Brazil – Two Brits Abroad

The big fat guide to South American bus travel

April 19, 2015 Sarah Comments 2 comments

Long distance bus travel is likely to form a central component of any South American trip. For cash-strapped backpackers, an overnighter also helps save money as it gives you a nights accommodation as well as the means to get from a to b. The level of comfort (and safety) of South American buses depends on the country you’re in and the bus company you go for. On one bus, we were served champagne (yes! champagne) after our meal (yes! we were served a…

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Being vegetarian in Brazil

February 1, 2015 Sarah Comments 0 Comment

Like the Argentinians, the Brazilians do like their meat, meaning that for our just over two weeks in the country, we found that Brazil was not a particularly vegetarian friendly place. As in Argentina, we found that ‘by weight’ self- service restaurants, where you are charged by the kilo for the amount of food you put on your plate, are a good option (particularly if you like beans and rice!). In Rio and Sao Paulo, as you might expect, there…

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Crossing Borders: In pictures

January 27, 2015 Sarah Comments 0 Comment

We crossed a number of land borders throughout our 6 and a half months in South America – quite a novelty for two Brits! Here are some of our border crossing photos. Leaving Peru, we were pleased that the border crossing was well marked with the iconic Peru sign and a big bottle of Cusquena beer! We walked across the border into Bolivia and were less delighted with the queue for Bolivian immigration that we were confronted with. We left Bolivia…

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South American top tipples!

January 25, 2015 Sarah Comments 1 comment

Pisco Sour: Peru and Chile One of our favourite foodie discoveries from South America was the Pisco Sour. Pisco is a grape brandy made in both Peru and Chile. In Peru, lemon, angostura bitters, sugar or syrup and egg whites are added to the brandy to make a Pisco Sour. Traditionally in Chile, the egg white and the bitters are not added. First Pisco Sour! It is the national drink of both countries and both lay claim to have invented…

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Where we stayed – Brazil

January 24, 2015 Sarah Comments 0 Comment

As one of the most expensive countries in South America, you do have to shop around for a good deal on accommodation in Brazil. We paid around £10 ($15) more a night in Brazil, compared to Argentina, mostly staying in private double rooms. Here’s a breakdown of where we stayed for our just over two weeks in Brazil and what it was like. The Pantanal In the Pantanal, we stayed at the Pousada Santa Clara, which we’d booked after a rep from…

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Waterfalls, Cachaça, Jungle and Waterholes in Paraty

November 11, 2014 Sarah Comments 0 Comment

The countryside around Paraty is full of pretty waterfalls, cachaça distilleries (known as alambiques), pretty jungle and a number of waterholes for a refreshing dip. We bought ourselves a ticket for Paraty’s hop on and hop off bus, so that we could get around the local area. The bus comes every hour and a half giving you significant time at the different stops. It is also possible to walk between some of the stops. Our first stop was near the Pedra Branca…

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Pretty Paraty

November 6, 2014 Sarah Comments 0 Comment

Pretty streets of Paraty From Rio de Janeiro, it was with some slight regret that we skipped Ilha Grande and headed straight to Paraty. The forecast was still looking a bit ropey and with only a short amount of time before our flight to Colombia, we decided that it made more sense to get to Paraty and walk its pretty streets, rather than head to a place known best for its beaches and jungle. We weren’t disappointed. Paraty is a Portuguese…

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A breakfast of açaí

November 3, 2014 Sarah Comments 0 Comment

Açaí berries are a purple fruit from the Brazilian rainforest, which for hundreds of years have been a central part of the diet of native Amazonian people. In the last ten years açaí (pronounced ah-sigh-ee) has become known as one of the latest superfoods, alongside goji berries and adzuki beans. Its popularity was given a particular boost in 2008, when its antioxidant properties were highlighted on the Oprah Winfrey show. It is claimed that the berry helps combat premature aging and promote…

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5 things every traveller should know about Brazil

October 30, 2014 Sarah Comments 0 Comment

No.1. You might have to search for an ATM that accepts your card We’d not had any problems getting money out of the ATM in any country in South America. Then we got to Brazil. After crossing the border, we headed, with our bags to the nearest cash point. It wouldn’t accept either my or James’ card. Neither would the next two that we came across. After traipsing around town in the heat with our backpacks, we finally found one that…

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The tale of the Sugar Loaf and the White Christ

October 26, 2014 Sarah Comments 0 Comment

The sugar loaf from Flamengo We are lucky to have a friend in Rio de Janeiro, who let us stay with him while we were in town. He lives in the Flamengo area of the city with an incredible view of one of the most iconic sights of Rio – the Pão de Açúcar or sugar loaf. With the weather forecast for most of our time in Rio not looking good, we quickly realised that if we were going to see the best…

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