Beach Boppin’ Around Buzios

Even though we went to bed early, we didn’t necessarily get to catch up on sleep.  We were up by 7am to hit our hotel’s Brazilian style breakfast spread before our car rental was delivered.  Well not so much car… more like a buggy convertible.  It wasn’t the easiest thing to drive, but we figured it out and off we went to explore Buzios.

We hit nine more of the peninsula’s beaches, each one having its own distinct culture and character.  We soaked it all in… and lots of rays!!  We did get lost a few times, but you’re never really lost when you’re sightseeing and it allowed us to see Buzios off the beaten path.

As we were cruising along, all of the sudden the buggy wouldn’t allow me to switch gears and the engine slowly died off.  We were sure we had run out of gas because the gage was broken.  Luckily, according to the map if our navigational skills were correct, there was a gas station just down the road.  We got on either side of the buggy and started pushing.  After ~500meters, we spotted the gas station sign and breathed a sign of relief.  The attendant ran over to help us and popped off the cap to refill, but the tank was still filled with gas.  Three other men came over and all the sudden everyone was speaking Portuguese, so Britt and I had no idea what they were saying or what was going on.  After ten minutes, they finally got it running and we just kept saying “obrigado” (thank you), because that’s one of only two Portuguese words we know, lol.  We did have them take a selfie with us before we drove off 🙂

With time for one more stop before the sun set, we headed to Praia Brava, which we were told has a good “happy hour” scene.  The beach is at the bottom of a steep hill with bars built into the side of the cliff overlooking the ocean.  The Kygo beats were pumping and we were definitely feeling the South Beach vibe as we relaxed with a bottle of bubbly.

After dinner in town, we headed to a popular lounge featuring a live band and Samba show.  Then we checked out one of the hottest nightclubs in Buzios… Privilege.  Unlike any club we had ever been to, you get a “credit card” when you come in, which you use to buy drinks.  When leaving, you have to pay the balance before you’re allowed to leave… Very smart Brazil.  That’s one way to rack up a huge tab!  You know you’re mingling with the locals when no one speaks English and it’s almost impossible to communicate, but we enjoyed people-watching and experiencing the Buzios nightlife scene.

This blog entry was originally posted on www.MayerTwinsTravel.blogspot.com