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
Taboca Time
The other day, as I was leaving my apartment and walking down the stairs, I heard the musical clang clang clang of a triangle being beaten. At the main stairway leading down to the street, I saw a taboqueiro standing on the steps, a thick silver triangle around his wrist. Reaching deep into the metallic container that was hoisted, knapsack-style, onto his back, he pulled out glistening plastic bags filled with long, cylindrical tabocas, and handed them to my neighbor, Roskildes (undoubtedly, a treat for the latter’s two identical twins, Dri and Dré, who were due back from nursery school at any minute).
For years now, I’ve heard taboqueiros’ insistent triangle-ing, and witnessed their steady marching along sidewalks and across beaches in search of hungry customers. However, I must confess (somewhat shamefully) that I’ve never, ever sunk my teeth into a taboca. more >>
A Swashbuckling Amazon Adventure for the 21rst Century
I find it immensely reassuring that in this 21rst century of texting and twittering, there still remains a little room for good, old-fashioned, swashbuckling adventure such as the one about the man who traveled the entire length of the Amazon River– from source to mouth – on foot! more >>
Foodies-on-a-Budget Guide to Brazilian Capitals
While menus executivos – fixed price, weekday lunch menus that allow gourmets with low funds to eat out in high style at top restaurants – are rampant in São Paulo, and fairly common in Rio de Janeiro, in other Brazilian cities, they’re pretty far and in-between. Fortunately, there are a few exceptions, and with any luck the trend will continue to spread. In the meantime, here are a few worthy options in major cities scattered throughout the land (hours and addresses are included in links):
Foodies-on-a-Budget Guide to Rio de Janeiro
I was not at all surprised to learn that Rio de Janeiro was recently voted the “happiest” city in the world in a survey conducted by GfK Custom Research North America, and published by Forbes.com. Although I’m not quite sure how such things are measured scientifically, the city has always had a euphoric impact upon me as well as most of the people I know (both Brazilians and foreigners) who have had the privilege of flying down to Rio. more >>
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