““Can you smell it?” the cabbie asks, weaving us through the streets of Rio de Janeiro. I sniff the air, wondering to what he’s referring: the purple flowers on the verge? The hint of trash? Then I catch something else, something rich, an aroma that’s indefinably of the earth. “That’s it,” he says in triumphant recognition. “That’s the smell of Brazil.””
We were never supposed to visit Brazil. We always assumed that South America's behemouth was just too big to try and conquer within our two year trip.
And yet, we simply could not resist venturing across its borders, not once but twice.
We're not the only ones drawn to this country of colour, life and music. A country that despite its myriad of problems, old and new, continues to attract tourists from across the world. Whether looking for wild untouched beaches, incredible surf, huge modern cities or charming colonial towns, in a part of the world this large, it truly does have something for everyone.
