From MIA last night, I boarded TAM for São Paulo. We landed at 6:30, on a late winter morning . GRU was 48 degrees- refreshing. At 8 I was on another plane North to Brasilia. As it turned out I had a 4 hour layover, so rather than hang around the airport, I took a public bus into town.

Brasilia – 1960’s Utopia

Planned utopian cities were the dream of many a 1950’s urban planner. Luckily most of them remained dreams. However, the Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer’s Jetsonian masterpiece became reality when it was finished in 1961.

Seen from the air at night the city resembles a giant jet plane.

The entire city is laid out into sectors. In the “Pilot Area” is the Presidential Palace – pictured at the top of this post – double buildings next to flying saucers. Government buildings go down the fuselage. The wings are residential. All shopping is in one center, all hotels in another sector, etc.

This video was taken this morning from the Torre TV 75 meters up.

Life is calm and pleasant – no traffic, garbage, pollution and very little crime – in other words not like Brazil at all. Unfortunately there is little of Brazil’s excitement and culture. Like New Yorkers forced to work in Albany, government workers pack the planes south to Rio and São Paulo every Thursday night and back again on Monday morning.

For those who enjoy modern architecture and urban planning, Brasilia is a must –see.

After 3 hours I went back to the airport and took to the skies again – this time to Palmas, about 500 miles North of Brasilia.

The roads we will be on tomorrow !

We had to abort our first landing attempt due to high crosswinds blowing in from the desert. The second attempt was successful.

Our group of adventure travel experts, from the USA,England,Germany,Russia,Portugal and Canada, as well as a leader from EMBRATUR was picked up by Korubu.

For the next six days ArcticTropic will be on expedition. There will be no posts due to no satellite,internet,even cell phone – ArcticTropic will practice what it preaches – True Adventure !
Next Tuesday, September 2nd there will be many posts on each day afield.

FOR ADVENTURES IN BRAZIL, CLICK HERE

Safari and Rafting Expedition In Brazil’s Northern Deserts

EMBRATUR – the Brazilian Government Tourism Authority and ABETA – Brazilian Adventure Travel Trade Association have invited ArcticTropic to participate in an 8-day exploration of the Jalapão region in the remote Tocantins River Valley of Northeastern Brazil.

The purpose of the trip is to promote a newly opened adventure travel region of Brazil. Few foreigners other than explorers or scientists have visited the region.

ArcticTropic Blog will have daily updates – except when traversing the rivers. Due to the nature of the journey – constant submersion in roiling rapids -, electronic equipment cannot be taken. Waterproof cameras will be used in these situations.

We will depart Miami next Monday night – first flying all the way down to São Paulo, then back North to Brasilia, then further North to Palmas, the capital of Tocantins State. From there – the adventure begins.

FOR ADVENTURES IN BRAZIL, CLICK HERE

Only 2 hours from Miami – Honduras is an untouched eco-paradise. Few travelers visit – other than the Bay Islands.

As much a part of France as Paris, French Guyana offers remote Amazonian style adventure.

Costa Rican wave action is excellent! ArcticTropic links to top surf destinations worldwide.

FOR ADVENTURES IN COSTA RICA, CLICK HERE

Lina Maria Jaramillo, an ArcticTropic friend from Medellín, Colombia recently traveled to the Santo Domingo region of Ecuador – home to the Colorado Indians. Here are some photos she contributed.

FOR ADVENTURES IN ECUADOR, CLICK HERE

Chris Merola and Peter Linn – friends of ArcticTropic Blog – took a voyage to Antarctica in January. In the next few days there will be more pictures.

Kamchatka is the newest area on earth,save for a few islands, and has 15 active volcanoes, is snowbound most of the year,is bigger than California, with only 387,000 people – most of them in Petropavlovsk.

Major boiling points below:

About 100 miles away, over an ice or deep mud road,snowbound 11 months of the year, high into the mountains is a geothermal plant – to harness volcanic energy. Here is one of the buildings. Getting the power to the city is problematic.

A five hour climb brings you into a volcano that sometimes erupts . This is foul smelling hot sulfur gas escaping from the blowhole.One must walk carefully – sinking into the hot earth would turn your leg into charred bone instantly.

Back down in the valley – boiling mud bubbles out of the Earth everywhere – creating a beautiful,surreal scene.

In Argentina Patagonia on the Peninsula Valdez, this Sea Elephant couple is about to take a siesta.ArcticTropic has many destinations in Argentine Patagonia – and this is the time of year to visit !