The largest country in South America and proud owner of some of the most famous beaches on the globe, Brazil is the home of Rio de Janeiro, samba music, the Rio Carnival and the best known soccer player in the universe, Pele. Brazil is enormous and there are so many reasons to visit this Latin American gem that we can only briefly skim through a few of them here. Brazil's most famous city isn't its capital, Brasilia, nor it's largest city, Sao Paulo, but vibrant Rio de Janeiro, which sits resplendent between fabulous beaches and rugged mountains. Rio's natural beauty is quite awe inspiring. Its world-class beaches include golden Copacabana with its fashionable promenade and ritzy Ipanema, which is synonymous with the bossa nova thanks to the song, "The Girl From Ipanema". Behind the Rio's beaches, hotels, restaurants, boutiques and apartments rise a series of peaks as immediately recognizable as any in the world. Standing high on Corcovado Mountain, his arms outstretched as if to embrace the city, bay and islands far below is Xavier Donat's 38-metre tall statue of Jesus, Christ the Redeemer, now applauded as one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. Across Guanabara Bay, Sugarloaf Mountain rises, domed and magnificent from its peninsula in the Atlantic Ocean. If you have a head for heights and a strong grip, maybe you should try a rock-climbing trip up the mountain, or one of it's equally challenging neighbours.
Natural phenomena and manmade sculptures aside, if you say "Rio de Janeiro" to someone, chances are they will reply "Rio Carnival". The Rio Carnival usually falls in sultry February, though the exact date varies as it actually runs for 4 days beginning on a Saturday to finish on "Fat Tuesday", the day before Ash Wednesday and the start of Lent. As these dates indicate, the Rio Carnival is a period of indulgence, extravagance and worldly excess before the 40 days of abstinence that leads into Easter. It may last for only 4 days, but many Rio residents spend literally all year preparing for it. The outrageous costumes, dazzling dance routines, fabulous samba music, colourful floats and electric atmosphere all make it the most famous street carnival in the world. The samba schools practice feverishly for the big carnival parade and competition to be the best is fierce. If you are in South America at Carnival time, you really should get over to Rio de Janiero to witness one of the greatest spectacles that Latin America has to offer.
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