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Posts Tagged ‘brazil’

Ode to açai

Thursday, March 6th, 2008


To say we merely like açai would be an understatement: we’re addicted to it. This cool treat, unique only to Brazil comes from a fruit from palms in the Amazon, and tastes so good, we had to see how it was made. Get your fix in today’s photo gallery.

Sunset at Farol da Barra

Wednesday, March 5th, 2008

While wandering through Salvador today we met a whistle blowing character, and eventually made our way to the Farol da Barra, a lighthouse built on an old pentagonal Portuguese fort. Walk the streets of Salvador at dusk in today’s gallery…

A lazy Sunday afternoon in Itapuã

Sunday, March 2nd, 2008

Despite looming clowds, we took a bus northward along the coast until we reached Pedra do Sal beach in the neighborhood of Itapuã. The ocean beaches to the north of the city have fewer people and bigger waves, which is exactly what we were looking for. We also found a stand selling a traditional Bahian delicacy. Come see Itapuã by clicking here…

Beach to Beach in Bahia

Saturday, March 1st, 2008

Today we took a bus to the southern end of the city where we caught a tiny boat to out-of-the-way island of Ilha Maré. After a meal and a relaxing afternoon, we returned to our neighborhood only to find a huge beach concert already underway. Spend a day and a night on Bahia’s beaches in today’s photo gallery…

Working the beach scene in Brazil

On Porto da Barra, Salvador’s main beach, a sea of people are dancing under the stars. There is a perfect beach party underway: a warm night, crowds of people of all ages, swimmers, and a floating stage just past the waves on which some of Brazil’s most famous and well respected singers are belting out hits. Waves lap at my ankles, music floods my ears.

The concert is free, goes all night, and is even staffed by life guards should a fan exit the carefully marked swimming zone in front of the enormous floating stage. At this very moment Gal Costa is on, next up is Tom Zé, and it is said that the Brazilian musician-gods Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso will take the stage eventually. This type of thing just never happens where I’m from. (more…)

Sixty one days and 12,400 some miles later

Saturday, March 1st, 2008

The mark of a good trip has always been hitting that point where you don’t know what day it is. We hit that long, long ago. At times for us, the only anchor to the date on the calendar has been through our work on this site. The turn of the month gave us a pause to look behind, and with some quick calculations, the realization that our eight-month, 244 day long trip hit the quarter-way mark on day 61: March 1st.


Our faves
Below is a compilation of our some of the tops spots and things to do since we left the States on New Year’s Day. If you’re new to the jaunt, or need to catch up, these galleries serve as a perfect way to jump in.
The Best of Buenos Aires
Buenos Aires, Argentina
Take a look at the top ten things to do and see in Buenos Aires, Argentina, one of Latin America\'s most beautiful and energetic cities.
The best of Mexico and Central America
Central America, Earth
The best of Central America
The best of Mexico City
Mexico CIty, Mexico
We're in love with it. Between the three of us, we've made six trips to the capital city of our neighbor to the south. Thus it was an easy choice: D.F. (District Federal) was a natural starting point for the jaunt.
We’re still winding ourselves through Brazil and will be publishing our top picks upon our exit next week. Until then, here are a couple of our favorite days so far on the jaunt.
Futbol in Rio
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 02/24
It just happened that on of the biggest soccer games of the year in Brazil happened during the week we were in Rio, so we bought tickets and braced ourselves for a wild ride.
A Visit To Mangueira
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 02/22
The gang pays a visit to the Velha Guarda da Mangueira
Rio from the top of Pao de Acucar
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil - 02/21
Rio de Janeiro's skyline is dominated, not with buildings, but with impressive mountains like Pão de Açúcar. We went to the top of it today to get a stunning view.
The beaches of Rio
Rio De Janeiro, Brazil - 02/20
World famous for it's sunny days, white sands, crystal clear waters and expansive beaches, Rio has the ultimate in mega-beaches.
Samba in Sao Paulo
São Paulo, Brazil - 02/16
This afternoon, we went to a local samba jam in São Paulo's center.


Getting here
It hit me shortly after entering Brazil. On one of our countless bus rides - this time a hellishly long trip between Iguaçu Falls and São Paulo - and forty-some days into the trip, I paused, and said to myself: “We are actually doing this.”It took that long. (more…)

Eating like kings at a churrascaria

Thursday, February 28th, 2008

Brazilians love their buffets. Tonight for dinner we went to a churrascaria, a traditional Brazilian eatery, where we ate like kings (and paid royally too). Think of a churrascaria like a buffet where the food comes to you. Finely dressed servers walk around with spits of equally fine cuts of meat. Have your full in today’s photo gallery.

Beach time in Salvador

Wednesday, February 27th, 2008

With a day like this, it was easy to decide what we were going to do: head to the beach. And being just a mere walk away from our $30 a night apartment in Salvador (we know, you hate us), it was an easy jaunt for us. Hit the beach in today’s photo gallery.

Settling in Salvador

Tuesday, February 26th, 2008

After taking a late night, two-hour flight (instead of a 25 hour bus ride) from Rio, we arrived in Brazil’s colonial capital city, Salvador da Bahia - which everyone truncates to Salvador. At the mouth of a massive bay, Salvador was a natural choice by the Portuguese who trekked across the Atlantic. Relics of its Portuguese roots still stand today, like Fort Santa Maria in the background. Porto da Barra beach’s clear waters abutting the fort are popular with both locals and travelers looking to cool off. Jump into Salvador by taking a look at today’s photo gallery.

Last day in Rio

Monday, February 25th, 2008

We spent most of our last day in Rio trying to get out of Rio, and buy tickets to our next destination, Salvador in the northeast. The ensuing fiasco left us just enough time to catch the sunset at Ipanema beach. See the photos in today’s photo gallery.

Crowning a futebol champion in Rio de Janeiro

Sunday, February 24th, 2008

While in Rio, we managed to get tickets to one of the year’s biggest soccer matches here in Brazil, the Taça Guanabara. Two neighboring bitter rivals, Flamengo and Botafogo, played for the title of city champion. The crowd was rowdy, the soccer was great, and the excitement was through the roof. Head to the Maracanã Stadium for today’s photos.

About LongJaunt Equal parts lighthearted jaunt and in-depth journey, this intimately documented trip around the world has one goal: to bring you along for the ride.
contributors

Thushan Amarasiriwardena

, former Senior Multimedia Producer at The Boston Globe, has always loved telling a great story. Combining his eye for visual story telling and his technical background in computer science at North Carolina State University, Thushan has reported on business, sports and travel for The Globe.

Michael Kurtz

, graduated with a degree in Ethnomusicology from the University of Massachusetts at Amherst. His thesis research focused on the intersection of race and music in Northeastern Brazil. He worked previously as A&R and Production Coordinator for Putumayo World Music, an international music record label based in New York City.

Brian Rogers

graduated from the University of Massachusetts with a degree in Spanish and Latin American Studies, and has traveled extensively in Latin America.