DAY 1. RIO: WELCOME TO BRAZIL

After landing, we’ll meet you at the airport in Rio de Janeiro and transport you to our condos. Instead of staying in hotels we will be staying together in amazing condos in Rio and a condo in Salvador just feet from the beach. When everyone is settled in we’ll have our meet-n-greet so we can all get to know each other. Friday nights are lively in Brazil; anyone up for it can come with us to check out the nightlife, or you can rest up for things to come.

DAY 2. RIO: COPACABANA BEACH

We’ll start out the day at Valongo Wharf which was the largest slavery port in Brazil. Learning the history here is important as it will help to explain all of the Black people around. Next up are the famous beaches in Copacabana & Ipanema, where we’ll relax, swim & have drinks. At night we’ll check out a place known for Brazilian line dancing with an American R&B twist.

DAY 3. RIO: GOD’S PAINTBRUSH

After breakfast we will take you to a lively open air Sunday market, great for buying gifts. Then you’ll have some free time to do things like exploring the city, seeing the giant Cristo, or going to a museum. After free time we’ll be hiking up part of a mountain that’s shaped like a sugarloaf (30 min). The cable car will take us the rest of the way to the top where one of the most beautiful sunsets you’ll ever see awaits you. For dinner we will take you to an amazing Brazilian steakhouse, an absolute must-do.

DAY 4. BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS MONTH

Today we fly to Salvador da Bahia where Mês da Consciência Negra (Black Consciousness Month) will be in full swing. Salvador is the Black mecca of Brazil. The best food, samba and other parts of Brazilian culture can all be found here. After checking into our condos, we will go on a Black history tour of Pelourinho. You will learn about Zumbi dos Palmares (famous freedom fighter) and get to meet the leaders of Olodum (amazing drumming/cultural group).

DAY 5. ITAPARICA: ISLAND TOUR

Capoeira is a martial art that was disguised as a dance by enslaved Africans. We’ll learn more and get a demonstration of this up close. And then… we’ll hop on a boat tour of the bay (bahia)! There are many islands around Salvador; we’ll unwind with music, drinks and fun on our boat in between visiting some of them. After the boat tour you’ll be learning how to samba, the right way. The live music, caipirinhas and rhythmic dancing of Salvador will allow you to practice all night.

DAY 6. BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS MONTH PARADE

Orishas are deities that have roots in West Africa. Many Brazilians follow Candomblé and pray to these Orishas, in other words they were able to keep some of their African religions that existed in pre-slavery days. We’ll learn about this and more in the Afro-Brazilian museum. Next up is my favorite part, the parade during the DAY of Black Consciousness (Nov. 20). This parade is filled with carnaval fun, Black power, and an incredible display of drumming. For many of you this will be the highlight of the trip.

DAY 7. BAHIA: FAVELA TRIP

For the people that did not choose to extend their trip, this is the sad day that we have to say goodbye. Congratulations on experiencing Brazil during Black Consciousness Month. We will take you to the airport early to ensure you make your flight on time. So, we hope to see you again on future Traveling Black trips!

If you chose to extend your trip we’ll be taking you on a day trip to a nearby favela (slum) where we will learn about Brazil’s favelas while we break bread with friends.

DAY 8.  SALVADOR: FOODIE PARADISE

Today is for the foodies. We will have breakfast at a restaurant with amazing fresh vegan / West African inspired options. Next we’ll visit the Lake of the Orishas where you can see giant statues of the Orishas in the middle of the lake. Have you ever had cheese and molasses? You’ll want to try it in addition to other foods we have lined up, such as açai bowls, acarajé, etc. Lastly for dinner, we’ll be teaching you how to create magic… moqueca. A moqueca is a fish stew that is arguably the best food in the world. The chef will run down the important steps on how to create this authentic and savory Afro-Brazilian dish. While it’s cooking, we’ll be doing a caipirinha tasting…

DAY 9. BLACK CONSCIOUSNESS MONTH EXTENSION CONCLUDES

The Afro-Brazilian Black Consciousness month tour extension ends here. We will make sure you get to the airport on time, unless you have decided to stay in Brazil indefinitely…