(CNN) — Driving through Brazil to Rio de Janeiro, you might spot an eerie sight on the side of the road: a derelict gang of Santas, lying abandoned surrounded by palm trees and greenery. Look closely and you’ll see these Father Christmas clones aren’t alone. There’s a sad looking sleigh and dilapidated reindeer nearby. Soon…
(CNN) — Ash Wednesday is just days away (Wednesday, March 6). So you know what that means. It’s Carnival time around the world as people, most particularly folks in areas with strong Roman Catholic traditions, get their party on before the more solemn, introspective days of Lent commence. Venice, Italy, draws huge crowds annually with…
(CNN) — Unfortunately, miracles are hard to come by in this thing we call life, but if the opening of a sea turtle nest doesn’t make you a believer, precious little ever will. Projeto Tamar, the Brazilian organization dedicated to the plight of the native sea turtle, usually tries to keep the opening of nests…
(CNN) — If watching a game at Rio de Janeiro’s Maracanã stadium has been on your bucket list since the 2014 FIFA World Cup, you can now do so without adding a trip to the consulate as part of your itinerary. Effective June 17, tourists from the United States, Canada, Japan and Australia will no…
(CNN) — There are no established roads, no cars. There’s not even a school bus; children are picked up and taken to school by boat. Electricity is generated by solar panels, and the generator shuts off at 10:30 each night. Ilha do Cardoso is a protected area in Brazil, and only those who are born…
(CNN) — The biggest city in Brazil justifiably hogs the superlatives — the biggest this! The most that! The tallest this! The longest that! — but São Paulo is not only about its headline-stealing concrete jungle of a capital. The state of the same name plays no second fiddle, clocking in at slightly bigger than…
(CNN) — A man with strawberry-blonde hair squats to face his dark-bearded, well-toned opponent. Both are wearing black loincloths, and stand in a meticulously groomed circle, surrounded by ceramic tiles that link together to form a perimeter. They’re about to engage in a sumo wrestling match. But this isn’t a tourist attraction in Japan. This…
(CNN) — If a steaming bowl of soup strikes you as the ultimate in old-fashioned comfort, you’ve got plenty of company. Soup is one of the world’s oldest and most universal foods, said Janet Clarkson, author of the book “Soup: A Global History.” “Every culture has some kind of soup,” she said. “It’s got very…
