by Vas Mylko, Roman Bilusiak
Curiosio is expanding to South America. The first country we are releasing on top of the newest Beta12 is being Brazil. Brazil is huge, rich in sightseeing and activities. Everything can be found in Brazil — from dramatic Iguazu Falls and Christ the Redeemer Art Deco statue to favela and Amazonia with questioned roads, from aircraft manufacturer and soccer to naked carnival and endless beaches…
You can jump to Brazil right away and give it a try, but we suggest to continue reading, to see how we implemented it and learn something new as we did.
To ensure the quality and density of the underlying knowledge graph of points and POIs we took several interesting travel stories and made them interactive. On the way, we tested and validated how ad hoc journeys could be planned.
Architecture & Art
“This is for those who like to stroll and observe and learn, understanding a country’s culture by researching its history, and by close observation of that most enduring of the visual arts, architecture. The route takes in both of Brazil’s former capitals (Rio de Janeiro and Salvador), the rich baroque cities of Minas Gerais, and the modern new city of Brasilia.” Frommer’s.
We would like to mention a couple of libraries that are at the pinnacle of architecture and art. Click the links, look, keep your jaw from dropping down: National Library of Brazil and Royal Portuguese Cabinet of Reading.
As it’s a road trip we removed some distant points like Salvador, Olinda. You can add any of them as you like. You can change everything: points, duration, budget, number of travelers, etc., and get your unique trip plan. Here is an interactive trip plan:
Brazil’s Northeastern Coast
“Brazil’s north-eastern coast is known for its stunning weather, beautiful beaches and unique culture. Individually, many of the region’s cities are excellent tourist destinations in themselves, but a great way to see them all is by taking a long road trip from Maranhão all the way down to Bahia.” The Culture Trip.
Estrada Real
“The Estrada Real (“Royal Road”), in Southeast Brazil, is one of the oldest roads in the Americas. It is becoming a popular itinerary for those in search of culture, history, typical regional food, and a large variety of outdoor activities. Cutting through the States of Minas Gerais and São Paulo to the port cities of Paraty and Rio de Janeiro, the Royal Road thrived during the diamond and gold-digging years of the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries, linking many of the most important historic towns in the region.” Wikivoyage.
Round Trip From Rio to Iguazu Falls
What about visiting the largest waterfall in the world? Fly to Rio, rent a car, and make a round trip to Iguazu Falls. They are gorgeous, monumental, large, largest. They are between Brazil and Argentina.
“In 2 weeks, you can get a good taste of Brazil at a pace that won’t leave you with post-holiday stress disorder. The route below takes you to Rio de Janeiro and the historic city of Salvador. You then have the option of spending time in the Amazon or on a beautiful Bahian beach. The Amazon is fascinating, but it requires both money and travel time. This route includes Iguaçu Falls and a brief taste of the urban sophistication that is São Paulo.” Frommer’s.
As it’s a road trip we extended it to 3 weeks. Probably at a pace, it might leave you with post-holiday stress disorder… Here is an interactive trip plan that you could research for your purposes:
We learned something important during this testing case for us. It deserves a few dedicated paragraphs. Keep reading.
Small Ukraine in Brazil
During testing and validation of one of Frommer’s suggested itineraries for Brazil, making this trip plan, one of us spotted pictures very similar to those in Western Ukraine where we live. Specifically, in the southern city of Curitiba, we saw this:
It is a Ukrainian memorial at Tingui Park. “Nearly 20,000 Ukrainian immigrants settled there between 1895 and 1897, consisting mostly of peasants from Galicia who emigrated to Brazil to become farmers. Around 300,000 Ukrainian-Brazilians live in Paraná. The State of Paraná has the largest Ukrainian community…” Wikipedia.
Curitiba is one of the most important and interesting points of the Round Trip from Rio to Iguazu Falls. Make sure you are visiting Brazilian “Shevchenkivskyi Hay”, especially Ukrainian curious travelers!
Now it is time to go to Curiosio and check it out. Stay tuned and always follow your curiosity.
