Category Archives: Brasil

I’m heading to Brazil later today so I may not be able to cross post on FB and Google+ while gone.

You’ll spread more than a little holiday happiness my way if you would share the posts you like on FB with your friends on my behalf while I’m away.

I do anticipate writing some posts when I am in Brazil since I will have a lot of quiet and down time but my regular activity will not resume until I return from my vacation with my in-laws after the New Year’s holiday.  Enjoy this bit of Brazilian man candy who we met last year when we visited Paraty. For more photos from that trip link here.

Two weeks from tonight I will be boarding a plane to fly to Brazil where I will spend the Christmas and New Year’s holiday.  This will be the first time in several years that I will be in Brazil for the Christmas holiday and while I’ll miss the holiday traditions Sergio and I have made for ourselves here in Boston, I’m looking forward to the warmer weather and time with my in-laws.

Forte Copacabana provides amazing views of Copacabana beach and Sugar Loaf off in the distance.  In recent years, Confeitaria Colombo has opened a second location here, offering visitors a great option for dining with a view.  We actually visited for a cocktail one evening and then came for breakfast.

After dining you can walk the grounds of the Fort which also offer great views of Guanabara Bay.  Below are a few photographs of my recent visits to Forte Copacabana and Confeitaria Colombo – Cafe do Forte.

Atop the Corcovado mountain in Rio de Janeiro is the city’s most famous site, a 125′ statue named “Christ the Redeemer”.  While there are several ways to get to the top of this granite mountain, the most popular is to buy tickets and take the electrically powered train.  Although I’ve been to the Corcovado a few times already I don’t get tired of the impressive view.

Enjoying the train ride up the Corcovado.

Goofing around with the guys

Amazing views of Rio de Janeiro from atop the Corcovado

If you are planning a trip to Brazil or Rio de Janeiro and you have any questions, feel free to reach out to me.

Paraty, Brazil is a tiny coastal Brazilian town, approximately 4 hours south of Rio de Janeiro. Sergio and I decided to make a road trip for a few days to this historic town known for its Portuguese colonial architecture.

The streets of Paraty date back to the mid to late 1600’s and provide a romantic backdrop to the green, lush mountains and blue/green waters of the South Atlantic. In addition to walking the stone paved streets of Paraty, one should hire a boat to see some of the many beautiful islands and beaches that are just a quick boat ride away.

Our slow moving but comfortable boat that provided ample shade to keep my pale skin from blistering from the unyielding sun, while we cruised around the harbor for more than 5 hours one day. Below are a few photos of Paraty and our boat ride.

Perhaps the most famous beach in Rio de Janeiro is Copacabana. The beach offers spectacular views of one of Rio’s most famous sites, Sugar Loaf. The 4 kilometer long beach (~2.5 miles) is one of my favorites. I’ve included a few photos to give you a glimpse of this beautiful beach.

The large ‘rock’ in the background is Sugar Loaf.

The black and white swirl you see behind Sergio on the sidewalk represents two rivers from the Amazon that Copacabana Beach has adopted as its own.

Not exactly an image of Copacabana beach but representative of what you’ll see.

Giant sandcastles that span 10′ proudly display some of Rio’s most famous sites.