Brazil Travel BlogBrazil Travel BlogA blog written from Sao Paulo with tons of useful travel information for anyone with their minds set on Brazil Articles
Destination: Alter do Chão
2007-08-07 00:00:00 [from our special guest Daniel] Alter do Chão is a small town in the state of Pará, council of Santarém. It is located at the entrance of a lake formed on the right bank of the Tapajós river - one of the biggest tributaries of the Amazon and known for its greenish-blue waters. When the ... More About: Destination
Whale-watching in Santa Catarina
2007-08-07 00:00:00 The whale-watching season is on its way on the southern coast of Brazil. The Right Whale Environmental Protection Area goes from Pinheira, south of Florianópolis, to Rincão, and it’s there where most whales gather together. When summer arrives in the southern hemisphere, right whales abandon their traditional feeding grounds, in colder latitudes, and seek the ... More About: Santa , Watching , Whale Watching , Hale
Liberdade Japanese quarter, São Paulo
2007-08-04 00:00:00 [article originally published in Spanish in the blog de São Paulo ] We can hardly hide it, we have a soft spot for the Japanese quarter of Liberdade, in São Paulo. It’s our favourite part of the city. An exceptional place with a unique atmosphere on its streets. We don’t know of any other place in ... More About: Dade , Quarter
How to calculate the distance between two cities
2007-08-01 00:00:00 What’s the distance between…? How far are…? Many end up here on this blog looking for an answer to questions like these ones. I want to introduce to you today a tool that will allow you to find that information effortessly on your own. Three months ago I wrote about the new features introduced by ... More About: Cities , The D , Ween , Calculate
Cheaper flights to Brazil?
2007-08-01 00:00:00 In the midst of so many negative news on air travel in Brazil , the Brazilian newspaper Valor Econômico publishes today a surprisingly positive piece of news: Governo quer reduzir tarifa de vôos para fora do país (the government wants to reduce fares for international flights). Briefly, it would seem that the Brazilian government wants ... More About: Flights
Ruy Ohtake in São Paulo
2007-08-01 00:00:00 São Paulo is host to some excellent examples of the work of Japanese-Brazilian architect Ruy Ohtake. One of those examples is the Hotel Unique, winner of uncountable architecture prizes for its futuristic design. Fans of the game show Amazing Race (ninth season) will remember that the contestants had to climb to the top terrace ...
August desktop calendar
2007-07-31 00:00:00 The desktop calendar for the month of August is already available for download at the calendars section of this blog. We have an outstanding guest once again, Rio de Janeiro and a glorious view of Copacabana by night. Share This More About: Desktop , Calendar , Lend
False friends: oi
2007-07-28 00:00:00 The moment you set foot on Brazil people will greet you with the word oi! Do not panic, they are not trying to attract your attention because they are angry. Oi! means simply hi! If you want to render the English oi! into Portuguese, go for something like ei! Share This More About: Friends
Long queues ahoy!
2007-07-28 00:00:00 The new Brazilian Defence minister has just declared that never-ending queues at the airports are the price you pay for safety. Hold on. If the queues represent any price at all, it has to be the price of incompetence. Because 10 months of queues at the Brazilian airports have brought no safety whatsoever. So much ... More About: Long , Queues
Top 10: strong emotions
2007-07-26 00:00:00 I am presenting my very own personal list of 10 moments lived in Brazil filled with emotion. They do not follow any particular order. a huge turtle (up until then you had never stopped to think how large turtles can be) swimming placidly next to you, in complete silence; suddenly a shoal of fish swims ... More About: Emotions , Strong , Emotion
Lost luggage
2007-07-26 00:00:00 A reader of this blog wrote in despair a couple of days ago from the States. Her husband was in Brazil, he had arrived in the country right in the middle of the chaotic situation Brazilian airports are facing at the moment. He had taken a GOL connecting flight from Rio to São Paulo ... More About: Lost , Luggage
Vaccines
2007-07-24 00:00:00 I am reproducing the information on vaccines that appears at the Portal Brasileño de Turismo (run by the Brazilian government). Yellow fever vaccine For tourists who have been in transit over the past three months, or who are coming from certain countries - Angola, Benin, Bolivia, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Colombia, Ecuador, Gabon, Gambia, Ghana, Guinea Bissau, ... More About: Vaccines
Carnival of cities
2007-07-24 00:00:00 An entry from this blog (Tanabata Matsuri in São Paulo) features in the Carnival of Cities hosted by Alan Patrick at his Buenos Aires Argentina Guide blog. A new fascinating trip around the world in one single post. Thanks for all the hard work putting together the carnival, Alan! Share This
my new blog on São Paulo
2007-07-24 00:00:00 It fills me with pride to announce the launch of a new project, the blog de São Paulo . A blog along the lines of this Brazil Travel Blog but devoted entirely to the city of São Paulo and its surroundings. Unfortunately, there will only be a Spanish version of the blog. The three blogs ...
Avoid Congonhas airport at all costs
2007-07-24 00:00:00 If you are coming to Brazil and are planning to take domestic flights, you should avoid at all costs Congonhas airport in São Paulo. An tragedy like the one last week is unlikely to happen in the short term again. The problem is that the chaos that descended on Congonhas after the accident last ... More About: Airport , Avoid , Costs
No new material today
2007-07-19 00:00:00 I won’t be publishing any new material today. 40 minutes after the tragic air crash last night in São Paulo I began blogging about the event on blog.deviajeabrasil.com (in Spanish only). I need to take a break now. Share This More About: Today , Material , Rial , Teri , Materia
Endangered heritage
2007-07-19 00:00:00 A few months ago I wrote in World Heritage sites in Brazil: a report about a study that assessed the state of conservation of the world heritage in Salvador de Bahia, Iguazu and the Pantanal. Last Sunday, the Folha de São Paulo dedicated an entire page to a feature on the constant degradation of the ... More About: Endangered , Gere
Destination: Lençóis (Bahia)
2007-07-17 00:00:00 [from our friend Lily] Lençóis is a charming little village in the state of Bahia , entry point to the Chapada Diamantina, a National Park in the middle of the Brazilian sertão. Most visitors to the National Park will spend some time in Lençóis, a place that depends almost exclusively on tourism. WE LIKE THE MOST: the ... More About: Destination
Brazil - Argentina
2007-07-16 00:00:00 Or Argentina - Brazil , it’s all the same. I’m writing this entry a few hours before the final match of the Copa America, in Maracaibo, Venezuela, where the national teams from both countries will clash, a repetition of the final celebrated three years ago in Peru. Brazil - Argentina represent the biggest rivalry in the ... More About: Gent
Brazil in pictures: gymnastics at the beach
2007-07-16 00:00:00 Whether it’s capoeira or straightforward gymnastics, I can’t tell for certain. But watching mr muscle exercising at the beach can be a fascinating way of spending your time. We saw our friend here at the praia do Amor, in Pipa. Share This More About: Pictures , Beach , Brazil , Gymnastics , Gymnast
Taxa de serviço
2007-07-13 00:00:00 In Brazil, some hotels and pousadas charge a taxa de serviço (generally 10%), others don’t. When finding out prices for accommodation, it is advisable to ask whether that taxa de serviço is included or not in the price. In places that have nothing to hide, their price list will show clearly whether the tax is ...
Fare check update
2007-07-11 00:00:00 I’ve just updated the Fare check page of this blog, where you will find a small sample of routes and prices of flights with the two most important airlines in Brazil. More routes available on request. Share This More About: Check , Update
TAM will fly to Madrid and Frankfurt
2007-07-11 00:00:00 TAM just got official permission to begin operating flights to Madrid (seven flights per week) and Frank furt (three flights per week). According to the company, the flights will be in operation before the end of the year. This is spectacular news for those of us who’ve had to endure Iberia’s domination over the São Paulo ...
Tanabata Matsuri in São Paulo
2007-07-09 13:33:00 This weekend the Liberdade Japanese quarter was host to the Tanabata Matsuri festival, also known as star festival. It’s a Japanese festival with a tradition of more than 1,000 years, celebrated in Brazil since 1979. We went to the Liberdade on Saturday, on a shiny day with warm temperature. Liberdade is one of those places in São Paulo that always has a reward in store for its visitors. This weekend the prize was unbeatable: the streets of Liberdade were full of colour and life, with thousands of people (oriental or not) enjoying a quiet stroll along the streets. Along the colourful decoration, the central element of the Tanabata are the tanzakus, messages hang from the trees where the public write their petitions to the Gods. During the weekend there is schedule of colourful folk presentations. The oriental community takes part in the festival en masse. The whole album with the pictures I took on Saturday can be found here: Tanabata Matsuri in São Paulo. Make a note...
New 7 wonders of nature
2007-07-09 00:55:00 Yes, here it is, the race for the election of the new seven wonders of nature has begun (I haven’t been able to find on the webpage any clarification on what the ancient wonders of nature were). The election of the 7 new wonders of the world must have been so fabulously profitable for its organizers that they haven’t given it a second thought, here we go again. Who knows what will come next, best pop singer of the universe, best football team ever? One day we might even elect the best politician ever! Natur al wonders abound in Brazil (with a constant threat of destruction hovering over them). It is only to be expected that the Ministry of Tourism will squander millions of reais coming from the pockets of the long-suffering taxpayers to support an initiative that will benefit a private individual, a private bank, several telcos, and whoever else wants to join the circus. Those of us who dedicate our time to give 2.0 information on Brazil do so without any institutional su... More About: Nature , Wonders
Result of the election of the 7 new wonders of the world
2007-07-08 00:54:00 It has just been announced the result of the election of the seven new wonders of the world. The statue of Christ Redeemer, in Rio de Janeiro, is among the chosen 7, showing that nothing beats the support of a population of 190 million people when it comes to decide an unjust and unfair vote. This blog has published quite a few entries on the topic of the election: 7 New wonders of the world 7 New wonders of the modern world re-revisited UNESCO and the new wonders of the world A list of other wonders of the world Share This More About: World , Election , Wonders , The World , Wonders of the World
New UNESCO World Heritage Sites
2007-07-06 12:18:00 There are no Brazilian sites on the list of new World Heritage Sites announced by UNESCO . A list of the Brazilian sites (and other Latin American sites as well) on the UNESCO waiting list was published by De Viaje a Brasil, the Spanish counterpart of this blog, a few days ago. Share This More About: World Heritage
Alternative energy sources in Brazil
2007-07-05 12:17:00 The current president of Brazil gets emotional very easily when dreaming of a future in which Brazil will lead the nations of a new world where clean energies will dominate. As usual, the reality is quite different. While you travel through Brazil, those of you with a keen sense of curiosity will wonder why the gigantic potential Brazil has for the production of clean energies is being wasted in such a shameful way. Brasil has a total installed windpower capacity of 250WM. An amount dwarfed by the achievements of countries like Germany (18,415 WM) or Spain (11,615WM). The Centro Brasileiro de EnergÃa Eólica has studied the characteristics of the winds blowing in the Northeast of Brazil. Its conclusion is that the potential for the commercial explotation of those winds is even better than that of the winds blowing in Europe. However, you can travel days and days through the Northeast and not come across a single wind turbine. As for solar energy, an infinite source in the dry and p... More About: Energy , Alternative , Alternative Energy , Sources
Destination: CaraÃva
2007-07-04 12:19:00 Caraiva is a small jewel in the south of coast of the state of Bahia. A tiny fishing village, everything in Caraiva is basic, from the unpaved streets to the lack of electricity supply - electricity is arriving in CaraÃva only as we speak. WE LIKE THE MOST: the absolute peace and tranquility of the place, mass tourism hasn’t arrived there yet, and the less conventional tourist is getting there in dribs and drabs WE LIKE THE LEAST: the road leading to Caraiva, in a sorry state HOW TO GET THERE: from Porto Seguro/Arraial d’Ajuda, or in the bus that goes to Caraiva twice a day, or on a rented car CAREFUL WITH: the road that goes to Caraiva, especially if it has rained the previous days, it is in a truly sorry state - I don’t advice anyone to get in there with a rented car FAVOURITE PLACES: the village, the beaches, the point where the river meets the sea PIECE OF ADVICE: everything is quite basic in Caraiva, and there are very few shops. Bring whatever you are li... More About: Destination , Cara
National parks: online brochures
More articles from this author:2007-07-04 00:00:00 Last week I wrote an entry on the Brazilian National parks and today I’d like to share with you an interesting - albeit limited - resource I’ve just come across. It’s a series of brochures edited by Philips in partnership with the Brazilian publisher Horizonte Geográfico. The series is very small, in Portuguese, but it’s ... More About: Online , Parks , National Parks , Broch 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 |
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