backroads brazil


the northeast’s ceará

Ceará is a state full of surprises, not all pleasant. From the bone dry caatinga (or semi-desert) interior to the altitude swamp of Ubajara’s high perch to the fleshpots of the coastal capital, Fortaleza (greatly expanded by the Yanks during WWII), the state marvels. My first encounters, after the trials […]


disneyland of art, take 6

Inhotim, a major gem in both Brazil and the contemporary art world, is slipping into woke muck. The few galleries with rotating exhibitions were, during a recent visit, all dedicated to victimology. A recent visit in São Paulo to the Pinacoteca, a museum specializing in Brazilian art, also evidenced the […]


brazil demands freedom

Brazil is at the center of massive spiritual battles world-wide. To any objective observer, the Brazilian Presidential election was stolen in October.  With Bolsonaro consistently ahead at a third of the vote tally, all subsequent data dumps went heavily for the Worker’s Party candidate and former convict Lula – a […]


brazilian zeno 2 3

Zeno (2005-2022) was born in the mountainous splendor of Brazil and, accordingly, was primed for adventure. His first major roadtrip in the wilds of Brazil was along the country’s remote southern and western borders, during a 3 month journey at age 6. Not only was he fearless, he helped me […]


brazilian zeno 1 1

Zeno (2005-2022) was born outside of Rio, in Teresópolis, and was a very Brazilian dog: full of life and very sociable.  He also was a literal gift, after some friends in Tiradentes learned of his predecessor, Atlas’s, early death at age 5.  One of their daughters has a kennel in […]


nomads of the sands

The staging point for the majestic Sheets of Maranhão Nat’l Park is the tiny, dune-invaded town of Barreirinhas, itself an enigmatic gem. If the most rewarding and accessible parts of Brazil are at the end of long dirt roads, that dissuade most drivers from visiting, this also holds true for […]


disneyland of art, take 3

Inhotim, a major contemporary art complex in the midst of extensive botanic gardens, is less than an hour from Belo Horizonte, the capital of Minas Gerais. It is It is both far larger than the 500-acre Storm King Art Center in New York’s Hudson Valley, and much more tropically exuberant, […]


alcãntara, maranhão

Alcântara – which Atlas and I toured one day, after a 90 minute catamaran sail from São Luis – is one of the most curious enigmas (of many) in Brazil.  Like the country, it contains both the very old and the very (even overly) new. “Alcântara, built with the sugar […]


the rivers amazon run dry: a book review

The Rivers Amazon by Alex Shoumatoff My rating: 3 of 5 stars I came to the author’s second published work well-disposed. He married a beautiful Brazilian woman, as did I, and I had already read and enjoyed his The Capital of Hope, on the Phoenix-like creation of Brasília in an […]


são luis, maranhão

São Luis, MA (Maranhão), is located on Brazil’s remote northern coast.  The roads are so poor for most of the northern coast that tourists never drive there, only fly. After the slow and rocky ferry crossing, Atlas and I arrived past nine o’clock and still found ourselves eighteen kilometers from […]