Northern Coast of Brazil

While we were planning our honeymoon, we thought it would be fun to rent a car and drive along the northern coast to see all the beaches and not be typical tourists. However after doing some research we discovered that it would be rather difficult and could potentially be dangerous. So we booked a 4 day tour with Jeri Off Road,  to see the famous sand dunes which the north is known for. It was an absolute blast! 

We flew into Fortaleza, and our guide, Paolo, picked us up at the airport in his big white 4X4 ford truck. We drove 4 hours to Jericoacoara, a small town with a large surfing/kite surfing community. Jericoacoara is actually part of a national park, so there are no paved roads and there are no street lamps.  It's very picturesque town with very kind, laid back people. Apparently, on Sunset Hill you can seen the emerald flash. We watched the sunset and unfortunately didn't see it.  

After spending two nights in Jericoacoara we got back in our 4X4 with Paolo and drove along the coast,  "off roading" it to the Delta do Parnaiba. Along the way we stopped to see seahorses, take a boat trip, and watch the sunset again from the dunes. Our guide was a crazy driver, and we rarely understood what was going on so it was quite funny when we were shuffled out of the car and placed in a boat, and later told to get out of the boat and walk across crab filled mud to the coast not knowing what why. 

  The following day we continued onto Caburè, which was really just a stop on the long journey to the national park of Lençois Marenhenses. Another park full of sand dunes. For part of the year the spaces between the dunes are filled with water from the rain. The dunes had been full until July, the beautiful natural green and aquamarine pools, but after a drought the water dried up quickly and when we were there in September only 2 pools remained. The views were spectacular. I had never seen anything like it before. 

Salvador de Bahia / Morro de Sao Paolo

After our adventures in Argentina, we headed on North to Salvador de Bahia. It's the largest city in Northeast Brazil. This is city is also called the city of happiness for their easy going population, music, and outdoor parties. 

The historical center is quite small but very charming. The streets are lined with brightly colored houses still painted today like they were during colonial times. Bahia has is one of largest Afro-Brazilian populations in Brazil which adds to the rich culture. There large elevator that brings you from lower town to upper town is strange landmark, where you pay just 15 cents (7 US cents) to take a ride.

 Despite the quaintness of the historic center, Bahia is were we felt least safe. There are policemen standing on every corner and it isn't recommended to walk by yourself or wander outside of the center, so we decided to spend a few days on the island, Morro de Sao Paolo, which is a 3 hour ferry ride from the coast. 

Morro de Sao Paolo is small tourist island known for its four beaches. It was very relaxing and we enjoyed ordering custom caipirinhas from caipirinha bars with passion fruit, cashew, and guava. We also saw beautiful sunsets and wildlife and enjoyed the nicest pousada we stayed at on the trip, enjoying relaxing out on the hammock every morning and evening. 

Foz de Iguaçu

The Iguazu Falls lie on the border of Argentina and Brazil. The name comes from the native Gaurani language Y for "water" and ûsaú for "big", and in fact these falls are incredibly powerful and breathtaking. The falls are formed by the Iguazu River and Paranà River running over the Paranà Plateau. 

To visit the falls you can stay on the Brazilian side in Foz de Iguaçu or on the Argentinean side in Puerta Iguazu. We decided to cross the border, add an extra stamp to our passport, and stay in Argentina. We also had heard that the Argentinian side is more impressive, and so it was! 

The falls are part of a national park which has many trails where you can see lots of animals and also see the falls from the lower trail or from above on the upper trail. We first walked the lower trail and couldn't imagine how the upper trail could be more beautiful as argued in the guide books. But once we walked the upper trail we were completely taken a back by the beauty that is so awe inspiring. 

The upper trail is where you see the Garganta do Diabo, "The Devil's Throat" which is the largest waterfall in the whole park. The force, the sound, the wind, the experience of standing of this massive waterfall is incredible. You keep asking yourself " Where does all this water come from? It just doesn't stop!" 

Argentina had a completely different feel than the Brazil we had experienced so far in Rio de Janeiro. Being winter it was quite cold, cloudy, and damp. Puerta Iguazu is a very small town and almost has the feel of an old Western shanty town. 

Every few steps we saw Argentines drinking Yerba Maté with their personal mug and metal straw and dressed in thick sweaters made from Llama wool. We enjoyed the infamous argentine barbecue and discovered a local hot sauce, Chimi Churri, which we brought back two bottles! 

Brazil - Rio de Janeiro Cidade Maravilhosa

The start of our three week trip in Brazil started in Rio de Janeiro. I didn't really have many expectations for Brazil other than being concerned for our safety as we read many horror stories on forums online of people being held at knife point, or stabbed and robbed or even worse- kidnapped or killed. 

So we started our trip out being very cautious, dressing down with no jewelry or purses/bags and we quickly realized that Rio de Janeiro wasn't really as dangerous as it was made out to be (only if you venture into the famous favelas). It is a beautiful, lively city, with of course the famous beaches Ipanema and Copacabana, and kiosks everywhere selling fresh fruit juices, coconut water in the coconut, and caipirinhas. 

Since Brazil is of course on the other side of the equator, while we were there in August, it was their winter. However a winter where the low is 75 and this high is 85 isn't so bad. The beaches were crowded with students in the afternoon who go and practice soccer, volleyball, racket ball, and just sit with their friends listening to music hanging out. 

We only had 3 days in Rio and so the first day we went to Pao de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain). We had perfect timing and we're at the top of one those oddly looking shaped mountains and had a gorgeous view of the sunset over looking all of the city. 

The second day we ventured up to see one of the seven wonders of the world- Cristo Redentor, Christ the Redeemer. In order to get all the way up there, we had to take a little train, then once up there it was a mass of tourists. You could barely walk around, however the incredibly large Jesus is quite impressive and the view is also breathtaking. 

We also were able to make it the Botanical Gardens in Rio, which were a delight. We saw all sorts of fish and monkeys and of course it's relaxing, peaceful, and full of beautiful flowers, trees, pergolas, waterfalls, and walking paths. 

Shantaram

While on our honeymoon, I had to bring a good read for the 12 flights we would be taking, and for all the time we'd spend sitting and relaxing on the beach. I had found lying on the coffee table at my parents home the book Shantaram by Gregory David Roberts. This 937 pages book pulled me in like no other book I've read recently has, and it has given me a new appreciation for and interest in India. 

Although Shantaram is a novel, it's largely factual and based on the life of the author. 

"I was a revolutionary who lost his ideals in heroin, a philosopher who lost his integrity in crime, and a poet who lost his soul in a maximum security prison. When I escaped from that prison, over the front wall, between two gun towers, I became my country’s most wanted man. Luck ran with me and flew with me to India, where I joined the Bombay mafia. I worked as a gunrunner, a smuggler, and a counterfeiter. I was chained on three continents, beaten, stabbed and starved. I went to war. I ran into the enemy guns. And I survived, while other men around me died. They were better men than I am, most of them; better men whose lives were crunched up in mistakes, and thrown away by the wrong second of someone else’s hate, or love, or indifference. And I buried them, too many of those men, and grieved their stories and their lives into my own."

Even though the length of the book may appear daunting, it's totally worth the time. So go out and get this pick and enjoy the read! 

Matrimony

I apologize having gone practically the whole summer without posting anything new, however I was little busy getting married. This summer has been everything but boring. I first flew back to Minneapolis at the end of June to see my brother get married. It was a quick weekend full of celebration, laughter, joy, and fun! 

Then I was back in Italy, busy, getting ready for my own wedding. It was so wonderful to have my family come over to celebrate. It was a busy week between Bologna and Tuscany. The ceremony took place in San Gimignano in Sala Dante. We then headed on over to Villa Sorbigliano in San Casciano to continue the festivities. It was a long exciting day that started getting ready at noon and didn't finish until 3am the following morning. 

 

As much planning you're able to do before the big day, there are still stressful moments, funny moments, and some little mistakes. We didn't have a rehearsal and so we laughed when Luca had to ask when to exchange the rings, and I think we made everyone wait with great suspense before the cake cutting as we stood and waited in front of it for a good while until the chef came over and told us we needed to cut it.

The middle of the evening was interrupted when his friends played some pranks on us and we had to sing in front of everyone and recite declarations of love with some of the oddest words such as: eel, spoon, shark, and refrigerator.  Our evening ended with the hotel manger, very upset, that we woke him at 3 in the morning to show us our room, as our friend failed to tell us which building it was in at the large hotel site.  

After a wedding, a reception in Minneapolis, and traveling to Brazil for our honeymoon, we're finally back in Bologna after 6 weeks and getting ready to slow down a bit. 

Mare

I definitely have taken way to long of a hiatus with my blog! I have been busy enjoying the hot hot heat of the summer, going back to the states for a quick weekend to see my brother married to his now lovely wife, and spending the weekends at the beach in Castiglioncello. Escaping to the Northern Tuscan coast is a perfect way to get out of sticky hot Bologna, enjoy a cup of the best frozen yogurt you'll have taste, and work on a tan.  

But most importantly I've been busy planning and organizing my wedding which is 1 week from today! 

Too read more about the wedding in specific check out our wedding channel page: 

http://britta-luca.ourwedding.com/