Carnival in Rio gets wild on the beach.. The Sambadrome is ready for people and floats like you see on TV but meanwhile… Neighborhoods all over Rio make their own party like this that I enjoyed at last year’s (2016) celebration. All ages, all races joined in to play music together and follow the small parade around the neighborhood. Some people danced, a fair … Continue reading Carnival in A Rio Neighborhood
No festival or concert in the United States prepared me for the crowds of Carnival in Salvador, Brazil. It was beyond what I could have imagined but that made it even more amazing. I read on the Lonely Planet and Thorn Tree forums about Carnival in Salvador but it was much crazier then they had described. Does this mean you should not go to Carnival … Continue reading Carnival in Salvador, Bahia Brazil
Salvador is a seaside city north of Rio de Janeiro by 1000 miles in the state of Bahia. It is known for its large Afro-Brazilian population and culture, historical center called the Pelourinho and a Carnaval that is more street then feathers and high heels like in Rio. I visited Salvador to go to Carnaval and it was an amazing. Throughout the week I tried … Continue reading Street Art: Salvador, Brazil
I wanted to go to Brazil and I had an opportunity but I wasn’t sure I should go. Going to Brazil was great but was it the right thing for the moment? I would be traveling with my brother in South America but the Brazil portion would be by myself. By the time I decided for sure there were no appointments available at the San … Continue reading Getting a Tourist Visa for Brazil on the fly in Lima, Peru
Santa Theresa is one of the oldest neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro. Compared to modern neighborhoods like Copacabana and Ipanema, it is ornate, spray painted and much of it could be considered run down–but it has a unique to itself charm. According to my Airbnb Santa Theresa host, it began as a convent on the hill and grew as people sought better air and more … Continue reading Street Art of Santa Theresa, Rio de Janeiro
It’s been more than twenty years since I stumbled into my first encounter with Brazilian dance. It was 1992 or 1993 in Santa Cruz, California and spontaneously I attended a performance of Brazilian dance at Louden Nelson Center. Immediately I knew it was something I was interested in. I still remember seeing Conceição Damaseco dance samba beautifully in a white outfit that evening. Continue reading “Brazilian Music and Dance Coming Full Circle at Carnival in Salvador, Brazil”
The Orixa are the gods, deities and elements of Candomblé, Santeria, Macumba and other religions all descending from the Yorba people of Nigeria. I got to see signs of the Orixa in both Brazil and in Miami (via Cuba) in Little Havana during my trip to South America this spring. Continue reading Signs of the Orixa in Salvador and Little Havana (Photos)
1. My body type is well represented on the beach. Lots of women in bikinis with butts, rolls, tummies and dimples and not a care in the world. Continue reading “Things that I love so far about Rio de Janeiro”
