Thread: Brazil

Brazil shares a border with almost every other country in South America--only Chile and Ecuador are untouched--and covers almost half the continent. It is the fifth largest country in the world, behind Russia, Canada, China, and the U.S.A., with an area of eight and a half million square kilometers.

Despite its vast expanse of territory, Brazil's population is concentrated in the major cities of its coast. The urban sprawls of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo dominate the southern coast. Further north, towns such as Salvador and João Pessoa retain the colonial atmosphere of the early Portuguese settlers. The great interior, much of which is covered by the rainforest basin of the Amazon, remains sparsely settled.

Almost half of Brazil's territory is covered by the basin of the Amazon River and its tributaries, a region that is one of the world's largest rainforest ecologies. Unfortunately, a substantial proportion of this area has suffered the effects of modernization in recent years. From the Amazon's mouth on the Pacific to Manaus, the region's bustling main city, the river is heavily traveled, and wildlife is scarce. Away from the cities and the main course of the Amazon, however, smaller tributaries lead past unspoiled habitat and traditional villages.

South of the Amazon region, the country's interior is dominated by the Brazilian Shield, an expansive bedrock flat that is slowly falling victim to the elements. The Mato Grosso, a smooth, grassy plain in Brazil's center, slowly gives way to the Planalto, a low-rise plateau that extends across the central and western regions. In the far west, along the border with Paraguay and Bolivia, is the Pantanal, one of the most extensive swamplands in the world.

Brazil's winter lasts from June to August, with temperatures between 13 and 18C, but it only gets really cold south of Rio. Summer is from December to February, a period frequently bringing stifling humidity to the far south. Brief rain showers are common, given Brazil's tropical climate, but the dry interior has only a few months of heavy rainfall a year. Of course, the Amazon Basin is the wettest area, with damp, moist temperatures averaging 27 C.

The Portuguese were the first European settlers to arrive in the area, led by adventurous Pedro Cabral, who began the colonial period in 1500. The Portuguese reportedly found native Indians numbering around seven million. Most tribes were peripatetic, with only limited agriculture and temporary dwellings, although villages often had as many as 5000 inhabitants. Cultural life appears to have been richly developed, although both tribal warfare and cannibalism were ubiquitous. The few remaining traces of Brazil's Indian tribes reveal little of their lifestyle, unlike the evidence from other Andean tribes. Today, fewer than 200,000 of Brazil's indigenous people survive, most of whom inhabit the jungle areas.

Other Portuguese explorers followed Cabral, in search of valuable goods for European trade but also for unsettled land and the opportunity to escape poverty in Portugal itself. The only item of value they discovered was the pau do brasil (brazil wood tree) from which they created red dye. Unlike the colonizing philosophy of the Spanish, the Portuguese in Brazil were much less focused at first on conquering, controlling, and developing the country. Most were impoverished sailors, who were far more interested in profitable trade and subsistence agriculture than in territorial expansion. The country's interior remained unexplored.

Nonetheless, sugar soon came to Brazil, and with it came imported slaves. To a degree unequaled in most of the American colonies, the Portuguese settlers frequently intermarried with both the Indians and the African slaves, and there were also mixed marriages between the Africans and Indians. As a result, Brazil's population is intermingled to a degree that is unseen elsewhere. Most Brazilians possess some combination of European, African, Amerindian, Asian, and Middle Eastern lineage,and this multiplicity of cultural legacies is a notable feature of current Brazilian culture.

The move to open the country's interior coincided with the discovery in the 1690s of gold in the south-central part of the country. The country's gold deposits didn't pan out, however, and by the close of the 18th century the country's focus had returned to the coastal agricultural regions. In 1807, as Napoleon Bonaparte closed in on Portugal's capital city of Lisbon, the Prince Regent shipped himself off to Brazil. Once there, Dom Joao established the colony as the capital of his empire. By 1821 things in Europe had cooled down sufficiently that Dom Joao could return to Lisbon, and he left his son Dom Pedro I in charge of Brazil. When the king attempted the following year to return Brazil to subordinate status as a colony, Dom Pedro flourished his sword and declared the country's independence from Portugal (and his own independence from his father).

In the 19th century coffee took the place of sugar as Brazil's most important product. The boom in coffee production brought a wave of almost one million European immigrants, mostly Italians, and also brought about the Brazilian republic. In 1889, the wealthy coffee magnates backed a military coup, the emperor fled, and Brazil was no more an imperial country. The coffee planters virtually owned the country and the government for the next thirty years, until the worldwide depression evaporated coffee demand. For the next half century Brazil struggled with governmental instability, military coups, and a fragile economy. In 1989, the country enjoyed its first democratic election in almost three decades. Unfortunately, the Brazilians made the mistake of electing Fernando Collor de Mello. Mello's corruption did nothing to help the economy, but his peaceful removal from office indicated at least that the country's political and governmental structures are stable.

Brazil has the sixth largest population in the world--about 148 million people--which has doubled in the past 30 years. Because of its size, there are only 15 people per sq. km, concentrated mainly along the coast and in the major cities, where two-thirds of the people now live: over 19 million in greater Sao Paulo and 10 million in greater Rio.

The immigrant Portuguese language was greatly influenced by the numerous Indian and African dialects they encountered, but it remains the dominant language in Brazil today. In fact, the Brazilian dialect has become the dominant influence in the development of the Portuguese language, for the simple reason that Brazil has 15 times the population of Portugal and a much more dynamic linguistic environment.

Brazil offers a wide range of adventure vacations. Since most major cities are on the coast, the country's best beaches are within easy reach. Visitors who want to experience unspoiled wildlife can find it in remote areas of the Amazon and the interior.

The Coast
For travelers who want a convenient escape from the urban sprawl of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo, there are two options located midway between the two cities.

Ilha Grande
This island off the southern coast offers the best of tropical Brazil in one compact area (300 km sq). Ilha Grande offers more than a hundred pristine beaches, a extensive network of hiking trails through its lush interior rainforest, and rumors of buried pirate treasure. Especially recommended is the trek to the ghost townof Praia da Parnaioca, once a fishing village. Its residents were scared away a few years ago after a string of escapes from a now-closed prison that was located nearby.

Itatiaia National Park
Just north of the Rio-Sao Paulo highway, Itatiaia is the site of Brazil's third-highest mountain, the Pico das Agulhas Negras (2,878 meters, 9,144 feet). The park is also home to over 250 species of birds, which attract birdwatchers from around the world. The terrain varies from tropical to temperate according to elevation. At the highest elevation, where temperatures sometimes drop below freezing, the desolate landscape is dotted with bizarre rock formations, the result of temperature extremes and heavy rainfall. Some of the most famous are the Pedra (da Tartaruga) (the Turtle) and the Pedra (da Maç¦) (the Apple).

The Amazon
Any adventurous traveler who comes to Brazil will want to head for the Amazon. Most travel in the Amazon region is by boat (the smaller the better). The trip from Benjamin Constant, on the border with Colombia, to Manaus, the bustling center of the region, takes four days. In this narrowest stretch of the Amazon, boats pass houses built on stilts along the river and passengers can hear the screeches of monkeys and birds in the forest. At Manaus is the famous "meeting of the two rivers," where the dark Negro and the yellowish Solimoes, both tributaries of the Amazon, run side by side without mixing waters.

Camping in the forest offers a whole different perspective on the region. Since many of the area's most fascinating animals are nocturnal, the best way to view wildlife here is on a night walk. Armed with a strong flashlight or headlamp, visitors can get up-close looks at tarantulas, tree frogs, bats, spiny rats and snakes (most of which are non-poisonous).

The Pantanal
This enormous marshy plain, which spreads out along Brazil's western border with Paraguay and Bolivia, is famous for its abundant wildlife. Its flat, open vistas are perfect for spotting alligators, jaguars, anacondas, spider monkeys and gibbons--not to mention flocks of tropical birds (toucans, parrots and macaws, among others). There are outlying bases for exploring the Pantanal, the most serviceable being the towns of Cuiaba, Campo Grande, and Corumba on the Bolivian border. Visitors should allow at least two nights at lodges or camping grounds further inside the park. Canoe trips down the Pantanal's small rivers are the best way to see animals up close. Rides in small planes and hot-air balloons give views of the wildlife from above. Among the activities not to be missed: piranha fishing.

Iguacu Falls
These dramatic cataracts--they are actually a series of waterfalls--crash along the border between Brazil and Argentina. Broken into 275 inlets and drops, they form a horseshoe-shaped rim. The most violent drop is the Garganta do Diablo ("Devil's Throat"), which marks the border between the two countries. The best overall view is from the Brazilian side, where trails cut into the side of the riverbank offer a grand panorama of the main section of falls. Argentina, however, offers the ultimate close-up experience: there one can walk out on pasarelas, catwalks built a few feet above the river at the very edge of the falls. The roar of the water, the sudden dramatic drop, and the shakiness of the catwalk will quicken the pulse of even the most jaded traveler. Boats take visitors to the crashing waters at the bottom of the falls and to more tranquil nearby pools for swimming.

Visas
Brazil has a "reciprocal visa policy," which means that it requires visas of citizens from countries that require visas of Brazilians. Americans, Canadians, Australians, and New Zealand citizens all need visas (UK citizens do not) which can be obtained by applying at Brazilian embassies and consulates. Visas are valid up to 90 days before your arrival, then another 90 once you have arrived. If your visa expires while you are there, you can renew it for another 90 days. Vaccines
Brazil requires all visitors to be vaccinated for yellow fever.

Currency
The Brazilian currency, the Real, fluctuates widely. At the time of this content was created, the exchange rate was approximately 1.15 reales to the dollar.

Language
Portuguese is Brazil's native language

Water
It is recommended that visitors drink bottled water

Business
Shops and most offices are open Monday through Friday from 9 am. to 6 p.m. and from 9 am to 1pm on Saturday. Banks are open on Monday through Friday from 10am to 4:00pm. Most shopping centers and malls remain open until 10pm. Many pharmacies and small stores are also open on Sunday.

Time Zones
There are four time zones in Brazil.

Electric Current
110 or 120 volts

Known to Brazilians as "Cidade Maravilhosa" (The Wonderful City), Rio de Janeiro is always brimming with color, sound, rhythm, and joy, which make it synonymous with Carnival, happiness, and beautiful people. Very few places in the world match the hospitality and natural charm in which Rio is perpetually swathed.

Squeezed into a narrow, astonishingly lovely zone between rainforest-clad cliffs and the sea, in what many have called the world's most beautiful city setting, Rio de Janeiro pulses like an artery. The famed emeralds, amethysts, and rubies of Rio shops are just the beginning; all the colors of the world are here. The thousand shades of Amazon green, the deep black of a businessman's London- made suit, the lucid gold of afternoon sunlight, the gray of granite monoliths, the blue of a tropical sea, the hundred shades of tanned flesh. The primeval splendor of Rio's environs lends the city an eternal youth-the arrogant flamboyance that lets one dance too late and too seductively, talk to a stranger when you don't really speak the language, and wander the streets knowing you will end up some- where exciting.

That somewhere is usually near the beach: Rio's 45 miles of white sand beach encompass neighbor- hoods familiar the world over. Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon cuddle together like a clique of celebrities, each brilliantly different. Rio de Janeiro's diverse personalities often delight and astound, and never fail to fascinate, from the impeccable, beach-scarved Avenida Atlantica to the favelas which blanket the hillsides, to the cobblestone streets and artist-inhabited Victorian mansions of Santa Theresa. During the day, the beach-and-cafe culture nonchalantly transform the shoreline into the center of the city. At night, the clubs, restaurants, and dance halls, called forros, dominate. Part of the nightlife's charm is its spontaneity. Be prepared to call ahead.

Rio is indisputably a city--with all the attendant traffic and bustle. But the life that inspires the Rio driver to make three lanes where there were only meant to be two also coaxes an impromptu samba from tired legs and drives that most renowned of all Rio events, Carnival. What color mother nature hasn't already supplied, the local Cariocas will invent. Nothing is spared for this festival of senses.

Tijuca Rain Forest Reserve
Lauded as the largest urban tropical park in the world, Tijuca Rain Forest Reserve covers nearly 8 thousand acres of tropical rain forest. Many of the plants and animals are exclusively indigenous.

Santa Teresa
This most charming of Carioca neighborhoods blends cobblestone streets and Victorian architecture with a carefree bohemian spirit. Once the home of the Carioca upper class, it now houses artists, musicians, writers, and other free souls.

Nossa Senhora da Gloria do Outeiro
This church's elegant bell tower and carved ceiling, an excellent example of Brazilian Baroque completed in 1720, provide a cul-de-sac of subtlety. Its hilltop situation reveals an urban vista.

Igreja da Candelaria
At the beginning of the Avenida Presidente Vargas, the Igregia Candelaria's white dome and bell towers rise unperturbed in a jungle of downtown streets.
Historical and Cultural Attractions
This historic side of Rio is most visible in its architecture and museums, both of which are exceptional. Most famous is the Municipal Theater, built in 1905 and renovated in 1934 in a fashion reminiscent of the Paris Opera. Other major attractions include the Sao Bento Church and Monastery, the Lapa Arches, the Modern Art Museum, Guanabara Palace, Largo do Boticario Square, the Fine Arts Museum, and the Copacaba Fort & Army Historical Museum. Sugarloaf
Rio de Janeiro's crown jewel in a coronet of mountains, Sugarloaf offers a much-admired view of the city itself. At the end of a breathtaking cable-car ride is a panorama of town and country, or, more correctly, metropolis and jungle.

Corcovado & Christ the Redeemer Statue
The lesser-known brother to Sugarloaf might actually be the better bet: at almost twice Sugarloaf's height, one has a view not only of Rio but of Sugarloaf. Here stands the iconic Christ the Redeemer Statue, one of the world's largest at 30 meters.

Cinelandia
Rio's version of Hyde Park is as offbeat as one would expect in the city. Next to a clutch of movie theaters, an open square serves as the platform for political and social debate. Rival groups often speak at the same time -and sometimes come to blows.Paqueta
Of all the dozens of islands in the bay, well-to-do Paqueta is the largest. Its slow way of life lures visitors the world over; cars are banned on the island. To get around, one must bicycle or take a horse-drawn carriage for a very pleasant ride.Beaches
Ipanema and the curved beach of Copacabana and the immediate environs need no introduction, but Barra da Tijuca and Grumari, distant southern beaches, might be Rio's most well-kept secret. And perhaps it's better that way; Grumari's two snack bars do nothing to mask its isolated magnificence. They are only accessible by car.

Jardim Zoologico & Museu Nacional
This natural history museum is worth a visit in itself; coupled with the landscaped pools, parks, and marble statues of its grounds make it easy to while a day away.

Botanical Gardens
Rio's Botanical Gardens, which cover a whopping 338 acres, is far more than a picturesque land- scape: it is the largest collection of Amazonian plants in the world and - aside from the Amazon itself - Brazil's most important source for botanical research. Half the garden is open to visitors.

Soccer at Maracana
No country can claim more World Cup titles than Brazil, and so it seems fitting that no country can claim a bigger stadium. Maracana, the world's largest, was built in 1950 and seats 135 thousands.

Hang-gliding
Brazil's sheer mountains are ideal for hang-gliding, most of which takes place at the ramp on Pedra Bonita (510 meters). Arrangements can be made for lessons and double-flights in which instructors accompany first-timers down to land on the sands of Sao Conrado Beach.


Special Events

Carnival:Rio's Carnival (14 days before Lent) is nothing, if not spectacular. The casual wildness of the city's normal operation unravels into a hedonistic, fantastically-hued blur as the wealthy, the foreign, and the beautiful converge on Rio for a few precious days of abandon.

Hippie Fair: On Sundays from 2:00- 6:00pm, Ipanema's Praca (General Osorio) is transformed into a forest of booths carrying woodcarving, leather goods, batiks, rag dolls, jewelry, knickknacks of all descriptions, and well-crafted samba instruments.

The capital of Brazilian nightlife is, unsurprisingly, a paradise of fine dining. Almost every kind of international cuisine is available in Rio, but the local dishes here reach their culinary heights. The diva of Rio's dishes is feijoada, a black beans and pork dish that comes with rice, kale, and manioc. To drink, try a caipirinha, Brazil's tasty and infamously potent drink made from cane sugar rum, lime juice, and sugar.

Churrasco is another favorite. Waiters slice off huge hunks of barbequed beef, pork, and other meats, serving them with manioc and onions. Being close to the sea of course means an unsurpassed selection of fine sea food, including fresh lobster, shrimp, shellfish, and numerous fishes. For those who like spice, Rio also has plenty of dishes native to Bahia, Brazil's capital of hot and spicy cooking.

Nightlife in Rio is, of course, legendary. Good times almost always begin with visit to one of the many samba halls or discos, and very often end watching the sunrise from the beach. If you can't dance to samba but love to watch other people do it, there are plenty of shows in town where you can admire the beat and the wild costumes. If samba isn't your thing, it's easy to find a nightclub featuring live jazz or almost any kind of music.

Although Recife is the fourth-largest city in Brazil, it is less modern and cosmopolitan than its more famous counterparts. Recife and its environs have only recently become a tourist destination, so visitors are often a novelty for its inhabitants, especially those of the neighboring fishing villages.

Recife's name was derived from the Portuguese word for reef, referring simply to the city's situation behind a long and protective coastal reef. Recife is a major port city, and much of its energy and culture has its source in the constant influx and outflow of trade. High rises, colonial churches, and markets quilt the city with a mix of old and new. Often called the Venice of Brazil for its many canals, bridges, and tiny one-way streets, Recife is a wonderful city in which to wander about, letting chance provide a memorable discovery or two.

The wealthy Boa Viagem district provides a good home base. This waterfront area is Recife's real center, possessing both the city's finest beach and a wealth of fine restaurants. Much of Recife's nightlife is here, as well as in Gracas. From there, the old city can be explored as well. Beginning at the Praca da Republica, one can visit the impres- sive, 19th-century Teatro Santa Isabel and proceed to the Catedral de Sao Pedro dos Clerigos. After passing through the colorful Mercado do Sao Jose -Saint John's Market- visitors can wind up a walking tour of the old city at the Basilica de NS da Penha.

Recife's deep cultural roots are notable, and its traditional cultural activities should not be over- looked. Recife is one of Brazil's richest places to explore folk art and craft, including music, dance, sculpture, and painting. Its traditional handicrafts include clay figurines, wood sculptures, leather goods, and woven straw, all to be found at festivals and markets around the city as well as at the Casa da Cultura de Recife -Recife's Cultural Centre.

The Casa da Cultura de Recife, Recife's cultural marketplace, was once a colonial prison. It has since been transformed into a centre for traditional arts. Excellent musical and dance performances often take place right outside the building. The Casa da Cultura is an excellent place to obtain tourist information and start an acquaintance with the region's cultural arts.

A true gem of Recife is the Oficina Ceramica Francisco Brennand, the studio, workshop, and museum of one of Brazil's best known artists, located a few kilometers outside of the city. The colonial ceramics factory that Brennard converted into his atelier is surrounded by thick, original forest. Within the gallery are displayed over two thousand imaginatively placed pieces: Balaclava- hatted worms, lizards bursting from parapets, geese with helmets, and a crazy collection of other fanciful objects d'art (some of them cheerfully risqué) make the memorable Olaria and its a must-see. There is a sales outlet in Recife's Boa Viagem district.

Within Recife itself is the Horto Zoobotanico, a newly renovated zoo and botanical garden. Also in the city is the Museu de Homen do Nordeste, a highly acclaimed museum of anthropology that displays artifacts of the region's rich cultural past.

The Recife-Olinda Carnival may be the best in Brazil. Its unusually early means visitors can catch the opening festivities and still have time to enjoy other Brazilian carnival celebrations.

There are excellent beaches south of Recife, with a calm sea, crystal clear waters, white sand dunes, and friendly people. The reef that protects the city runs parallel to the coast for many miles, and the entire region offers outstanding dive opportunities. Fishing villages dot this part of the coast, and these are excellent places to dine on fresh-caught seafood.

Boa Viagem, an 8 km promenade along the Atlantic, is widely regarded as Recife's most picturesque locale. A major attraction along the promenade is an exposition of the arts and crafts of Pernambuco, which takes place every day in front of the Boa Viagem Church.

About 40 minutes by car from Recife is Olinda, the old capital of Brazil. Founded in 1537, Olinda is Brazil's most cherished historical city, and the abundance of 16th and 17th century churches and houses has inspired Unesco to adopt the town as a world heritage site.

Recife cuisine is the cuisine of its region, Pernambuco, and the culinary influences of the area can be traced to a dynamic assortment of cultures: The Dutch, Spanish, Moors, Africans and Indians. Many dishes come with a delicious coconut sauce, and feature corn, mandioc, fresh seafood, and native fruits. Grilled meats are also big here, especially goat and beef dishes.

The night life of Recife is geared around the beach. Tropical outdoor clubs and bars are plentiful, and spilling from many of them is the local Pernambuco rythm, the "mangue beat." One of the newest and most popular night spots is Polo Pina, a sprawling entertainment center along the beach at Boa Viagem.

Restaurante Navagador
The Navagador, owned by one of Recife's noted families, offers sophisticated renditions of typical Pernambuco cuisine. The sea food, fresh as it gets, is not to be missed.

Oficina dos Sabores
In Portuguese, Oficina dos Sabores means the "Flavor Office," and this Olinda restaurant certainly knows its business. Specialties include a sampler plate of local cuisine, including tasty prawns with mango cream sauce.

Bargco
Bargco is one of the "hot spots" along the promenade at Boa Viagem Beach. It specializes in typical Bahian food, which is known for its spicy kick.

Porcao Churrascaria
An atmospheric restaurant known for its meat dishes.

Familia Juliane
Familia Juliane is a favorite among locals. It offers typical Italian cuisine.

Alfredo the Roma
Great Italian food, especially the fettucine, in an orignal setting.

Carne na Tabua
Featuring excellent Pernambuco cuisine, Tabua specializes in beef, chicken, and vegetable dishes.

Picanha do Tio Dada
Located right on the beach, Picanha is a highly popular restaurant serving only grilled meat and beer.