Travel Blue Book

Dream it. Plan it. Go there.

  • Home
    • What We Believe
    • Contact Us/Advertise
  • United States
    • Northeast
    • Southeast
    • Midwest
    • Rocky Mountains
    • Southwest
    • West Coast
      • California
      • Northwest
  • International
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • Australia
    • Europe
    • North and Central America
      • Canada
      • Caribbean Resorts & Hotels
      • Mexico
    • South America
  • Featured Cities
    • U.S. Cities
    • International Cities
  • Resorts & Hotels
    • Caribbean Resorts & Hotels
    • Asian and Pacific Resorts & Hotels
    • European Resorts & Hotels
      • Mediterranean
    • U.S. Resorts & Hotels
    • South American Resorts & Hotels
  • Restaurants
    • U.S. Restaurants
    • International Restaurants
  • Travel Tips & Stories
    • Reader Stories
    • Travel Tips
    • Personal Stories
    • Credit Card Rewards
  • More
    • Contact Us/Advertise
    • What We Believe
    • Guest Posting
    • Disclaimer
    • Disclosure
    • Privacy Policy & Terms of Use

Christ the Redeemer Statue: Rio de Janeiro

December 8, 2015 By Greg Johnson Leave a Comment

The Christ the Redeemer statue is one of the most recognizable landmarks in the world. Standing high atop Mt. Corcovado, this 98 foot tall statue of Jesus watches over and protects the people of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. With his arms open wide, it also stands as a symbol of Rio’s warm hospitality, welcoming visitors from all over the world.

The Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro is one of the most recognizable monuments in the world. Learn how you can visit it, here.

By Artyominc (Template:Artyom Sharbatyan) [CC BY-SA 3.0 or GFDL], via Wikimedia Commons

[Read more…]

Filed Under: South America Tagged With: Brazil, Christianity, religion, Rio de Janeiro

Ouro Preto: City of Black Gold (and Baroque Architecture)

May 12, 2015 By Mel 1 Comment

Translated as "Black Gold," Ouro Preto, Brazil is a former mining town and UNESCO World Heritage Site. Come for Caraval, stay for the Baroque architecture!One of the best parts about being a former circus employee was getting to know all the different people from around the world who were also working on the show, and the show I worked on had a lot of Brazilians. I’d never thought much of Brazil before working with all of them, but it turns out it is a really amazing place with a lot more to see than just Rio.

One of these spots is Ouro Preto, a former mining town up in the mountains. Ouro Preto is a World Heritage site, and its name translates to Black Gold.

Ouro Preto is an excellent example of Baroque Portuguese colonial architecture. Why Portuguese? Because Brazil was actually under Portuguese rule for three and a half centuries, starting in 1500 A.D. An interesting tidbit of history is that in 1789, about 35 years before independence was achieved, a failed attempt to rise up against the Portuguese started in Ouro Preto. It didn’t work out, and the leader, Tiradentes, was beheaded as a warning.

All that gore aside, several of the churches in the city are built in the Baroque style and are equally famous for their religious art. Honestly, the churches are the highlight of the city. Two churches not to miss areMatriz NS daConceicao de Antonio Dias and the smallerCapela do Padre Faria. However, Brazil’s most important piece of colonial art, The Prophets in Congonhas, found in Igreja de Sao Francisco de Assis, and the church of Igreja Matriz de Nossa Senhora do Pilar are the area’s crown jewels.

Ouro Preto also has several mine tours. As the center of Brazil’s gold rush in the 18th Century, this isn’t surprising. The most popular of these tours in the Mina do Chico Rei near the sanctuary of Nossa Senhora de Conceicao. The tour there is self-guided and not for the faint of heart. You have to wind your way through several very tight passageways, but you’re rewarded with a stop in the mineral room where you can see what hides under the ground in Ouro Preto.

The mine is named after a local folk tale about a slave from the Congo, Chico Rei. He worked in the mine, trying to buy his freedom, and snuck gold out of the mine every day by hiding it in his hair. He would then go to the Church of Santa Iphigenia and wash his hair in the font, retrieving his gold and appearing extremely pious to the town folk. Supposedly, near the end of his life, he managed to save up enough money to buy his freedom but also to buy the mine. From that point on, the mine thrived.

Mining continues to be a way of life in Ouro Preto even today. Although the gold has largely been exhausted, the mines still hold impressive stores of minerals like marble, iron, pyrite, topaz and soapstone. Ouro Preto is also the only place in the world where you can find imperial topaz.

While most people think immediately of Rio for Carnaval, it’s actually a countrywide celebration. Ouro Preto is no exception. Starting the Saturday before Lent and ending on Ash Wednesday, the streets of Ouro Preto become overrun with costumes and music, featuring parades by two different groups: the samba schools and the blocos.

So head if Rio is a bit too crowded for you, head to Ouro Preto for Carnaval…and stick around to check out the fine examples of Baroque colonial architecture and their mines!

Filed Under: International, South America Tagged With: Baroque, Brazil, Carnaval, UNESCO World Heritage Site

Hostels – Not Just for Kids on a Gap Year

April 18, 2014 By Mel Leave a Comment

Hostels - Not Just for Kids on a Gap Year

Photo Credit: By Let99 (http://www.hostelmanagement.com/) [GFDL or CC-BY-SA-3.0], via Wikimedia Commons

I’ll level with you here – my first hostel experience was exactly like a kid on a gap year. I had just graduated from college and two of my best friends and I managed to scrounge up enough cash to get to London for a week, but we were on a really tight budget.

We’d heard of hostels, but only in the terrifying, horror movie kind of way. Nonetheless, we started doing some more research, reexamined our budgets again and decided it was pretty much a hostel or a tent in the park. Since the latter was illegal, we hostelled it.

My first experience in a hostel was [Read more…]

Filed Under: Europe, South America, Travel Tips, Travel Tips and Stories Tagged With: Europe, Lodging, London, Peru, South America

5 Amazing Bucket List Vacations

March 31, 2014 By Lauren May 1 Comment

5 Amazing Bucket List Vacations

Photo Credit: By Pedro Szekely at http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedrosz/ (http://www.flickr.com/photos/pedrosz/2115782565/) [CC-BY-SA-2.0], via Wikimedia Commons

Tired of weekend getaways to the ski lodge and the annual family trip to the beach? If so, maybe it’s time to stop dreaming about amazing destinations, and start making real plans. Whether you’re seeking to experience the ultimate outdoor adventure, or want to walk in the footsteps of ancient civilizations, there is no shortage of incredible places across the globe to consider. For your next trip, plan to visit somewhere exciting and unexpected from the best bucket list vacations that the world has to offer. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Africa, International, North and Central America, South America Tagged With: alaska, bucket list vacationa, hawaii, machu picchu, north america

  • About
  • Contact
  • Advertise

Copyright © 2021 Travel Blue Book