Grand Escapades
Travel Photography & Travel Experiences of Africa, South America, the Middle-East & Asia
Miraflores, Lima, Peru
Arriving in Lima turned out to be quite a shock… Winter here on the Pacific Coast really means winter, not like in Rio de Janeiro where temperatures climb up to 32 decrees Celcius during the day. Here at night temperatures fall far below 10 degrees and during the day hardly get over 15. On top of that, it is damp, which makes it so much worse AND the sky is always grey. We are basically wearing all the warm clothes we have brought… Continue Reading →
Santa Teresa Tramway (Bondinho), Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, South America
Brazil is definitely no longer a budget destination. This made us actually shorten our stay here and with lots of guilty feelings we decided to skip certain destinations such as the Chapada Diamantina National Parc or the whole Minais Gerais region to spend more time in cheaper countries such as Peru or Bolivia. Continue Reading →
Rocinha, home to 180.000 people, is the biggest favela in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
After visiting fancy Leblon & Ipanema, bohemian Santa Teresa, the busy Centro and other nice neighbourhoods in Zone Sul, we decided to see how the less fortunate inhabitants of Rio live. There are currently 500 favelas in Rio, all perched on mountain slopes, often very, very close to the most expensive neighbourhoods. Continue Reading →
View of Sao Paulo from the top of the highest building, the Edicifío Italia, on the 42nd floor … Unbelievable!
The cheapest flights in Brazil leave at unholy hours, so again we left the very cosy Trip Hostel in Santa Teresa in Rio de Janeiro at 04:00 am and we finally hit our pillows precisely 24 hours later in Lima at 02:00 am local time. This budget journey included a 12 hour stop-over in Sao Paulo. Any stopover in a city of 17 millions has to be superficial and unrewarding, but truly there is not much to see no matter how hard the Lonely Planet and the Tourist Office try to promote the historic center. Continue Reading →
The world famous Cristo Redentor, a 38 meters high statue that definitely is one of Rio´s landmarks! Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
We arrived on a Saturday, just in time to join in some of the typical weekend activities. One we learned of by chance, was eating Feijoda on a Saturday, a black bean stew with a variety of meats, like tongue and pork cut-offs. It is served with rice, fried manioc flour, a green vegetable called kale and pieces of oranges. Gilles simply loved it – hey, it was lots of meat! Heidi would prefer a vegetarian version.
The cable car going up the Pao de Acucar at sunset … Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Going to Rio for the first time is simply exciting: will the city live up to its reputation and our expectations? After a few conversations with fellow travellers, we found out that flying in Brazil can be cheaper than taking a long distance bus. This is especially true on routes starting & going to Rio de Janeiro. So instead of spending 27 hours on a bus from Salvador, it took us 1 hour and 50 minutes and we actually even saved 12 Reals per person flying!!! Continue Reading →
Beach Number 4, Morro de Sao Paulo, near Salador de Bahia
One of the things we did not want to miss while visiting Brazil was its beautiful, postcard-like beaches. We followed the recommendation of several fellow travellers and decided to head for Morro de Sao Paulo, an island two hours from Salvador by boat. Continue Reading →
Capoeira dancers performing with their class on the street, Salvador de Bahia, Brazil
There have been several highlights during our stay in Salvador de Bahia apart from visiting the Pelourinho … which is by the way far less interesting and not as well preserved than the colonial laid-back city of Olinda!
View of Praca Terreiro de Jesus, Salador de Bahia, Brazil
Salvador is a must on every tourist´ agenda for many reasons. Firstly it hosts the second largest Carnival in Brazil, secondly for its old colonial historic centre, the Pelourinho and above all, its unique cultural background. Nowhere in the Americas have the descendants of African slaves preserved their culture more strongly than here! It is obvious in the music, the cuisine, the religion or types of dance of this Bahia town – at times we almost forgot that we were in Brazil! Continue Reading →
Natural pool at Praia da Atalaia, on the West Coast of Fernando de Noronha National Park, Brazil
If you wonder what makes Fernando de Noronha such a desired holiday destination: it is a beautiful island with 11 golden sandy beaches without any people, great landscapes and very good snorkelling. Most of the island is a Marine National Park that is protected by IBAMA. They also run a project to save and protect turtles, including a museum and lectures. There is also a bay that is off-limit to the public where dolphins come to feed every morning and the rest of the day you may encounter them while taking a boat trip. So the “environmental tourist” feels that this is what you pay for. Continue Reading →