We haven't been back out to Zona Norte in a while and last time we checked out Norte Shopping. This…read moretime we went directly out of the metro station into the Nova America complex. We heard that it had a serious fire that burnt down a majority of the mall last time we were out here, nearly three months ago but they must have done a good job repairing most of it because it was unnoticeable. It has a strange layout of segmented levels and the food court with movie theater inside made a huge traffic jam when trying to get between the two sections of the mall. The food court also has a unique covered outside patio area where there are fancier sit-down restaurants which look quite nice. We were so hungry we just grabbed something inside before exploring our options outside. The shops here are a little different than in other areas. It seems that they have quite a few outlet stores (Nike, Adiadas, Mizuno/Timberland) and other adorable local brands. The discounts were decent, depending on what was on sale. The mall was very crowded and most stores had their winter sale on. At one of the bigger department stores, Riachuelo, the lines for the cashier were so long and the attendant became so rushed that for our purchase, he forgot to take out the magnetic security tag and we didn't discover it until we got home! The ATM near the metro exit was miles long! It seems some the restaurants in the food court were cash only and the food stands (like for nuts) were also cash or debit card only. Of course, (we learned the hard way) the metro is also cash only too! And despite waiting in long line for the cash machine we were unable to withdraw anything. In effort to get a couple of reais that we were short on for the metro fare, we offered to buy a lady's purchase on our credit card so we could get some cash for the metro ticket home. Luckily she was a Good Samaritan and helped us get home. So all in all we had a good experience in Zona Norte.

If you're going to watch a soccer's game in Maracanã, São Januário (Vasco da Gama's Stadium) or…read moreEstádio Municipal João Havelange (Engenhão/Botafogo's Stadium), here's a good place to park and take a bus/taxi/metro.

How is it that as someone who doesn't enjoy shopping, I wind up in shopping malls around the world?…read moreI fear that I am a pawn in the cosmic shopping game of life. In any event, during my time in Rio, I wound up at this shopping mall a couple of times. And, from those experiences, I was left with this impression: Brazilians take this mall thing very seriously. This plaza is massive. It's multiple levels, packed with food options (some with booze), stores of all kinds, groceries, screaming children, mall walkers, hottie boombalotties, a movie theater, indoor and outdoor parking, and sites as far as you can see. Mall culture is pretty similar world-wide (I can say; evidently, I am an expert). The first time I came here, I ate at Giraffas. Is that like someone coming to the States and eating at... I dunno... a KFC? Burger King? As we all know Giraffas are all over the place these days (plenty here in Miami) and it's comical that I could travel all the way to South America to eat at one. But, I did. 1.) I'd never tried it before ,2.) If I was going to try it, it might as well be in Rio, and 3.) the food court scene was major. After eating and people watching, I set forth to conquer the mall. I got lost. Don't laugh. It's impossibly large.* Somehow, I found my way to the exit and got my way home. I came back to tempt fate again. One of my friends lives near here and this time, I planned on defeating the behemoth. After attempting the navigate the Escher-esque layout, I gave up. I settled in to wandering the mall, window shopping, marveling at how expensive things are (I understand why folks travel to America to shop; these prices are outrageous), and (of course) shooping. My eyes were threatened with a case of cavities thanks to all the candy. Ahh, Rio. Me gusta mucho. I suppose I should learn to say that in Portuguese. *That's what she said. I tried. I really tried... but Michael Scott just sorta gets out every now and again.