Brazil February 19-24 officially (actually goes on till February 25th)
I’m sure you’ve all seen photos of the Carnival in Rio de Janeiro (which is glitz, glamour and nubile semi-clad gorgeous bodies). But are you aware of the other huge Carnival held in another part of Brazil each year?
The Salvador event is more about YOU the, the onlookers. Each year about 2 million join in the fun participating in, what is known as “The worlds largest street party”! If you don’t like crowds – and I mean vast crowds, this may not be for you! But it’s one of the most joyful and happiest of events with people coming from all over the world to participate, watch and listen to Brazilian sambas and Bossanovas, the whole town is alive with music.
You’ll see amazing costumes, be mind blown with the music and atmosphere,
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Do you enjoy holidays ‘on the move’? But nowadays the idea of pitching your tent or pulling a caravan too much hard work– or do you find hours cooped up in a coach for days on end tedious….plus having to unpack each night in a different hotel, and being up at the crack of dawn each morning to pile back onto the coach exhausting. Yet you still like the idea of exploring a county by road. Well, here’s a wonderful and novel concept – a hotel that travels!
The Exploranter is a Hotel on wheels, operating in Brazil, Chile Argentina and the Andes - with routes going into Patagonia, Atacma, Patanai plus some other less traveled places.
Trips vary from 1 week to 22 days. They can be customised for private parties with themes such as horseback riding, hot air ballooning, off road rally and many more, just use you imagination and contact the company for an experience of a lifetime!
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Ever wanted to stay in a fairy tale style castle? Well the Magic Mountain Hotel in Huilo Huilo (sounds like Willow willow), Southern Chile, provides you with the perfect opportunity.
This unique hotel with a waterfall cascading down one side, and the rooms looking out into the amazing setting, with views of eagles and condors flying by is truly magical. It’s located in the in Huilo Huilo reserve, which covers sixty thousand hectares and has the snow capped Chocuenco Volcano in its confines, as well as fantastic waterfalls and cold mountain streams.
The building is like no other, no right angles to be seen; in fact it’s shaped like a volcano, complete with every comfort – yet furnished like a tree house. The 13 rooms are around the central core and are accessed by a wood and stone spiral staircase. Plus additional cabins are available in the grounds.
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This has to be one of the most unusual hotels I have heard of. Set high up in the Andes, because of the excellent clear skies and lack of light pollution, lies the ElquiDomos Hotel. It was designed by a famous Chilean architect Nicolas Fones and opened in February 2005.
It is the only astronomic hotel in the southern hemisphere (apparently there are 7 astronomic themed hotels worldwide) and has 7 rooms built as two storey domes with living rooms downstairs and the bedrooms on the upper floor with detachable roofs to enhance the star gazing experience. Each dome is equipped with its own telescope (of course), and large wooden terrace and astronomic literature.
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Contributed by Jill Bowen
Fancy a quick dip in the sea…and I mean quick!
Bur first, what’s your usual method of entry? Like me, slowly inching your way, and therefore prolonging the ‘pain’ of cold water reaching your ‘sensitive’ bits! Or do you charge in, launching yourself into the waves? Or maybe you perform a graceful artistic dive off a jetty?
OK all you wimps, why not see how ‘real men’ enter the water!
On 11th December every year - the day preceding the Day of the Virgin of Guadalupe an evening mass is held in honour of Mexico’s patron saint. I expect that a few prayers are said not only for the saint, but a few of the worshippers will also being praying for themselves! These are some of the best professional freestyle cliff divers in the world, participating the next day in a spectacle that thrills spectators with their abilities.
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