Bonito Brazil – The Heartland of Brazilian Rodeo
Grab your saddles and cowboy hats ‘cause we’re going down south, waaaaay down south. 4,574 miles south of Dallas, Texas in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul, lives a cowboy culture that could compete with the best of ‘em up north. Cowboys from all over southwestern Brazil compete in a traveling rodeo at […]
Brazil World Cup Update: Two Weeks Away
With just over two weeks remaining before the 2014 FIFA World Cup, I’ve been traveling like crazy to see as much of Brazil as possible before the chaos begins on June 12th. My goal is to return to my apartment in Rio de Janeiro to watch the games and hopefully still find a way to […]
How to Catch a Piranha
After a peaceful arrival into the Pantanal the night before, my first day in the Brazilian wetlands was exactly that, wet. It poured for the better part of the morning and our planned jeep safari and eco-hike turned into a drunken refugee camp. We circled around a shop table with a group of local farmers, […]
Into the Wild Pantanal
Four Brazilian fishermen and I piled into the back of a covered pick-up truck at the roadside rendezvous point to catch a lift into the Pantanal. They knew the area well and were happy to be returning to their familiar fishing spot, while my joy came from each and every unknown. Despite being one of […]
Visual Highlights from Brasilia (18 Photos)
Unique architecture, good food, great friends, cool cloud formations and beautiful sunset boat rides sums up my five-day trip to Brasilia, the capital city of Brazil. Brasilia is such an interesting place, from the airplane-like urban layout to the diversity of its people, I really enjoyed my time exploring the city. Here are some of […]
A Brazilian Music Guide from Freaky to Fancy
It’s 4:15AM on a Sunday morning and the party is hitting that pivotal moment; do I have what it takes to rally or is it time to throw in the towel? Fortunately on this particular night, two lovely brunettes and a provocative Brazilian song made that decision for me. While the dance floor was packed […]
My Life in Rio – 3 Months in 30 Photos
The last 90 days have been an absolute blur. I touched down on January 18th and from that moment forward, Rio de Janeiro has completely sucked me in. On a long bus ride to the airport this week to extend my tourist visa, I had some time to reflect on the first three months of […]
A Portuguese Progress Report
Just like in high school, I’m learning to use a lot less tongue and focus more on the movements of my mouth. This is one the major pronunciation differences between Spanish and Portuguese, and I’m starting to pick it up. I still have a heavy Spanish accent and often use Spanish to fill in for Portuguese […]
How to Extend Your Tourist Visa in Rio
This post isn’t for everyone but for those who are in need of renewing (or extending) their tourist visa here in Rio de Janeiro, I hope this helps. It has been almost 90 days since I arrived in Rio and that means it was time to take a trip to the international airport to extend […]
Rio Favorites – Sugarloaf Mountain
A trip to Rio de Janeiro isn’t complete without a visit to the world famous Sugarloaf Mountain. Located in the quiet neighborhood of Urca, this iconic mini-mountain is home to some of the most beautiful views in all of Rio. There are actually two levels, Morro da Urca (Urca Hill) and Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain), […]