THE INTERACTIVE TRAVEL GUIDE

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Article by VacationRentalPeople

Lonely Planet may very well have given up. So it seems anyway. In the burgeoning (some zealous journalists seem to think ‘revolutionary’) world of travel apps, their offering seems fairly meagre. Yes it’s free to download, and by yesterday’s standards may have been sufficient, but it pales in comparison to other apps.

It seems that the company may be naively holding on to the idea of selling book travel guides. While the travel book market may not be dead, they are likely to see diminishing returns if they don’t watch what their
competitors are doing.

Smart phones seem to be leading the way in most technological matters, offering a new way to access and consume information, half way to an autonomy device to rule them

INFORMATION ON CHAPADA DIAMANTINA NATIONAL PARK IN BAHIA, BRAZIL

Chapada Diamantina is a short plane ride or drive from Salvador, Bahia.  Below is a great description from a traveller to the national park.

Natural Beauty
by Andre

The National Park of the Chapada Diamantina is one of the most fascinating natural parks of Brazil. The mountain scenery contains an extraordinary variety of ecosystems, like Cerrado, Mata Atlantica, and Stone fields, Caatinga. The bromeliads and orchids find a privileged ambiance, adapting themselves to the differences in climate and altitude. The mountain tops reach a height of 5,660 feet and they offer shelter to the Jaguatiricas (local breed of feline) pumas, mocós (local rodents), deer’s, teiús (local reptile) and seriemas (local little ostrich) .



The massive quartz pieces, have undergone and resisted erosion, forming towers of minerals known as “TEPUY” by the local Indians of the Maracas and Cariris tribes, who dominated the region before the arrival of the first settlers or bandeirantes, around the year 1750. The most astonishing tepuis reach a height of 4,830 feet and they run across the municipalities of Palmeiras, Lençois e Mucugê .

BRAZIL: EXPAT SALARY PURCHASING POWER PARITY

Brazil: Expatriate Salary Purchasing Power Parity

By Jim Shattuck April 15, 2011 Let me start out by saying that I am neither an economist nor a human resources professional. I'm sharing here some information I have learned from mining the depths of Google, trying to stitch it all together into a coherent post. Learning about the comparative realities of living here or in the USA (I'm sticking to just one country for simplicity's sake) is both fun for the expat ("I knew I wasn't crazy - that shit is expensive!") and cautionary for the lovebirds contemplating a move figuring it will all work out somehow (goddess bless them!). The first thing to understand is that economies are different on many different levels: the price of things, the salaries people can earn, the taxes one pays, the non-cash (and deferred cash) benefits people earn over time, how value depreciates over time, how the banking and credit systems operate, what services are provided by the government, etc. In the case of Brazil and the USA - believe me - they are two different worlds that do not easily equate/translate. Most travelers think in terms of the currency exchange rate: "Oh Brazil will be an affordable vacation destination; the exchange rate is in our favor, unlike London (for example)." Which may well be true, but moving here to live, work and retire is another matter altogether. For the new resident, the impulse is to do a quick calculation in your head converting currencies to decide if something is expensive or not. But currency exchange rates give misleading

BRAZIL AIRPORTS UNLIKELY TO BE READY FOR 2014 WORLD CUP

Like Public Enemy said, "Don't believe the hype!"

Brazil is going to be ready.  I put the "independent" study down anyway so you can see what the business world is saying.  There is an interview with Lula that came on the show 60 Minutes (click here to view) where he is asked about the doubts that Brazil can handle the World Cup and the Olympics.  He just laughed them off and said basically Brazil is going to put on the best show ever and the country is going to get it done their way on their own terms.  To paraphrase him, he said Europeans and Americans think they know everything.

Thats why I quoted Public Enemy.  Brazil will be ready and symbolically rise up to the worldwide stage.  She will put her best foot forward and shine.
Read on...

RIO THE NEW ANIMATION MOVIE IS A GOOD LOOK FOR BRAZIL

Brazil to promote tourism with release of 'Rio'

Starring: Anne Hathaway , George Lopez , Jesse Eisenberg , will.i.am , Jamie Foxx

Plot: 'Rio' is a 3-D animation feature from the makers of the 'Ice Age' films. Set in the magnificent city of Rio de Janeiro and the lush rainforest of Brazil, the comedy-adventure centers on Blu, a rare macaw who thinks he is the last of his kind. When Blu discovers there's another -- and that she's a she -- he leaves the comforts of his cage in small town Minnesota and heads to Rio. But it's far from love at first sight between the

THE REAL EMERGING MARKETS BOOM HAS ONLY JUST BEGUN

Why the Real Emerging Markets Boom Has Only Just Begun

Posted by Chris Hunter

There are many reasons why the next decade belongs to countries like Brazil -- one of the world’s emerging economies

The explosive growth potential of emerging markets is not mainstream news…yet.

We are still in what people will one day look back on as the “calm before the emerging markets storm.” A time when investors can still buy emerging markets growth at relatively cheap valuations. A time before the full force of the emerging markets bull market is felt.

To say it’s an exciting time for investors is an understatement. The emerging markets are about to take off on a rocket ride that could span a decade…and even more.

BRAZIL NEIGHBOR ARGENTINA POISED TO GROW IN 2011, BUT HIGHLY DEPENDENT ON BRAZIL ECONOMY

Argentina poised to grow 6% in 2011, but highly exposed to Brazil dependency

Strong demand in Brazil and Latin America has created the conditions for a stronger-than-expected economic rebound in Argentina, an IMF official said on Monday.

 

IMF economist Jorg Decressin recommends anti cyclical policies

“As far as growth is concerned, we are seeing a stronger rebound in Argentina than what we had expected, partly driven by very buoyant demand in the region including in Brazil” IMF economist Jorg Decressin told reporters in Washington.

However, he said Argentina needs to change some policies to be in stronger shape to withstand future shocks.

“Over time we believe that policies in Argentina will need to become somewhat less pro-cyclical than they are right now to rebuild policy space for the future. And if that happens, then the economy will also be in good shape to weather new shocks, if and when they arrive,” Decressin said.

BRAZIL TO INVEST $5.5 BILLION IN RENEWABLE ENERGY BY 2013

Brazil to Invest $5.5 Billion in Renewable Energy Sources by 2013

Posted by Greener Tomorrow on September 30th, 2010

 

The Brazilian government earlier this month held a wind, hydroelectric and biomass auction that is expected to prompt US$ 5.52 billion in investments in renewable energies in Brazil. The resulting investments are expected to come primarily from private enterprise.

The auction, which contracted power from 89 wind farms, small hydroelectric plants and biomass plants, will add an installed capacity of 2,892.2 MW to the national energy matrix.

Renewable Energy - BRIC (Brazil, Russia, India, China) Industry Guide

Brazil’s alternative energy auction was conducted through a process whereby the government first announced the energy demand stated by distributors to serve the market by 2013, and then electricity generators competed to provide energy to fill that demand at the lowest price.

BRAZIL BOOM: 9.1 MILLION FAMILIES PLAN TO BUY HOME IN NEXT 12 MONTHS

A total of 9.1 million families plan to buy real estate in Brazil over the next 12 months which is a huge increase since the Minha Casa Minha Vida (My House, My Life) program was introduced in 2009.

A recent survey carried out by the Data Popular Institute has found that 9.1 million Brazilian families intend to buy a property in Brazil over the next year. This purchase would allow them to leave rental accommodation and become property owners.

The subsidies and benefits included in the social housing program Minha Casa Minha Vida mean that buying instead of renting is an increasingly popular option. Minha Casa Minha Vida offers reduced mortgage interest rates to qualifying families so monthly mortgage payments are invariably cheaper than rent.

The number of potential buyers of Brazilian real estate has

WHILE THE WORLD BURST ITS BUBBLE, GOOD TIMES FOR BRAZIL HAVE JUST STARTED

It's been over 3 years since the majority of the developed world's housing markets saw their bubbles burst. Yet, along with a number of other so-called 'emerging' countries, Brazil has witnessed what many commentators and professionals have termed as the start of a long-term growth trajectory.


In 2010, renowned real estate developer Donald Trump, for example, talking about Brazil, commented to the Los Angeles Times that: "It is one of the few places in this troubled world I feel confident to make an investment."



And the modern day sage of value investing, Warren Buffett, told Fox News: "Brazil has cleverly positioned itself to become one of the world's greatest investment opportunities in modern times."

THE ZEN OF BRAZIL

Written by B. Michael Rubin

Thursday, 27 January 2011 14:52

It's a cliché to say it takes longer to get things done in Brazil. Everyone knows life moves a little more slowly in the developing world than in developed countries. From an American perspective, Brazilians are never in a hurry, and conveniently, it's impossible to be late in Brazil. The irony of clichés, of course, is they state the obvious, so people tend to forget them. However, there is something in this cliché - the ability of Brazilians to face schedules and deadlines with a less-than-rigid attitude - worth remembering. There is a depth and history here that goes beyond cliché.  Brazilians have an inherent faith that everything will work out in the end, one way or another, even if it's not as planned. And if things do not work out in the end, it's because you haven't yet reached the end, so just be patient.