Delight and sadness at the Rio Zoo
Jardim Zoológico, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil Oh what wonders are there to behold at the Rio Zoo? My boyfriend Orien and I pay our ten real each (approx $5 US) to enter the impressive arched gates positioned at the end of a long promenade. We step inside the zoo into a 30 acre expanse housing over 2,000 […]
MAGIC CARPET RIDE TO THE ISLAND OF GOOD TRAVEL- Part 2
…Continued In this excursion my phone, despite being sealed in a plastic bag for safety, dies a watery death destroying my photos, so you will have to use your imagination~ We manage to board The Magic Carpet (as we’ve dubbed it) and using Havianas for paddles we steer our craft out to sea. The waves are […]
MAGIC CARPET RIDE TO THE ISLAND OF GOOD TRAVEL~ Part 1
Niteroi, Brazil We sit to the side of the bridge and take turns blowing up the air mattress, 20 breaths at a time. It takes a total of one hundred and twenty breaths between the two of us. While one of us fills the mattress the other one takes turns knocking beach nuts into the […]
Rio- The Saturday Fruit and Veggie Market
In Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, every Saturday there is a Feira (farmers market) on Rua Paulo Barreto (see map below). In fact this market moves around to different neighborhoods every day. On Wednesday you can find them near Botafogo Beach, on Friday, they are in Urca etc. They offer a stunning variety of exotic tropical fruits and […]
Where we’re going, we don’t need roads, Ilha Grande, Pt 4
It’s our last day in Ilha Grande and we pack up and head to the next little town. It is surprisingly close, only about 5 minutes from where we camped. Its a sleepy town and consists of the homes of locals and then four tourist trap restaurants lining the beach. Large ships come daily bringing […]
Where we’re going, we don’t need roads, Ilha Grande, Pt 3
I awaken in the tent, hot, sandy and sticky. Orien and I pack all our things and head out to find the Blue Lagoon. But first, we must cross the bay. The blaring sun beats down on us as we walk in the sand past private houses and docks. The bay seems to be endless, […]
Where we’re going, we don’t need roads, Ilha Grande, Pt 2
(continued) Ilha Grande, Brazil- We take off down the trail and encounter many wonders including an old, crumbling aqueduct. We circumvent a distressed, previously ignored rope barrier and walk up a steep narrow trail that winds up close to the jungle canopy allowing us to access the top of the aqueduct which we travel on for […]
Where we’re going we don’t need roads, Ilha Grande
For years I’ve heard about Ilha Grande, a tropical island off the coast of Brazil with one of the richest ecosystems in the world. There are no roads, cars are illegal and the island is largely underdeveloped. Orien and I threw a few articles of clothes into a backpack, grabbed a tent and took off […]
Niteroi, Caves and the Mothership
We venture across the water, taking the ferry to the New Jersey of Rio, Niteroi. Niteroi is known for its contemporary art museum, which looks like a spaceship. It is designed by the renowned Brazilian architect, Oscar Niemeyer. On the ferry Passing the Rio-Niteroi bridge, one of the longest bridges in the world. The Museum […]
Grandma’s House, Ayahuasca in the Jungle~ Part 2
The singing increased as the night pressed on. I sat cross legged on my mat next to Orien, on his. Being his first time drinking the brew, naturally he was apprehensive and so it was wonderful for me to see his first reaction to feeling the effects. “I feel amazing! This is f***ing great!" I […]
Grandma’s House, Ayahuasca in the Jungle~ Part 1
When my friend Zel told me of a group who held Ayahuasca ceremonies in the jungle of Brazil I signed on instantly. I have consumed the brew of the “Spirit Vine” a few times before; Once in New York and a couple times at an ashram called Arca de Montaña Azul in Rio de Janeiro, but had […]
Cavernas, Cavernas
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil It’s another sunny day in Rio and Orien and I decide to go to explore the caves, or cavernas (in Portuguese) rumored to be on the hill behind where we’re staying. We’ve heard stories about the bodies of slaves being thrown inside, stories of escaped murderers who headed to the hills […]