In 1502 a Portuguese expedition exploring the coast of Brazil arrived at the mouth of what they erroneously believed to be a great river flowing out into the Atlantic between two headlands (which was later revealed to be Guanabara Bay). The expedition arrived in January and clearly the captain had limited imagination because he named the area January River (Rio de Janeiro). Brazil is very … [Read more...]
Ipanema, Rio de Janeiro, Day 131
By
The weather is trying to be happy today, which is enough to entice the Cariocas (natives of Rio) to the beach. And it’s not long before Christi and I join them. This morning we're going to explore the slightly more up market Ipanema beach (and can’t you just hear that classic song in your head: Tall and tan and young and lovely, the girl from Ipanema goes walking…) before returning to Copacabana … [Read more...]
Sugar Loaf Mountain, Rio de Janeiro, Day 132
By
An overnight bus ride to Ouro Prêto beckons. I’m so over these damn night buses, but needs must when the devil drives or some such rot. Moreover, the bus does not leave until 11.30 pm while Christi and I have to check-out from the hotel Apa at noon, so we have nigh on 12 hours walking the streets of Rio ahead of us. Just great. We have grand plans to do something impressive today, but the … [Read more...]
Ouro Prêto, Brazil, Day 133
By
The bus ride from Rio de Janeiro to Ouro Prêto is…unpleasant. The seats are uncomfortable, there’s no food, and not a steward in sight. All Christi and I have is a very argumentative driver and a long bumpy road. We do, however, arrive on time. I manage some sleep, but Christi does not because her shoulders are painfully sunburned. Quite how she managed this in Rio is beyond me. … [Read more...]
Eastern parish, Ouro Preto, Day 134
By
After a leisurely breakfast we throw on our wet-weather gear and continue exploring. Today we are going further afield, to the Eastern parish for more church spotting. We walk the soggy cobblestone streets, occasionally scratching our heads as we take wrong turnings (a combination of bad maps and poor street signage) until after a rather steep hike (up and down) we make it to Igreja de Santa … [Read more...]
Follow Us!