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Hey MileValue readers!

I’ve been experiencing a rough patch over the last month with my health that I would like to dive into with you guys when I’m ready. That moment isn’t now, but it will come. And as I’m sure many of you can relate to, I’ve been sick while traveling. While I’ve had gorgeous environments to relax in and am not complaining about that, it’s ultimately been stressful to be unsettled away from home. But life happens, and sometimes you just have to adjust. These travel plans were set in motion by forces out of my control–renovations to our apartment in Buenos Aires that my boyfriend Withers and I don’t own–so we stuck to our plans made before my health started acting up. This is why you’ve heard so much less from me lately.

Here’s an update on what I’ve been up to in February…

Rio de Janeiro

Having lived in Buenos Aires for over six years now, I’ve collected a fair amount of nomadic friends. A handful of those that used to base themselves in Buenos Aires now choose to spend a large portion of their year in Rio, so we went to pay them and what I like to refer to as the magical jungle city a visit en route to our final destination of Buzios. We stayed one night on the way to Buzios with a friend, and five nights on the tail end in this Airbnb in Leblon which I highly recommend. It had every amenity you could possibly need and was very comfortable.

It was rainy during our time in Rio, so I ended up taking more pictures of food than the beach.

San Izakaya is a new sushi restaurant in the Leblon neighborhood of Rio that serves fresh and creative Japanese restaurant, and their prices are very good. Go before it gets expensive.
Bar do Mineiro in the Santa Theresa neighborhood of Rio. If you visit the neighborhood to see the Celaron steps, an iconic tourist hotspot, then take the time to eat feijoada at Bar do Mineiro. The vibrant, lively restaurant makes a killer feijoada, a black bean and meat stew served with chopped fried collard greens (couve), rice, and ground mandioca root (farofa) which is a classic Brazilian staple.

Buzios

This is my third trip to Buzios in the last few years. The easiest way to get to Buzios is to fly into Rio and then either rent a car for cheap, think ~$15 a day during high season, or take a bus for the final three hour leg.

Withers and I like Buzios because the beaches are beautiful, the snorkeling is good and easily accessible off various beaches (tons of sea turtles!), there are a handful of great restaurants, and an even better seafood market for cooking at home.

Perched on a scenic cove in Buzios, Rocka has a delicious and creative menu

On both prior trips our internet has worked well, which was another draw as we both planned on working, but sadly neither of our Airbnbs ending up having good connections this time. Fortunately we started using Google Fi a couple months ago, so were able to hot spot fast LTE from our phones and the less than ideal wifi connection didn’t impact our experience that much.

If you’re interested in visiting Buzios, read my trip report from last year for specific details and recommendations.

We saved a ton of money our first Airbnb in Buzios thanks to a couple strategies:

The outdoor area was the best part of this house, with a pool overlooking the walking-distance beach and a large covered eating area with multiple grills.

After our friends left that we shared this first Airbnb with, we moved to an Airbnb we’ve stayed in before and love. Check it out in my trip report from last year. Below is the view from the front porch.

El Calafate and El Chalten (Argentina)

Thankfully my health has taken a turn for the better and I got the go-ahead from my doctor to join my friends visiting from the US on a hiking adventure in Patagonia that we’ve been planning for the last year.

On Saturday I visited the Perito Moreno glacier, one of Argentina’s largest tourist attractions that should NOT be missed if you come down this way. It’s part of the Southern Patagonian Ice Field, which is the world’s third largest reserve of fresh water. On Sunday we took a bus to El Chalten to hike.

Perito Moreno Glacier, outside of El Calafate, Argentina

I’m in Patagonia through March 9, then return to Buenos Aires to move back into my apartment and settle back into a normal routine.

You’ll hear more from me in about a week.

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