Taking a Kitesurfing Course in Brazil, at Tatajuba Beach

From our apartment I looked out over the beach, the mouth of the lagoon and the ocean. During the morning hours it had been quiet. A fisherman returned with his catch and somebody had been going for a stroll along the shore.

Around 11 am, the tranquility transformed into hustle and bustle.

As if a silent alarm had gone off.

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Celebrating Corpus Christi in Brazil (São João del Rei)

Girls dressed up as pink, white and blue angels, choirboys in purple outfits, women wrapped in red shawls, men dressed in white carrying lanterns, candles or a staff. All have their role and place in the annual procession.

Welcome to the celebration of Corpus Christi!

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Ouro Prêto on Foot, a UNESCO site in Brazil

Around 1700 gold was discovered in the state of Minas Gerais and in 1711 Vila Rica de Ouro Prêto (lit: ‘Rich City of Black Gold’) was founded. Thousands of slaves dug out the gold, which was taken to the town where it was weighed and melted into bars at Casas de Intendéncias (weighing stations).

Ouro Prêto became the epicenter of Brazil’s biggest gold rush.

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Strolling Brazil’s City of Tiles: São Luís

In the doorway stands an elderly man. Our eyes meet and I shake his hand.

“You are lucky to live in such a beautiful building. What an incredibly tiled façade your home has,” I comment.

Few cities in Brazil surprise me as São Luís does – Brazil’s capital of azulejos.

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Visiting the Indigenous People of Paresi in Brazil

On our way to a village of the Paresi indigenous people, my guide Claudiomiro tells me about the brand-new asphalt road that is being constructed straight through this reservation.

The government has calculated that about 1000 trucks will use it every day.

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Eating Piranha, really? – Fishing in the Pantanal in Brazil

Slow Travel - Fishing in the Pantanal and preparing Piranha do Pantanal

For a moment I am caught off guard and almost fall overboard. Something is sharply tugging at the chunk of fat I had fastened on the hook. Pablo, my host, guide and friend helps me pull in my line until the feisty creature plops on the bottom of the boat in fluttering spasms.

I just caught a piranha!

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Our 4 Favorite Colonial Churches in Minas Gerais (Brazil)

In the 17th century gold was discovered in Minas Gerais, an area north/northwest of Rio de Janeiro. It led to an explosion of gold mines and cidades históricas with ornate architecture reflecting the resultant wealth. Once the gold was depleted many people left, seeking their fortunes elsewhere; however, colonial architecture still abounds.

Minas Gerais is the place in Brazil for colonial churches buffs.

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Who Are The Prophets of Congonhas? (Brazil)

When you follow the Estrada Real in Minas Gerais, the Royal Route along which gold and other mined treasures were transported to Rio de Janeiro in the colonial days, you’ll probably get saturated by the number of baroque-rococo churches along the way. Even we did, and we are church buffs.

There are (too) many. What to do?

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