Ahu Tongariki, the largest Ahu ever built with 15 Moais, Rapa Nui or Easter Island, Pacific
There are many places on Rapa Nui / Easter Island where the Moai, these amazing statues that seem to stare into the distance, can be found, but five locations are truly spectacular:
View of Rio de Janeiro & the Pao de Acucar from Morro de Corcovado, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Itinerary And Time Of The Visit
In 2007, I spent 4 weeks in Brazil and entered the country from Venezuela, discovering Manaus, Recife & Olinda, Fernando de Noronha, Salvador de Bahia & Morro de Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro & Sao Paulo. In 2015, I spent 6 weeks there and visited Salvador de Bahia & Morro de Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais (Belo Horizonte, Ouro Preto & Tiradentes), Rio de Janeiro & Ilha Grande, Iguazu (both Brazilian & Argentinian sides), Bonito, the Northern Pantanal (entering from Cuiaba and going to Porto Jofre), Brasilia & last but not least Sao Paulo. Continue Reading →
Sunset over the Pantanal, Porto Jofre, Brazil
Type Of Travel
My two visits to Brazil couldn’t be more different: in 2007, I was on a Round The World Trip and hence traveling on a budget. In 2015, I was on a 6 week trip to Brazil, and was actually Flashpacking: mostly pleasant Pousadas instead of Hostels, indulging quite a few activities and local tours, usually flying instead of long bus drives and also going to less traveled areas like Brasilia, Bonito & the Northern Pantanal, which turned out to be very expensive. Continue Reading →
Jaguar, Porto Jofre, Northern Pantanal, Brazil
In 2007, I spent 4 weeks in Brazil and entered the country from Venezuela, discovering Manaus, Recife & Olinda, Fernando de Noronha, Salvador de Bahia & Morro de Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro & Sao Paulo. In 2015, I spent 6 weeks there and visited Salvador de Bahia & Morro de Sao Paulo, Minas Gerais (Belo Horizonte, Ouro Preto & Tiradentes), Rio de Janeiro & Ilha Grande, Iguazu (both Brazilean & Argentinian sides), Bonito, the Northern Pantanal (entering from Cuiaba and going to Porto Jofre), Brasilia & last but not least Sao Paulo.
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Capoeira dancers performing with their class on the street, Salvador de Bahia, Brazil
More than 4.5 million African slaves where stolen from Africa and brought to Brazil, mostly to work under inhumane conditions in plantations & mines for the Portuguese Conquistadores. They were forced to assimilate and to turn to Christianity (partly adapting this new religion to their own culture, creating for instance the Codomblé) and forbidden to practice anything that would look like self-defence or Martial Arts.
Jaguar, Porto Jofre, Northern Pantanal, Brazil
Yes, the Pantanal is unique! Who doesn’t dream of spotting such an elusive “Big Cat” (the third biggest in the world, after Tigers & Lions) as the Jaguar, an animal that played a central role in the old cultures of Central & South America, for instance the Incas. And the Pantanal is indeed a place where your chances of spotting Jaguars in the wild are really high if you go there in the right season… Actually, the only place in the world!
Catedral Metropolitana Nossa Senhora Aparecida, Brasilia, Distrito Federal, Brazil
Only city built in the 20th Century listed as a UNESCO World Heritage, Brasilia is fascinating, disturbing and intimidating alike: Continue Reading →
Snorkling in Rio Sucuri, Bonito, Brazil
In the middle of the Brazilean Pampa, Bonito is a sleepy, dusty village that at first sight has nothing to offer… However, it is not Bonito you come here for, but its surroundings: crystal-clear rivers for some serious fresh water snorkeling, caves, waterwalls, you name it… And everything here claims to be “Ecotourism”… Continue Reading →
View form a helicopter, Iguazu Falls, Brazil
No matter how many waterfalls you have seen in your life, these leave the most experienced travelers mumbling all kinds of words of excitement when you finally stand in front of the “Garganta del Diablo” or the “Salto San Martin”. In my opinion, these are the most spectacular waterfalls in the world, far more impressive than Niagara Falls (USA), Victoria Falls (Zimbabwe) or Angel Falls (Venezuela). Continue Reading →
Sunset over Morro do Corcovado & the Cristo Rendedor, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Rio de Janeiro… There is something really special, almost mystical about this name: hardly any city stimulates as much the imagination. Deservedly! This was the second time I visited Rio de Janeiro La Maravilhosa, and I left once again spellbound! Continue Reading →
