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The Changing Face(s) of Rio
Photo © Michael Sommers.
In recent blog posts, I’ve made numerous allusions to the many changes, propelled by unprecedented economic growth, that are currently taking place in Brazil. Perhaps no place, however, is suffering quite so many transformations as the city of Rio de Janeiro.
Spurred on (m
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(Re)discovering Glow-in-the-Dark Mushrooms in Brazil
It seems to be the season for discoveries of a fantastical Nature in Brazil.
Hot on the heels of a double-header of Amazonian novelties – a new species of B-movie-worthy exploding zombie ants and a never before contacted Indian tribe found living in a remote patch of rainforest – the latest news t
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The Missed Flight
Photo © Michael Sommers.
I did something really dumb this week.
Something I’ve never, ever done in all my 40-something years of traveling.
I missed my flight.
Not just any old flight.
But my flight back home to Salvador
– which, actually entailed three flights:
1) New York-Charlotte
2) Charlotte-R
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Clouds of Consolidation Threaten Brazil’s Open Skies
In recent years, both Brazilians and foreigners traveling around Brazil have rejoiced in the emergence of a number of top-notch, budget airlines such as Trip, Webjet, Azul, and Avianca (formerly Ocean Air). Giving the two dominant giants of the Brazilian skies – TAM and Gol – a run for their money
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Reflections on Living in Brazil, Part 1
A couple of weeks ago I received a comment from a reader, “flyingturtle,” who confessed that she and her husband were interested in:
1. Visiting Brazil
2. Considering maybe even moving to Brazil somewhere down the line.
She asked if I could write a post about “Quality of Life/Living in Brazil.” I
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Reflections on Living in Brazil, Part 2
A couple of weeks ago I received a comment from a reader, “flyingturtle,” who confessed that she and her husband were interested in:
1. Visiting Brazil
2. Considering maybe even moving to Brazil somewhere down the line.
She asked if I could write a post about “Quality of Life/Living in Brazil.” In
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Trolley Service Suspended after Tragic Accident in Rio's Santa Teresa
Photo © Michael Sommers.
One of Rio de Janeiro’s oldest and most charming neighborhoods is the bucolic hillside bairro of Santa Teresa , whose gracious villas and winding cobblestoned streets gaze out over the blue waters of the Baía de Guanabara.
Oozing in atmosphere, in recent years Santa Teresa
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On the Go with a Baby in Brazil, Part 1
Marissa and Lulu in front of Oscar Niemeyer’s Museu de Arte Contemporânea, Niterói, Rio de Janeiro. Photo © Pedro Novak.
In late March of this year, I received a comment on this blog from Marissa Cortes, a young woman from New York who was traveling through Brazil for several months with her
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Commemorating Cachaça
Earlier this week – September 13 to be exact – was one of those days that make me love Brazil: Dia Nacional da Cachaça.
Just imagine an entire day devoted to the distilled sugar cane alcohol without which the world would never have known the marvelously refreshing innovation that is the caipirinha
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The Young and the Ketchup
There’s a great expression that people use in Brazil whenever they hear a story that seems too over-the-top to be true (which is surprisingly often in Brazil): “é coisa de novela.” (literal translation: “it’s something from a soap opera”).
“Coisa de novela” is not only a testament to the prevalenc
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The (Brazilian) Beat Goes On
I fell in love with Brazilian music began before I ever set foot in Brazil.
Indeed, I remember with great sharpness my first formal “introduction” to Brazilian music (I’m not including elevator versions of “The Girl from Ipanema”). I was in my early 20s and living in Paris and had just fallen in l
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Will That Be Cash or Capivaris?
Photo © Michael Sommers.
Most foreigners who travel to Brazil are aware that the country’s currency is the mighty real (which, tourists will be glad to know, has recently lost some value against the U.S. dollar). Few, however, suspect that there are presently over 60 legal currencies in circulatio
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More Coisas de Novela
Several weeks ago I posted about the ubiquity of the term “coisa de novela” (literal translation: “it’s something from a soap opera.”), a great expression that Brazilians use whenever they hear a story that seems too over-the-top to be true. In that post, I went on to talk about an outlandishly sc
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The Pink Dog
Photo © Michael Sommers.
In 1996, I moved to Brazil for the first time and spent six months living in Salvador. During this period my sister made her first trip to Brazil (excluding a quick pit stop in Rio de Janeiro in 1970 in the company of our parents). Together we took many trips around Bahia
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When to Go to Brazil
Photo © Michael Sommers.
A small, but crucial part of every travel writer’s fundamental duties is providing a response to the oft-posed question: “When to Go?”
I can’t speak for my colleagues, but from my own experience writing about Brazil, “When to Go?” used to be one of the easier questions tos
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Alternative Transportation Rules in Bahia
Photo © Michael Sommers.
My sister and I just returned from a 3-week trip along the coast of Bahia. One of the largest states in Brazil, Bahia is about the size of France. Although (sadly) there are no high-speed TGV trains to whisk one around, a surprisingly diverse array of transportation option
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Samburá: A Meal Well Worth the Walk
Photo © Michael Sommers.
My sister and I love to eat well, and – viewed our career choices, if possible – cheaply. Whenever we stumble upon a restaurant that combines these two attributes, we pretty much tumble into ecstasy.
We were fortunate to have honed our palates in cities where culinary expe
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What to See in Rio de Janeiro's Santa Teresa Bairro
The scenic Santa Teresa neighborhood in Rio de Janeiro city. Photo © Cyro A. Silva, licensed Creative Commons Attribution.
It would be a shame to come to Rio de Janeiro and not visit the utterly charming, bucolic hilltop neighborhood of Santa Teresa, one of the city’s oldest residential bairros. I
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Bars and Nightclubs in Ipanema and Leblon
Made with cachaça, sugar, and lime, caipirinhas are Brazil’s national cocktail. Photo by Charlie Phillips licensed Creative Commons Attribution.
Both Ipanema and Leblon possess a vibrant nightlife that runs the gamut from laid-back, beloved sidewalk botequins to stylish bars, lounges, and a
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What to See in Rio de Janeiro City's Jardim Botânico
In addition to Rio’s botanical garden the Jardim Botânico neighborhood is home to some of the city’s chicest restaurants and bars. Photo © Rodrigo Soldon, licensed Creative Commons
On the far side of the Lagoa (across from Ipanema) is the lush upscale neighborhood of Jardim Botânico. W
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