Friday, July 09, 2004
Travel Information About Iguassu Falls, Brazil
Iguassu Falls are considered to be one of the seven wonders of the modern world and are the most overwhelming and spectacular waterfalls in South America. The falls are over 3km wide and 80m high and their beauty is unsurpassed. They are also one of, if not the major natural attraction in Brazil. At the heart of this immense body of water is the Devil´s Throat, where 14 separate falls join forces, pounding down the 90meter (350ft) cliffs in a deafening crescendo of sound and spray. Situated on the Rio Iguaçu, the border between Argentina and Brazil, the falls lie 19km (12miles) upstream from the confluence of the Rio Iguaçu with the Rio Alto Paraná. Bridges connect the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu with the Argentinian town of Puerto Iguazú and the Paraguayan city of Cuidad del Este.
The Iguassu falls are situated in the middle of the national park - Parque Nacional Foz do Iguaçu that is divided between Brazil and Argentina. The Brazilian National Park was founded in 1939 and the area was designated a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1986. Due to the high humidity caused by the spray from the falls the park is very rich in superb flora and fauna.
The Itaipu dam, on the Río Paraná 12 km (7.5miles) north of the falls, is the site of the largest single power station in the world, built jointly by Brazil and Paraguay. It came into operation in 1984 and produces enough electricity to power the whole of Southern Brazil and much of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Minas Gerais.
The Jesuits set up missions among the Guaíra indians in this region in the early 17th Century. These missions flourished until they were violently attacked a few decades later by the slave-hunting bandeirantes from São Paulo and were forced to move further south within Brazil and across the border to Argentina and Paraguay.
Although geology research proves that the Iguassu falls were formed over 100 million years ago due to massive volcanic eruptions, the falls are steeped in myth and legend according to ancient native Indian beliefs of the tribes that lived on the borders of the Iguaçu River. One such legend among the Caingangue indians tells of the creation of the falls as a result of a tragic love story involving the daughter of an indian chief.
The best time of year to visit is August-November, when there is least risk of flood waters hindering the approach to the catwalks.
If you would like further information please click on the links below:
Iguassu History
Iguassu Culture
Iguassu Natural Aspects
Iguassu Cuisine
Iguassu Weather
Iguassu Travel Tips
Iguassu Falls are considered to be one of the seven wonders of the modern world and are the most overwhelming and spectacular waterfalls in South America. The falls are over 3km wide and 80m high and their beauty is unsurpassed. They are also one of, if not the major natural attraction in Brazil. At the heart of this immense body of water is the Devil´s Throat, where 14 separate falls join forces, pounding down the 90meter (350ft) cliffs in a deafening crescendo of sound and spray. Situated on the Rio Iguaçu, the border between Argentina and Brazil, the falls lie 19km (12miles) upstream from the confluence of the Rio Iguaçu with the Rio Alto Paraná. Bridges connect the Brazilian city of Foz do Iguaçu with the Argentinian town of Puerto Iguazú and the Paraguayan city of Cuidad del Este.
The Iguassu falls are situated in the middle of the national park - Parque Nacional Foz do Iguaçu that is divided between Brazil and Argentina. The Brazilian National Park was founded in 1939 and the area was designated a World Heritage Site by Unesco in 1986. Due to the high humidity caused by the spray from the falls the park is very rich in superb flora and fauna.
The Itaipu dam, on the Río Paraná 12 km (7.5miles) north of the falls, is the site of the largest single power station in the world, built jointly by Brazil and Paraguay. It came into operation in 1984 and produces enough electricity to power the whole of Southern Brazil and much of Rio de Janeiro, São Paulo and Minas Gerais.
The Jesuits set up missions among the Guaíra indians in this region in the early 17th Century. These missions flourished until they were violently attacked a few decades later by the slave-hunting bandeirantes from São Paulo and were forced to move further south within Brazil and across the border to Argentina and Paraguay.
Although geology research proves that the Iguassu falls were formed over 100 million years ago due to massive volcanic eruptions, the falls are steeped in myth and legend according to ancient native Indian beliefs of the tribes that lived on the borders of the Iguaçu River. One such legend among the Caingangue indians tells of the creation of the falls as a result of a tragic love story involving the daughter of an indian chief.
The best time of year to visit is August-November, when there is least risk of flood waters hindering the approach to the catwalks.
If you would like further information please click on the links below:
Iguassu History
Iguassu Culture
Iguassu Natural Aspects
Iguassu Cuisine
Iguassu Weather
Iguassu Travel Tips
Travel Information About the Pantanal, Brazil
Mato Grosso is the third largest state in Brazil with more than 900,000 km2 and within area are found three great and distinct eco-systems: Savannah or Scrubland, dominates the whole of the Brazilian Central Plateau and adjacent areas; the Amazon Forest, situated in the north of the state, where one of the largest indigenous reserves of the country is situated - the Xingu National Park - and, finally, to the southwest of the state is found the immense sedimentary plain part of the Silver (Platina) Basin, the Matogrossense Pantanal, a fascinating ecological sanctuary.
Cuiabá, the capital of the state founded at the begining of the 18th century as a consequence of mining, is located at the geodesic center of South America. Strategically positioned at the convergence of three biosphere (Savannah, Amazon and Pantanal), makes it the best starting point for expeditions to any of these fantastic and fascinating worlds.
The Pantanal of Mato Grosso is an extensive plain of approximately 230,000 km2 and its area occupies territory of Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay in the heart of South America. This sedimentary plain is still undergoing geological formation and so is influenced by its two cycles. During the wet season (November to April), the region is flooded as a consequence of the overflowing of its numerous waterways (rivers, lakes and streams) which form the Silver Basin: this is the time of an explosion of colours in the rich flora. The animals, especially the mammals, look for 'capões' - wooded mounds- where they shelter during this period. In the dry season (May to October), the region presents small lakes, many of which are perennial, which constitute the food source for a great variety of animals including migratory birds form various parts of the Planet. Approximately 700 species of birds; 100 of mammals; 80 of reptiles; 240 of fish as well as a great number of invertebrates still not classified, constitute the richest variety of fauna to be found in the Americas.
On the edge of the Brazilian Central Plateau stands the mystical Chapada dos Guimarães, a region of peculiar topography, at an altitude of 650m. Rock formations of various geological era and fossils of marine deposits from the Devonian Period, as well as reptiles from the Mesozoic Period, illustrate the various geolocial phases this region has been through.Situated at a point equidistant from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and being the watershed between the Amazon and Silver Basins, the region was used by the paleoindians during their wanderings through South America, leaving various marks as well as the remains found in the archeological sites. One of the most majestical emergent rock formations in the World is today the source of various rivers which, descending in waterfalls, find their way into the Pantanal.
If you would like further information please click on the links below:
Pantanal History
Pantanal Culture
Pantanal Natural Aspects
Pantanal Weather
Pantanal Travel Tips
Mato Grosso is the third largest state in Brazil with more than 900,000 km2 and within area are found three great and distinct eco-systems: Savannah or Scrubland, dominates the whole of the Brazilian Central Plateau and adjacent areas; the Amazon Forest, situated in the north of the state, where one of the largest indigenous reserves of the country is situated - the Xingu National Park - and, finally, to the southwest of the state is found the immense sedimentary plain part of the Silver (Platina) Basin, the Matogrossense Pantanal, a fascinating ecological sanctuary.
Cuiabá, the capital of the state founded at the begining of the 18th century as a consequence of mining, is located at the geodesic center of South America. Strategically positioned at the convergence of three biosphere (Savannah, Amazon and Pantanal), makes it the best starting point for expeditions to any of these fantastic and fascinating worlds.
The Pantanal of Mato Grosso is an extensive plain of approximately 230,000 km2 and its area occupies territory of Brazil, Bolivia and Paraguay in the heart of South America. This sedimentary plain is still undergoing geological formation and so is influenced by its two cycles. During the wet season (November to April), the region is flooded as a consequence of the overflowing of its numerous waterways (rivers, lakes and streams) which form the Silver Basin: this is the time of an explosion of colours in the rich flora. The animals, especially the mammals, look for 'capões' - wooded mounds- where they shelter during this period. In the dry season (May to October), the region presents small lakes, many of which are perennial, which constitute the food source for a great variety of animals including migratory birds form various parts of the Planet. Approximately 700 species of birds; 100 of mammals; 80 of reptiles; 240 of fish as well as a great number of invertebrates still not classified, constitute the richest variety of fauna to be found in the Americas.
On the edge of the Brazilian Central Plateau stands the mystical Chapada dos Guimarães, a region of peculiar topography, at an altitude of 650m. Rock formations of various geological era and fossils of marine deposits from the Devonian Period, as well as reptiles from the Mesozoic Period, illustrate the various geolocial phases this region has been through.Situated at a point equidistant from the Atlantic and Pacific oceans and being the watershed between the Amazon and Silver Basins, the region was used by the paleoindians during their wanderings through South America, leaving various marks as well as the remains found in the archeological sites. One of the most majestical emergent rock formations in the World is today the source of various rivers which, descending in waterfalls, find their way into the Pantanal.
If you would like further information please click on the links below:
Pantanal History
Pantanal Culture
Pantanal Natural Aspects
Pantanal Weather
Pantanal Travel Tips
Travel Information About the Amazon, Brazil
The legendary Amazon is one of the planet’s enigmas. The world’s largest river basin, 2.5 million square miles (6.5 million square kilometers), but also the planet’s greatest rainforest, the Amazon is a vast open-air greenhouse of global evolution and unsolved mysteries whose true potential remains largely unknown and untapped. It is possible to fly for hours over the Amazon region and see no break in the carpet of greenery except for the sinuous curves of the region’s rivers. Though it is not the longest river in the world, there can be no doubt that the Amazon is the world’s greatest river. At the end of a 6,570 km (4,080 mile) journey that begins in the Peruvian Andes, the river’s massive mouth discharges a fifth of all the world’s freshwater into the Atlantic, permeating the saltwater over 100 km (60 miles) from the shore. The Amazon River dominates Brazil, yet Brazilians are only just beginning to discover it. The world’s largest rainforest, spanning more than half of the Brazilian territory, is where a tenth of the world’s 10 million living species make their homes. Within the Amazon Basin resides a wealth of life richer than any place else on earth, including 500 mammals, 175 different lizards, 300 other reptile species, tree climbers of every kind, and a third of the world's identified bird species. Millions of species remain undiscovered. Two of the best places to see some of this incredible wildlife is at the Uakari and Amazonat lodges.
Although the indigenous people of the Amazon have resided in this region for centuries long before the European Conquistadors ever set foot in Amazonia, the adventurer first credited to have voyaged down the river Amazon was Francisco de Orellana in 1542. The region’s treasures - minerals, oils, animal skins, precious stones, gold, emeralds and eventually petroleum - have, over centuries, attracted many international explorers to this vast region and its natural resources and raw materials, important to Western civilizations, have been exported in great quantities over the years. Today, the growing awareness of the importance of the rain forest - both locally and globally - and the development of novel approaches to managing tropical forests provide reasons for hope that this incredible region will be maintained as one of the true vast natural paradises of our planet.
The Rainforest supports many communities of indigenous people whose livelihoods and culture depend on the sustainability of the forest. Millions of species of insects, animals, plants, and other organisms that inhabit this tropical wilderness are of extraordinary value to the indigenous communities and colonists that inhabit the region. The most famous among the plants is guaraná. Known for its high caffeine content, the guaraná beverage provides energy and helps to reduce hunger. Ayuasca is another famous plant, which is used in spiritual awakening and ceremonies conducted by the Shaman. A key role in many indigenous cultures is played by the local shaman, or medicine man. The Shamans, or Pajés (as they are known in Indian language), are not only the medicine men of the tribes and villages, but are also sorcerers and spiritual guides.
The music, dances, legends and myths of the Amazon are an important part in the local people’s culture. The involving rhythms of the Carimbó, siriá and lundu dances are very seductive, physically and spiritually. During the entire year, it is possible to attend and to participate in popular festivals, such as the Boi-bumbá, Marujada and Çairé. From north to south the rhythms show new colors and steps in accordance the History of each area. The people from this land carry in their blood the taste for lively dancing in the streets, and sensual hot rhythms.
The Amazonian cuisine is among one of the richest and most authentic in Brazil. The typical dishes use only natural and organic products, picked from the purest sources found in the Amazon flora and fauna, unique to any other place in the world. Eccentric names such as tucupi, tacacá, maniçoba, pirarucu, açaí, cupuaçu, bacuri and guaraná correspond to foods, fish or fruit which are irresistible from the first bite. Amazonian cuisine has survived the ages practically unchanged and those who venture to discover its many marvels will be deliciously surprised by the wonderful flavors it beholds.
Travelling to the Amazon is an experience that should not be missed and one that must be part of your journey to Brazil.
If you would like further information please click on the links below:
Amazon History
Amazon Culture
Amazon Natural Aspects
Amazon Cuisine
Amazon Weather
Amazon Travel Tips
The legendary Amazon is one of the planet’s enigmas. The world’s largest river basin, 2.5 million square miles (6.5 million square kilometers), but also the planet’s greatest rainforest, the Amazon is a vast open-air greenhouse of global evolution and unsolved mysteries whose true potential remains largely unknown and untapped. It is possible to fly for hours over the Amazon region and see no break in the carpet of greenery except for the sinuous curves of the region’s rivers. Though it is not the longest river in the world, there can be no doubt that the Amazon is the world’s greatest river. At the end of a 6,570 km (4,080 mile) journey that begins in the Peruvian Andes, the river’s massive mouth discharges a fifth of all the world’s freshwater into the Atlantic, permeating the saltwater over 100 km (60 miles) from the shore. The Amazon River dominates Brazil, yet Brazilians are only just beginning to discover it. The world’s largest rainforest, spanning more than half of the Brazilian territory, is where a tenth of the world’s 10 million living species make their homes. Within the Amazon Basin resides a wealth of life richer than any place else on earth, including 500 mammals, 175 different lizards, 300 other reptile species, tree climbers of every kind, and a third of the world's identified bird species. Millions of species remain undiscovered. Two of the best places to see some of this incredible wildlife is at the Uakari and Amazonat lodges.
Although the indigenous people of the Amazon have resided in this region for centuries long before the European Conquistadors ever set foot in Amazonia, the adventurer first credited to have voyaged down the river Amazon was Francisco de Orellana in 1542. The region’s treasures - minerals, oils, animal skins, precious stones, gold, emeralds and eventually petroleum - have, over centuries, attracted many international explorers to this vast region and its natural resources and raw materials, important to Western civilizations, have been exported in great quantities over the years. Today, the growing awareness of the importance of the rain forest - both locally and globally - and the development of novel approaches to managing tropical forests provide reasons for hope that this incredible region will be maintained as one of the true vast natural paradises of our planet.
The Rainforest supports many communities of indigenous people whose livelihoods and culture depend on the sustainability of the forest. Millions of species of insects, animals, plants, and other organisms that inhabit this tropical wilderness are of extraordinary value to the indigenous communities and colonists that inhabit the region. The most famous among the plants is guaraná. Known for its high caffeine content, the guaraná beverage provides energy and helps to reduce hunger. Ayuasca is another famous plant, which is used in spiritual awakening and ceremonies conducted by the Shaman. A key role in many indigenous cultures is played by the local shaman, or medicine man. The Shamans, or Pajés (as they are known in Indian language), are not only the medicine men of the tribes and villages, but are also sorcerers and spiritual guides.
The music, dances, legends and myths of the Amazon are an important part in the local people’s culture. The involving rhythms of the Carimbó, siriá and lundu dances are very seductive, physically and spiritually. During the entire year, it is possible to attend and to participate in popular festivals, such as the Boi-bumbá, Marujada and Çairé. From north to south the rhythms show new colors and steps in accordance the History of each area. The people from this land carry in their blood the taste for lively dancing in the streets, and sensual hot rhythms.
The Amazonian cuisine is among one of the richest and most authentic in Brazil. The typical dishes use only natural and organic products, picked from the purest sources found in the Amazon flora and fauna, unique to any other place in the world. Eccentric names such as tucupi, tacacá, maniçoba, pirarucu, açaí, cupuaçu, bacuri and guaraná correspond to foods, fish or fruit which are irresistible from the first bite. Amazonian cuisine has survived the ages practically unchanged and those who venture to discover its many marvels will be deliciously surprised by the wonderful flavors it beholds.
Travelling to the Amazon is an experience that should not be missed and one that must be part of your journey to Brazil.
If you would like further information please click on the links below:
Amazon History
Amazon Culture
Amazon Natural Aspects
Amazon Cuisine
Amazon Weather
Amazon Travel Tips
