It's been almost 2 years since M and I went on a 50 day journey across South East Asia. Almost 2 years since M and I travelled to a foreign country together. Almost 2 years is definitely 2 years too long, and my restlessness was beginning to surface.
After religiously refreshing deals on nextdeparture.ca for two weeks, I found a flight that caught my eye. For those of you who don't know me, I'm on a quest to see the Seven Wonders of the World (not the ancient ones, because those aren't around anymore, but these ones).
I've seen 4 so far, represented by the figurines I've collected from each one. I'm eager to grow my collection, so it made sense to visit a city that held another elusive world wonder.
Where exactly is that?
Rio de Janeiro!
We'll only be going for 5 nights and 6 days, taking time off around the May 24 weekend to maximize our vacation time. Since I'm taking 2 weeks off to travel to Spain with my Mom in September, and M just started a new job, we had to scale our travel dreams back a bit.
But with an overnight flight there and back, we'll make the most of our time and focus our attention solely on Rio, enjoying as much as we can of the Cidade Maravilhosa.
We've already booked our accommodations, staying three nights at a hostel and two nights at a boutique hotel.
Both accommodations are situated in Santa Theresa, a bohemian hillside neighbourhood north of the beaches. Discovery Hostel is just a short walk from the Gloria Metro Station, making the rest of the city super accessible. I'm excited to connect with other travellers and go on some sight seeing tours based out of the hostel.
The Villa Rio is a little more remote, but with views like that, all is forgiven. On the plus side, it's close to the tram station that takes you to the Cristo Redentor. Here, I'm hoping to relax in one of those pool lounge chairs right there.
So there you have it! M and mine's next adventure. Short, sweet, and coming up oh so soon. We leave on May 19th and come back on the 25th. Good thing my Lonely Planet book just came in the mail –it's time to dig in and start planning the details!