On day 4 of our Amazon expedition in Brazil we start our day in Moura, a community of 500 inhabitants along the Rio Negro, where we meet local folks and spend a leisurely morning with the kids and teachers at Escola Santa Rita. Even though there are less than 200 families in this community, the […]
My husband’s mother is Peruvian, making my children 1/4 Peruvian. It’s a big country and despite having visited numerous times, we still have a lot more to see and show our kids. But, we’ve been there twice with our daughter and so, in honor of Hispanic Heritage Month, which kicks off today, I thought it […]
Where in the world… Fun Facts 1. Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world, in both land mass and population. 2. The second longest river in the world — the Amazon River — flows through Brazil. 3. There are 13 countries in South America and Brazil shares a border with all but two: […]
On day 4 of our Amazon expedition in Brazil we stop in Moura, a community of 500 inhabitants along the Rio Negro. Here our families meet folks from the local community. We visit their library for a story telling session before engaging in a special activity with school children from Escola Santa Rita. In addition to organizing […]
The sun rises at Madada. You’d think that all that excitement from the first day would have worn off a little bit after a restful night, but no. Their anticipation is palpable. After all, today we get to hike in primary forest and learn about the Amazon plants and wildlife. Before we leave for our […]
The big day has arrived. The kids are anxious to get to the Amazon (and they wake up extra early, of course). Our group leaves the hotel in Manaus at 9:30am. The 180km ride to Novo Airao takes about two hours and, surprisingly, all the kids survived the trip without having to resort to ipads […]
Our journey starts in Manaus, capital of the state of Amazonas, Brazil. I have heard many different opinions of this city, but there’s one thing everyone agrees on: it is unbelievably hot. We arrive in the evening and, to my surprise, the temperature is a balmy 23 degrees celsius. The taxi driver claims it’s “cold”. […]
We’ve been back for a few weeks now. But the Amazon never really left us. Between busy school days, weekend trips and birthday parties, the girls (and their parents) are still entranced with our Amazonian experience. They miss their new friends. They still talk about all the animals they saw, the hikes in the jungle, the swimming in […]
I love the fact that my daughters speak my native language – Portuguese. Even though we have never lived in Brazil, Portuguese is still their first language (I guess it’s called mother tongue for a reason). Not for long, I realize, but I am enjoying it while it lasts. However, no matter how good their […]
As I walk by the beautiful Amazonas Theater in Manaus, Brazil, I feel dizzy and lightheaded. Maybe it’s the Christmas lights that have taken over every corner of the main square, or the wavy pavement pattern that inspired the famous Copacabana beach in Rio. Or perhaps it’s because I have just spent 8 days on […]