UP-CLOSE-AND-PERSONAL

Búzios'  full name is Armação dos Búzios which is known as Ibiza of Brasil. I have never been Ibiza in Spain, but for sure, it must be as lovely as Búzios.

The statue of Chris the Redeemer (Christo Redentor) in Corcovado and Sugarloaf (Pão de Açúcar)- they are Rio's postcard images.
Doesn't it seem that the statue watches out for Rio from top?

Were you ever fancy to magic mystery?
By coincidence, we watched two magician movies launched lately and these two films are sure to be closely compared...
Both of these movies are full of twists that you never know the end before 'the end', and the basic plot both concerns the rivalry between the men - magician to magician and magician to prince respectively happened in London and Vienna.
The conjurings from The Prestige are more realistic and interpretable. And the ones from The Illusionist are supernatural and not only tricks but it combines romantic story.

Embu das Artes,just 30 mins drive from downtown Sao Paulo city which had been elected by the paniters and artists as the landmark of Brazilian culture based upon its long developing of history.

Campos do Jordão is 3hrs from São Paulo by car.
It's a highly popular weekend mountain getaway for wealthier Paulistas(people was born in São Paulo) who like to feel the cold and SHOW OFF their leather outerwear. As what you can image, Paulistas don't have lot of chance to wear this kind of clothes in their tropical city.

Welligton

Newzland=Fresh air, magnificent scenery and outdoor actifivties.
Visiting Newzland was not for 'pilgriming' the film THE LORD OF THE RINGS at all. I am not even a fan of this movie. It was simply only for pure air and green carpet.
Be careful, Zealanders are very good at advertisement to attract tourists. Sometimes, we were disappointed at the real compared with their ADs.

Bayon- 216 faces with coldly smiling stare eerily out into the forest...

My favorite trip…

Bali

Oh! Deus, se na terra houvesse um paraíso, não seria muito longe daqui!
(Oh! God, if there were a paradise on earth, it wouldn’t be very far from here!)
- Amerigo Vespucci

Visconde de Mauá is a city very difficult to reach. I heard that people lived here before was free themselves from big city to find their never-land. They built their dreamed city at an elevation of 1200M with only stone road. I guess their heaven-city-plan failed so that nowadays they do tourism business. Life was not easy as what they tho’t.
Anyhow,it is a lovely place with streams,nature valleys, mountains, and lots of cozy chalets.

We Chinese must do something in Moon Festival.

We visited Adriano's ex-classmate of university,Carina in the city,Castro,located at the state of Paraná.
Carina and her husband's parents are both from Japan. Since both of them were born and grew up in Brasil so they are Brasilian for sure but they still force their only son, Vitor, learn Japanese.
Carina's family is very happy and they own a big farm for their chicken business.

I tried to find any detailed tourist information about Bombinhas on lonely planet but found nothing.
It is a seaside city. Not a lot tourist when we were there since it is not yet summer.
Bombinhas is located in the South of Brazil on the coast of the state of Santa Catarina.
This place is famous for its ecological scuba diving and the Marine Biological Reserve of Arvoredo Island(Ilha do Arvoredo) that was also why it attracted us to get there before OktoberFest.

OktoberFest = Beer + Dancing + Chicken Hats
The history as I knew:
The countryside city- Blumenau, resided German immigrant parents, at the state of Santa Catarina, the place is southern Brasil, (7hrs driving-non-stop-distance from Sao Paulo) was to raise fund in order to rebuild their flooded village and to better their hard life from 1983. Times went by, the party was to be even bigger, better and longer than the previous year till nowadays. About above 600,000 guests from everywhere were in attendance in this annual celebration this year for drinking beer, dance and KISS GIRLS/BOYS during these crazy days.

In order to complete my open water diving course and considering to let Adriano have fun at the same time,we chosed Phi Phi island which although was affected by the tsunami in Dec of 2004 but vibrant coral reefs remain undisturbed.
It is indeed a fantastic diving site for the divers.
I didn't expect Phi Phi island but this small island was surprised me a lot.It has it own characteristic to attract visitors and divers from western. You can find lot of blond-tanned-skin-and-good-body-shape western girls with sexy bikini over there and find yourself is nothing.haha!

Paris is one of the romantic cities in the world but also most dangerous.On the way to downtown from airport,we were robbed and it ruined our trip at very first beginning. We spent 2hrs to take it down in writing at police station with a kind Negro's help although we knew it was impossible to find the lost back. This Paris trip was starting with the terror and anger...Anyhow, Adriano was very man to deal it with calmly and we continued this trip with my material side.

But I cannot help myslef to curse those bad guys as a devil witch.

Compared to other European cities, Berlin with its less than 800 years is considered a rather young city, but its history is unique.After falling of the Berlin Wall in 1989,Berlin is formed a new city standing in the world.

Frankfurt is a cultural and economic centre situated in the heart of Europe. Internationally acclaimed exhibition venues.Beside this,Frankfurt also has something to see for tourists.

Wiesbaden and Mainz are located s and leisure activities.The history of Wiesbaden goes back about 2000 yrs.In the year 40 AD, the Romans erected a border fort as a military stronghold.It is also a world spa in 18th centurty.After 1945,the former world spa transformed itself into a very modern state capital,at the same time retaining its own particular character.Wiesbaden has also been called the 'northern Nice"

Ice Skating is a new popular activity in the new opening Taipei Arena. I cannot wait to try it once back Taipei as I addicted to the ice skating and ice dancing of Torino 2006 Olympic.