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In 2009, the Program will offer four
forms of optional tour, as follows:
1) Following the Program, there will be an
optional trip into parts of the Atlantic Rainforest near Rio de Janeiro – into a part of the
forest that tourists rarely visit. The trip will be led by a full Professor
of Biology at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro, Sergio putsch de Carvalho, who has spent his entire professional life
studying the forest (and most of his childhood playing in it.) Professor Potsch
regularly takes groups into the forest; Seattle’s Dr. Deirdre Bowen will
represent the Program. This will
be a unique opportunity to see parts of one of the most bio-diverse rain
forests in the world. The
Atlantic Rainforest is one of the world’s most important rain forest
systems. It is arguably much more
beautiful than the better known Amazon, with its mountains and
valleys. The trip will leave on
Sunday, June 14, 2009, upon the conclusion of the formal program. It will be a three-night, four-day
adventure. Students will return –
directly to the international airport – in the late afternoon/early evening
of Wednesday, June 17, 2009. The price for this offering is $450.00, which
represents the costs only – there is no Program profit being made
here. The price includes van
transportation to and from the forest from Rio,
the cost of the guides and their accommodation, transportation by van while
within the forest, three nights accommodation at a lovely forest hotel with
an incredible view of the forest, three meals, drinks and snacks. Alcoholic beverages are not covered by
this price. In
order to make the trip possible at this special price, we need 15 people
(with a maximum of 30). The deadline
to register, with a non-refundable deposit of $250.00, is Friday, May 8,
2009.
2) On Friday afternoons, there will be an optional ½
day, afternoon tour to sites of special interest within the City of Rio de Janeiro,
depending upon student interest. It
is anticipated that the cost per student of these tours will be between
$10-$25 US. Possible sites include:
a. A gentle hike on the beautiful Caminho de Bemtivi, to see
some of the Atlantic rainforest, concluding with a twilight visit to Sugarloaf Mountain (Pão de Açúcar);
b. A visit to the new environmental education park,
the Parque Chico Mendes, with a boat ride from Barra Point and a visit to the Lagoa
de Barra
c. A boat ride in the beautiful Barra
de Guaratiba
d. An afternoon in the funky, bohemian Santa Teresa
neighborhood, beginning with a ride on the trolley up the mountain and a
late lunch in the Bar das Ruinas, after visiting
famous sites in the Atlantic Rainforest, including Alta de Boa Vista and
the Mesa do Imperador (Emperor’s Table)
e. A visit to the Casa Burle
Marx, once the home to Brazil’s
most famous – and eccentric – landscape designer;
f.
A walking
tour of downtown Rio and its colonial and belle époque splendors, concluding with a visit to the new Cidade de Samba (Samba City),
where the samba schools prepare their Carnaval
creations
g. A boat ride across the bay to the Fortaleza de
São João (the Fort of St. John) and a visit to
the ultra modern contemporary art museum in Niteroí,
designed by Brazilian’s most celebrated architect, Oscar Niemeyer
3) On Saturdays and Sundays, day trips to, for
example:
a. some of the
more secluded spots in the Atlantic Rainforest,
b. or beaches along the coast, or
c. the famous “Imperial
City” of Petropolis.
Again, the
Program anticipates that the individual cost for these, including lunch,
will be $25 US or below; and
4) We will help arrange for weekend trips to some of
the more famous tourist sites near Rio,
such as:
a. The colonial city and later pirate haven, Paraty. See:
b. The spectacular peninsula and beaches of Búzios. See:
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