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.

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Sep 2

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Georgetown, Guyana📍 - colorful #downtown #georgetown is even more colorful from the air! 😉 goodbye for now #guyana! ...

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Aug 29

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Georgetown, Guyana📍 - fresh #veggies for sale inside the busy #stabroek #market in #georgetown, capital of #guyana ...

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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 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 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 26

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Paramaribo, Suriname📍 - these two beautifully deteriorating houses caught my eye while walking down #paramaribo`s malebatrum straat ...

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Sep 12

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Julio Andrade, Ecuador📍 - a pretty, colorful #church in the small town of #julioandrade in northern #ecuador`s #carchi province -- made a brief stop here while driving along the beautiful pananamerican highway towards quito ...

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Sep 15

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Otavalo, Ecuador📍 - lucky to be passing through #otavalo on a saturday, the traditional #market day! for centuries, otavaleños and indigenous people from surrounding andean towns have gathered here to showcase their #colorful #textiles and #handicrafts at the largest and one of the most famous #markets in #southamerica ...

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Aug 10

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Rio de Janeiro, Brazil📍 - sporting my vintage mexico city `68 shirt in front of the futuristic museum of tomorrow (museu do amanhã), designed by world-famous #architect santiago #calatrava ...

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Aug 23

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Cayenne, French Guiana📍 - #sketch of the very popular historic hotel/bar/restaurant/club les palmistes in #cayenne, capital of #frenchguiana, my first stop in the guianas! ...

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