Showing posts with label Brazil travel. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Brazil travel. Show all posts

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Remembering Sao Paulo . . .

When we come home from travels, what do we remember?

From one short month in Brazil, I remember our first days in Sao Paulo, its wide, palm-lined trees, its curious air of gentility despite the grand vistas of a major city (I was stunned to realize 19 million people live in its metropolitan area).

But our neighborhood was quiet, a small posada now closed that we found by searching that most valuable travel planner, the Lonely Planet.

Out for walks past mellow, yellow flowering vines, past the central plaza, we would turn a corner and see a street mural, outrageously vibrant and colorful, art that pleased everyone.

Street Mural, Sao Paulo (Camp 2009)


Fresh, flaky croissants for breakfast in a street side cafe. Unforgettable coffee. 

Coffee in Sao Paulo (Camp 2009)

I remember those first unhurried days before the desire to see everything overtook us.

This was our first stop in a four month trip through South America beginning in January, 2009 -- one month each in Brazil, Argentina, a ten-day cruise around the Horn with friends, and then to Uruguay, Chile and Peru. Somewhere as we crossed the border from Chile into Peru, I lost my notebooks and my laptop, so only those photos and notes that were uploaded into this travel blog remain.

For this September, I shall write about this trip and remember.

How do you keep your travels close?

Friday, February 13, 2009

About Iguassu Falls . . .

Eleanor Roosevelt said on seeing Iguassu Falls, "Poor Niagara." When I first heard this and remembered visiting Niagara Falls, I thought, how much bigger or grander could the falls at Iguassu be?

From the Brazilian side, this video may give you a sense of the sweep of this World Heritage site:



Brazil Iguacu2

We spent all day hiking along the trails on the Brazilian side of Iguassu Falls, sometimes shady, sometimes hot. We were grateful for water and Gatoraid, sunhats and sun screen. But we didn't care about our sore feet, for around every turn, another incredible vista awaited in this complex of approximately 275 separate waterfalls.

On the Argentinian side, we were able to walk even closer to the falls, admiring new angles and coming closer to the Devil's Throat, where white-water rafts holding about 50 people at a time power to the brink of the greatest downpour of thousands of tons of water. We hope to return tomorrow -- to go out on a walkway that will put us very close to the rushing water of Devil's Throat.

Check out Webshots (link to the right) for more pics of the falls (and coatis) . . . and Happy Valentine's Day!