We only learned a few words of Portuguese but the trip was great. I
guassu was all that we expected and more. When we travelled to Rio
we
were told that the final night of Carnival was that night and that
we
should try to get tickets. The tickets were outlandishly expensive
but
the final parade was exciting and unreal. Oro Preto was a gem, We
walked the crooked up and down hill streets taking more pictures
than we
should have. The two restaurants where we had dinner were
excellent. In
Recife we were disappointed that the Museum of Northeastern man was
closed for renovation but we discovered the Francisco Brennand
Ceramic
Museum and workshop. This was outstanding and should be on the list
of
things to do in Recife. Also the Castle a museum of his cousin that
has
an eclectic display of knives, armour and statuary.
Manaus was interesting for the opera house and market as well as the
synagogue.
One day was enough. Salvador, the old city, was charming and
interesting as was the
San Francisco church. The folklore show in Salvador was not as good
as
what we had seem in Iguassu and Rio but worth the evening. We must
say
that the guides, , were all knowledgeable and helpful.
We rearranged our itinerary in Rio to eliminate the schooner trip
and saw
more of the countryside. We did the same in Salvador where we
visited
two charming colonial villages almost two hours from the city. The
trip
held many wonderful surprises.
Many thanks for all your help.
. Cordially, Ruth &
Everett Gruber
