Hey Dear Reader...how's it going??? Always a pleasure to keep you up to date about new things in this brazilian side of the World. I always love to look for new and unique places to make your trip to Rio very special, and I found a very cool way to take you to São Paulo (YES!!! SÃO PAULO!!!) and find out a very different BRAZIL, a chance to see the country exactly like it was discovered and explored by our portuguese settlers...european manners in the very inside countryside of both States: RIO AND SÃO PAULO.
Okay you are coming to Rio and I am sure you think you will see our beautiful Copcabana beach and you will see the city from the Sugar Loaf...This is absolutely great and I am here to show you all this...but I am sooooo pleased to take you deep into our culture and take you to places that no tourist would never think about visiting...so when you come to Rio...think about spending at least one day or even two days to see a different Rio where the whole Brazil will be introduced to you!
Will, an intrepid guest (and wonderful friend) and me a very adventurous guide; had a blast visiting the NATURE SIDE of Brazil not so far from Rio, in two ours exploring the countryside. After two hours we meet interesting people, we came across to our fascinating colonial past and we could learn together about places where tourists and travellers never go. We choose Bananal, a city in the south-east of Rio which belong to the State of São Paulo, right in the valley of Paraiba River where the portuguese farmed enormous coffe plantations and thanks to that we are one of the biggest coffe exporters in the World. And the price of all this effort...PARADISE IN THE MOUNTAINS.
Fresh waters, delicious moments of leisure in endless mineral water pools with impressive waterfalls...wilderness all around. Everything is possible in just one day or we can spend one night in very charming and cozy cottages where Nature reigns, where birds sing in the end of the afternoon and in the first hours of the morning. Moments and adventures that will remain in your memories forever; and the chance to meet a tour guide and get back home with a friend for life!
A day in Bananal you will learn in such a privileged location all about the fascinating portuguese and african influences in our country. Listening to absiolutely amazing legends, learn about our farmers heritage...stories of slaves that could change the history of Brazil, meeting humble, simple and enriched local natives and meeting our colonial architecture. One day!!! You just need one day and to learn more and see more wonderful things...maybe one night, then we have two days for total fun and absolutely special experience.
These paintings were made by a woman who believed being possessed by spirits of slaves and wow...this woman does not understand nothing about Art...you will learn amazing habits of countryside men.
This wonderful day would never be possible with the great magig Will Fern that helped me to provide such a magic adventurous and cultural day, many thanks also to Thiago, the strong hand that keeps the preservation of such special ecosystem of one of the most preserved remainings of our Atlantic Forest, and his fascinating work at Estação Ecologica; many thanks to my friend Jucerlei Amaral, part of the city staff for Bananal's Ecologic Promotion who took us to the various spots of amazing interests like old portuguese farms, many waterfalls and opened his house where we learnt deeply about the local culture in Bananal. We had such a wonderful time and this will be always repeated in my tours.
Thank you very much,
Rafael Torres Lopes
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