By: Maya Keith CTA, Senior Travel Consultant
I decided to take on Impressions of South America that covered Brazil and Argentina. The journey through these two countries was remarkable and left a lasting impression.

Brazil
Day 1: Brazil
Welcome to the land of Samba and Sun.
I had a complimentary airport transfer. I missed the welcome dinner reception due to my late arrival, however the driver provided me with the program for the following day.
Day 2: Rio De Janeiro
8:30am: Morning trip to Sugarloaf Mountain a peak located in the city on the Guanabara
Bay and is 1299ft (about 395.94 m) above sea level. Traveled to the top by cable car to view
the beautiful panoramic views of the city and its surroundings.

The afternoon (1:30pm) was the optional tour to Santa Teresa however got canceled due to
the weather. We spent the afternoon exploring the world-famous Copacabana beautiful
beaches which were just across the road from the hotel. Shops and malls were not far
from the hotel.

Offered at 8:15pm was an optional excursion to the Samba show with dinner. The magical
show lasted 2 hours and covered all the major dances from all the Brazil regions.

Day 3: Rio De Janeiro
Morning (7:45am) – A visit to one of the New 7 wonders of the world – Christ the Redeemer.
The statue is 98feet tall and is 2,300ft (about 701.04 m) above sea level. Our journey to the
top took 20mins by train. City sightseeing tour on our way back to the hotel with a stop at
the Rio de Janeiro Cathedral known as the Metropolitan Cathedral of Saint Sebastian aka
the Pyramid Catholic church. This church can hold up to 20,000 people. Then a quick stop
at Santa Teresa to visit the famous 215 Selaron steps which are known as the rainbow
stairs. We ended at Kopenhagen chocolate store to try their famous and unbelievably
delicious chocolate coffee.

1:30pm – An Optional Jeep Tour excursion:
A jeep excursion to the rainforest of Tijuca National Park for an ecological tour with a stop
at the botanical gardens to learn about the Brazilian rainforest. Tijuca national park is
known for its beautiful waterfalls, trees, and mountainous terrain.

7:00pm – Barbeque dinner at Churrascia, Fogo de Chao for a delicious Brazilian dinner.
Day 4:
Farewell Rio and off to Iguassu Falls Brazilian side:
7:45am: This morning was an early start as we had a flight to catch to Iguassu falls arriving
at 2pm.
3:30pm Arrival at Iguassu Falls National Park – Brazilian falls.
Welcome to one of the natural wonders of the world – Iguassu Falls. We spent the whole
afternoon exploring the Iguassu Falls National Park with its spectacular panoramic views.
The trail ended at the Devils throat where you can feel the power of the cascading water…

6:30pm: Crossed the border into Argentina. We arrived at our beautiful Argentinian hotel.
Evening was at leisure.
Argentina
The land of Tango and Nature
Day 5: Iguassu Falls Argentinian Side
Joined an experience to visit Argentinian indigenous tribe (Guarani Community of Fort
M’borore. They explained their way of life such as how they hunt for meat, culture, family
life, and how they obtain natural medicine from the forest. The M’borore tribe performed a
traditional song for us. After we visited their small market to shop for some handmade
crafts.

So why the Argentinian side of the falls? Iguassu falls Argentinian side brings us closer to
the roaring waterfall. The walking experience to the iconic Devil’s throat lead us directly to
the edge of the massive U-shaped waterfall where we experienced Iguassu’s falls
immense power up close. The walkways above the waterfalls provided beautiful
panoramic views. The base, which is the lower circuit offered more intimate and immersive views of the waterfalls.

The highlight of the day:
The afternoon was an optional boat ride excursion to take us into the spray of the Iguassu
falls for a thrilling experience. The boat took us right under the falls for an exhilarating
experience.

The evening was an optional experience to a local restaurant for some authentic
Argentinian food. This experience was hands on. I(we) really enjoyed the atmosphere, the
hands-on making Ginger cocktails, Empanadas, Local Tea (Mate) and desserts. ‘Wine
tasting was included and an educational experience regarding Argentinian culture, the
people, sports and life in Argentina.

Day 6:
We took a morning flight from Iguassu falls to Buenos Aires (Capital of Argentina). We
headed straight to our hotel for an early check. The rest of the day was at leisure. Most
attractions were within walking distance being that we were in the heart of the cultural
center at the historic Paza San Martin.
The highlight of the evening was dinner followed by The Tango Show which was hosted by
the same restaurant. The amazing show ended around 11pm. It was a night to remember.
Day 7:
This day was learning more about Bueno Aires’ rich History. Our first stop was to the Pink
Palace which is the president’s official workplace. A few meters away was the Famous
Cathedral where The Vatican’s Pope Francis was a Archbishop of Buenos Aires.
On our way to La Boca neighborhood, we passed the Famous Boca football team stadium
before arriving at the Beautiful La Boca neighborhood full of vibrant color buildings and
hops plus restaurants. The afternoon was at leisure or sign up for an optional excursion.


Day 8:
We departed for San Antonio de Areco, the heart of the Gaucho traditions in the Pampas
region. We had the privilege of visiting a Local Association for the disabled people which is
a local project sponsored by TTC. We observed how they make the traditional Alpargatas
shoes. Later was a Gaucho drawing class which was fun and educational.
Be my Guest Experience: Lunch was at a family-owned gaucho ranch where we watched
the owners show off their horsemanship. This just reminded us of Texas as half of the Bus
was from Texas. We returned to Buenos Aires for an evening at leisure.


Day 8:
We departed for San Antonio de Areco, the heart of the Gaucho traditions in the Pampas
region. We had the privilege of visiting a Local Association for the disabled people which is
a local project sponsored by TTC. We observed how they make the traditional Alpargatas
shoes. Later was a Gaucho drawing class which was fun and educational.
Be my Guest Experience: Lunch was at a family-owned gaucho ranch where we watched
the owners show off their horsemanship. This just reminded us of Texas as half of the Bus
was from Texas. We returned to Buenos Aires for an evening at leisure.
Day 9:
Our exiting adventure was coming to an end. We had all morning and afternoon to
explore Buenos Aires on our own so we ventured to the heart of the city where we had an
opportunity to experience the once-in-a-lifetime event of changing the Guards.

We bid farewell to Buenos Aires which a free transfer back to the airport.