Habits and customs in Brazil

• Brazilians are famous for their festive Spirit, especially Carnival, a pre-Lenten celebration known for its extravagant parades and costumes, combined with infectious samba music.
• Brazilians love music - Beyond Samba, Brazil boasts a rich musical landscape with genres like energetic Forró, soulful Bossa Nova, and pulsating Axé.
• Capoeira is an unique Afro-Brazilian martial art that blends acrobatics, dance, and music, is another famous aspect of Brazilian culture.

What are the best recipes in Brazil?

• Brazilians eat hot meals twice a day and have many regional dishes.
• In a restaurant, the portions are often for two people, so it is useful to ask how many people the dishes on the menu are for. It is not necessary to tip in restaurants, this is usually already included in the receipt.
• A visit to a typical Brazilian barbecue restaurant or “churrascaria” is recommended. Here you usually pay a fixed price for ''as much as you can eat''.
• Popular in Brazil is the comida por quilo, a self-service buffet.
• Feijoada is a stew with different types of meat.
• Many snack bars offer salgados, these are fried snacks.

What are the best drinks in Brazil?

• Cafezinho (coffee) in Brazil is very strong and is offered in small cups.
• People drink little tea, but a milkshake with fruit juice is extremely popular (vitaminas).
• It is recommended not to drink tap water, but to buy it in the supermarket.
• Well-known beer brands in Brazil include Brahma, Antarctica and Skol. These are comparable to our pilsner.
• The national spirit is cachaça, made from sugar cane. This drink is the basis of the popular caipirinha, a drink made from cachaça, lots of sugar, lime and crushed ice.
• Guarana is a soft drink known for its stimulating effect.

What are the notable holidays and festivities in Brazil?

• Carnival in Rio de Janeiro – The dates of the celebration vary each year, but it always starts on a Friday and ends on a Wednesday. The parades in Brazil are world famous for their samba music, dancers and beautiful costumes. Definitely something to put on your bucket list: Carnival in Rio.
• Festa de Iemanjà – February 2, The goddess Iemanja belongs to the Candomblé religion in Brazil. In Salvador, people go to the beach dressed in white and throw offerings into the sea for the goddess.
• Tiradentes – April 21, Tirandentes took responsibility for the protests against the Portuguese for high taxes. He started a call for liberation and is seen as a national hero in Brazil.
• Boi Bumba – In June, Brazil has an atmospheric folk festival based on local myths and legends. The large puppets, parades, dance and music come from Portuguese, Indian and African influences. Festa Junina – June/July, this is the celebration of the birth of John the Baptist and in the northeast also the end of the rainy season. The festival is often celebrated in a wooden hut with a thatched roof.
• Oktoberfest – The largest beer festival is of course held in Germany. Did you know that Blumenau in Brazil comes in second place? The city was discovered by the German Hermann Bruno Otto von Blumenau. Inspired by the Oktoberfest at home, it is also celebrated every year in Brazil.
• Independence Day – On September 7 in 1822, Brazil became an empire and independent from Portugal. On this national holiday, parades take place throughout the country.
• Fiesta de Nossa Senhora Aparecida – October 12 is the day to honor the holy Black Mary, the patron saint of Brazil.
• Proclamation of the Republic – November 15 is a national holiday. Brazil became a republic on November 15, 1889, through a coup d'état by a group of military men and republicans.

What are the customs in Ecuador regarding food?

• In Ecuador, people mainly eat a lot of rice, potatoes, pasta, chicken and cabbage. Often spicy but not spicy. The atmosphere in restaurants is often excellent because of the large number of musical groups that come in to perform their skills on the pan flute. If you are vegetarian or vegan, it can be difficult to find meals in Ecuador. A tip, be sure to specify what you do eat (i.e. ask for a plate of rice, beans and salad), that works better than specifying what you don't eat.

What are the best recipes in Ecuador?

• Arroz con Pollo is a dish of rice with chicken.
• Lomo saltado is beef sautéed in onion and tomato with rice.
• Churrasco is beef with fried egg.
• Aji is the tangy sauce that you get with everything separately.
• Cuy Chactado is a traditional Inca dish and should be tried by every traveler. While doing so, get over the fact that it involves grilled guinea pig!
• Arepas are corn pancakes with cheese.
• Fanesca is a dish of different grains, corn, potatoes and stockfish.
• Llapingachos: Small fried cookies made of mashed potatoes and cheese.
• Locro: Soup with potatoes, onions and cheese. Often served with avocado.
• Tropical fruits: maracuya (passion fruit), bananas of all shapes and sizes, guava, pineapple, mango, chirimoya, naranjilla (sour orange).

What are the best drinks in Ecuador?

• Beer is available everywhere. Club and Pilsener are the Ecuadorian brands.
• Soft drinks can also be found everywhere both well known and unknown brands.
• The fresh fruit juices are delicious.
• Enjoy a delicious fresh milkshake with tropical fruits.
• An excellent thirst quencher is the Piaco, a drink made from lemon.

What are notable holidays and festivals in ...?

• New Year is lots of fire, papier-mâché cars and figures: one big party!
• Carnival: nice and colorful with water fights and fruit and flower festivals.
• Dia de los Inocentes: festival in Cuenca, Nov. 6, a hilarious parade of dressed-up men and boys that the whole city comes to see.
• All Souls' Day: Nov. 2, in celebration people lay flower bouquets in cemeteries.

What are the remarkable habits in Ecuador?

• Ecuador is known for its strong family ties and sense of community. Family plays a central role in daily life, with extended family gatherings and a deep sense of respect and care for the elderly. Cultural festivals, such as Inti Raymi (the Sun Festival) and Carnival, are of great significance and are celebrated lavishly throughout the country.
• Social norms and mutual communication: A little courtesy will get you a long way! A greeting is a must when you start a conversation. Whether it is short or long - say hello, shake hands and between men and women, a single kiss on the cheek is sometimes exchanged. Expect to use the same greeting when saying goodbye. 
• Etiquettes & traditions: Ecuador is a long of traditions and is still fairly old-fashioned. Apart from greetings, respect for personal space is very important. So be sure to keep an appropriate distance during interactions unless you have developed a strong bond. People also value appropriate dress, especially at religious or business gatherings. Hospitality also plays an important role in Ecuador. 
• Eating and drinking habits: meals are huge social occasions and can be long. As crazy as it sounds, don't arrive on time when you are invited somewhere. Always arrive a little later and make sure you are neatly dressed out of respect to the hoste. What does agree with us is that Ecuadorians say bon appetit (buen provecho) before a meal when dining out with friends. If you are invited home, the host says buen provecho to invite you to start eating. Food is always eaten with cutlery. 

Travel in South America?

• Endless white beaches, rugged glaciers, dense rainforests and active volcanoes. These natural wonders can all be found in South America. Together with the ancient indigenous cultures such as the Incas, the colonial past of the continent and the warm Spanish and Portuguese speaking population, South America has everything to offer for an impressive journey.
• In the northwestern area of ​​South America you can experience an extreme variety of cultures and nature.
• Colombia alone has an enormous diversity of cultures, beautiful mountain landscapes, historic cities and tropical beaches.
• Peru and Bolivia are countries with indigenous cultures such as the Incas. You can experience these at their purest in Cuzco and the famous ancient ruins of Machu Picchu.
• In Venezuela you can find the Ángel waterfall, which, at almost a kilometer, is the highest waterfall in the world.
• And then you have the relatively small country of Ecuador where you can find a great variety of nature. From active volcanoes to waterfalls and the jungle. The Guyanas, including the former Dutch colony of Suriname, are the smallest group of countries on the continent. Due to its colonial past, a great diversity of cultures can be found here. For example, cultures are mixed with Asian, African, Dutch and French elements.
• Brazil is by far the largest country in South America, which consists largely of the Amazon rainforest with various untouched tribes. Due to the temperamental and colourful culture, there is always something to do in the Portuguese-speaking Brazilian cities, such as Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, and you can also find peace and quiet on idyllic white beaches.
• In the Southern Cone of South America, you will find the Patagonia area, which is a real must for the adventurer. Here you will find both vast plains and the impressive mountain peaks of the Andes. It is said that you can experience all types of climates here in one day. If you want to experience a little bit of Europe again, you should go to Buenos Aires in Argentina. The Spanish have left their footprint here. In addition, there is the city of Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world, from where you can cross over to Antarctica.
• If you speak a little Spanish or Portuguese, contact with the local population is one of the attractive aspects.
• The South American temperament ensures that there is often more life in the brewery than in other parts of the world.
• The impressive nature reserves are sometimes relatively close to each other (Amazon jungle and Andes mountains)
• Experience nature in its most biodiverse and raw form in the Amazon region, hiking in the dry season or by boat in the rainy season. This largest tropical rainforest on earth is spread over no fewer than nine countries.
• Trek through the high mountain peaks of the Andes and discover Lake Titicaca and the ancient Inca city of Machu Picchu, which was only discovered in the twentieth century. The Inca trail through the sacred valleys is one of the most famous and beautiful routes. Discover indigenous cultures such as the Incas and Uros in Peru and various tribes, such as the Yanomami in the Amazon region.
• South America is one of the most musical continents. Dance the Brazilian Samba or melt away with the sensual music, Bossa nova. Go to Colombia for the most rhythmic salsa and to Argentina for the temperamental tango. Or experience the indigenous music from the Andes, Musica Folklorica, with the pan flute in the leading role.
• South America has a beautiful collection of Atlantic, Pacific and Caribbean sandy beaches. Catch a wave in Punto del Diablo (Uruguay) or party on the Ipanema beach (Brazil).
• Dream away with the most mysterious mysteries, such as the Nazca lines in Peru, the staring Moai statues on Easter Island (see Chile) and the mountain Roraima in Venezuela.
• Discover the always vibrant city of Rio de Janeiro in Brazil. Stroll along the boulevard of Copacabana and dance to the samba in the favelas. Rio is a well-known hotspot, especially during carnival.
• JoHotspots in South America
• San Pedro de Atacama, desert village with excursion options to: the salt flats, steaming geysers and special rock landscapes (Chile).
• Cuzco is the old Inca city where you can get lost for hours between the colorful markets and woolly alpacas & the old city of Arequipa (Peru).
• Baños: known for its thermal springs, but also a beautiful area where many tourists go mountain biking, hiking, rafting and partying; Vilcabamba: western and modern place with a relaxed atmosphere and surrounded by beautiful landscapes (Ecuador).
• Discover the always vibrant city of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Stroll along the boulevard of Copacabana and dance to the samba in the favelas. Rio is a well-known hotspot, especially during carnival.
• Choroni, popular beach destination (Venezuela).

Updates South America

• More about South America, updates and contributions, see the link below.

Silvester evening is the last night in the year, the 31st of december. Silvester is the name of a holy pope. In general after midnight fireworks are burned. It comes from the belief that firework will keep ghosts away. 

In Colombia

• Wear yellow underwear, that makes the next year for sure financial beneficial.

In Ecuador

• Wear yellow underwear, that makes the next year financially well.

In Mexico

• Christmas starts in Mexico on the 16th of december with the "Posadas", which are processions through the streets with plays of the story of Maria and Joseph. Every evening ends with a feast and breaking of a pinata. On Nochebuena, christmas eve, diner is served with tamales, bacalao, and ponche (fruitpunch). After dinner a lot of people go to Misa de Gallo, a mis at church, followed with firework.