Our Itinerary - What we'll be doing for three weeks

So here's what we'll be doing for 3 weeks in Brazil:

April 28th - Elmira to NYC;  flight to Rio in the p.m.

April 29th - May 5th : Rio de Janeiro.  

We will be taking several guided tours while we are in Rio including a tour of the old city, Corcovado (famous statue of Christ the Redeemer), Sugar Loaf (the peak that stands out like a loaf of bread in most photos of Rio), the Tijuca Forest, as well as a tour of a  favela (slum).  Students will experience up close the extreme socioeconomic disparities that have resulted in Brazil having one of the most unequal distributions of income of any Latin American country.   Also included in these few days will be visits to some museums of interest that highlight Brazil's colonial past as well as her indigenous cultures.  Students will have some time to explore Rio on their own, perhaps taking in a samba lesson or two...

 

 May 5th - May 8th:  Iguazu Falls. 

We will be flying from Rio to Iguazo to visit one of the most spectacular sights in nature, on the border of Brazil and Argentina.  We will spend time on both the Brazilian and Argentinean sides of the Falls, also visiting some indigenous communities consisting of the Mborore and Iriapu peoples ( the 1986 film The Mission gives a sense of the area).

May 8th-May 12th: Amazon rain forest.  

From Iguazo we will fly to Manaus, a city of 2 million people in the middle of the Brazilian Amazon, center of the rubber boom in the early 20th century.  We will spend a couple of days in Manaus exploring the city, including the famous Opera House built during the heyday of the rubber boom.  In addition, a local family will host us and teach us to cook a traditional meal using local ingredients and featuring local dishes.  From Manaus we will travel by boat to a lodge in the Amazon rain forest and spend a few days exploring local habitats, both natural and environmental as well as social and cultural.  Some things we expect to see: caimans, monkeys, sloths, houses on stilts and giant insects!

May 13th-May18th:  Salvador de Bahia.

Our last stop will be the Afro-Brazilian city of Salvador in the province of Bahia.  After touring the city and experiencing the distinctive Bahian cuisine, we will observe a Candomble (religious) ceremony and participate in a percussion workshop.  We will also have the opportunity to take a day trip to the beautiful colonial town of Cachoeira, in the heart of tobacco and sugar plantations.  As in Rio, students will have some time to explore Salvador on their own, perhaps purchasing some last-minute gifts and souvenirs for all you relatives and friends back home : )

May 18th-May 19th:  Leave Rio and arrive back in NYC; return to Elmira by late afternoon on the 19th.