About.com Brazil Travel

Nova Friburgo Nightlife: 1930 Caf� and Pub

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 21:24:17 +0000

If you love Rio de Janeiro nightlife, you might as well expand your territory until it covers Rio de Janeiro State. And don't just think beach bars, clubs and lounges like the ones in B�zios. There's a lot going on in the mountains as well, and I thank David Massena, director of Casa de Cultura in Nova Friburgo and now my friend, for introducing me to one of my favorite nooks in the Fluminense mountain range: 1930 Caf� and Pub.

Last winter, when I was in town for the Nova Friburgo International Winter Festival, David and I visited 1930 on a quiet night so I could talk to owner Marcelo Ribeiro. A few minutes ago, I called the caf� and Marcelo could barely hear me -- they're having an oldies bash that's expected to last until at least 3 a.m., and the house is full.

Nova Friburgo Nightlife: 1930 Caf� and Pub originally appeared on About.com Brazil Travel on Saturday, November 7th, 2009 at 21:24:17.

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Carnatal 2009

Sat, 07 Nov 2009 13:43:24 +0000

Natal, in Rio Grande do Norte, hosts the largest micareta, or off-season Carnival, in Brazil. Carnatal 2009 (Dec.3-6) will have several top attractions from Carnival in Salvador, such as Banda Eva, Ivete Sangalo, Claudia Leitte and Chiclete com Banana.

In Carnatal, like in Salvador, you can join one or more of ten blocos, or Carnival groups. You can follow the bands playing atop trios el�tricos -- sound-wired trucks -- over a 2.5 mile-course, or party in one of the mezzanin boxes along the Corredor da Folia (the "revelry corridor").

Joining the blocos in Carnatal is not free. In Natal, the abad�s, or bloco outfits, are being sold at Natal Shopping (turn off the volume lest you listen to their Christmas ad). Your best bet if you're not in Brazil is to get assistance from a travel agency.

Find Natal Hotels on Kayak

Photo courtesy of Carnatal.

Carnatal 2009 originally appeared on About.com Brazil Travel on Saturday, November 7th, 2009 at 13:43:24.

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Rio's New Museum of Image and Sound

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 14:56:37 +0000

Discoteca Help, Rio's notorious disco/prostitution house in Copacabana, closed last Thursday. The disco will be demolished and, on the property, the new Museum of Image and Sound will be built, starting in 2010.

MIS has the largest collection of Brazilian music, as well as 40,000 photographs and over 1,000 recorded interviews. The museum is located in central Rio.

New York-based Diller Scofidio + Renfro, the authors of the winning project, were inspired by Burle Marx's designs of the wavy patterns on Copacabana's sidewalks. You can find MIS project details on the Diller Scofidio + Renfro website.

Rio's New Museum of Image and Sound originally appeared on About.com Brazil Travel on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 14:56:37.

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Windsor Excelsior in Copacabana

Wed, 04 Nov 2009 12:33:03 +0000

The Windsor Excelsior opened in the 1950s as Hotel Excelsior, when Copacabana was already a busy beach with lots of buildings (see this photo on the Saudades do Rio photoblog) and when Rio de Janeiro hosted World Cup finals.

One of a few Copacabana beachfront hotels, the Windsor Excelsior has already issued its rates for Carnival 2010 as well as New Year's Eve, when, from the terrace with a pool on the top floor, you have a superb view of the party and fireworks.

Photo courtesy of Windsor Hot�is.

Windsor Excelsior in Copacabana originally appeared on About.com Brazil Travel on Wednesday, November 4th, 2009 at 12:33:03.

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November: Black Awareness Month in Brazil

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 23:02:59 +0000

November 20 is Black Awareness Day in Brazil, and during this month several organizations are engaged in seminars, meetings and other events which aim to foster Afro-Brazilian culture and well-being.

The date was first observed in the 1960s and has been on the school calendar since 2003. It honors the day in 1695 when Zumbi, the leader of the Palmares quilombo (a community of escaped slaves), was killed. Zumbi is one of the national heroes honored at the Nation's Pantheon in Bras�lia. Celebrate Brazil's black heritage in your encounters with our people, music, food, and traditions, and also as you visit:

The Afro-Brazil Museum in S�o Paulo
The Afro-Brazilian Museum in Salvador
The Campinho da Independ�ncia community (in Paraty), where you can eat at Restaurante do Quilombo

This November is very meaningful to black awareness as the C�mara dos Deputados, one of Brazil's most important legislative bodies, recently passed the Statute of Racial Equality. The controversial document is being criticized for not establishing quotas for universities, for example, and praised for some of its points, such as the determination that children in Brazil's elementary and middle schools, public and private, learn more about the history of Africa and Brazil's own black history. The document is likely to be sanctioned by president Luiz In�cio Lula da Silva before Black Awareness Day.

If you would like to learn more about the advancement of black people in Brazil, Palmares Cultural Foundation in Bras�lia is a good place to start.

November: Black Awareness Month in Brazil originally appeared on About.com Brazil Travel on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 23:02:59.

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All Souls' Day in Brazil

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 13:51:48 +0000

Today Brazil commemorates All Souls' Day (Dia de Finados in Portuguese, literally Day of the Deceased). Although in Brazil's secularized society today many people see the extended holiday more as a reason to travel than as a quiet occasion for praying and honoring deceased relatives and friends, many people visit cemeteries and attend religious services.

One of the most visited cemeteries in Brazil is S�o Jo�o Batista in Rio de Janeiro, where some famous graves are those of Carmen Miranda, Heitor Villa-Lobos and Brazil's Father of Aviation Santos Dumont. According to Rio de Janeiro newspaper O Dia, about 800,000 people are expected to visit S�o Jo�o Batista during the three-day holiday.

If you plan to travel in Brazil in November, you will probably need to book hotels in greater advance for All Souls' Day and for Nov.15, Proclamation of Republic Day, than for the rest of the month. Most hotels make reservations only in multi-day packages if those holidays fall on weekdays up to two days before or after the weekend.

More About Day of the Dead:

Dia de Los Muertos, Mexico

All Souls' Day in Brazil originally appeared on About.com Brazil Travel on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 13:51:48.

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33rd S�o Paulo International Film Festival

Mon, 02 Nov 2009 11:36:27 +0000

There's still time to enjoy the 33rd S�o Paulo International Film Festival, through Nov.5 at several movie theaters. Today, three of the highlights are "I Love You Phillip Morris" (USA), Samson and Delilah (Australia) and one of the best Brazilian movies this year, "Viajo porque preciso, volto porque te amo" (I travel because I must, I return because I love you), a road movie set in the Northeastern backlands.

The art for this year's festival was created by Os G�meos (The Twins), famous graffiti artists from S�o Paulo.

33rd S�o Paulo International Film Festival originally appeared on About.com Brazil Travel on Monday, November 2nd, 2009 at 11:36:27.

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Pousada Taip� de Fora

Fri, 30 Oct 2009 15:43:14 +0000

November is a great time to visit Southern Bahia, with lots of sunny days and balmy nights. And one of the top destinations in the area is the Mara� Peninsula, part of the Dend� Coast.

One of the most beautiful seaside hotels on Mara� is Pousada Taip� de Fora, on the beach by the same name. Learn about this pousada near Barra Grande, a fisherman's village that can be reached by boat from Camamu (pop. 32,172) or by plane from Salvador or Ilh�us (for example, with Maris Turismo).

Photo courtesy of Pousada Taip� de Fora.

Pousada Taip� de Fora originally appeared on About.com Brazil Travel on Friday, October 30th, 2009 at 15:43:14.

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Lunch at Mocot�

Thu, 29 Oct 2009 09:47:48 +0000

A few months ago, I wrote in this blog about chef Rodrigo Oliveira and Mocot�, a restaurant in an off-the-beaten-track location in S�o Paulo.

Chef Alex Atala, of D.O.M. and Dalva e Dito, called chef Rodrigo "a genius" in a 2008 interview to O Estado de S�o Paulo. Now that I've had lunch at Mocot�, it's easy to understand the enthusiasm. I love the food, I love the place.

I don't know if Mocot� will stay far from major hotels much longer, but I know I felt rewarded after my subway/bus rides. You can save on the trip there by taking the subway to the Tucuruvi station and only then catching a taxi. Read my review of Mocot�.

When the Food is Worth the Journey:

About.com Guide to Culinary Travel

Photo of mocofava by Patricia Ribeiro.

Lunch at Mocot� originally appeared on About.com Brazil Travel on Thursday, October 29th, 2009 at 09:47:48.

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Fernando de Noronha with Freeway Diving

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 12:41:32 +0000

Freeway Diving, a recently created subdivision of Freeway, one of the most prestigious adventure tour companies in Brazil, has launched a new diving tour of Fernando de Noronha.

Noronha is great for diving year round, with water temperatures in the 80s Fahrenheit. The archipelago has some of the most beautiful beaches in Brazil and an average 3,215 hours of sunshine every year.

Photo: Atlantis Divers/Courtesy of Freeway Diving.

Fernando de Noronha with Freeway Diving originally appeared on About.com Brazil Travel on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 at 12:41:32.

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