About SAE: Membership Services: Join/Renew : |
|
 |
South American Explorers |
Name - Jesse Miller
Email - jessem@u.arizona.edu
Address - 2231 N Margaret Ave Tucson AZ 85716
Dates - June95-Oct95
Comments - During my four months I traveled almost over the entire
country...from Sao Paulo to Manaus to Fortaleza to Igaucu to Porto Seguro. It would take
hours to relate a detailed trip report so I'll just give some of the basics and if anyone
is interested in hearing more they can contact me. I would also like to say that if one is
REALLY interested in exploring Brazil, they should allow at least as much time as I did as
it is such a vast nation.
SAO PAOLO: I spent quite a bit of time here and nearby. The city itself is incredible
and...absolutely enormous. Sao Paulo is often overlooked as an entry point into Brazil
when compared with Rio, but it is no less spectacular. While Rio might have Cococabana and
Sugar Loaf, Sao Paulo has the dynamic energy of New York. No matter the time of day, or
night for that matter, there is ALWAYS something going on. Transit is easy on the subway
and you can catch flights or buses to anywhere else in Brazil. Take a walking tour of
downtown near the Praca da Republica, visit the museum of modern art, and just in general
absorb the energy of being in one of the largest cities in the world.
If all the hustle and bustle gets to you though head to the NORTH EAST. I spent a few
weeks in FORTELEZA, which in general isn't a massive tourist destination, but the beaches
nearby are gorgeous. But the one thing that should NOT be missed in Forteleza is
FORTAL...a huge party to celebrate nothing! Indeed, the only reason that the locals gave
me for the party was that it was 6 months until carnaval and that they didn't want to wait
that long! And while the party isn't quite carnaval, its the next best thing if you don't
have the luck to be in Brazil during Febuary. I don't know if there are exact dates for
the festival every year, but when I was there it took place the 2nd weekend of Sept...so
get up there and party with 500,000 of your closest friends from dusk till dawn for 4 days
straight!
PORTO SEGURO, TRANCOSO, ARRIAL D'AJUDDA: This area was my favorite of all Brazil. After
being targeted by pick pockets twice in Salvador I wanted to get to the deserted tropical
beaches that one tends to think of when thinking of Brazil. Porto Seguro itself isn't much
of anything special...mostly just a trap for Brazillian tourists, spend maybe a day here
then head south. I hiked along the beaches to the next couple towns which was a fantastic
experience...if you want to get attention, where a 50lb North Face pack on nude beaches!
The walks were easy and safe and there is nothing like rolling into a seaside village
after a 10 mile hike and drinking a cold Brahma and eating fresh crab. The people in
Arrial and Transcoso were super nice and laid back...and while Arrial is getting a bit
touristy now, Transcoso still has dirt roads and a diffinent Bohemian feel to it. A must
visit for all travelers wanting calm and relaxation.
I also visited MANAUS. If you ask me, its quite a tragedy to have 3 million people living
in the middle of the greatest rainforest on earth...but I shouldn't pass judgement as we
as Americans haven't built our nation without exploiting its resources and people.
Anyways, get out of the city and into the forest. But this is the hard part as the moment
you step off the plane you will be completely bombarded with agencies claiming that they
have the best tours available. The good thing about though was that I managed to get a
free ride into town and the agent set me up in a decent hotel at a decent price. There is
no safe way to pick a good agency either, I met one couple who had been completely screwed
over ( a day short and none of the promises fullfilled). But I will offer some guidelines
for picking a company: 1)Pick a package that has small groups, it might be a bit more
expensive, but who wants to be on a boat with 30 other tourists. 2) Going along with this,
you are almost gaurenteed a miserable experience if all your tour consists of is cruising
on a big boat up and down the Amazon. The river is like an LA freeway with boats and the
big boats can't get into the jungle. Being the opiniated guy I am, I think I was on the
best tour. I was whisked on a small motorboat with 3 other tourists about 1 1/2 hours from
Manaus into the backwaters. We stayed in a floating house and each morning and evening we
would go out to do stuff like catch Piranhas, hike, just cruise through waterways, etc. It
was truly a wonderful experience.
IGAUCU FALLS: an absolutely stunning sight, especially if you're from the desert like me.
There isn't much else to the town so two or three days is all you need, but make sure that
you see the Brazillian AND Argentenian sides. In fact, the Argentine National Park was
much larger and more fully developed. You can also visit Itaipu dam, an OK visit if you
have extra time.
SALVADOR: Should not be missed either. The Pelorinho district is awesome, the churches,
buildings, and museums are all worthy visits. In fact, if you are interested in this
seeing the colonial architecture of Brazil, go to Salvador and skip RECIFE/OLINDA.
OK. One last general note on traveling in Brazil. If you want to cover vast distances in
Brazil, purchase a Brazil Air Pass which is an extremely good deal. The only drawback is
that all the passes must be used in 3 weeks. But there is still no better way to get to
Manaus, down to Igaucu, over to Salvador...remember you don't have to end the city that
you started out in. When I went, it was 5 one way tickets for $440...roundtrip busfare
from Sao Paulo to Salvador alone was about $190! Once your airpass does run out though,
take the busses! Airfares without the passes are insane and besides the buses are
reliable, go anywhere, and you can always meet someone interesting. I could give a lot
more tips and info, but thats all I have in me for now. If someone would like some
information on what to see, do, how to do it, and what to be wary of...email me at: jessem@u.arizona.edu Tchau.
Exchange Rate - 1:1
Rating: 10
Weather - Winter in S. / Tropics in NE
Terrain - Beaches, desert, mountains, jungle,...and about everything else
Route - Bus, plane, and foot
Hotels - Too many to think of...but in general, especially during the low
season, budget accomendations are plentiful, reasonable, and well worth the price
Essentials - As always, a bit of the native language goes a long way. If
one knows Portuguese it can really enhance the entire experience.
About SAE: Membership Services: Join/Renew : |
|
|
South American Explorers |