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In Morocco On  17/02/2015  No comments

For our second day at the Atlas Mountains we had a big walk scheduled: about 14 km/4 hour uphill trek to the passage to the next valley.  After breakfast, we packed our cameras and headed out of the Riad.

We started the walk following the main road. The outskirts of Imlil were busy with locals going on their day-to-day tasks as well as fellow trekkers.  The grey of the houses made the multicolored carpets on sale appear even more attractive. For a brief time, we found ourselves following the tracks of a group of British teenagers that were clearly going in the same direction that us but we let them go ahead so they didn’t spoil the peacefulness of our walk.

After a short time we got to a shortcut, a dry riverbed that would lead us to the middle of a small village. The walk became harder, more uphill, but it also gave us a new look into the life of the Berber people. It was as if we were backstage, watching their lives unfolding before us...

In Africa, Morocco On  16/02/2015  No comments

Invited by Mustapha of Atlas and Sahara Tours, Karla and I started our Morocco trip getting to know the Atlas mountains. So after a night’s sleep in a budget hotel in Marrakech’s Medina, we got to our pick up point twenty minutes earlier than scheduled and were pleasantly surprised to find our driver Brahim already waiting for us. After a short introduction, we got into his brand new SUV and headed to Imlil, at the heart of the Toubkal National Park.

Shortly after leaving the city, the road crossed olive plantations, the main product in the region surrounding Marrakech, and started climbing as we drove through Tahnaout and Ansi. Two hours later we arrived at the village of Imlil and the gorgeous Riad Jnane Imlil.

Berber hospitality, a centuries old tradition, was honored by our hosts: mint tea was waiting for us on a terrace with a breathtaking view of the snow covered mountains...

In Food & Drinks, Japão 2014 On  31/12/2014  No comments

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In Food & Drinks, Japão 2014 On  04/12/2014  No comments

Sorry, this entry is only available in Português.

In Food & Drinks, Japão 2014 On  03/12/2014  No comments

I’m not an expert in beer, I’m a wine person, but when I travel I drink beer. It’s practical and refreshing.  In Japan I’ve drunk Kirin, Sapporo, Yebisu, Asahi… I couldn’t say which is my preferred one. Asahi and Yebisu are considered to be better and Kirin looks like to be the most popular since it is everywhere. What caught my attention in terms of beer in Japan is that they like it very cold, like us Brazilians. After some moths living in Berlin, where beer is not always very cold, it was good to get a “freezing cold” beer in Japan.

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In Asia, Japão 2014 On  02/12/2014  No comments

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In Asia, Japão 2014 On  01/12/2014  No comments

Sorry, this entry is only available in Português.

In + More..., Food & Drinks, United Arab Emirates On  10/11/2014  No comments

In Dubai, at Al Fahidi historical neighborhood I saw a restaurant sign “Camel Burger”. I didn’t resist it. I tried for the first time camel meet. I thought it tasted like other burgers, but this had a cinnamon taste on it. Maybe that was to disguise the camel taste or it was only a local culinary practice. Concluding: approved!

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In Asia, United Arab Emirates On  09/11/2014  No comments

Dubai

Dubai’s tour has two lines: blue and red. I started my day in the blue line which goes to the beach and the financial center of the city. Dubai has high temperatures the whole year through. Now, in the fall, it was a “mild” 35°C. In summer, daily temperatures are higher than 40°C, so the beach should be one of the main attractions of the city.  Unfortunately, like in most Islamic countries, it’s mainly for tourists. Jumeirah has some beach clubs that, depending on the day, are women only. I imagine that might be mostly visited by the locals and not so much by foreigners.

My first stop was Jumeirah Public Beach. From there you can see the famous Burj Al Arab. I’ve seen a documentary on the construction of this luxurious hotel and that made me want to see it from up close. Burj Al Arab is considered a 7 stars hotel and was built on an artificial island. The building’s base is made of 230 concrete spikes embedded in the sand...

In United Arab Emirates On  08/11/2014  No comments

Dubai is a big, spread out city with limited options of transportation. Cabs are expensive and the different attractions are pretty far away. That’s why one of the best options to move around the city is taking a Hop-On Hop-Off tour. This way you’re free to stop anywhere you want, for as long as you want, without depending on any group or having to follow someone carrying an umbrella. My choice was BigBus Dubai. I recommend the 48h ticket. It’s not so much more expensive than the 24h ticket and a day is not enough to get to know this interesting city.

Sharjah

I started my BigBus tour in Sharjah, a city next to Dubai. More conservative than her modern neighbor, Sharjah is a big city with broad avenues and residential buildings. Everything looks quite modern too, like a newly built city. The tour takes 3,5 hours and has two stops. The first one was on The Heritage Area, an historical Center rebuilt with traditional style houses and little museums...