I don’t mean to rub it in – especially if you’re braving the cold weather right now – but the last few weeks in São Paulo have been SUPER hot! To the point I can’t even take Joe the dog for long daytime walks, as he can’t cope with the heat. I don’t blame him, since I often feel I’m melting away out there, with the reflection of the sun off of all this concrete in our beloved city. Continue Reading

While in São Paulo I took the opportunity to explore some foodie related places and some sites of interest in the city I was born. The city of São Paulo is ranked among the five-largest metropolitan areas on the planet with a population of around 20 million. São Paulo is the capital of São Paulo state, which is the most populous state in Brazil. The city is ranked 3rd in the world in number of high-rise buildings with more than six thousand. If you ever find yourself in São Paulo here are my suggestions – what to do and where to go. Continue Reading

Brazil, for most people, still conjures up sun, sea, carnival and football. But, these clichéd associations can sometimes detract from the sheer splendor and diversity on offer in Brazil. Venture outside the recognized tourist areas of Rio, Iguaçu Falls and the Amazon, and there are even more breath-taking landscapes, inspiring attractions and wonderful places to stay. Continue Reading

The first impression of this magnificent architectural front that rises on the road to Santa Ines, in the heart of the Serra da Cantareira on the outskirts of São Paulo is impressive grandiosity. The place is enormous and spellbinding. Surrounded by greenery, the buildings are in a style almost reminiscent of citadels. There is always an unusual and rustic detail on show. O Velhao is a reclamation and salvage yard often commissioned to restore some of the city’s most prominent sites. Continue Reading

Trancoso is a little hippie-chic town located in the southern state of Bahia, that was founded in 1586 as a village formed by simply two rows of rustic houses, a large lawn and a church as the scenery. Today, after four centuries, the great rectangular lawn known as the Quadrado, which was discovered by hippies in the 70s, is where everything happens. They renovated old fisherman houses into hotels, bars and restaurants, creating a charming antique village. Continue Reading

Buzios is a major tourist destination in Brazil. This little peninsula, just off the coast of Rio de Janeiro attracts travellers from around the world! Its beautiful beaches, brightly coloured ocean, and charming village make it a hit among Brazilians and foreign vacationers. Continue Reading

It’s an undeniable fact that, for the most part, tourists are fickle guests. They arrive, they consume, they produce waste and they leave. Of course, they pay generously for the privilege of not having to think about much for a few days or weeks, but the impact of tourism soon mounts up, and within very little time, if unmanaged, every “untouched paradise” is spoiled and overdevelopment rapidly erodes fragile systems of ecology, economy and culture. Continue Reading

This month Jungle decided headed for the Dutch capital, Amsterdam, one of the world’s most liberal and relaxed cities; famous for its beautiful architecture, canals and world class museums. Continue Reading

VAMOS festival doesn’t like to do things lightly, which is why their line-up for 2011 looks so daunting on paper. Music, film, dance, carnival, education and Mexican wrestling spread out over 37 days across the north-eastern cities of Newcastle and Gateshead. Continue Reading