This post does not include Rio de Janeiro as I have dedicated a separate post to that (click here). Instead I will be talking about other places of interest that we have visited in Brazil, besides Rio.
Below is the list in the order of our visit:
Manaus
Sitting in the middle of the largest rainforest in the world – the Amazon, this city is the hub for all that is Amazonas. From river cruises to swimming with dolphins, jungle walks to meeting of the waters, Manaus is the place to be. We arrived here early in the morning by an overnight bus from Boa Vista. Thanks to our AirBnB hosts who were kind enough to let us check in early, we got settled in comfortably. The apartment was located in the heart of the city, just minutes away from the Teatro Amazonas and we were on the 10th floor with a view of the beautiful Rio Negro. Our hosts Silvio and his mate Clemilson were very gracious and very helpful in offering us tips and information on river cruises and other things to see around Manaus. As we had travelled the whole night, we took it a bit slow on the first day. We got ready around lunch time and walked along the street off of our building just to get familiar with the area. There were several buffet places around called Churrascarias serving traditional Brazilian food where they charge by weighing your plate of food. We had lunch at one of them and it was quite delicious. After this, we went looking for a grocery store to buy some basic groceries and then bought a local SIM card for our use as we were going to be in Brazil for another 2 months. We then walked up one block from where our apartment was to the Teatro Amazonas. We admired the beautiful theater from outside and planned to return for a tour inside later. We also walked past the square across from the theater. The street adjoining these contained dozens of tour operators with whom we negotiated a good deal for a day trip to Presidente Figueiredo National Park and a 3D/2N Amazon river cruise (you can read all about these tours here).
Just like most visitors to Manaus, our main objective to come here was to see the Amazon. And as we stayed in the heart of the city and so close to the main attractions the city had on offer, we did not venture further into the outskirts of Manaus. So here are the highlights of the places we saw.
- Teatro Amazonas: is a beautiful opera house in Manaus built in 1896. It was chosen by Vogue Magazine as one of the most beautiful opera houses in the world. Built in the Renaissance Revival style, its iconic dome is covered with 36,000 decorated ceramic tiles painted in the colors of the national flag of Brazil. The main hall has the ability to seat 700 people and is decorated beautifully with furnishings from France and chandeliers from Italy. Guided tours are available daily every 30 minutes between 9 am to 4 pm and the cost is 25 Reals (USD$5.50).
- Largo de São Sebastião: A square located across from the theater. Located in the heart of Manaus and the vast Amazon rainforest, this square represents all that is Manaus. The floor is designed with black and white tiles in a wave pattern symbolizing the meeting of the waters of the rivers Negro and Solimões. This floor design is the inspiration for the famous sidewalks of Copacabana in Rio de Janeiro. The square hosts several free concerts, theater shows and even operatic events and at night it turns electric with locals and visitors gathering here either to dine at the various restaurants and bars that line the perimeter or to just hang around and spend time together.
- Monument Abertura dos Portos (Opening of the Ports Monument): Located in the center of the square. The monument was inaugurated in the first decade of the 1900s to commemorate the opening of the Amazon River ports for foreign trade in 1866. The monument symbolizes the four corners of the world: Asia, America, Africa and Europe, each represented by a ship, with a seated boy on the prow of each ship. The god Mercury, symbol of Industry and Commerce, is at the top of the monument.
- São Sebastião Church: Located next to the square. The interiors contain panels and stained glass windows along with paintings that cover the ceiling brought from Italy.
Lençóis Maranhenses National Park
Located in the northeastern state of Maranhão, this is a long way from the biggest city in the state, São Luís. Leaving early in the morning and after a 5 hour drive plus another 30 minutes on an ATV, this place was as remote as it could get. But the minute I saw a picture of this place when I was researching, Lençóis was on the top. This protected national park sits on the coastline and comprises 70 km of rolling sand dunes. The name Lençóis, which is Portuguese for sheets, actually looks like silk sheets ruffled on the bed. Although it looks like a desert, the sand has been carried over by the wind and deposited here to form these rolling sand dunes, and during the rainy season the valleys among the dunes fill with rainwater to form lagoons. The water is prevented from draining due to the impermeable rock beneath the sand. This is truly an amazing sight to behold and although aerial shots are best to showcase the beauty, it is a wonderful place to visit.
We drove for around 4.5 hours from São Luís and reached a town called Barreirinhas where we stopped for a couple of hours for lunch. From here we rode an ATV and after crossing a river on a ferry, drove for another 30 minutes on very rough terrain. The only means of transport into the park was on an ATV which was nothing less than a roller coaster ride with its constant twists and turns and only going on a dedicated track made by previous ATVs. We reached a point from where we needed to walk on the dunes to reach the lagoons. 
We saw around 4-5 of the lagoons and we spent a good half hour at each of them swimming in them. The freshwaters of these lagoons were very clear except for some moss on the bottom. But the water was shallow and of a very comfortable temperature to swim or just sit and relax. And the landscape was breathtaking and unlike any other place I have seen or imagined. We stayed here until sunset to take some great pictures but the clouds covering the sun obscured our view of the beautiful sunset. We then headed back the same way we came and reached São Luís almost at midnight making it a long but eventful day.
Fortaleza
Fortaleza is the capital of the northeastern Brazilian state of Ceará and is the best city to be based if you want to visit the nearby beaches, dunes and lagoons. There is not much to see in the city other than the neo-Gothic Catedral Metropolitana. So after a visit to the cathedral, we booked a couple of day tours to visit the sights.
Jericoacoara
Jijoca de Jericoacoara is a small fishing village on the far west corner of the state of Ceara and a very long 300 km away from the capital city, Fortaleza. Nicknamed Jeri, the Jericoacoara beach was named one of the top 10 most beautiful beaches in the world by The Washington Post leading to a boom in tourism. The area around Jericoacoara was declared an Environmental Protection area to restrict tourism and the distance to bigger cities and limited road access helped keep the beach and village remote and isolated. In fact, the village was so far removed from modern life that electricity was generated using diesel engines and street lighting was provided by the moon and stars. Since the Post article, tourism has grown and electricity and other amenities have been introduced here to meet the demand, although street lights are still forbidden by law. Adding to the popularity of the beach, Jeri’s claim to fame are the coveted locations such as the Pedra Furada, the Lagoa do Paraiso and the Dune Sunset.
Tours generally originate from Fortaleza and depart early at around 4.30 am. We paid 150 reals ($40) per person for this tour which included transport to Jeri and a visit to the above 3 locations on a 4×4 buggy. The vast sand dunes covering the entire coast makes the buggy the only accessible mode of transport.
So after a 4-hour drive and a half hour stop for breakfast, we reached our location from where we were to switch over from the passenger van to the 4×4.After an hour buggy ride we arrived at Lagoa do Paraiso which is a lagoon with crystal clear waters and white sandy beach. As you enter the beach, the first thing that catches the eye are the hundreds of straw umbrellas lining the coastline. The aquamarine waters are so unbelievably clean and clear and the best feature here are the multiple netted hammocks hung on wooden stakes sitting in the water. Water sports such as diving, sailing, surfing, paddle boarding are popular here but the best thing to do is to find yourself a hammock and lie on it soaking in the sun. We spent around 3 hours relaxing and swimming and also having a light snack at one of the various restaurants on the beach.
Around 1.30 pm, we headed back to the 4×4 and rode along the sandy dunes to another popular attraction called the Tree Sloth or the sleeping tree. This is a very interesting tree that has been bent by the wind in such a way that it looks like it is sleeping. There is no other vegetation around this stretch of the beach except for this one tree and the only thing to do here is to take pictures. We had to do it in the 10 minutes that was allowed, which was a task in itself as there was a line.
Our next stop was Pedra Furada which is a beautiful rock formation on the beach but requires a 2-3 km walk and a climb down a rocky cliff to get to. This rock is about 5 meters tall with a hole in the middle carved by the forces of nature. The rock itself looks like millions of small rocks fused together to form this large rock. It is said that in the month of July, one can watch the sunset through the hole in the rock formation. This place was very crowded which made it very hard to take pictures. We headed back after taking some decent shots of the Pedra Furada and climbed up the cliff and back the same stretch to reach our transport vehicle by 4 pm.
From here it was a short 15 minute drive to the village of Jericoacoara. What was once a sleepy little village was now a bustling resort due to the tourism boom. The entire village, albeit small, was full of pousadas (small family run inns or B&B’s), hotels, hostels, restaurants and some designer boutiques and shops.
There were no tarred or cobblestoned roads but just sand from the dunes and as I mentioned earlier, and no street lights either. We just walked around the village for a bit and then headed to the beach. It was a very crowded beach and on one side there was a little hill popularly known as the Sunset Dune (Duna do Pôr do Sol). This is one of the several places in Brazil where the sun sinks into the ocean in a spectacular show and both visitors and locals gather on the dune to witness this. We stayed on the beach until 6 pm watching the sunset and headed back to our vehicle. Returning to the point where our minibus was waiting for us, we started our journey back to Fortaleza before a pit stop at a gas station restaurant for a light dinner and reached home by midnight.
Morro Branco
This was another tour we signed up for in Fortaleza to visit the beaches of Beberibe. The cost of this tour was 65 reals ($17) per person and included only transportation to and from Beberibe. Departing around 8 am from Fortaleza, we arrived at Morro Branco by 9.30 am. The main tourist attractions here are the Morro Branco Labyrinths and the buggy rides over the dunes, exploring the caverns, caves and beaches and this was an additional 80 reals ($21) per person.
Once we signed up for a buggy ride, we drove for a short distance to the small village of Morro Branco which was situated on top of a cliff overlooking the white sandy beach. Our guide first walked us through the Morro Branco labyrinths. The Praia de Morro Branco is internationally known for the sea cliffs that line the entire length of the beach. The sedimentary rock layers which are subjected to the erosive powers of both wind and water have carved out these myriad of colorful labyrinths. The colors of the sand vary from white, yellow, orange, red and brown and are said to contain at least 12 different shades. These colored cliffs standing against the backdrop of the blue ocean waters are truly a spectacular sight and a highlight of this tour. Walking among these labyrinths and admiring the wonders that lie in nature, we exited the cliffs and came upon the beautiful white sandy beach where our dune buggy was waiting.
These jeep-like buggies were equipped with 2 seats in front and a long bench in the back that was open to the top and would accommodate 3 people, so we shared our vehicle with one more couple. We took the back bench and held on to dear life as we drove along the beach with the wind in our hair and the ocean and cliffs on either side. This was so much fun and we felt young and alive as though we were on a roller coaster. We made 2 stops during our hour and a half ride, one was at a cave that lies beneath beautiful white cliffs and another was at a lagoon. The stop at the cave was for just 10 minutes to just take pictures as it was not a very big cave but had an opening on the top where a small stream of water dropped down onto the floor. The stopover at the lagoon however was for a good half hour where people could relax on one of the hammocks located on the water or have some snacks or a cold beer from one of the many food carts around.
From here we proceeded to drive on the dunes for a short distance before arriving at Beberibe where we switched over to our minibus. We were then taken to a beach side restaurant where we were given a couple of hours time to have lunch and relax on the beach before making our way back to Fortaleza.
This tour in my opinion was average and although the Morro Branco labyrinth and the dune buggy ride were definitely worth the visit, if you can manage it, I would recommend you drive here on your own and hire the buggies after arrival.
Recife
Recife is a large modern city and the capital of the state of Pernambuco in the northeastern corner of Brazil. It is a major port and the first of the slave ports in the Americas.
The shores of Recife are lined with beautiful coral reefs, which has given it its name (Recife in Portuguese means Reefs). It is popularly known as the Brazilian Venice due to its various rivers, small islands and more than 50 bridges. Recife also draws a large number of tourists, both for its beaches and historical sites. The beach of Porto de Galinhas, 60 km south of the city, has been repeatedly awarded the title of best beach in Brazil and has drawn many tourists. The Historic Centre of Olinda, 7 km north of the city, due to its early colonization by both the Portuguese and the Dutch, was declared a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1982 for its historical and cultural significance. The other major reason for the draw in tourists is for the annual Brazilian Carnival for which Recife and Olinda celebrate in a grandiose fashion and the whole city comes together for a month-long celebration. 
The historic center of Recife is a vibrant cultural center with its colonial architecture and modern art houses.
- Praça da República (Square of the Republic): also known as Marco Zero is the meeting point and the heart of Recife.
- Casa Da Cultura (House of Culture): located along the square is an old prison that has been converted into a cultural space and shopping center.
- Paço do Frevo (The Frevo Palace): is a museum featuring classes, multimedia & rotating exhibitions dedicated to local dance & frevo music. Frevo is a dance and musical style that originated in Recife and is traditionally associated with the Brazilian carnival. It is easily identified by its use of colorful small umbrellas and outfits. Frevo was included in UNESCO’s list of intangible heritage. Entrance to the palace is free and you can learn about the history, style and also participate in a performance on the top floor of this small but beautiful museum.
- Museu Cais do Sertão: is an interactive museum about Sertão and Luiz Gonzaga. Housed in a restored old port warehouse as part of the Porto Novo Recife project, this museum pays homage to the culture and stories of the Brazilian Sertanejo people. The museum is divided into thematic spaces covering both the music and life in the Sertão and includes re-creations of a typical home; interactive, digital and audiovisual exhibits; a karaoke and mixing room. It also has a special dedication to the godfather of forró music, Luiz Gonzaga, who was a major player in not only bringing the music of the region to national prominence, but the culture as well.
- Parque das Esculturas Francisco Brennand (Francisco Brennand Sculpture Park): is a park built in 2000 on a reef in front of Marco Zero in commemoration of 500 years since the discovery of Brazil. There are various sculptures from the sculptor and artist Francisco Brennand. The one that stands out is the Crystal column, 32 meters high and made of clay and bronze. Entrance to the park is free but when we went there, the park was deserted and almost looked abandoned, and the worst part is it took us over an hour to get any Uber driver to come pick us up from here. On the other hand, I would recommend you visit the Instituto Ricardo Brennand instead where you will get to see a lot more of Francisco Brennand’s work along with various works by famous Dutch painter Frans Post, and a large collection of armoury and weapons.
Olinda
Located 7 km north of Recife, Olinda is one of the best preserved colonial cities in Brazil. Founded in 1535 by the Portuguese, it is built on steep hillsides and is distinguished by its 18th-century architecture, baroque churches, convents, monasteries and brightly painted houses. There is plenty to see here for a tourist, but the carnival in Olinda which is celebrated in the traditional Portuguese style with the addition of African influences is the biggest draw. Weeks leading up to the carnival, people of Olinda come together with music, parties and endless parades and unlike Rio or Salvador, entrance is free since all the festivities occur on the streets. We visited Olinda to witness the revelry and be a part of the parades that were going through almost every street of the city’s historical center. Groups of people, some carrying banners, some dressed in carnival style with feathers, tutus, sequined outfits, glitter makeup were making their way playing drums and other instruments or singing, and the rest of the onlookers followed them.
We took an uber from Recife to Olinda and got off at the top of the hill called Alto da Sé (Cathedral Heights). Igreja da Sé, also known as Church of São Salvador do Mundo, is located here which was the first church built in Brazil as early as 1540. Although a simple church, if you walk through the side doors you come across an open area from where you get the best views of the entire city. You not only can see all of Olinda and the ocean adjacent to it, you can also see Recife a little further down with its stark contrasting modern skyline against the old world charm of Olinda.
Walking a little further up the hill we came across a couple of other beautiful churches: Igreja Nossa Senhora do Amparo and Igreja de Nossa Senhora da Conceição which were closed but we just admired the beauty of these colonial churches from the outside. The view from the hilltop was spectacular and we spent some time there looking around and then started walking downhill where we could hear the sounds of drums and loud music. We just followed the sound and in a few minutes came up on the passing parade along with hundreds of onlookers. We then spent a couple of hours following the various parades, taking pictures and just standing on the side lines enjoying the pageantry. As the parade started to dwindle down, we came upon the Igreja do Carmo. This church was visible even from the top of the hill where we got the panoramic view of the city, and we had planned to visit it as we got down the hill. But as it was late in the day and since the carnival mood had set in, this church was also closed. So we just contented ourselves by taking pictures of the exterior and headed back home.
Porto de Galinha
Located 60 km to the south of Recife, Porto de Galinha is a famous beach in the state of Pernambuco and voted one of the ‘Best Brazilian Beach’ eighth year in a row by the readers of Voyage and Tourism Brazilian magazine. This is due to the beautiful natural pools closest to the coast in all of Brazil and other amenities. The origin of the name Porto de Galinha meaning ‘Port of Chickens’ can be traced back to around 1850 when the slave trade was ruled as illegal. To evade this rule, slaves were transported with chickens. In accordance with this name, the little beach side neighborhood now in keeping with the name of Porto de Galinhas is decorated with models of colorful chickens all over.
Buses ply between Recife and Porto de Galinhas on a regular basis and we also travelled by one of these buses to reach here. When we got off the bus, there was no clear indication as to which way to go but we just took a guess and walked towards the ocean and after a couple of blocks came upon the large beach. The beach is beautiful, clean and not as crowded as we thought it would be. People were enjoying the waters doing a variety of activities such as swimming, snorkeling, sailing, motor boating, or just relaxing on the beach. We were told the best way to see the natural pools and the colorful fish is to hire one of the little boats called “Jangadas” to take you there. So we hired one and set sail onto the vast open waters, first along the beach where we could observe the beautiful reefs and the various natural pools formed by these reefs. The water here appeared shallow enough and lots of people were swimming or snorkeling. After about 20 minutes of showing us around we finally stopped at one of the shallow areas farther away from the beach where there were several boats docked and people in the water. We got off the boat and, equipped with our snorkeling gear, got into one of the shallow pools. Our guide handed us some fish food and as we held our hands under the water, hundreds of colorful fishes swam towards us. We could see them very clearly even without the snorkeling gear. Our guide also pointed to one of the little natural pools which was in the shape of Brazil. We spent about a half hour here swimming and feeding the fish and then headed back to shore. We then walked around the street which had a lot of restaurants, and shops, and had lunch at one of the beach side restaurants and returned to Recife. 
Salvador/Pelourinho
Salvador, also known as São Salvador da Bahia de Todos os Santos (English: Holy Savior from the Bay of All Saints) is the capital of Bahia. It is the largest city in the Northeast Region and the 4th largest city in the country, after São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro and Brasília.
Salvador was founded by the Portuguese in 1549 as the first capital of Brazil, and is one of the oldest colonial cities in the Americas. It was one of the first slave ports in the Americas and the African influence and Afro-Brazilian culture of the descendants is very much evident here. The city is well known for its cuisine, music, dance and architecture and the people of Salvador go all out to make the Carnival celebration one of the largest parties in the world. Since our visit here preceded the Carnival by a couple of weeks, we could see the stage and gallery seating being built on either side of the streets which were known to be the ‘carnival circuit’.
- The Elevador Lacerda: Brazil’s first urban elevator, divides its Lower Town (Cidade Baixa) from its Upper Town (Cidade Alta) by some 85 meters (279 ft) and has connected the two since 1873. There is a small fee of 15 reals to ride the elevator. I had seen pictures of this elevator before visiting here, but was a bit disappointed that other than there being an elevator connecting the two areas, there was no real attraction to take the ride. But from the top, you get a beautiful panoramic view of the coast which is indeed a spectacular sight. We could also spot some cruise ships docked, so we gathered that this elevator would be a good mode of transport for tourists to get to the historic Pelourinho district quickly during their short stopover.
- Pelourinho district of the upper town, still home to many examples of Portuguese colonial architecture and historical monuments, was named a World Heritage Site by UNESCO in 1985. The Sao Francisco church (Iglesia San Francisco De Asis) and convent (Igreja e Convento de São Francisco) adjacent to the small courtyard is an important colonial monument and part of the heritage site. This courtyard with a large cross in the center is one of the most photographed places in Pelourinho and draws a large number of tourists. There are a few cafes with outside seating and live music where you can sit and people watch. We were unable to visit the church as it was closed in preparation for the upcoming Carnival. We did however visit the Igreja de São Domingos Gusmão located just to the right of the square Largo Terreiro de Jesus. This square is surrounded by many historical buildings of importance such as museums and cathedrals.
- Porto da Barra Beach: located in the Barra neighborhood which is an upscale and highly sought out area in Salvador and attracts lots of tourists to its pristine beach. It is an L-shaped beach and has a lighthouse at the junction. There are shallow reefs along the beach which are ideal for diving and snorkelling. The great thing about this is that you could snorkel right off of the beach which does not require the need to hire a boat or a guide. So that is what we did for one afternoon. The water was very clear and clean and we saw some pretty colorful fish.
Belo Horizonte
After spending 10 days in Rio, we rented a car for 3 days for a side trip to Belo Horizonte, the capital city of southeastern Brazil’s Minas Gerais state. We took a couple of day trips from here to the nearby Ouro Preto and Inhotim. And on our return, we stopped at Tiradentes.
Ouro Preto
We started driving from Belo Horizonte at 10 am to Ouro Preto, which is a town located around 100 km away. The drive through the mountains of Minas Gerais is absolutely beautiful with rolling green hills covered in trees. What I found absolutely fascinating is that among the sea of green, you find these flowering trees in the distance with pops of white, yellow, purple and pink. I found myself trying to take pictures but it did become a bit of a difficult task in a moving car.
After being stuck in a traffic jam for almost an hour, we finally reached Ouro Preto around 1 pm. Unfortunately it started to rain heavily as we got into town which really hampered our visit. We first found a place to park our car and after picking up a map from the information office, headed downhill towards the church.
Ouro Preto (Black Gold in English) was a former colonial mining town now designated a UNESCO World Heritage site because of its outstanding Baroque architecture. This town came into existence back in the 17th century when gold was found in abundance in these parts. The first mines were established here and the town became known as Vila Rica (Rich village). It flourished in the 18th and 19th century by which time almost 800 tons of gold were sent to Portugal. In order to keep some of this wealth to themselves, the locals started building churches with interiors covered in gold in the Baroque style. Ouro Preto has several churches, but the most famous one called the Basilica Nossa Senhora de Pilar, boasts of containing more than 400 kgs of Gold.
The city of Ouro Preto is also known for its well preserved Baroque architectural buildings. The narrow streets lined with stones, although not uncommon for towns built during that era, makes this one of the prettiest towns in Brazil. What is unique to this place is that it is built entirely on a mountain and almost all the streets are at 45 degree angles. It was not only hard to walk these streets, it was much harder to drive. The streets of San Francisco, CA have nothing on this town. And to add to it, the whole time we were here, it rained heavily and it was all the more difficult to walk carefully on the wet stones whether you are walking up or down the street.
We had lunch in one of the small pizzerias there, left Ouro Preto around 3 pm and reached Belo Horizonte by 7 pm. Rain and closures of some attractions due to carnival preparations meant that we could only visit one church in Ouro Preto. We did walk up and down the mountainous streets and also drove around quite a bit trying to find our way out. But at the end of the day, we were happy to have visited the second most gilded Baroque church in all of Brazil.
Inhotim
Located in Brumadinho (Minas Gerais), 60 km away from Belo Horizonte, the Inhotim (Inhotim Institute) is one of the largest foundations of contemporary art in Brazil and one of the largest outdoor art centers in Latin America. It is a museum, but more of a large botanical garden showcasing some exotic and one of a kind plants along with contemporary art installations. It was founded by a former mining magnate Bernardo Paz in 2004 to house his personal art collection, but opened to the public a couple of years later.
We drove from Belo Horizonte around 9 am and reached the museum around 11 am. After paying the entrance fee of 44 Reals (US$ 11.50) each, we were given a map of the park along with instructions about the shuttle stops and the interesting attractions of the park. As the park is huge, it requires a lot of walking, so it was nice that they have these eco-friendly golf carts for shuttling visitors from one attraction to the next. We spent almost 5 hours here. The botanical garden is really beautiful, and with small ponds in between, it is a really peaceful and a very calming place to explore and enjoy the beauty. The other thing I found very interesting were the various benches and lounge seatings all over the park that were carved from tree trunks. Each one was different from the other and were all beautifully made and showed how every detail of the park was carefully and aesthetically made to represent the overall feel of the place.
Tiradentes
On our way back from Belo Horizonte to Rio, we stayed at a place called Barbacena which was 3 hours from Belo. After checking into the hotel, we drove a half hour west to Tiradentes. This is a small town which was a mining camp in the early 1700s and later forgotten when gold became scarce. It was re-discovered in 1970 for its beautiful, well preserved colonial buildings and churches. Although not as exquisite as Ouro Preto, this is a very charming city in the state of Minas Gerais.
As we got to this little village, we could spot several horse drawn carriages and it felt like we were transported to Colonial times. This was the weekend before the carnival and every place in Brazil was crowded and Tirandentes was no exception. The main square of the city was restricted to vehicular traffic and all the cars were being redirected to a ground which was converted to a make-shift parking lot. So after parking our car there, we walked a short distance towards the main square. This was a small town and all the main places to see were within walking distance of the square. The quaint cobblestoned streets, the beautiful colonial buildings with their archways and flowered balconies made for a very pleasant stroll along the small streets. Largo das Forras, the central city square, houses the City Hall and numerous handicraft shops, restaurants and inns. It was here, in 1888, that people gathered to celebrate the end of slavery. And today, it was filled with carnival revellers in colorful outfits. Most restaurants had outdoor seating where people had gathered to eat, drink or just watch passersby. At dusk, the light of the lanterns on the doors of these restaurants, inns, antique shops and craft stores make the city even more charming.
One of the biggest draws to this little village is the majestic Church of San Antonio, second in the amount of gold in Brazil, with its front built by the artist Antonio Francisco Lisboa, and an organ brought from Portugal, in 1788. This was located at the top of a hill but as we were making our way up, we were informed that the church was closed due to the carnival. So we turned back and visited the other beautiful churches such as Nossa Senhora do Rosário dos Pretos, the oldest church in town built entirely by the Tiradentes’s slave community. Although restoration work is ongoing here, the stars and moon painted on the ceiling which were faintly visible, refer to the fact that most of the construction had to be done at night, after the enslaved had completed their forced labor. Finally we visited the Santuario Santissima Trinity church which was located on top of a hill with commanding views of the beautiful mountains surrounding Tiradentes. As we made our way down the hill and towards the main square, we could see the carnival parade making its way towards the square with hoards of people singing, dancing, playing loud music and just enjoying life carefree. 
Costa Verde and Paraty
Costa Verde is a coastline in Brazil that runs from Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo with a beautiful mountainous landscape very near the coast. The drive along the coast with greenery surrounding on one side and the blue waters of the ocean on the other side is spectacular and truly worth it. We took this drive in 2 parts, stopping over in Paraty for 3 days. 
Paraty is a small town located along Costa Verde and has become a tourist destination, known for its historic town center, the coast and mountains in the region. The historic center of the city is on the UNESCO World Heritage List in 2019 under the title “Paraty and Ilha Grande”. This is however a very small town at the edge of the ocean and the small cobblestoned streets usually get waterlogged during high tide, which we saw when returning from our island day trip the next evening. But the old colonial buildings with quaint and old white houses and colorful doors and windows just feels like a dream offering a slow-pace of life which cherishes every moment. This is a very laid back and quiet town and no one is in a hurry to get anywhere.
We took a one day trip from Paraty for 50 Reals/person ($13) and were taken on a boat to 3 islands nearby, Praia da Lula, Ilha da Pescaria and Praia Vermelha. Starting from the pier at the edge of this little town at 10.30 am, our first stop was at Praia da Lulu at 12 pm. Praia da Lulu, which translates to Beach of the Squid, lies on a tiny island where the forest sprawls right down to the edge of the white sandy shores, and the surrounding ocean is crystal clear and warm. We spent an hour here just swimming in the beautiful warm waters and were back on the ferry. A short distance from here was Ilha da Pescaria, aptly named as the beautiful colorful school of fish could be seen from the boat itself. We snorkeled right off the boat here for 30 minutes and then headed to our last stop, Praia Vermelha located another 10 minutes away. Located on a picturesque island, this is everything you’d want from a tropical beach – white sand, warm waters and a jungly backdrop. This is also one of the more popular beaches in the area and so had the most number of tourists, which was only about 3 more boats besides ours, unlike other popular beaches in Brazil. Most people visit the biggest island of the region, Ilha Grande, which we decided to skip as it was just a bigger more crowded version of these places we visited here.
São Paulo
This was our last stop on our 3 month long visit to Brazil and we stayed here for a week. São Paulo is a global city and the most populous city in Brazil. São Paulo is also the financial center of Brazil, with numerous cultural institutions and a rich architectural tradition. Its iconic buildings range from the 1929 Martinelli skyscraper to modernist architect Oscar Niemeyer’s curvy Edifício Copan. The colonial-style Pátio do Colégio church marks where Jesuit priests founded the city in 1554. But being a late-blooming city, São Paulo has few historical buildings and virtually no structures dating back to the colonial era. Infact, any building erected before 1900 is deemed historical in São Paulo.
We took a walking tour of the city which consists mainly of the Metropolitan Cathedral, the financial district, the modern architecture of this modern city and the famous shopping districts. We stayed at the Edificio Copan which is one among the tallest buildings and the rooftop offers daily tours where you can get a beautiful panoramic view of the downtown area.
Edifico Copan
View from the rooftop of Edifico Copan
Edificio Italia just a few doors down is the second tallest building here and also offers a viewing deck on the rooftop. Our week was spent mainly relaxing and enjoying the big city atmosphere and life and also doing some final souvenir shopping before heading back home.
