Category: South America

A World Heritage Site 60 kilometres from Ouro Preto: the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos in Congonhas.

Explore More Rich History in Minas Gerais

Minas Gerais has a rich history so slow down and spend time to explore: Mariana, Lavras Novas, the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matosinhos in Congonhas.

Night view of Ouro Preto's centre taken from Igreja São Francisco de Paula. The lit-up building on the left is Casa de Câmara e Cadeia; on the right is Igreja Bom Jesus de Matozinhos.

Ouro Preto: Black Gold and Baroque Opulence

Ouro Preto is an old gold mining town in the mountains of Minas Gerais. It’s recognised, for its opulent baroque buildings, as a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

You See More if You Get Out of the City of Rio

There is more to Rio de Janeiro than just Rio, the city. Once you get out of the city you will discover other interesting destinations in the state of Rio de Janeiro.

Some of the VW Kombi vans lined up at the Classic Car Meeting in Teresópolis.

Interesting Classic Volkswagens As Seen in Brazil

Classic Volkswagen vehicles are extremely popular in Brazil. Many are still used as every-day-cars, others are nicely restored vintage collectors’ items.

By chance we happened to be in Teresópolis for their annual classic car meeting in early July. Here are some of our photos!

Photos from a Classic Car Meeting in Teresópolis, Brazil

We left Teresópolis with 100s of colourful photos from their annual classic car meeting. We saw many old, often unknown, vehicles typical of Brazil.

The Teatro Popular in Niterói, Brazil, designed by Oscar Niemeyer. To the right you can see the half open outside stage.

In Rio? Go & See the Niemeyer Architecture in Niterói!

Are you planning to visit Rio de Janeiro? We recommend you allow some time to go and see the Oscar Niemeyer architecture (and more) in Niterói!

Almost every house is accentuated with its individual colour scheme for window frames and doors, which overall makes Paraty a very colourful town.

Paraty: a Colonial Gem and Photographer’s Paradise

We had heard about Paraty (or Parati) but we didn’t read much in advance. It turned out to be a pretty colonial gem and a real photographer’s paradise.

Don’t visit Rio in a Big Overlander Truck!

We dared to go to Rio de Janeiro in our large overlander truck. For various reasons it wasn’t as pleasant a visit as one might have expected…

A model of the MON in Curitiba: this shows more clearly the proportions of the 'eye' in relation to the long flat main building behind. The 'white tunnel' connects the two under the water basin.

A New Look at Paraná, Brazil after 8 Years

Mostly we avoid visiting places a second time, and keep our memories. In Paraná, Brazil we happily found, along with new sights, some places were unchanged.

Floripa: the bay of Lagoinha on the far north tip of the island

What to see on Santa Catarina Island around Florianópolis

Ilha de Santa Catarina in Brazil, better known as Florianópolis, is an attractive destination thanks to its luscious green inland and long sandy beaches.

The Restaurant 'Siedlertal' (Settler's Valley) was packed during Sunday lunch. To the left their band playing German 'Volksmusik' complete with some yodelling.

Pomerode: unexpected “kleines Deutschland” in Brazil

In Santa Catarina in Brazil we visited a community which couldn’t be any more German. Their town gate proudly proclaims ‘Unser kleines Deutschland’.

Case Pueblo in Punta Ballena was originally the eccentric home of the Uruguayan artist Carlos Páez Vilaró. It was expanded over the years and now houses a small gallery/museum and a large hotel with restaurant. This is the restaurant entrance with a vista across Rio de la Plata.

Uruguay is Just the Place for a Holiday

When it’s time to slow down and relax in a beautiful place, Uruguay is a place to consider. Here are some places to find that perfect holiday experience.

SC-390: the view from the lookout platform on top of the plateau. You can see nicely how the road disappears into the distance towards the coast. Though you don’t see many of the hairpin bends from here – for that vista you have to stop at a small viewing platform further down the mountain.

Santa Catarina: a Spectacular Mountain Roadtrip

Come with us on a spectacular roadtrip into the mountains of Santa Catarina. Please follow our tracks and explore this beautiful region of Brazil!

This old FORD truck is probably the oldest vehicle we have spotted on the roads of Uruguay. In other countries this would be locked away in a climatised collector's garage.

Amazing Old Cars on the Roads in Uruguay – Everywhere

They are slowly diminishing in numbers but Uruguay still has many rare and old cars on the roads – everywhere. This is a gallery of the ones we spotted.

Hello & Welcome

Meet Yasha and Juergen. Our travel blog is atypical because we travel differently, not flying from one dream destination to the next. Our choice instead: to take it slowly, take side roads, discover places aside from the typical "bucket list" and guidebook highlights. We drive and live in our self-built overland camper, called [~~"Berta"~~] "Bertita" (little Berta since 2018 in Europe). You can read more on our "About Us" page.

We love sharing our impressions and knowledge gained along the way. You will find a wealth of information on our site, especially if you love road trips. So stay around and explore with us!

Our Recent Posts

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Korça is a Gem Off the Popular Tourist Path in Albania

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BGToll, Needed for Motorhomes over 3.5 tons in Bulgaria

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Picturesque Towns of Western Greece You Should Visit

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Explore the Ancient City of Butrint in Albania

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