Brazil

Overview

South America's giant, Brazil is a seductive country with dazzling beaches, tropical islands and picturesque colonial towns. Its verdant rainforests boast an astounding array of wildlife, while its wildly energetic cities are home to a multitude of ethnic groups.

Brazil is the world's fifth-largest country in both size and population, and its thriving economy has made it Latin America's powerhouse, enjoying record growth in the last five years (Brazil currently ranks among the ten largest economies in the world). This is a country revered for its football prowess and rich musical traditions, which include samba, bossa nova, tropicalismo, forró and numerous other distinctive styles.

Although Brazilians are a diverse bunch, joie de vivre is a characteristic shared by most of the country's 192 million citizens. Carnival is the best-known manifestation of this celebratory spirit and is feted throughout Brazil. Rio de Janeiro and Salvador are the best places to join the mayhem, when samba-filled parties erupt through the streets, and revellers dance and celebrate for days on end.

Brazil's landscape is as diverse as the people who inhabit it. Few tourists venture far from Brazil's spectacular coastline (which spans 7400km/4598 miles), but a trip into the interior reveals a different but equally captivating Brazil. As well as the world's biggest rainforest in the Amazon, Brazil boasts many wilderness areas including the wildlife-rich wetlands of the Pantanal, the canyons and caves of the Chapada Diamantina and the colourful old gold-mining towns in the mountains of Minas Gerais.

The population of Brazil is a melting pot of races, including indigenous people, descendants of slaves from Africa and the offspring of European immigrants. This variety is reflected in the food, architecture, music and culture of Brazil. It is this assortment of places, people and traditions that makes Brazil such an unforgettable place to visit.

With thanks to World Travel Guide

In 2009 Rio de Janerio was selected to host the 2016 Olympic Games

Country information

• Map of Brazil
  

• Lonely Planet
  

• Wikipedia
  

• Brazil Tourism
  

First Hand Experiences

Donna - 2009

Olá tudo mundo! Hey everyone...
 
My fourth month is up and I'm a third of the way through my exchange...
 
This month I went to the Amazon for the best 9 days of my life.
I left on the 2nd of May and came back on the 11th...
 
I'm not going into every little detail of the trip, but I will dot point all of the things I had the chance to do...otherwise I could be writing for the rest of my year....

Day 1
-  When to Manaus, a city in the state of Amazonas and stayed in "Tropical Hotel" for one night. I shared a room with 3 other girls- Kerry (New Zealand), Lauren(South Africa) and Martina (Germany)
- I went to a festival called "Caprichoso" that night- and it was UNDESCRIBABLE!!!! It was based on the colour blue, with coke signs that were blue and blue costums...I think you all get the drift...There was singing and dancing everywhere, and bought me a blue feathered hat =)

Day 2-
-Went and saw the Old Manaus Theatre, Church and took a panoramic tour of the city.
-We also visited the Scientific marine museum of Manaus, and that was pretty cool- we got to see a LOT of different types of Piranhas!! =S....And lots of little creatures that can be found in the Amazon.
 
Day 3-
-Today was my first adventure in the middle of the Amazon...And got to see and swim in the Iracema Falls. They were beautiful!!!!!
Everyone got all of their clothes wet- regardless of the fact that we swam in our swimsuits!
But it was worth it, becasue you don't exactly get to swim in a tropical waterfall in the middle of the Amazon every day right?
The currents were mighty strong, and I managed to cut my foot on about a thousand different spots...but thats healed.
We made a slide out of one of the waterfalls, as there was a current with no rocks in the way...so we'de all climb onto the big rock at the beginning of the water fall, jump of it, and the current to take us to where all of our belonings were....it was fantastic.
- We also went night walking in the Amazon, and swam in another waterfall- got all of out belongings wet and dirty...but had an absolute BLAST!!
We walked into caves (with bats IN THEM by the way) and got told to turn our torches off...which some did more hesitantly than others...hahahaa..
Overall, it was amazing...
 
Day 4-
- Today we got on the bots we would be sleeping in for the next 5 night.
- We slept on Hammocks on the Negro River...and suprisingly I didn't get eaten alive my mosquitoes...
-My boats name was Jacaré- Alligator.
-Today was very tranquil...I held a sloth, and Alligator, and almost a snake, but there was a girl so terrifiesd of them on our boat, that the little boy wasn't allowed to come on...but I did see it up close, as well as a monkey *cute*...
- We have a separate boat for eating *resturant boat- Arara* that is amazing...the pineapples here are beyond words.....sooo sweet!! 
Then everyone just chilled on the boat, whilst watching the sunset and at night, me and a group of my friends ( Americans, Germans, Danish+ Aussies) were talking on deck at night, and the full moon lit the river and all of the surrounding, and just as if it were on cue, we saw a dolphins jump out of the water...-breathtaking.
Then there was more dolphins and we heard them playing...=)

Day 5-
Today we visited an Amazon tribe, and they showed us their natural medicines, and the school children performed a traditional dance and song for us...It was cool to see...=)
 
-In the afternoon, we went to yet another community and the girls versed the village girls to a game of soccer ( hahaha....we lost) but our boys won!! (by penalty shoot out)...
 
- Then we were shown the community school, and that's where I met Gabriela...she takes a boat everyday from her house at 5am for one hour to get to and from school- which finishes at about 3 but she has to wait untill about 8...she wants to be a doctor or a singer...
Determined little girl isn't she.
- That night, the townspeople gave us a party, where we danced Forró- a Brasilian dance, funk, and so much more...It was the most fun everrrr!!!!!!<3
 
Then later we went and had dinner, and chilled on the boat...there were 2 boats becaus eof how big the group was (48) but we got to see quite a bit of each other regardless...
 
Day 6-
-Today I saw how they make farofa- like a seasoning- and mandioca ( brasilian vegetable)..
-I climbed half way up an Açai tree ( only 20m high)...and bought a spitgun...=)
 
- We went piranha fishing today too, and only a couple of people caught one...ohh well...
 
-That took up most of our day...Then at night, an Australian boy called Joel played the guitar as we all sang along and just enjoyed the tranquility....
It was quite funny...because none of us ever really knew the time=)...We didn't need to ..
So we would be like- Oh look....it's morning.....then later, hey I think it's the afternoon....And of course...Huh...will you look at that , the suns setting already...hahaha - Fantastic.
 
 
Day 7-
-Today was my favourite!!!
- I got to swim with Pink Dolphins- not actually fully pink- ...I LOVED IT!!!!
-It was amazing to touch their leathery skin, and swim with them in the Negro River...
 
- We made braclets and necklaces with Açai (berry fruit) beads today...mine didnt fit my wrist but ohhhhh well...I made more things, and besides..it can be more things to put on my already almost exploding blazer =S...hahaha

- We spent tonight in the middle of the jungle...
- We took Canoes to a spot in the middle of the amazon, and hung our hammocks up in some trees, whilst our guides made a fire- which the animals were suppose to be afraid of- ...hahaha
I loved it, we all sang around the fire in a cirlce...just relaxing...
 
Day 8 -
- Today we planted trees at a tree preservation centre in the middle of the Amazon....
- I bought some home made chocolate from some ladies there and WOW was it DELICIOIUS!
...
 
The rest of the day was passed with everyone jumping off the top of the boat ( 10 m) into the river...It was soooo much fun, and we were pretty much in the water the whole day...
 
Day 9-
- Unfortunately, today was our last day, so we went to a community that was near a beach...And saw the houses etc there...
And THE funniest thing happened...
 
While the tribesman was speaking about how they live off the land, and depend on it1s resources a mobile phone rang...
Everyone in our group looked at each other, knowing none of us had phones on us...
 
We turn back to the tribesman and he flicks HIS mobile phone open, and turns it off...
 
                  WE LAUGHED OUR HEADS OFF!!!!!
 

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