We love a spot of spontaneous travel. You know the kind: grab a guidebook at the last minute, hop on a plane, then make all your travel decisions on the fly. Recently the crew at Budget Travel sent writer Jason Cohen on a bit of a mystery trip so he could log the pros and cons of this kind of spontaneous trip.
He and his wife Susan ended up in southern Ecuador: Guayaquil, to be precise. With no advance knowledge of the attractions, transport or accommodation in southern Ecuador, Jason and Susan stumbled around the country--spending a stack of time in buses--but still experiencing a bit of the real Ecuador.
They made sure not to miss the equator at the Museo de Sitio Inti-ñan, where there are basically trick sinks that show the water draining clockwise and counter-clockwise, depending on which hemisphere you stand in. If that's all they really got to see on their spontaneous trip, we'd still rate that as worth it.
If you're sick of hearing about Happy Feet, you might want to check out Turistas. Even if the movie bites, you can always just stare at the beautiful scenery and try to catch a shot of a location you recognize from The Duel.
Basically, Turistas, which hits theatres December 1, is a remake of Hostel, except this time in Brazil, and with Josh Duhamel and more attractive, scantily-clad women. The plot is focused on a group of young backpackers whose tour bus has an accident, leaving them stranded in the Brazilian jungle where they stumble upon a terrible secret. We also have to say we like the creative posters for this one, up in major cities, featuring a photo of a Brazilian beach with cryptic, bloody spraypaint all over it--nice touch.
Turistas was filmed in entirety in Brazil, and we so wish we could have been there to relax and watch it all go down, despite the chilling scenes. This week we offer you some cool things to check out in and around Rio-don't forget their summer is just beginning down there:
Where To Stay: Casas Brancas Skip town for a night or two, and hop a bus north to the favorite resort spot of many Rio residents: Buzios. Check into this posh boutique pousada and revel in the amazing view from many of its 32 rooms. Perks include a great location, fresh fruit-laden breakfast daily, and spa on-site. The pool, with its decadent plush lounge area, is not to be missed.
Where To Eat: Antiquarius Back in Rio, head to one of the city's nicest restaurants, Antiquarius, on Rua Aristides Espínola. This place does traditional Portuguese cooking right, and you can sample the most requested dish on the menu, perna de cordeiro (leg of lamb), or a traditional stew made with onions, yams, carrots, pumpkin, cabbage, bananas, and spices. Bring extra cash and be sure to make a reservation.
What to Visit: Carmen Miranda Museum For a peek into the life of one of the world's most famous bombshell salsa dancers, check out the museum devoted entirely to her. With everything from her fruit-heavy headresses on display to tons of photos and memorabilia, you can get in for a free, and a walk through is well worth it.
Once again, it's Real World/Road Rules Challenge time, aka The Duel.
This season the cast and crew, which has grown on us like a fungus, heads to beautiful Búzios Brazil. Lucky stiffs, literally, we are starting to think these folks have the life. Show up to some exotic locale every six months, make a fool of yourself, call it "the magic of editing" on the reunion show, rinse, sometimes wash, repeat. C'mon, you are telling us you wouldn't sign up for this gig? It isn't as bad as being on the Bachelor or something, that's for sure.
In any event Búzios Brazil is located 105 miles northeast of Rio, and used to be home to pirates and slave traders. These days Búzios, along with the two dozen beautiful beaches there, are home to a constant churn of jet setting travelers. It isn't St. Tropez or anything, but a wealthy beach town nonetheless. A quick rundown of some of the beaches: Joao Ferndandes has numerous beachside bars, Brava beach is where the surf is at, and Olho de Boi attracts the nudies. Trust us.
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by amandak
