Posted in My Trips, News, Travel Recommendations on 25. Dec, 2011
Hi all, A few years ago, National Geographic produced an amazing miniseries called Planet Earth. It’s running again right now on the Animal Planet channel. If you can catch it, watch the episode about the Fresh Water environments. I saw it late last night (couldn’t sleep anticipating Santa’s arrival). At about minute 45 of the [...]
Posted in My Trips, Random Musings on 09. Dec, 2011
Hi all, I arrived yesterday morning in Charlotte, NC, my old stomping grounds. Sean, a friend of mine for 20 years (who has no taste or discrimination, obviously) met me at CLT. It’s a curious thing to have a foot in two cultures. My experience I believe is qualitatively different from that of a tourist [...]
Posted in My Trips, Rio de Janeiro, Tips for Travelers, Travel Recommendations on 20. Oct, 2011
Hi all, As usual, I’m playing catch up. This post is about an event from last week, Dia da Criança, or Children’s Day. Although an internationally-recognized day to recognize children’s rights, I don’t remember its being celebrated in the US. Its recognition might vary from state to state. Here in Brazil, Children’s Day is celebrated [...]
Posted in Activities, My Trips, Rio de Janeiro, Travel Recommendations on 11. Jul, 2011
Hi all, You may have read my post from a couple months back about hostels here in Rio. Hostels are one way to save some money when visiting this increasingly expensive city. Hostels have become more upscale. Don’t expect to find huge dorm rooms with racks of bunk beds. HostelBookers.com is a great place to [...]
Posted in Activities, Brazil Facts, My Trips, Travel Recommendations on 02. May, 2011
Hi all, While many people have Rio on their radar to visit one day, most may not realize that there are many wonderful spots nearby. One of these is the small town of Paraty, about 4 hours by bus from Rio. That’s where I went this weekend, to escape the bustle of Rio. Paraty has [...]
Posted in Activities, Carnival, My Trips, Rio de Janeiro on 23. Feb, 2011
Hi All, Carnaval rolls around soon. It comes a bit late this year, on March 8th. Well, actually that’s the last day (technically) of the festivities. The party actually runs for 5 days before. Then there are the pre-parties, and after the official end of Carnaval, the top “schools” will have another parade. You get [...]
Posted in My Trips, Random Musings on 16. Feb, 2011
Hi all, I just got back from an extended (2-month) stay in the US. Probably anyone, Brazilian or estrangeiro, who has left Brazil for a trip abroad has experienced what I did: A fleeting moment of semi-celebrity. Often it goes something like this: “So John, my friend, you are going to visit in the US? [...]
Posted in Brazil Facts, My Trips, News, Podcasts, Random Musings, Rio de Janeiro on 14. Feb, 2011
Hi all! As Mark Twain once said, “The rumors of my death have been greatly exaggerated.” No, I’m not dead, just MIA. I spent 2 months in the US, spending the holidays and helping my mother prepare her house for sale. ANYWAY, I got busy and let the blog lapse. But I am back and [...]
Posted in Activities, My Trips, Rio de Janeiro, Travel Recommendations on 13. Nov, 2010
Hi all, Down the coast from Rio along BR-101 you will come to Angra dos Reis. Just off the coast lies Ilha Grande (Big Island), a top area tourist destination for both foreigners and Brazilians. I visited there once a couple of years ago. My view is that it is overrated, but there are many [...]
Posted in My Trips, Rio de Janeiro, Travel Recommendations on 05. Nov, 2010
Hi all, In a bit of serendipity, my MacBook is back! More lives than a cat, this thing. More on its most recent resurrection later. Today I offer up another postcard. Everyone has heard of Rio the Magnificent City, but fewer folks know that Rio de Janeiro is also a state – just like New York [...]
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