PHOTO: Rio de Janeiro, as seen from Sugar Loaf Mountain, a must-see stop, and one of few standard tourism inclusions on Spector Travel's Afro-Brazilian tour in August 2015. (Photo by David Cogswell)
Spector Travel, an African travel specialist since 1989, is offering its first trip to Brazil, but it will be a trip that only an Africa expert would offer. The Afro-Brazil trip focuses on the African influence in Brazilian history and culture and includes time in Rio de Janeiro; Salvador, Bahia; and the Boa Morte Festival.
"Boa Morte," which means "Good Death" in Portuguese, is a festival rich in historical, cultural and spiritual significance, with deep roots going back to Africa.
June Sugarman, the founder and CEO of Spector Travel, said the company brought out the tour in response to "huge demand" from clients who had traveled with Spector on some of its trips to Senegal and South Africa, and were now looking for something new.
As many eyes are shifting to Brazil as the country heightens its profile with the World Cup and Olympics events, many who are lovers of Africa are discovering the deep African roots that are a large component of Brazilian culture.
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Only one departure of the six-day trip is planned, Aug. 10-18, 2015, coinciding with the dates of the festival. The operator has capacity for 10-50 people on the departure and the initial response has been enthusiastic, according to Sugarman.
It will begin on Monday, Aug. 10, with a flight from Miami to Salvador, the capital of the state of Bahia and the largest city in Northeast Brazil. It's the third largest city in all of Brazil after São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and it's known as the center of Afro-Brazilian culture. It's also known for its many festivals and its well cultivated sense of celebration, partying, dancing and the good life. Salvador da Bahia has the largest carnival in the world.
The trip will begin by plunging into local culture with an Afro-Brazilian Folkloric Show, with song and dance of various cultural roots. A walking tour of the Afro-Brazilian district of Favela will create personal encounters with its residents, include a visit to the Afro-Brazilian Museum, the first African church in the New World and a number of galleries and craft shops.
On Friday the tour will venture beyond the city to Cachoeira, a colonial town rich in history and culture and the location of the Boa Morte Festival. On Saturday morning the tour heads to Rio for the rest of the weekend.
In Rio, the tour will continue to explore Brazil's African cultural roots, including a visit to the small plaza called Pedra do Sal where African immigrants settled during the 17th century and where samba music was born, the slavery cemetery and Sambodromo, the street of the Carnival parade. On Monday evening the tour returns to Miami.
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