Brazil Things to Do

At the outset of the Google+ vs. Facebook wars of 2011, Brazil—South America’s economic powerhouse—was often held up as proof positive that Google would one day reign over all social media. The Google-based network, Orkut (pronounced “Or-koo-chi”), created by Google’s Turkish offices in 2004, became wildly popular Brazil

As South America‘s economies kick into high gear despite (or perhaps because of) the global economic slowdown, development is a top priority. Although Brazil just eclipsed the UK to become the world’s sixth largest economy, it remains one of the most unequal countries in the world, with over half of Brazilian families living on less than minimum wage.

Most Brazilians agree that there is a need to bring education, clean water, and energy to the people of the less-developed Brazilian interior. But when does the cost of wealth become too high?

The countries that control access to the enormous Amazon – Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Bolivia, Surinam and the Guyanas – have been rapidly expanding officially sanctioned infrastructure and access into the region. Loggers, settlers, squatters, narco-traffickers, and assorted foreign interests intent on exploiting the region’s wealth already enjoy their own transportation networks throughout the region.

Depending on their nationality, budget travelers planning their South American itineraries may balk at Brazil‘s reciprocal visa policy. While most Latin American countries welcome wealthy Western travelers with instant, inexpensive tourist visas, since June 2010 Brazil has required foreign nationals to pay the same entry fees that its citizens would when visiting the traveler’s home town.

Just above the increasingly crowded streets, the Via Elevada Presidente Artur da Costa e Silva—an elevated highway better known as the Minhocão, or “Big Worm,” after a mythological creature said to slither through the Amazon—has been part of São Paulo in Brazil for decades. If today’s new crop of urban planners has their way, however, the Elevado may soon disappear.

The Amazon winds 6992 kilometers (4345 miles) through the South American rainforest, connecting Peru, Ecuador, Bolivia, Colombia, Venezuela, Guyana, and of course Brazil with its massive flow and endless network of tributaries. Though the length of the great river is contested—purists say it’s only 6400km (3976mi), making it a bit shorter than the Nile—following it is a long hike indeed.