FOOD Nina Daza-Puyat on keeping her mother’s legacy alive
Eventually, the team settled for a secluded location where the pristine Ipanema beach looms not far in the distance. When it comes to producing a stunning cover, having an exclusive location was priceless. In between shoots, time permitted the team to roam the city and nab a few treasured items. A trip to the famed Shopping Village Mall–the city’s one-stop-shop for designer clothing, accessories, and everything in between–excited the shopper bug in everyone.
The latest collections of Louis Vuitton and Gucci piqued the team’s interest, as well as homegrown labels of footwear and coastal apparel they stumbled upon. Gold-plated charms and rings depicting religious icons and set in precious stones were also the must-haves to bring back home. The perfect partner for this leg of the trip–the Metrobank Rewards Plus Visa, earning the team double the points with thier purchases, allowing them to experience more of life’s best services.
Of course, being in one of the most sought-after cultural hotspots in the world by travellers, visiting iconic landmarks was inevitable. First on the list was the figure that looms over the entire neighborhood and has become the icon tha t signifies Rio de Ja neiro worldwide–Christ the Redeemer atop Corcovado Mountain. Getting up close with the statue was just a train ride and a short stroll away, a nd despite the crowds tha t ga thered a t the sta tue’s foot, the team was still in awe at the formidable structure and the unparalleled view of the urban jungle below.
A trip to Rio wouldn’t be complete without paying a visit to the nightlife district, the Lapa neighborhood. Known for its lively social scene and cultural events, where the music and party spills onto the streets, Lapa is always teeming with effervescence. The district is also home to a host of historical locations for the country, such as the Roman-style aqueduct Arcos da Lapa, and the Escadaria Selarón, a set of famous steps connecting both the Lapa and Santa Teresa neighborhoods. It was the perfect place for the team to chow on flame-grilled bar food and sip on a few caipirinhas, a Brazilian sugarcane cocktail with lime.
Chatter during treks from one location to another, beads of sweat rolling down cheeks, directives and praises uttered left and right, bodies always on-the-move, and rapid-fire clicks of the camera–these characterize the #MakingMEGA experience. But amid these laborious endeavors were moments of leisure–pockets of calm necessary to produce content of this magnitude. And if high-grade digital cameras were essential for the team to capture these heart-pumping experiences before them, unbeknown to many, there was always a Metrobank card for these precious moments of bliss. Rio was surely a city of energy, but throughout the trip, it became a city of ease.