Amazon rainforest

Brazil

South America’s largest country defies easy description. From the Andes Mountains to the Atlantic Ocean and the Amazon River Basin to the steppes of the Mato Grasso and beyond, Brazil encompasses a staggering 43 percent of South America’s land mass. In addition to being the world’s fifth largest country by size, it is also one of the continent’s most diverse lands. Brazil is a cultural amalgamation of indigenous roots and western influences. The former Portuguese colony has developed a unique culture shaped by native tribes and thousands of immigrants from Germany, Italy, Japan, Korea, and elsewhere. One of the world’s most important emerging markets with a dynamic, growing economy, Brazil took center stage in the sporting world as host of the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Summer Olympics. A short visit will only give you a taste of what this amazing place has to offer and leave you thirsting for more of its unique vibe.

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More About Brazil

Manaus, Brazil – Heart of the Amazon
Piranhas!
The Amazon River
An Eco-Resort in the Amazon
Amazon Monkey Reserve
Meeting of the Waters in the Amazon
Amazon Nature Walk
The Amazon Indigenous
Iguazu Falls vs. Victoria Falls
Other articles

The Amazon River

Rio de Janeiro from the top of Sugarloaf Mountain

Iguazu Falls

Corcovado (Christ the Redeemer) in Rio de Janeiro

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Coming Soon from M.G. Edwards

Dear Reader,

My blogging has slowed recently while I focus on writing projects. I hope to pick up my blogging pace again soon and publish more travelogues with photos. In the meantime, I want to update you on exciting news about some big launches that I have in store for this year. My literary factory, The Wordshop, is working overtime behind the scenes to produce a steady stream of new material, and I’m happy to give you a glimpse of things to come.

Ellie the Elephant Children’s Book – April 1

Ellie the Elephant, book two of the World Adventurers for Kids Series, will be available as an e-book on April 1, 2013. Ellie the Elephant is an illustrated picture book that encourages children to follow their dreams. A young elephant named Ellie who lives in Thailand dreams of joining the elephant polo team and playing in the Elephant Cup polo tournament, but her parents want her to work in the rice fields. Will she realize her dream of playing polo?

Inspired by the author’s adventures in Thailand and real elephant polo matches, the story features Ellie and her family, Monk the Monkey, human boys Ball and Mallet, and a host of elephants. Fun for kids and adults alike, the story will introduce readers to the amazing game of elephant polo and inspire children to dream big.

Zoe the Zebra Children’s Book – June 1

Zoe the Zebra, book three of the World Adventurers for Kids Series, will be available as an e-book on May 15, 2013. Zoe the Zebra is an illustrated picture book that teaches children not to bully. A young zebra named Zoe who lives in the African bush joins forces with her friends Emma the Impala and Barry the Baboon to protect their friend Wally the Warthog from a pack of bullying hyenas.

Inspired by the author’s safari adventures in Africa, the story features Zoe and a host of safari animals. Fun for kids and adults alike, the story will take children to the African plains and teach them how to handle bullies.

World Adventurers for Kids Books #1-3 – July 1

World Adventurers for Kids Books 1-3 will be released on July 1, 2013. It will feature the first three e-books in the illustrated picture book series: Alexander the Salamander, Ellie the Elephant, and Zoe the Zebra. The collection will take children on adventures in South America, Asia, and Africa and encourage them to listen to authority figures, to follow their dreams, and to respect others.

The first book in the World Adventurers for Kids Series, Alexander the Salamander is about a salamander named Alexander living in the Amazon who joins his friends Airey the Butterfly and Terry the Tarantula on an unforgettable jungle adventure. Set in the Amazon region of Brazil, the story teaches children the importance of listening to teachers and other authority figures. Co-authored by M.G. Edwards and his son Alex, the story was inspired by their 2008 visit to the Amazon.

Book two, Ellie the Elephant, encourages children to follow their dreams. A young elephant named Ellie living in Thailand dreams of joining the elephant polo team and playing in the Elephant Cup polo tournament, but her parents want her to work in the rice fields. Will she realize her dream of playing elephant polo?

Book three, Zoe the Zebra, teaches children about bullying. A young zebra named Zoe who lives in the African bush joins forces with her friends Emma the Impala, Barry the Baboon, and other animals to protect their friend Wally the Warthog from a pack of bullying hyenas. Can they help him and stop the bullying?

The World Adventurers for Kids Series features illustrated adventure stories told in a way that children ages four to nine will find entertaining and educational. Filled with illustrated photos and moral tales, they will take children all over the world.

New M.G. Edwards Website – July 2

M.G. Edwards and World Adventurers will merge into one website on July 2, 2013. My relaunched website, www.mgedwards.com, will feature a completely new look and will be a single resource for my books, travelogues, photos and videos – including this blog.

Eurasia: Getting into Travel in Europe and Asia – November 2013

Eurasia: Getting into Travel in Europe and Asia, the second book in the World Adventurers Series and follow up to Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, will be released as an e-book in August 2013. It’s a coming-of-age memoir that chronicles the author’s adventures in Europe and Asia as a college student on a shoestring budget in 1994. The six-month journey by air, rail, and foot took him to 20 countries from Spain and Ireland to Russia and China — and almost everywhere in between.

Join him for an amazing journey through fascinating countries and cultures, encounters with memorable people and personalities, unforgettable moments and madcap misadventures . Love, ambition, and self-discovery mix in a story about a young man discovering the world and getting into travel – and trouble – for the first time.

Other News

All of these books should be available in print soon after their e-book releases.

I’ll update this page and publish new posts as more information comes available. Stay tuned for more news and information about these upcoming releases!

M.G. Edwards is a writer of books and stories in the mystery, thriller and science fiction-fantasy genres. He also writes travel adventures. He is author of Kilimanjaro: One Man’s Quest to Go Over the Hill, a non-fiction account of his attempt to summit Mount Kilimanjaro, Africa’s highest mountain and a collection of short stories called Real Dreams: Thirty Years of Short Stories. His books are available as an e-book and in print on Amazon.com and other booksellers. He lives in Bangkok, Thailand with his wife Jing and son Alex.

For more books or stories by M.G. Edwards, visit his web site at www.mgedwards.com or his blog, World Adventurers. Contact him at me@mgedwards.com, on Facebook, on Google+, or @m_g_edwards on Twitter.

The Amazon Indigenous

This is the final article in a series about the Amazon region of Brazil featured in my illustrated picture book, Alexander the Salamander. This post is about the indigenous peoples and culture of the Amazon. Previous ones highlighted the Amazon River, the Meeting of the Waters, the rainforest, the city of Manaus, Amazon Ecopark, piranhas, and a monkey reserve. Enjoy these travelogues with photos and stories from one of the world’s mightiest rivers.

During our trip to the Amazon in July 2008, we took a day trip to a small indigenous village near the Rio Negro. Built to attract tourists, the village was quite idyllic, and its inhabitants performed dances and sold handicrafts to visitors who wanted to experience local indigenous culture.

Our guide told me that the villagers belonged to the Baniwa indigenous group who had migrated from their original home upriver to this place in order to earn a better livelihood. Other members of the tribal group still living near the Brazil-Colombian border received financial support from them. According to Brazil’s Instituto Socioambiental, an estimated 15,200 Baniwa reside in the tri-border area of Brazil, Colombia, and Venezuela. Many reportedly live in poor conditions and are subjected to human rights abuses such as encroachment on their land by illegal loggers and poachers.

We disembarked from our tour boat and walked among wood and thatched-roof buildings to a large hall. We sat down on benches lining the hall and waited for the Baniwa performance to begin. Ten youths, five women and five men, performed songs and dance in ceremonial dress. The men played upbeat melodies on large wood flutes and pipes and chanted skyward as the women danced with them. Nothing represented the spirit of harmony between the indigenous and the rainforest to me more than their haunting songs that still echo in my mind.

As the dance grew livelier and less somber, the men pulled spectators from the audience and invited them to perform. My wife joined in. She tried to play the flute but was too preoccupied trying to dance! I opted out but took a photo afterwards with some of the performers. The lead performer made my son an honorary Baniwa, adorning him with a headdress and ceremonial stick.

After the performance, we were ushered to the souvenir shop, where my son tested a dart gun and we browsed the handmade art. We made sure that we were allowed to buy and export the souvenirs we bought.

Our son really enjoyed the visit, especially when our guide painted his face with berry juice. I’m glad he had the chance to experience a unique culture he might never have if we hadn’t visited the Amazon.

About Indigenous Peoples

Some international organizations and human rights groups have questioned the humanity of tourist attractions involving the indigenous and suggested that they are exploitative. As someone who has worked with the indigenous and documented indigenous issues, I support efforts to promote indigenous rights and applaud the efforts of governments, human rights organizations, and indigenous groups to improve their living conditions. I also favor allowing indigenous groups to support themselves legally as they wish. If they freely, without exploitation or prejudice by outside influence, determine that it is in their best interest to develop tourist attractions that showcase their cultures, they should be legally permitted to do so. It not only brings in much-needed revenue but promotes greater understanding of and preservation of indigenous cultures.

Click here to read about the Kayan-Lahwi (Karen or “Long-Neck” people) of Thailand and Burma

Click here to read about the Akha of Thailand and Burma

Click here to read about the Guaraní and Exnet of Paraguay

About Alexander the Salamander

A young salamander named Alexander living in the Amazon River Basin joins his friends Airey the Butterfly and Terry the Tarantula for an unforgettable jungle adventure. Come along with Alexander and friends as they meet birds, monkeys, and other creatures, enjoy the beauty of the rainforest, and face danger along the way.

The first book in the World Adventurers for Kids Series, Alexander the Salamander is an illustrated story inspired by the authors’ visit to the Amazon in 2008. Fun for kids and adults alike, the story teaches children the importance of listening to teachers and other authority figures.

More About Brazil

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