Experiencing Brazil Civilization and History

Paul Shoul sets the mood with his beginning paragraphs explaining his trip to Minas Gerais Brazil in his article, Minas Gerais: A Toast to the Heart of Brazil. Explaining the music, the humming conversations, the location, the people, the poetry. He depicts the beautiful scenery of homes and landscapes around one of the most beautiful and fun locatins in Brazil. Shoul's article depicting his travelling experience is beautiful and thorough with a mix of everything and an amazing assortment of pictures...it has been by far the hardest blog i've had to write because there are so many interesting aspects to his voyage.

He has one of those deep accented voices that makes the most mundane of things seem a prophesy about tortured love. Even if I cannot understand a word of Portuguese I am ready to believe whatever he says. His poetry floats out the window onto the balcony and over the golden town flickering at dusk.

Expanding from a business and convention center, tourism is growing as more people are starting to discover this part of the country and its rich culture and history. It boasts a great gastronomy, the largest outdoor market in Latin America, art museums, historic cathedrals beautiful parks and by the way is also known as the “the bar capital of Brazil.”

The nightlife spreads out onto the sidewalks with countless small tables filled with students drinking from ice buckets filled with quart bottles of skol or other beer. Brazilians like their beer really cold. They are very strict about it. What a great scene.

The main attraction are the countless waiters swarming the room with skewers laden with meat; the action is fast. A bartender mixes drinks for you at your seat from a rolling bar on wheels. There are over 26 cuts of meat that are brought to your table continuously until you give in. It’s hard to pace yourself, but the best cuts are brought to you last, so try to hold out. It was over-the-top amazing.

You need to have your other senses engaged: sweat mingling with the wind and sun on your skin after climbing to the top of the Ouro Preto hills, the thoughtful silence of the miracle room at Congohas, the brilliant colors of Tiradentes or the sudden cold, dense quiet that overtakes you as you descend 1000 feet into a gold mine.

But the best part is the trip over 1,000 feet down into the earth on rail tracks in a small wooden trolley that resembles an antique roller coaster with open seats held by a single cable attached to a huge gas powered motor that appeared to be from the 1800's. It reminded me of a scene in one of the Indiana Jones movies, and there was plenty of gold at the bottom. They would never allow this in the states and it was a blast.

Women-only Adventure in the Amazon rainforest

In a recent article for GoNOMAD.com, the future of women-only travel is discussed in an interview with Yolanta Barnes, founder of the women's travel company Sights and Soul. She points out that women are increasingly looking for adventure when they travel, rather than a day shopping or at the spa. In February Sights and Soul led a trip to the Amazon for the first time.
Enjoy an excerpt from the story below:

"When I told people I was going to the Amazon, their jaws dropped," says Joswick. "I think this is because we tend to think of it as a dangerous, difficult and uncomfortable place: heat, bugs, snakes, wild animals, piranhas, you name it.

"But going the way we did, on a comfortable boat, with excellent guides, I never felt I was in danger. The heat was bearable, and I never even saw a mosquito!"

In the past most Sights and Soul tour destinations have been in Europe, with a focus on cultural landmarks.

For the Amazon tour, Barnes had to switch gears: "We replaced cathedrals, art, gourmet restaurants and spas with the stillness of the Rio Negro, the floating meadows of the Amazon, the monkeys, cayman and sloths.

"Instead of a boutique hotel or a villa, we were staying on a motor yacht."

Kicking and Tumbling through Capoeira class in Brazil

While studying abroad last spring on Semester at Sea, GoNomad.com editorial assistant Izzy Dunne traveled to Salvador, Brazil during the final, wild day of Carnaval. She got to join the 2 million people that flood the streets of Salvador for the biggest party of the year, and learned about local traditions as well. Izzy was able to get a beginner's lesson in Capoeira, a form of martial art and dance that is unique to Salvador that is fun and very exhausting. She even go to enter the ring with a true Capoeira student!
Below is part of her story.

Mestre Bamba

I love getting to know a city by its native art forms and for a dancer like me, a trip to Salvador would not have been complete without a Capoeira class. Capoeira is a part of the Afro-Brazilian tradition that is so strong in Salvador, because it was at one time the South American center for slave trade.

It is the city with the highest percentage of African Brazilians in all of Brazil at over 80%, making Salvador the center of Afro-Brazilian culture.

Capoeira is a form of martial art, but it is also a lot like dancing. It was created by African slaves in Salvador as a way to maintain their defensive abilities and strength, though the slave owners forbade actual fights.

There were Capoeira demonstrations throughout the squares of the old city, but I really wanted to take a genuine class rather than just watching from the sidelines. So early on the morning of my last in Salvador I walked through Pelourinho with a few friends to find ourselves a beginner’s class.

We found a small school called the Associação de Capoeira, which was on the top floor of a storefront building, and consisted of an open studio and a tiny reception office. We paid the 15 reals (about 6 USD) and got an amazing hour-long intro class.

Our instructor’s Capoeira nickname was Mestre Bamba, and he was amazing. He spoke very little English but was a great teacher; he was able to communicate brilliantly and didn’t let us half-ass it -- we were working hard the entire time.

I thought I’d be fine because of my ballet training, but the class was intense! We did lots of squatting and kicking, cartwheels and tumbles.

The way Capoeira works is that one learns a repertoire of both defensive and offensive moves, and then during demonstrations and in-class exercises, you match up against another, enter the ring, and free-style fight using the moves you both know.

My friends and I got to experience this first hand at the end of the class; the last exercise of class paired each of us against an advanced Brazilian Capoeira student, and we took turns entering the ring and free-style fighting.

All us newbie Americans were really nervous, but it was so fun. The Brazilians were as nice as can be, and helped us out by going for a duck first, so we could kick, and then they would reciprocate.

It was such a great local experience, something that is so unique to Salvador. It made for a beautiful last day in Salvador, which became calm, charming, and laid-back after the Carnaval party-goers left. I was ridiculously sore for weeks, no wonder Mestre Bamba is in such good shape!