Brazil Search Engines

I just stumbled across this site and thought I'd share...search engine colossus

http://www.searchenginecolossus.com/Brazil.html

Its a large list of brazilian search engines...you can search in english, Português, Español, Deutsch, Nederlands, Italiano, Français, and Nihongo (Japanese)

I know I will be using some of them!

Iguazu Falls

Iguazu Falls or Cataratas do Iguaçú IPA are waterfalls of the Iguazu River located on the border of the Brazilian state of Paraná and the Argentine province of Misiones.



The waterfall system consists of about 270 falls along 2.7 kilometres (1.67 miles) of the Iguazu River. Some of the individual falls are up to 82 metres (269 feet) in height, though the majority are about 64 metres (210 feet). The Garganta del Diablo or Devil's Throat (Garganta do Diabo in Portuguese), a U-shaped 150-metre-wide and 700-metre-long (490 by 2300 feet) cliff, is the most impressive of all, and marks the border between Argentina and Brazil. Most of the falls are within Argentine territory, but from the Brazilian side a more panoramic view of the Garganta del Diablo is obtained. Many islands split up the falls, including several large ones. About 900 metres of the 2.7-kilometre length does not have water flowing over it. The first European to find the falls was the Spanish Conquistador Álvar Núñez Cabeza de Vaca, after whom one of the falls in the Argentine side is named.

The falls are shared by the Iguazú National Park (Argentina) and Iguaçu National Park (Brazil). These parks were designated UNESCO World Heritage Sites in 1984 and 1986, respectively.

The name Iguazu comes from the Guarani words y (water) and guasu (big). The legend says that a god planned to marry a beautiful aborigine named Naipí, who fled with her mortal lover Tarobá in a canoe. In rage, the god sliced the river creating the waterfalls, condemning the lovers to an eternal fall.

There are two main towns on either side of the falls: Foz do Iguaçu in the Brazilian state of Paraná, and Puerto Iguazú in the Argentine province of Misiones. Other important tourist attractions near the falls include the Itaipu hydroelectric power plant, and the Jesuit Missions of the Guaranis in Argentina, Paraguay and Brazil.

Upon seeing Iguazu, First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt reportedly exclaimed "Poor Niagara!" Vastly larger than North America's Niagara Falls, Iguazu is rivalled only by Southern Africa's Victoria Falls which separates Zambia and Zimbabwe. Whilst Iguazu is wider because it is split into about 270 discrete falls and large islands, Victoria is the largest curtain of water in the world, at over a mile wide and over 350 feet in height.

Copacabana Palace, Rio de Janeiro

The hotel Copacabana Palace is located on copacabana beach. Trips and tours to Rio's best attractions are offered by the hotel. The statue of Christ the Redeemer, Sugar Loaf Mountain, Fiscal & Panqueta Islands, Petropolis, Itaipava & Teresopolis, Botanical Gardens, and Tijuca Forest just to name a few.

Copacabana Palace is also home to two of Rio's finest restaurants: The Hotel Cipriani Restaurant and The Pergula Restaurant.

Lesiure is not a problem at Copacababa Palace, They proudly state they have the finest pool in Rio and their rooftop tennis court is the only of it's kind in Rio. The hotel also has a new Fitness Centre and a Beauty Salon.

for more information including rates and reservations please visit their website . copacabanapalace.com.br

Zoológico Virtual da Fauna Brasileira - Brazil Nature

Zoológico Virtual da Fauna Brasileira - Brazil Nature:

"Zoológico Virtual da Fauna Brasileira"


O Brasil é o país de maior biodiversidade do planeta. Sua macrofauna é constituída de 525 espécies de mamíferos, 1622 de pássaros, 468 de répteis e 517 espécies de anfíbios, sendo que 788 espécies são endêmicas, só ocorrem no país. É o país com maior número de espécies vegetais e de mamíferos e o segundo mais rico em anfíbios.

Por outro lado, existem 103 espécies de pássaros e 71 de mamíferos ameaçados de extinção.

A proposta do Virtual Zoo é a de contar um pouco a respeito dos animais encontrados no Brasil, indo além das informações fornecidas pelas fichas técnicas dos zoológicos reais.

Por ser difícil de encontrar informações sobre os animais, o nosso zôo vai ser construído aos poucos e preferencialmente com fotografias dos animais in natura.

Pesquisa e produção: Eduardo Justiniano e Noeli Oliva

The Beach Culture of Buzios, Brazil

Brazil is world renowned for its beaches. With a coastline of 4,578 miles and beautiful weather nearly year-round, it's not surprising that the small town of Buzios near Rio de Janeiro is a phenomenal beachside destination. Buzios sits on a peninsula of twenty-two sparkling beaches where any day of the week you'll see beautiful people basking in the sun at popular spots or relaxing in the tranquil atmosphere at one of the peninsula's more secluded beaches.



Buzios started out as nothing more than a tiny fishing village on the Atlantic coast. Public curiosity increased in 1960 with the visit of French femme fatale actress Brigitte Bardot, who chose Buzios as a peaceful getaway. Since then, Buzios has made quite a splash on the international tourism circuit. Buzios continues to attract the elite Hollywood crowd today.
Despite its growing sophistication, Buzios still maintains the right amount of its fishing village roots, which lends itself a quaint, old world charm. The various dining and lodgings in the village create an atmosphere that is very special.
In Buzios, the best places to stay are called pousadas. A pousada is a type of bed-and-breakfast inn that is a refreshing accommodation option. The best pousadas are on the shores of the beautiful bay and are either located near the town center or right on the shore of one of its many alluring beaches.
The dining options in Buzios are plentiful. Authentic Brazilian restaurants are just the beginning of the South American cuisine experience. American, Asian, Mexican and French restaurants are widely available in the center of town, on the Rua de Pedras. Many beaches offer little cabanas serving up refreshing cocktails and tasty regional and Brazilian food. Try the seafood maceca, a delicious broth with rice and shrimp.
To cap off all the attractions of Buzios, the village offers world-class art galleries, clubs, and of course, shopping. Fine boutiques offer the latest fashions from the world over.
Buzios can be enjoyed year-round, with the most popular time to visit being between September and April, during the Brazilian summer. From May to July, there are numerous beautiful sunny days, but the temperature is a bit cooler and there is a bit of a higher chance of rain. The busiest time in Buzios is around the New Year holiday and of course, Carnival. Carnival, one of the world's biggest and most colorful festivals celebrated every February/March in nearby Rio de Janeiro.
Overall, Buzios is a special destination and should be considered on every Brazilian tour circuit. Along with enjoying all the highlights of Rio de Janeiro, and some far-away Amazon or Pantanal jungle, Buzios will provide the repose that completes a full Brazilian visit.

For further information about Buzios visit http://www.braziltravelinformation.com/brazil_riodejaneiro_buzios.htm
Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Michael Zurakhinsky is a professional traveler and a wtriter of sections of http://www.braziltravelinformation.com/and its sister site http://www.artourismbrazil.com/ - an independent resources, providing the traveling public with free, on-line information on South America and the many beautiful highlights it contains.

Visit Recife - The Venice of Brazil

Recife in Brazil is a city built on canals and waterways and is known as the Venice of Brazil. It offers untold of delights for the visitor.


Recife is the capital of the state of Pernambuco in Brazil and the counties fourth largest city. It is a bustling and vibrant city known for its rich cultural heritage and colonial architecture. It is not as cosmopolitan as some of Brazil’s other large cities. Recife mean ‘reef’ in Portuguese and the city is located along side a long coastal reef situated on the Atlantic Ocean.
Recife developed as a city of trade and as a major port. It is known as the Venice of Brazil and includes a mixture of the old and the new with narrow streets, canals, rivers and bridges. One of the pleasures that Recife offers is the opportunity to wander through the streets and to discover new pleasures. The architecture reflects the different cultures that have settled in the area and there are a number of historical monuments and churches many influenced by Portuguese and Dutch settlers.

The number one beach for city inhabitants and visitors alike is the Boa Viagem beach. This beach is one of the most famous in Brazil. Because it is protected by the reef the beach offers a safe place for swimming and other water sports. This area around Boa Viagem is the true heart of the city and includes many hotels, exciting nightlife and fine dining experiences. This area is also the shopping center of the city and offers many fine stores and boutiques. It is also a fine base to begin exploring the rest of the city.

Recife Antigo is the ancient part of the city. Much repair work is being done to revitalize this area. This is a great area for walking and sightseeing. This vibrant part of the city is alive with music and dance and of course carnival! One of the most famous carnivals in Brazil is the Carnival at Recife Antigo.

The Casa da Cultura is an important cultural marketplace full of arts, crafts and souvenirs. It was once an ancient colonial prison but has been transformed into a marketplace and center for traditional arts. This is also a center for performance art, dance and music.

For art lovers a visit to Francisco Brennand's Oficina Ceramica is essential. It is located just outside the city in a dense forest. Brennand is one of Brazil’s most famous artists and this center dedicated to his work includes a museum and workshop. There is also a retail store located in the Boa Viagem area dedicated to his ceramic art.

The local cuisine in Recife has many influences including Spanish, Dutch, African and Indian. The area is renowned for its bountiful supply of fresh seafood as well as local fruits including coconuts and mangos. Local dishes include crabs cooked in a spicy sauce, shrimps in mango sauce, and fried needle fish.

Because Recife is situated close to the equator the weather is tropical. The hottest months are from December through February. This is when the locals take their vacations. Winter is during June through August and this is the period of heavy rainfall.

No matter what time of the year you decide to visit Recife you are sure to experience the holiday of a lifetime. There are untold treasures to be found in this bustling and vibrant city.

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

read the rest of my blog!
brazilianstuff.blogspot.com

Fionnuala Barrett writes for Four Corners Hotels http://www.fourcornershotels.com/index.php/BR--Recife which offers hotels in cities around the world including hotels located in Recife.

Traveling Brazil

If traveling is your passion, Brazil is your destination. Brazil will take your breath away. For the sporty, the adventurous, the curious. For children, teenagers and adults. For couples, families and friends. For all kinds of people, all the time. With its dazzling beaches, forest trails and lively cities, Brazil will put all your emotions to the test. Pack your bags.

http://www.braziltourism.org/

Mindfulness and Retirement: Considering Brazil

Mindfulness and Retirement: Considering Brazil

By Maya Talisman Frost

I have a 17-year-old daughter who is finishing up a year in Vitoria, Brazil. She's been having the time of her life in a gorgeous coastal city with the beaches of her dreams and the cute guys to match. What's not to like?

Tara told us that we could buy a beautiful home ("All marble floors!") on a spectacular beach ("White sand!") in a number of lovely cities ("Amazing architecture!") with friendly neighbors ("Dancing all night with people who don't know you but love you anyway!")

In fact, she helpfully suggested that we could snag one of these properties for a mere $100,000...less than half of the median price for a typical house in our area.

She went on to say that we could buy a house on the coast in Brazil and retire there, with a delightful lifestyle, plenty of great friends, outstanding and inexpensive medical care, and zero chance of boredom or loneliness.

We weren't surprised that she suggested this. After all, she has an ulterior motive--why, SHE could be the one to manage the property until we decide to retire! She would, of course, have to live in beautiful, coastal, hunk-heavy, dance-crazed Brazil in order to do this, but she was willing to make this supreme sacrifice to support our perfect retirement.

How thoughtful. No, really. It sounds fantastic. I'm turning 45 in June, and that's not too early to think about how I want to spend the next few phases of my life. I truly appreciate the suggestion.

The people I admire most are those who continue to reinvent themselves about every decade, and who laugh out loud at the notion of retirement. They're on their fifth or sixth "career" and fully expect to have a couple more, just for fun.

What we really long for in retirement is time to play, and what we don't recognize is that we should be playing on a daily basis. We need to live our lives in a way that connects us to our creativity and joy. Think of it as the Brazilian plan.

How do you picture yourself at age 65? 75? 85? You've got a decent shot at living to be 100.

Howard and Marika Stone have been inspiring people to reinvent themselves as they get older. On their website, 2Young2Retire.com, they share dozens of stories of folks who have done just that. Their intention is to help others "navigate the uncharted waters of longevity" and they do so with great passion and humor.

Whether we're 20 or 70, we can use mindfulness to help us see who we want to be next. The first step? Pay attention to what we consider to be FUN. Focus on what we do that feels like we're playing instead of working. Notice our "guilty pleasures"--those things we do when we think we should be working on something else.

Here's the good news: You can get paid for having fun. You can help your community while you're doing what you can only describe as goofing off. You can learn new skills and demonstrate overlooked talents in a way that helps others while making you laugh. And it's not too early to start thinking about what that might look like.

Retire your idea of retirement and embrace the concept of reinvention. Look at what you're dreaming about doing, and be mindful of how you can start "investing" in your opportunities for greater fun. That's my personal prescription for the not-enough-Social-Security blues.

That, and perhaps finding a lovely house on the coast in Brazil, where I can become fluent in Portuguese and become a painter, or a novelist, or start a school, or build a playground, or design a community garden, or write songs, or dance til dawn, or be the happiest grandmother alive. Or all of the above.

I'll tell my daughter to start looking.

Maya Talisman Frost is a mind masseuse in Portland, Oregon. Through her company, Real-World Mindfulness Training, she teaches fun and effective eyes-wide-open alternatives to meditation. To subscribe, please visit http://www.MassageYourMind.com

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Maya_Talisman_Frost
http://EzineArticles.com/?Mindfulness-and-Retirement:--Considering-Brazil&id=31164

CARNIVAL!!

Well I can't do a blog on Brazilian Culture without adding something about carnival!

The Brazilian Carnival is an annual celebration in Brazil held 40 days before Easter and marks the beginning of Lent

The origins of carnival date back to the ancient Greek spring festival in honor of Dionysus, the god of wine. The Romans adopted the celebration with Bacchanalia (feasts in honor of Bacchus, the Roman equivalent to Dionysus), and Saturnalia, where slaves and their masters would exchange clothes in a day of drunken revelry. Saturnalia was later modified by the Roman Catholic Church into a festival leading up Ash Wednesday. It quickly evolved into a massive celebration of indulgences - one last gasp of music, food, alcohol, and sex before Lent - before the 40 days of personal reflection, abstinence, and fasting until Easter (not exactly what the Church probably had in mind). 40 days of purging sins, preceded by a week filled with virtually every known sin. The word itself comes from Latin, "Carne Vale" or "Farewell to the Flesh".