Rio to Quito + the Guianas

August 2016

Intro

Rio de Janeiro is one of my favorite cities on the planet – for so many reasons, but none more so than its incomparable location, with towering mountains affording sweeping views of the city and its harbor. Add in the delicious food, gorgeous urban beaches, colonial architecture, and joie de vivre of the Cariocas, and you have a winner. So in 2009, when Rio won its bid to become the first South American city to host the Summer Olympics (which coincidentally was the year of my first visit to the city), I already knew I would be back for it! By 2011, when I had returned to Rio for Carnaval (I couldn’t wait until 2016!), the Galeão Airport was already full of posters promoting the Games, though it was still five years away. They were so excited, and so was I!

I saved the Guianas (you know, those three countries at the top of South America that no one ever seems to talk about) for this trip, with the plan to start in Rio and work my way up the coast of Brazil until coming to French Guiana, Suriname and Guyana. As excited as I was about the Rio Olympics, it was this part, the Guianas, that really sparked my wanderlust. They have always intrigued me – these diverse, unknown, non-Spanish, non-Portuguese speaking nations that eluded the memory of most people. I was anxious to explore them.

Journey Map

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Featured Image

Fernando de Noronha

This beautiful island off the coast of northeastern Brazil is just over an hour’s flight from Natal or Recife, and has over 20 gorgeous beaches, many of them considered the best in Brazil – or in the case of Baia do Sancho, the best in the world! This is Praia da Conceição, one of the most stunning beaches on Noronha, thanks to the backdrop of the towering Morro do Pico, the highest point on the island.

Featured Video

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Aug 30

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Georgetown, Guyana📍 - #selfie time at #georgetown`s 1763 #monument, more commonly called the "cuffy" monument, which honors an african slave named cuffy who led the slave revolution of 1763. they were successful in overthrowing the governor of #berbice and more than 200 years later, #guyana achieved #independence from britain. this monument was built in 1976 to commemorate the country`s 10th anniversary of independence ...

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Aug 15

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Recife, Brazil📍 - the #beautiful concatedral de são pedro dos clérigos in downtown #recife was completed in 1759 ...

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Aug 25

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St. Laurent-du-Maroni, French Guiana📍 - the `camp de la transportation` was the first stop for the worst criminals of #france when they arrived in the penal colony of #frenchguiana... and it is my last stop here in #guyane! crossing the border soon from france to suriname! ...

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Aug 25

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Iracoubo, French Guiana📍 - came across these fishing boats on the iracoubo #river while walking into town (also called #iracoubo) after our car broke down on the main road - just another typical day crossing the guianas by land! 😉 ...

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Aug 29

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Georgetown, Guyana📍 - two of #georgetown`s most #beautiful architectural treasures, #city hall and the city engineer`s building ...

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Aug 23

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Belém, Brazil📍 - last stop in #brazil, the huge amazonian #city of #belém! the mercado ver-o-peso is a lively old market area by the #waterfront - I snapped this photo at the fishermen`s wharf just as a #vulture swooped down to feed on the many leftovers ...

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Sep 1

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Kaieteur Falls, Guyana📍 - it is #amazing to stand here just watching and hearing the powerful chaos of 23,400 cubic feet of water per second plunging 740 feet over a cliff -- adjacent to the most peaceful, steady #rainbow ...

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Aug 25

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Albina, Suriname📍 - hello #suriname, country number 166! from #saintlaurentdumaroni in #frenchguiana across the #maroni river to suriname in 10 minutes! i believe this marks the first time i`ve crossed an international #border by private #canoe! love it! 😉 ...

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Aug 15

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Olinda, Brazil📍 - the colorful colonial houses, steep hills, and cobblestoned streets of #olinda provide a sharp contrast to the #skyline of its southern neighbor, the bustling #metropolis of #recife ...

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Aug 24

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Cayenne, French Guiana📍 - place des palmistes in #cayenne, capital of #frenchguiana, which is not a territory, but an integral department of #france. in the center of the square is a #monument to félix éboué, a french-guianan who in 1936 became the first black french man to be appointed to a high post in the french colonies ...

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