From Forest to Beach

 

Bem vindos and oh yes, I do love Buzios and you will, too.  I've gone from floresta para praia - forest to beach - and admittedly it's been an interesting mental transition.  My dad asked me if I felt different, a bit guilty, and I confess I do.  A smidge.  However, the people I left in Iracambi and Minas Gerais love where they are and what they do, so the twinge of guilt I feel is more about the work and learning I left behind rather than some sense of "life is better" here.  Life is simply different.  

It's my third day here in Buzios, my next stop in the Brazil part of this journey.  I visited the town with my kids when we vacationed in Rio five years ago and happily, gratefully, took the advice of colleagues and made the 3 hour journey north along the RdJ state coast to this small beach resort town.  It was a brief, lovely 48 hour visit and I knew I had to come back. 

This question has come up repeatedly in the last 2 weeks, so let's take a quick look at the map to see exactly where I am.  Quick geography lesson:  Rio is like New York.  It's both a city and state.  I landed in Rio dJ the city and headed northwest, crossing in to neighboring state Minas Gerais.  Iracambi and Rosario de Limeira are about an hour over the border.  Buzios is 3 hours northeast of RdJ city.  Rather than head back southeast, Iracambi's trusted driver, Carlos, shuttled me the 6.5 hour drive east through Campos and then south along the coast line to Buzios. 

Enjoy my rudimentary drawing lol

Buzios sits on a small peninsula in the Atlantic.  Made famous by Brigitte Bardot, 50s/60s French actress who frequented this little slice of heaven, helping to make it an international vacation destination.   Her statue sits about 100 yards from my flat on the pedestrian walkway along the water.

In summer and during major holidays here, this place is buzzing and costly.  But my first visit was in winter (think Miami winter) and I'm here again in Fall, so prices are dramatically lower.  I have a flat overlooking the water which, on a monthly basis, costs half my rent in Port Chester.  And yes, I'm benefitting from a favorable exchange rate.

If the Iracambi goal was immersive sustainability experience, Buzios is a hard pendulum swing in the opposite direction; health, wellness, fitness while consuming as much culture with the smallest carbon footprint possible.  

On the culture side, the carioca vibe is wonderfully pervasive here.  The musicians lining the stone boardwalk at sunset and gigging in the cafes.  Small boat tours piping samba rhythms off the coast.  Warm, playful, sultry.  I love it.

Health and fitness?  I'm walking everywhere.  I have a short-term gym membership and resume work with my trainer, Demetrius, virtually courtesy of a fab workout plan he's devised for me.  I'm writing, reading and de-cluttering my brain.  Hard to retain any form of stress when you're surrounded by this.

It's beautiful here.  My Brazilian romance continues.  Enjoy a few pics

Capybara are adorable and I was tickled pink that I might catch a glimpse of one in the wild at a small lagoon mere blocks from my flat. 

Found a small, woman-owned restaurant with a short list of local dishes.  Great food and good English-Portuguese conversation.  Feeling right at home.

Buzios has a dozen or more small, crescent-shaped beaches around the peninsula's shorelines, some of which are only accessible by cliffside steps or water taxi.  Below is a look back to my neighborhood on the way to Praia Joao Fernandes, 2 miles away.

Descending to the beach.

quick video for a better lay of the land

Tiny sliver of beach.  High tide is very entertaining; chairs and towels tucked in together like tables in a Parisian cafe!

Late afternoon at Joao Fernandes, tide going back out.

Always a lot of sunbathers and snorkelers on the rock outcroppings.  Can you imagine any US beach permitting this?  I love it.

View from my patio.  Sunsets always a delight.  Life is rough, I know.

Next up, Praia Tartaruga, one of the larger public beaches, 3 miles from my flat.  Jogged to the beach, took a dip, walked home.  Not a bad way to get your steps in, não é? 😉

More beaches, hikes, workouts and long-awaited visits from friends up next.  Stay tuned!