Brazil Blog
About this blog
Thrill of Brazil is a travel blog all about Brazil written by Moon Brazil author Michael Sommers. Michael blogs about Brazil travel, culture, and more. He welcomes questions, comments, and story ideas.
Recent Posts
- Care for a Drink with your Film? (or a Film with your Drink?)
- Brazil’s Homegrown Tourism Boom
- Brazil's Best and Write-est
- Making House Calls in Rio (Part II)
- Making House Calls in Rio (Part I)
- The Dawning of Brazil's B&B Age
- Rio's Alternative Points of View
- Taxi Trouble in Santa Teresa
- Obamas Take to the Campaign Trail in Brazil
- Plans and Punctuality
- Reliving Tropicalismo - On and Off Screen
- Food and Lodging that Make the Grade
- The Making of Moon Living Abroad in Brazil
- U.S. is Number One Source of Immigrants to Brazil
- Best English-Language Blogs about Brazil
Something Fishy Going on in Brazilian Fashion
Over the last decade, Brazilian fashion has really come into its own. After years of largely following American and European trends and techniques, Brazilian designers – and the Brazilian public – have loosened up, gained confidence, and found inspiration in the country’s rich cultural and artisanal traditions and unique homegrown materials. more >>
Stretching your Dollar in Brazil
This week, The New York Times’ Practical Traveler section published a timely piece entitled “How to Stretch Your Dollar in South America”. After praising how “hot” South America has become as a travel destination and how inexpensive it is compared to Europe, author Susan Stellin backtracked somewhat by stating that some countries – specifically Argentina and Brazil– are not quite as bargain basement as some might think. more >>
New Archaeological Finds point to Sophisticated Amazonian Civilization
Turns out that the myth about El Dorado, the lost city in the midst of the Amazon rainforest, peopled by an advanced civilization, is not so much of myth after all.
Ever since the 16th century, when Spanish explorer Francisco de Orellana navigated his way down the length of the Amazon River in search of the legendary city of gold and riches, countless adventurers (both real and armchair) have been inspired by the idea of a lost civilization hidden away in the jungle. Many have been inflamed by historic first-hand accounts such as that of Spanish chronicler Gaspar de Carvajal, the Spanish friar who accompanied the Orellana expedition, and who wrote about "cities that gleamed white," "fine highways," and "very fruitful land." more >>
The Miseducation of Laura (and Brazil)
My cleaning lady, Laura, doesn’t know how to read.
I first met Laura over 10 years ago, when I moved into an apartment with Bahian friends. Laura had just started working for the friend whose apartment it was and, for an astoundingly long time, she fooled us all.
Laura was always amazingly punctual so it never dawned on us that she didn’t know how to tell time.
She didn’t have a phone (these were pre cell phone days when land lines in Brazil cost a small fortune) so we never dreamed that she didn’t know how to dial one.
She knew how to get around town with great ease by bus so we never imagined that instead of reading the destinations on the front, she recognized the companies’ logos and memorized the digits that indicated the number of the route. more >>
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