Florianopolis

Santa Catarina

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January 24th 2009
I took a 20-hour bus ride - one of those eternally monotonous journeys from late afternoon, night and into rain the following morning - from Rio to Florianopolis on the island of Santa Catarina in southern Brazil. Motels along the highway on the outskirts of Rio had Swiss names: Motel St. Moritz, Motel Lugano. Curiously out of place at first in this tropical setting, but really no more curious tha ... read more

South America » Brazil » Santa Catarina » Florianópolis

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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