana, Lagoa Rodrigo de Freitas.
Bom dia, happy soles!
Today was the day we said goodbye to Sao Paulo. In the morning, we went to Aeroporto de Congonhas domestic terminal and took a flight to Rio de Janeiro. Although Sao Paulo was like a dream, needless to say we were all very stoked about seeing...
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A day of nature, arts and FUTBOL!
Day 3: Ibirapuera Park, Museu Afro-Brasil, Museu de Arte Moderna de Sao Paulo, Pacaembu Stadium, Tantra Mongolian restaurant
Bom dia, happy soles! Much love from halfway around the world!
This morning, we picked up on our happy adventure to experience a little bit of nature in the heart of Sao Paulo. Cristiane took us to Ibirapuera, a sprawling 2-kilometer park, which also houses several...
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Happy Soles come home to the Havaianas mecca
Day 2: Shopping! Havaianas Concept Store, Montana Grill Churrascaria, Daslu, Sala Sao Paolo, Famiglia Mancini Restaurant
Bom dia, happy soles!
Welcome to Day 2 of our amazing Brazilian adventure!
Today is especially exciting because first on our agenda is what every true blue Havaianatico can only dream of: a shopping spree at the only Havaianas concept store in the world!
We were given an...
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WatchCapoeira!
While walking around the old city centre of São Paulo, we came across this group of Capoeiristas, with a crowd of locals gathered around. It’s amazing to hear the authentic folk music and see the martial art/dance form right in the streets of São Paulo.
I recognized the instruments of the group, used to create this integral music for Capoeira: Berimbau (they look like bows or...
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Happy Soles soak in some Brazilian culture!
Day 1: Pinacoteca Museum, Estacao da Luz, Mercadao Municipal, Old City Center, Circulo Italiano, Edificio Copan, Cidade Jardins, Due Cuochi Ristorante
Bom dia, happy soles!
Today is our official first day in Brazil and Cristiane, our travel guide, decided that we need some Brazilian culture to start our adventure on the right foot. We met Ammiel de Leon, Category Head from Havaianas...
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Happy Soles on the way!
Bom dia!
Well, it was exactly 35 days when I was ceremoniously crowned (crowned, feeling beauty queen tee-hee) on that fateful night as the Havaianas Happy Soles winner. And now, I’m here I am at the Dubai International Airport, with my three friends Chico, Oona and Audie, waiting for our flight to Sao Paulo, Brazil.
Earlier today, we visited the Havaianas Philippines office in Makati...