Brazil travel tips and stories. Vacations ideas, cruises spa and resorts

The statue of Christ the Redeemer is probably one of the most recognized images of Brazil . It is located in Rio de Janeiro on the top of the Corcovado Mountain . Overlooking the city, it probably has one of the best views that can be found of Rio . The statue is currently 72 years old and has gone under several extensive renovations, which included adding an elevator in 2002.
The statue was first conceived in 1921 when a campaign to gather funds from the Catholic Church was held. The idea for the statue came when the country was to celebrate 100 years of independence. Donations were not received to build the statue until about ten years later. The first person commissioned to design the statue was Carlos Oswaldo. His vision for the statue was for Christ to be carrying a cross, holding a globe in his hands, and standing over a pedestal that was supposed to represent the world. Later, the public of Rio thought that Christ with open arms would be the best representation of the city.The statue was not sculpted in Brazil ; it was instead sculpted in France by a sculptor whose name was Paul Landowski.

Continue reading The Statue of Christ Redeemer, Brazil

People around the world relax in very different ways. We look at favorite leisure activities in three continents….

Surfing capital of the world
Any sunny day on the coast of Australia you can see hundreds of young people going to the beach. They all share Australia’s national passion-surfing. These soul surfers, as they are often called, practice the sport purely for personal enjoyment and many even find a deeper meaning through involving themselves directly with naturally occurring wave pattern. “My friends and I usually go down to the beach before breakfast in the summer”, says 18-years-old Jerry, “and come home again for dinner”. At weekends it is quite normal to drive hundreds of kilometres to find that “perfect wave”. But in Sidney, the biggest city in Australia, you don’t have that problem-there are thirty-four beaches close to the city centre!

Continue reading Some ideas of fun! Don’t miss an opportunity!

Hram-pametnik Aleksander Nevski (St Alexander Nevski Memorial Church)
Said to be Sofia’s most photographed monument, Alexander Nevski is a magnificent neo-Byzantine cathedral-sized church, topped by copper and golden domes. Considered the heart of the city, it was built between 1882 and 1912, in honor of the Russian soldiers, who fell when the Russian army helped liberate Bulgaria from Ottoman rule in 1878. The church takes its name from Alexander Nevski, credited with saving Russia from Swedish troops in 1240 and the patron saint of the family of the tsar at that time, Alexander II – also known as Tsar Osvoboditel, the ‘Tsar Liberator’ – who led the army that drove out the Turks.

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The Cote D`Azur, south of France, French Riviera – call it (or say it) whatever you want to but all these names provoke the stunning beauty and splendour of that magnificient piece of land that starts in the easternmost corner of France with Menton, the grand lady of the Belle Epoch are, running through Monte Carlo, Nice, Cannes, Grasse, all the way to St. Tropez.
We explored this region of balmy weather, stony beaches, sheer cliffs, grand hotels, cosy cafes,stuning views and beautiful people.

Continue reading The Best of The French Riviera

Iguazu Falls are one of the most spectacular sights in the world. Depending on the season and water flows, Iguazu is made up of 150 to 270 subsidiary falls that stretch across a two mile area of Argentina and Brazil. The average drop from the top of the falls to the narrow canyon below is 240 feet (by contrast, Niagara Falls drops 170 feet on the Canadian side and only 110 feet on the American side).

Continue reading The most imposing natural attractions in Argentina, and why not in South America

The four days and nights of carnaval in Rio are the lavish self-indulgent anything-goes exotic exhibitionist spectacle the world sees. They are the result of year-long planning organizing practicing and fantasies – and a lot of hard work!

The dates change from year to year. Check the schedule for Rio de Janeiro’s Carnaval Dates. To get to any of the carnaval locations, you’ll need travel arrangements. Compare and select flights from your area. You can also browse for hotels and car rentals.

Carnaval came to South America from Europe as celebrations before the beginning of the forty day Lenten season of fasting and prayer. The word carnival is thought to come from the Italian carne vale or farewell to meat which was not eaten during Lent. These late winter celebrations in Europe gave root to the high-summer frenzy of carnaval in South America.

In Brazil, the Portuguese traditions of entrudo throwing water flour and mud at unsuspecting passers-by evolved into a more lighthearted flour and water or egg tossing spree in Brazil. At the beginning the celebrations were a form of merry-making that the higher classes celebrated privately in their homes while the poorer classes took to the streets in unplanned and unformed revelry. The aristocratic gentry might have looked down on the street frolics but it wasn’t long before the more adventurous among them ventured out heavily masked and disguised to join the fun.

Continue reading Carnival in Rio has been called the world’s most famous party

Iguazu Falls are one of the most spectacular sights in the world. Taller than Niagara Falls, twice as wide with 275 cascades spread in a horsehoe shape over nearly two miles of the Iguazu River, Iguazú Falls are the result of a volcanic eruption which left yet another large crack in the earth. Iguazú Falls is undoubtedly the most visited place in Misiones and one of the most imposing natural attractions in Argentina, and why not in South America.

The waterfall system consists of about 270 falls along 2.7 kilometres (1.67 miles) of the Iguazu River. The average drop from the top of the falls to the narrow canyon below is 240 feet (by contrast, Niagara Falls drops 170 feet on the Canadian side and only 110 feet on the American side). Iguazú river is born in Paraná state in Brazil, and after crossing 1,200 km. on a plateau where it receives several affluents, it reaches a fault forming a crack in the interleaved layers of sandstone and basalt where the river runs.

Continue reading Maybe the Most Amazing Waterfalls on the Planet – Iguazu Falls

Colombia is bordered on the northwest by Panama, on the east by Venezuela and Brazil, and on the southwest by Peru and Ecuador. Through the western half of the country, three Andean ranges run north and south. The eastern half is a low, jungle-covered plain, drained by spurs of the Amazon and Orinoco Rivers, inhabited mostly by isolated tropical-forest Indian tribes. The fertile plateau and valley of the eastern range are the most densely populated parts of the country.

Official Name: Republica de Colombia.
Capital: Bogota.
Independence day: July 20, 1810.

NATURAL FEATURES
Area: 440,831 square miles (1,141,748 square kilometres), includes the San Andres y Providencia archipelago.
Climate:Tropical. Varies according to the altitude.
Highest Peak: Pico Cristobal Colon, 19,020 feet (5,800 meters).
Major Rivers: Magdalena, Cauca, Meta, Guaviare, Caqueta, Putumayo, Atrato, Vaupes, Vichada.
Mountain Ranges: Occidental, Central, Oriental.

PEOPLE
Population: 39,309,422 (July 1999 est.); 89.2, people per square mile (34.5 people per square kilometer); 73 percent urban, 27 percent rural.
Major Cities: Bogota, Medellin, Cali, Barranquilla, Cartagena, Cucuta, Bucaramanga
Religions: Roman Catholicism, 95.4%.
Language: Spanish (official).

Continue reading One of the most impressive things about Colombia is the landscape that surrounds the country

The state capital, the city of Rio de Janeiro, contains some of the country’s most well-known postcard views, including Copacabana Beach, Sugarloaf, Corcovado, and the Maracanã soccer stadium. Some federal government agencies still have their headquarters in the state, a legacy of the period when Rio was the nation’s capital. This is true of the State petroleum company, Petrobrás, and sports federations such as the Brazilian Soccer Federation (CBF). The economy is based on industry (metallurgy, steel-making, chemicals, mineral extraction, food products, mechanical goods, publishing and printing, and paper and cellulose), and tourism. The state is located in the eastern part of the

Continue reading A little dancing on the sand will put the jingle back in your tambourine.

Cote d’Ivoire is one of the most beautiful countries in Central Africa. The most powerful attraction of the Cote d’Ivoire or as it is also known as the Ivory Coast is its people, so if you’re interested in African history, art or music, this is the place to be. There’s also a whole lot of physical beauty, from towering mountains to fishing villages, easily reached on some of the best roads in Africa.

Continue reading Something more about Cote d’Ivoire