Igreja da Nossa Senhora do Carmo, Ouro Preto, Minas Gerais, Brazil
The great Gold Rush did not take place in California, but almost two Centuries earlier in the hills of Minas Gerais, 500 kilometers northwest of Rio de Janeiro. Between the early 17th and the middle of the 19th Century, this area produced more than half of the Gold of the whole world! Continue Reading →
Igreja e Convento do Carmo, Pelourinho, Salvador de Bahia, Brazil
Salvador has changed a lot since 2007… I remembered a somewhat rundown, decrepit Colonial City completely overrun by tourists. First, the drive from the airport to Santo Antonio, near the Pelourinho, showed a highly modern city, large avenues lined with modern high-rises and brand new shopping centers. Then, the Pelourinho has been completely restored for the Football World Cup in 2014. Last but not least, Salvador was almost void of tourists… Maybe being there on a Sunday and a Monday explains things, but at times I had the streets for myself… Continue Reading →
The Pao de Acucar seen from Morro de Corcovado … Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
We spent one month in Brazil: we crossed the border from Venezuela and started in Manaus. Then we headed for the coast: Recife & Olinda, Salvador de Bahia & Morro de Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and last but not least Sao Paulo. Continue Reading →
Santa Teresa Tramway (Bondinho), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, South America
Brazil is definitely no longer a budget destination. This made us actually shorten our stay here and with lots of guilty feelings we decided to skip certain destinations such as the Chapada Diamantina National Parc or the whole Minais Gerais region to spend more time in cheaper countries such as Peru or Bolivia. Continue Reading →
Natural pool at Praia da Atalaia, on the West Coast of Fernando de Noronha National Park, Brazil
We spent one month in Brazil: we crossed the border from Venezuela and started in Manaus. Then we headed for the coast: Recife & Olinda, Salvador de Bahia & Morro de Sao Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, and last but not least Sao Paulo. Continue Reading →
Rocinha, home to 180.000 people, is the biggest favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
After visiting fancy Leblon & Ipanema, bohemian Santa Teresa, the busy Centro and other nice neighbourhoods in Zone Sul, we decided to see how the less fortunate inhabitants of Rio live. There are currently 500 favelas in Rio, all perched on mountain slopes, often very, very close to the most expensive neighbourhoods. Continue Reading →
View of Sao Paulo from the top of the highest building, the Edicifío Italia, on the 42nd floor … Unbelievable!
The cheapest flights in Brazil leave at unholy hours, so again we left the very cosy Trip Hostel in Santa Teresa in Rio de Janeiro at 04:00 am and we finally hit our pillows precisely 24 hours later in Lima at 02:00 am local time. This budget journey included a 12 hour stop-over in Sao Paulo. Any stopover in a city of 17 millions has to be superficial and unrewarding, but truly there is not much to see no matter how hard the Lonely Planet and the Tourist Office try to promote the historic center. Continue Reading →
The world famous Cristo Redentor, a 38 meters high statue that definitely is one of Rio´s landmarks! Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
We arrived on a Saturday, just in time to join in some of the typical weekend activities. One we learned of by chance, was eating Feijoda on a Saturday, a black bean stew with a variety of meats, like tongue and pork cut-offs. It is served with rice, fried manioc flour, a green vegetable called kale and pieces of oranges. Gilles simply loved it – hey, it was lots of meat! Heidi would prefer a vegetarian version.
The cable car going up the Pao de Acucar at sunset … Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Going to Rio for the first time is simply exciting: will the city live up to its reputation and our expectations? After a few conversations with fellow travellers, we found out that flying in Brazil can be cheaper than taking a long distance bus. This is especially true on routes starting & going to Rio de Janeiro. So instead of spending 27 hours on a bus from Salvador, it took us 1 hour and 50 minutes and we actually even saved 12 Reals per person flying!!! Continue Reading →
Beach Number 4, Morro de Sao Paulo, near Salador de Bahia
One of the things we did not want to miss while visiting Brazil was its beautiful, postcard-like beaches. We followed the recommendation of several fellow travellers and decided to head for Morro de Sao Paulo, an island two hours from Salvador by boat. Continue Reading →
