Touring Rio’s Favelas
By Martin Kocandrle, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO – Favelas are Brazil’s reoccurring paradox. They have become so prevalent within large cities that presently in Rio they number around 950, each with its own composition and raison d’être. They are paradoxical in the sense that their very geography borders some of the wealthiest neighborhoods in [...]
E-Group Eco-Resorts in Jericoacoara
By Bruno de Nicola, Senior Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO – Luxury and simplicity are two elements that magically meet in Vila Kalango and Rancho do Peixe, two outstanding eco-resorts on the uncontaminated beaches of Jericoacoara. Here, palm trees and wooden fishing boats contrast with kite surfers and windsurfers on the horizon, all part of the [...]
Perito Moreno and Mount Fitzroy, Argentina
By Joshua Rapp Learn, Contributing Reporter
ARGENTINA – There is no doubt about it. Perito Moreno is one massive ice cube. It’s so big that it’s almost frightening, and with earth-shattering cracks it demands your constant attention as building sized chunks of pressure-packed snow are prone to fall off into the Argentine Lake at any moment. [...]
Ushuaia: Glaciers and Beaches in Argentina
By Joshua Rapp Learn, Contributing Reporter
ARGENTINA – The water is so clear you can see fish swimming amongst the rocks three meters deep, and even though Long Beach is a mere ten minute bus ride east of the city, the sand was deserted even in the thick of summer.
You can skip flat stones towards [...]
Visiting Samba City
By Martin Kocandrle, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO – Samba City may seem like a reference to Rio, due to its popularity as a destination for samba music and Carnival, but it actually refers to the building complex where the dreams of samba schools are made into reality.
Samba City is the nerve center of the top [...]
The 5 Day Carnival Itinerary
By Martin Kocandrle, Contributing Reporter
As the countdown to Carnival begins the hype and anticipation in the streets is palpable. This year the ‘main event’ officially takes place between Saturday, February 13th and Tuesday, February 16th, and with so many activities taking place all over the city, planning a great Carnival adventure can be a [...]
Jericoacoara, Northeastern Paradise
By Joshua Rapp Learn, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO – The sun set over the water to the west, spinning rays of iridescent light bending around the windsurfers out catching a few gusts with the last glow of day. The beauty of the sun rays off the coastal oasis of Jericoacoara is so inspiring that [...]
7 Tips for Getting Into Capoeira
By Joshua Rapp Learn, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO – If you’ve been in Brazil for any length of time, you’ve probably seen Capoeira. Whether it’s lean and toned Brazilians doing back flips on the beach, or wizened old tricksters circling each other in squares, Capoeira has become a pervasive part of Brazilian culture.
The musical [...]
Finding Rio’s Capoeira Academies
By Joshua Rapp Learn, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO – Capoeira in Rio de Janeiro has evolved a lot over the past century. It went through a particularly rough period in the early years of the twentieth century when the government and police prosecution virtually destroyed its practice, driving underground the few Capoeiristas who continued [...]
Brasília, 50 Years as the Capital
By Davi Baldussi, Contributing Reporter
RIO DE JANEIRO – Fifty years ago the region where Brazil’s capital, Brasília, exists, was a barren plain known as Planalto Central (Central Plateau). Today more than 2.5 million people live there, the fourth largest city in Brazil.
The capital of Brazil before this was Rio de Janeiro (1763-1960) and before then [...]
