This is, according to the photographer, the Tamandua Monument, in Brazil. However, seeing as I don’t speak Portuguese, that could either mean “giant anteater” or “you’re an idiot.” I’m going with the anteater, because it just feels right.

That is an anteater, right?

This post is part of the Uptake Monday Museums, Monuments and Memorials Series.

Photo: JorgeBRAZIL via Flickr

LIFE Books has released a book called Heaven on Earth: The World’s Must See Destinations, and it is breathtaking.

Today we’re looking at Iguazu Falls which are located along the border of Brazil and Argentina in the Iguaza River.

The legend of the falls, according to Wikipedia, states that a god was going to marry a mortal woman, but before the wedding she fled with her lover via canoe. The god was so angry that he  broke the river, condemning the lovers to an eternity of falling. This backs up my long-standing theory that the gods must be crazy.

The site is made up of 275 separate waterfalls, half of which flow into the Devil’s Throat, a narrow chasm which sounds very hot.

Visitors on the Brazilian side of the falls can hike to the bottom of Devil’s Throat and take helicopter rides over the river. Argentina does not allow either due to their negative effects on the environment.

Please note, travel between Brazil and Argentina is an affair heavy with bureaucracy. Tourists are encouraged to research and acquire the proper paperwork and visas before crossing the river.

Photo: Iguacu Falls by Yann Arthus-Bertrand, courtesy of LIFE Books

Jorge Amado Foundation

You can’t mention Brazilian literary traditions and culture without hearing Jorge Amado’s name. Internationally  famous for immortalizing  Bahian culture in intricately detailed books, the Jorge Amado Foundation in Salvador’s historic Pelourinho is dedicated to the prolific author’s books, plays and TV shows. Read More »

Party People at Acaso Bar

Strolling past vendors peddling coconut candy and the shiny-haired hotties that fill Rio de Janeiro streets, I realized that I missed something.  I couldn’t put my finger on it exactly. When I neared the orgy of beauty called Copacabana Beach, observing the languid movements of skimpily-clad cariocas strolling in the sand,it hit me.  There was supposed to be a samba soundtrack to all those scenes! How can you enjoy a true Brazilian experience without out samba as a backdrop? Well you can’t.  So I headed to where I could catch some live Brazilian rhythms. Read More »