At a "Cowboy and Jail" themed party in Brazil.
Ok, first, don’t worry, I’m not in jail.
That lead photo was from my first night going out in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The party my friend Marleny and I ended up at was “Cowboy and Jail-themed,” hence the fake jail.
You see, from the first day to the last day of our month-long travels through Brazil in 2005, Brazil surprised and delighted us. I simply have to write about it now, in 2012, because it’s one of the best places on Earth I’ve ever visited, so we’ve got to get it into this blog!
I was initially terrified to visit Brazil. My brother, David, had moved to Rio for a semester abroad during college, and my dear buddy, Marleny, started obsessively proposing that we simultaneously visit David and tour the country.
“But I hear it’s so dangerous there!” I protested.
Famous and fabulous Ipanema Beach in Rio.
“No it’s not,” rebutted both Marleny and my brother. “It’s one of those places where, if you’re smart, you’ll be fine. Like New York!”
And thus we ended up with a raucous, ridiculously fun, and 100% safe travel summer in Brazil. We toured Sao Paulo, Rio (my favorite!), Salvador, the paradise island of Morro de Sao Paulo, and massive Iguazu Falls. Wow!
Here’s why we loved Brazil travel so much:
1. FUN. Of the 30-something countries I’ve visited, Brazil is #1 in terms of overall fun-in-the-air feeling. Maybe it’s the sun, or the smiles, or the music, or the food, or the fact that they have Cowboy-and-Jail-themed parties, but we were giddy with fun the whole time in Brazil.
Marleny, high above the phenomenal city of Rio.
2. FOOD. Where to begin… Brazil has tons of restaurants where you pay by the kilo and serve yourself, buffet-style, from heaping piles of fresh cooking. Brazil also has the lots-of-meat-on-sticks-in-your-face deliciousness known as Churrasco. The country is also teeming with tropical fruits and berries (and their fresh juices!), from pineapple to acai.
3. VALUE. It is insane how inexpensively Marleny and I were able to live it up in Brazil. Quality backpacker hotels and hostels were abundant and cheap, food was abundant and cheap, and in-country travel options were easy and cheap… even our 15 hour bus ride to Iguazu Falls. The only problem came in readjusting back to home prices. I got so spoiled ordering $1 freshly-squeezed exotic fruit juices that, once back in the U.S., I nearly punched the clerk in Boston who charged me $6 for a “tropical fruit smoothie” from frozen fruit!
Marleny and me in front of Rio's famous giant Christ statue.
4. BEAUTY. The whole time he lived in Brazil (and years later for that matter), my brother delighted in sending us email links to every award Brazil won for “Most Beautiful Beaches” or “Most Beautiful Scenery,” or even “Most Beautiful People.”
But you really have to admit: Brazil is gorgeous, no matter what type of beauty floats your boat. I spent much of my time in Rio muttering, “How is it possible that a shopping street this chic is next to a set of mountains this grand, which is next to beaches this luscious? Zowie!”
5. FRIENDLINESS. Locals were outgoing and open, and fellow tourists were amiable and easy to connect with. We were never lonely in Brazil, with so many new friends every day. Many of them we still keep in touch with to this day!
6. CLIMATE. Since Brazil is in the Southern Hemisphere, our summer is their winter, meaning we visited in the heart of their winter… and yet the weather was perfect!
Making new friends (easy in Brazil!) on Morro de Sao Paulo.
7. HISTORY. My brother wrote his Thesis in college about Brazilian History, thus giving me a taste of the richness Brazil has to offer. David explains: “Brazil’s history is fascinating and frustrating. In the words of historian Marshall Eakin, it is “a nation of paradoxes”. For one, Brazil received more African slaves than any country (8 times more than the U.S.!) and it didn’t abolish slavery until 1888.” Some call Brazil a “Racial Democracy,” while others critique its brutal history of income stratification.
8. DIVERSITY. David explains, “Home to the Amazon Rainforest and the lush Pantanal wetlands, Brazil arguably has the most diverse set of ecosystems on earth. Brazil’s human population is also incredibly diverse. It actually includes the largest African population outside of Nigeria, the largest Japanese population outside of Japan, and more Lebanese people than anywhere (including Lebanon!).” Wowza!
A heavenly beach on Morro de Sao Paulo.
9. BEACHES. In the words of my brother, “Brazil has over 4,600 miles of coastline, meaning there are countless pristine, sun-kissed, aquamarine beaches to choose from.”
Yup! And did I mention that Marleny and I got a private room with a porch and two hammocks right on the beach in Morro de Sao Paulo for the price of a cheap dinner back in Boston?
10. DANCING AND MUSIC. I was doing a Zumba dance fitness exercise video at home yesterday, and a Samba song from Brazil came on. “Yay!” I squealed, as a flood of memories came back. There is something so fun and accessible about Brazilian music! It makes you want to join in and jump around, no matter how gangly you are. And, yes, you WILL have the song “Girl from Ipanema” stuck in your head your whole trip.
At splendid Iguazu Falls on the border with Argentina.
11. IMPORTANCE. As my brother points out, “Brazil has the world’s 5th largest population, 6th largest economy (it just passed the United Kingdom), and a land mass larger than the continental U.S.”
It’s worth it to pay attention to Brazil, because it’s important. And it’s fun!
Indeed, we loved Brazil, and we bet you will, too!
[...] took a brief break from geeking out to read this post, Why Brazil is one of the Best Places on Earth to Travel, and now I’m even more excited. June 2013 can not get here some [...]
Fascinating post!
i’m brazilian and we love receive tourist. And here we love football, watching a soccer game here is much cheaper than a football game in the U.S.
But Brazil is not perfect, we suffer the lack of unemployment, unequal social and especially our government is very corrupt, it’s so sad, if one day we had a government like the U.S., we would be the happiest nation in the world!
Thanks for sharing your perspective!
Wow, lots of views on this post…and for good reason it seems! We have yet to go to Brazil, oddly enough we almost bought an apartment there, but decided to travel for a couple of years instead. We will for sure, 100% go there soon! Thanks for the great post, Brazil sounds awesome.
Cheers!
Yes, my brother still rubs in in my face that he contributed to such a popular article.
Yes, go Brazil!
OMG!!! I’m like so obsessed with brazil, I have not had the change to go there but it just seems like a dream place and reading this it’s like paradise. Anyways I’m hoping to go next summer, so excited!!,. But question, what you think about going to live there and looking for a job?
Exciting! If you dream of looking for a job there, give it a shot! Best of luck!
You’re soooo lucky.
You don’t have to be lucky to travel– Just organize yourself to save and make it happen!
Hi, just found your blog. I moved to Rio in December, and I must say, I agree with all of your points. People, food, beaches, climate… I love Brazil!
Triple yay!
[...] Mrs. O Around the World, you’ll probably fall in love with Rio and you’ll understand why Brazil is one of the best places on Earth to travel, as Lillie of Around the World “L” [...]
[...] a business trip would lead me to Brazil. Lillie of Around the World “L” has articulated “Why Brazil is One of the Best Places on Earth to Travel.”Read what she has to say and you’ll be ready to catch the next flight to Rio de [...]
I am planning on visiting Brazil during the summer for 3 weeks. Would you recommend traveling during the month of June, July, or August? Additionally, what resources do you recommend that I read to learn more about the best regions to visit?
Thanks!
Stephanie,
How exciting! It was several years ago that I was in Brazil, so there are better people than me to give you specific month and travel specifics. For your research, I’d start with a Google search like: “Brazil travel blog” or “best places to visit in Brazil” and see what you find. Many travel bloggers are very accessible, so if you find a blogger with useful expertise, comment or message to them. Another good resource is the Lonely Planet Thorn Tree forum.
Have a wonderful trip!
What did your brother study in college?
History. He lived in Brazil for months to study Portuguese and to research for his thesis about a famous slave revolt in Rio long ago.
I think i’m actually going to Brazil this summer.
The Christ statue is huge!
Ok Thank you! Also, did you book all your hostels before leaving home or did you do it while you were there just a day or two in advance? I will be there for the month of July and am trying to figure out which would be the best.
Here is my overly-detailed scheme for how I choose where to stay during travel: http://www.aroundtheworldl.com/2009/10/04/how-do-you-choose-where-to-stay/ . Also, here’s my guide to using Couchsurfing for free, safe housing during travel: http://www.aroundtheworldl.com/2010/02/28/couchsufing-instructions-and-a-ghana-beach/ . Good luck, definitely at least book your first night in advance, and let us know how it goes! You’ll have a wonderful time!
What is the name of the hotel where you stayed on the beach for the price of a cheap dinner in Boston?
Alas, I don’t remember, but there are many great ones! In general throughout my travels I’ve had good luck with HostelWorld.com, sorting the search results by highest user ratings. In the case of Brazil, I think we took Lonely Planet suggestions.
Ms. Marshall, you scared me for a second there. I litterally thought that you were in jail by the first picture that was on the article, but then I noticed you the first line that you said that you were not in jail. By the way, you are very lucky to have gone to such a welll known place as Brazil. I must say that the pictures are fabulous.
I agree with you Emily, the pictures are really pretty.If only I was able to go to there even if it were for one single day, I would love to go, but all I can do is dream.
…for now, all you can do is dream, but with hard work in school and reaching out for opportunities, you will be able to travel soon!
That’s so cool! When I saw that picture of you in jail, I was like “Oh my god! What happened? I mean I know partying is fun, but you can’t steep that low!”. I was relieved to hear it was fake. After reading about your trip to Brazil, I wanted to go and hang out in the beaches.
My teacher went to jail! How was it going to Brazil! You are a interesting person seeing thing that nobody sees everyday. Hope you have a life long fun on teaching and Trailing.
I love to eat Brazilian food,it is so delicious. Although mu favorite part of Brazil is the and all the flavor it has, it just makes you want to get up and dance!
The tropical fruit smoothie sure is cheaper than in Boston here and I agree I would like to punch the clerk too!
I really thought you were in jail. The jail looks so real! I’m glad you didn’t go to jail it would have been horrible. I can tell you had a lot of fun in Brazil. Brazil looks so big. What I would like to visit in Brazil is the famous giant Christ statue. It’s so huge! I think that Brazil should paint that statue.
The cell looked so real. If you had smiled when you were taking the photo, then I would thought you were actually being in jail. You made Brasil sound so amazing. When I grow up and afford to buy a ticket, I would definitely go to Brasil first.
Wow! I have wanted to go to Brazil, but my Mother says it’s too dangerous. Now I can take your article and show it to my Mom! Was it scary when you went up the mountian to take a picture of Jesus! I know I would!
Brazil seems like a really fun and beautiful place! I like the pictures and the story is really interesting. Maybe I’ll go there someday and have as much fun as you did.
I’ve heard that Brazil was an amazing place to visit. But, I’ve also heard that Brazil isn’t very “kid-friendly” in terms of traveling. Were there a lot of children on vacation that you saw there? Also, what languages did you hear? I’m guessing with all that diversity among the people there must have been many different languages being spoken. Rio looks very fun though.
I was watching “Black In Latin America” on PBS and the historian traveled to Brazil and went through the cities and talked about how there are more black people than spanish people! I didn’t believe it at first because that was the first time I had ever heard about it and it was only one source, but after reading what you wrote about the topic, I was convinced. I find that so strange! but I find it even more interesting that there are a lot of Japnese people there. Did you look into the history of Brazil while you were there to find this out?I’ve heard about something happening between Brazil and Japan but I’m not sure of exactly what happened.
Rich comment, Vivian! We didn’t see a lot of American kids, but in fact we didn’t see a lot of Americans, period, because a lot of Americans (especially in that year) were scared to go to Brazil because the very violent movie “City of God” had just come out, among other reasons.
We heard many languages, chiefly Portuguese (of course!), then Spanish and English, but as we now know, Brazil is so diverse that you can also hear Japanese, Arabic, Chinese, etc.
That is so wonderful that you’ve been watching “Black in Latin America” because race in Latin America is SO INTERESTING, especially in what it highlights in its contrast with the U.S.
I looked into the History of Brazil a little because my brother studied it (and now teaches a whole course on it!) but there is SO MUCH to learn about it. In terms of Brazil and Japan, they have a special relationship!
I love how you faced your fears and it turned out to be a positive experience.
For a sec I thought you were really in jail. When you showed the pictures of yourself in Rio, I was thinking
the whole time about the movie Rio!
Wow! Very interesting.
Wow. Brazil looks so beautiful. I only hope I get to visit it and have half as much fun as you did. The picture of you in jail really did scare me for a second. Then I read the caption and had a sigh of relief.
Hey Ms. Marshall! I’m so jealous of your visit there. You’re an amazing photographer too! I’m wondering, why did you attend the “Cowboy and Jail” themed party?
Thanks, and good question! We were saving money by staying with friends of a friend of Marleny’s mother, and they were going to the party, so as good guests we came along. And I was certainly curious to see what it would be like!
When I saw the cage at the party, I really was afraid that we might have a prisoner as a teacher. Anyways, I really want to go to Brazil now!
That jail cell looks so real. Did they actually lock you and your friend in there? I want to visit Brazil now because of the amazing photos.
They locked it for the photo but then unlocked it
I want to go to Brazil SO BADLY. Most of my friends say that Brazil is really fun.
I have always wanted to go to Brazil! I bet it is beautiful. Maybe I might go to Moracco this spring with my uncle.
Oh No! What did you do? Your a criminal now, which now I’m afraid to go to humanities class.I’m just kidding, I hope you enjoyed your trip.
Ha
What you should really be afraid of is the wrath you’ve incurred in me by mixing up “your” and “you’re”!!!!
Noooooooo! Aw man!
Hi
I really enjoyed all the pictures. I am putting Brazil on my list of places to visit. The falls remind me of Niagara Falls. That was a beautiful pic. It sounds like a great place to visit in the winter with no snow. Thanks for sharing.
Wow! I love Brazil! I hope one day I can go there with my loving family. I hope you had fun!
Nice pictures especially the first one I could never see you sitting in a jail!
Hi Lillie, great post about Brazil. One of the post I’ve read this week about Brazil. I hope you don’t mind but I’m going to post a link to this post on my site for the best posts I’ve read this week. Thanks.
Thanks, Barry! As long as there’s a link to this site and you don’t re-print more than a few lines of the original, fabulous!
I’ve always wanted to go to Rio and see the big statue of christ!
Indeed, it was even more awesome than I expected! You have to hike up high to get to it, and we had a wonderfully fun hike!
In Brazil there is one thing I always want to know, and it is what kind of money does Brazil have?
There are a lot of other very interesting things about Brazil to know, too! A simple Google search will tell you that Brazil’s money is called the “Real”.
Was Brazil very nice?
Please re-read the title and answer your own question John!
When I first saw the leading photo, I was terrified that you were in jail. I wonder what a real Brazilian jail looks like?
Let’s not find out!!!
The pictures really make your stories more fascinating , anyways your so lucky I always wanted to visit Brazil.
Wow! Those pictures are amazing! I Thought you were really in jail but then I thought “How can you take pictures in jail. It can’t be possible and you are to nice for that place anyway.
Wow! You got a sunburn! Cool, I got burned once during the summer. It hurt really bad.
Ok, so first of all, I am naturally red. But, yes, there was some sun action in Brazil! Sorry to hear of your sunburn woes and I wish you plentiful sunscreen in the future
These pictures are amazing! Are you sure that is you in the first picture? You’re too nice to end up in there. But after I read the article, I was relieved that it wasn’t a real jail.
When I first saw that picture of you and your friend Marleny , I was like ” Was , Ms. Marshall really in jail !? She is really nice , what could have she done!?” But then I saw your comment and I thought ” Oh, good!” Reading this and seeing all these great pictures makes me want to go to Brazil!! I love the beach picture , it makes me want it to be summer! But which was something different I notice is you said that when you get food there you had to pay in kilo, and you serve yourself! That is crazy! I notice that the picture of you and your friend Marleny when you put your heads together , it made a heart , the picture with Jesus.
Brasil é o melhor país do mundo!
And did you notice that the shadow you and Marleny make in the Corcovado (Jesus) picture makes a heart? Crazy!
Whoa!!
When you visited Rio, where you attacked by Angry Birds?
Woah!! For a moment there I thought you were really in jail. When I saw the picture, I thought, “Oh God, Ms.Marshall is in jail!!!” So, it was really scary when I saw that picture.
Ha! Never fear!
I’ve visited a ton of countries and my 2 absolute favorite in the world are Brazil and Israel, so different, but same amazing stuff!
I love the sensuality of Brazil, the sexuality and the passion of the people most of all.
Fascinating! Israel is very high now on my list of Next Destinations.