Early morning on the ferry

Ilha Grande

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February 11th 2008
"No one speaks Portuguese* here" laughed Paula, and I tried to verify. It was true in fact - we had arrived in the 'Goa' of Rio de Janeiro state - Ilha Grande. Full of foreign tourists, there were barely any Brazilians here. Ilha Grande is a large island (180 km square) off the coast of Brazil. Its an ecological reserve, so there are no roads or motor vehicles on the island. What it does have is ... read more

South America » Brazil » Rio de Janeiro » Ilha Grande

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Following three centuries under the rule of Portugal, Brazil became an independent nation in 1822. By far the largest and most populous country in South America, Brazil overcame more than half a century of military intervention in the governance of t... ... read more