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
World Cup Fever & Fervor - Brazilian Style
Last Tuesday, Brazil played its first game in the World Cup and I missed it. I don't mean that I missed the actual game – although I didn't watch the match itself, I could have done so in any one of numerous Brazilian bars located in my sister's neighborhood of Astoria, Queens. No, I missed the experience – and for that I would have had to have been in Brazil.
When I was still there a month ago, the country was already in the throes of pre-"Copa" jitters. Everyone and his brother was opining about which players would (and should) make the final Seleção (team), and when the final pick was announced, everyone and his brother criticized the choices. more >>
The NYT's Frugal Traveler in Brazil
I don't know if any of you have ever read a great blog published by The New York Times called "Frugal Traveler". Published in the Times' travel section, for the last three years, the blog was authored by Matt Gross, a charmingly geeky presence whose attempts to travel cheaply around the globe were informative, entertaining, and frequently quite contentious (he was often taken to task by readers – sometimes quite vehemently – for not being quite as budget-minded as some hard-core budget travelers expected a "frugal" traveler to be). more >>
Beauty and the Bündchen
In Moon Brazil and in my previous posts, I often touch on the fact that one consequence of traveling around Brazil is the discovery that there are many different countries contained within this continent-sized nation. The observation was underscored this week in an article published in The New York Times. In a piece entitled "Off Runway, Brazilian Beauty Goes Beyond Blond" Brazilian correspondent Alexei Barrionuevo highlights yet another Brazilian paradox: despite being a country in which over 50 percent of the population possesses some African and indigenous descendency (i.e. isn't white), when it comes to the way Brazilian women are represented on the world's runways and in the fashion media, the whiter, blonder, and more European, the better. more >>
TAM Airlines Joins the Star Alliance
The other week, while flying up from São Paulo to New York, I was leafing numbly through Continental's in-flight magazine when I came across some exciting news: TAM was joining the Star Alliance.
Most frequent flyers are probably familiar with the Star Alliance. The planet's single largest airline network, its (now 27) members offer more flights to more destinations (975) in more countries (162) than any other network. North American members include Air Canada, Continental, United, and U.S. Air; the first three all offer direct flights from Canadian and U.S. cities to São Paulo's Guarulhos International Airport, Brazil's major air hub and TAM's headquarters. more >>
Buy Moon Travel Guides
Search
Moon Travel Guides make independent travel and outdoor exploration fun and accessible. With expert and adventurous travel writers delivering a mix of honest insight, first-rate strategic travel advice, insider travel tips and an essential dose of humor, Moon Travel Guides ensure that travelers have an uncommon and entirely satisfying experience. Each travel book is filled with unique trip ideas, easy-to-use maps, and detailed information on sights, restaurants, and accommodations. Moon Travel Guides not only point you in the right direction, they inspire new ideas and adventure. Whether you are seeking a relaxing beach trip to Hawaii, or an adventure travel trip to the rainforests of Costa Rica, Moon guidebooks—and Moon.com—are with you every step of the way. Founded in 1973, the Moon Travel Guides series includes Moon Handbooks, Moon Outdoors, Moon Metro, Moon Living Abroad and Moon Spotlight travel books. Moon is based in Berkeley, California and is a proud member of the Perseus Books Group.