Introducing The Travel Scorecard , an exciting new feature on Calypso Island Chronicles. After I complete a trip, I will write a brief review of the destination including scores (grades) for both the destination and the hotels/lodges I stayed at. As I travel to many different countries, the Travel Scorecard will provide travel enthusiasts with some very valuable information. Please keep in mind, all my opinions are strictly subjective.

First up is my scorecard on BRAZIL, based on my trip there, May 17-June 14, 2010.

BRAZIL – Grade B+ Fascinating, very diverse country, many different places to explore. In the big cities and tourists spots, prices are on the high side. In the big cities, crime is also a concern. On my trip, I visited six different areas – The Pantanal, Iguassu Falls, Rio, Ouro Preto, Salvador and Barra Grande

#1  Pantanal – Grade B+ Amazing area for wildlife observation. Quiet and peaceful.

• Passo Do Lontra Lodge – Grade C/C+ Guides were pretty good, helpful. Meals were better than average, but there is a charge for drinking water! Rooms are large – designed for groups; all-inclusive package includes meals & activities. No break for single occupancy! Not a very good value. Very difficult time making RSVNS

#2 Iguassu Falls – Grade B+ Waterfalls are unbelievable. Did not have time to go to Argentine side

• Hotel Villa Canoa Grade B- Tourist class hotel located in downtown Foz de Iguacu.
  Good service, helpful staff. Rooms are small and a little cramped

#3 RIO – Grade C Huge city, many interesting and different neighborhoods to visit, however I am not a fan of big cities. Probably will not return. Been there done that!

• Vila Casanova - Grade B+ Small bed and breakfast >in Santa Theresa. Nice, cozy comfortable room. Resident gourmet chef available
• Windsor Martinique Grade B Well run hotel. Good service. Tiny swimming pool. Breakfast buffet - average, good location on Copacabana beach

#4 Ouro Preto – Grade B+ Beautiful, romantic colonial city with ornate baroque architecture. UNESCO World heritage site, somewhat of a tourist trap.

• Pousada Sao Francisco de Paula Grade C Lousy but friendly management, funky place with nice views and garden. Pleasant ladies work in kitchen. Only a couple of decent rooms. They charged me more than rate confirmed in e-mail. Not a good business practice. Terrible administration

#5 Salvador - Grade C+ 3rd largest city in Brazil after Sao Paulo and Rio. Fascinating city, did not explore very much outside of Barra Resort area and day trip to Pelurinho, the historical quarter. Most of the people are black or mixed.

• Barra Guest Hostel - Grade B+ Management tries very hard, friendly but a little unorganized. Rooms are decent, nothing special. Very good breakfast. Good value.

#6 Barra Grande, Bahia -Grade A- Quiet beach town, tourism is very low key - an idyllic paradise. Love this place; great desire to return.

• Ponto do Muta - Grade A- Outstanding. Excellent breakfast, friendly management. Very comfortable, well-designed rooms. Would be nice if they had small swimming pool!

Next up - BOLIVIA

Brazil is one of the most difficult countries to find a proper vegetarian restaurant. Most Brazilians love a diet rich with meat and cheese; only a very small percentage are vegetarians. Given these circumstances, it came as somewhat of a surprise that while I was in Salvador, the populous capital city of Bahia in Northeastern Brazil, that I stumbled onto Ramma , a delightful natural foods restaurant.

Located in the fashionable beachside suburb of Barra, Ramma is open for lunch only every day of the week excluding Saturday. All the food is offered buffet style with costing done a per kilo basis, a popular format in many Brazilian Restaurants. You can eat as much as you want - your bill will be based on how much food you put on your plate(s). The cost per kilo is R$33,90 in the week, and R$35,90 on Sundays.

According to the owner, the average customer spends about R$17,00 – 18,00 (roughly $10USD) on a meal

For a buffet, the food is absolutely delicious and healthfully prepared with a staggering variety of dishes to choose from including fresh salads, grilled veggies, tofu entrees, quiches, homemade breads and pastries. In addition to the vegetarian dishes, there is at least one chicken and fish entree to choose from as well.

I went there on a busy Sunday afternoon in early June and the place was filled to capacity – most of the clientele were locals from Salvador in addition to a smattering of Brazilian and oversea tourists.

Ramma reflects the personality and philosophy of the owner, Ms. Marinna Neves, a middle aged Brazilian lady who was born in the state of Bahia. As a teenager in 1970, she moved with her family to Salvador where she worked as a civil engineer for 18 years before becoming a restaurateur with the opening of Ramma in January 1994.

Admittedly she has always been a food lover – even as a child - and cooking has always been a passion for her. Over the years, she has becoming increasingly health conscious, moving towards a more vegetarian life style. Getting into the restaurant business was a natural for her.

Ms. Neves describes herself as 90% vegetarian as she eats some chicken and fish occasionally. Over the last couple of years, Marina’s diet has continued to evolve with an increasing emphasis of raw foods – you’ll even find some tasty raw food selections at Ramma.

Note: A second RAMMA restaurant opened up in August 2008 in Pelurinho, the historical quarter of Salvador

As a vegetarian, Ramma has to rank as “the best” restaurant for vegetarian food that I have ever been to. I could eat there every day if I had to – the food is that delicious and is healthfully prepared as well.

Many travelers fall in love with OURO PRETO, a small, hilly colonial town located in the state of Minas Gerais, Brazil. With its 18th century colonial architecture, steep cobblestone streets and many ornate, baroque churches (23 in all), undoubtedly, Ouro Preto is a very enchanting town. Walking through the streets of Ouro Preto, one feels transported back in time.

More than the awe-inspiring churches and steep, winding streets, I will remember Ouro Preto for its “namoradeiras”, a Portuguese word which means flirtatious women. As I walked on the streets near Plaza Tiradente, I would often look up to discover that many black ladies - dressed in their traditional garb - were peering at me very longingly from the windowsill of their house.

No, I am not talking about real ladies, but small busts or sculptures made of clay, wood or plastic. Almost all the souvenir shops in OURO PRETO carry the namoradeira busts and figurines. The busts come in different sizes from miniature to large.

In the 18th century, apparently the ladies of Ouro Preto (and other small towns in Minas Gerais) would often sit by their windowsill and prospect for appropriate male suitors as they walked by on the street below.

When I think of Ouro Preto, this image of the “namoradeiras” always come to mind.

One more thing – if you go to Ouro Preto, I highly recommend that you take a stroll to the lookout point shortly before twilight. A short stroll from the town center, any local can help you with directions. With the lights flickering from the many small houses located on the hillside and the luminescent glow emanating from the churches, the view is absolutely magical and something you will never forget.

During the course of my travels around the world, I have met my share of rude, boorish tourists. Smokers in particular really irk me; when I dine at a nice café or restaurant, I don’t particularly care to be gulping down cigarette smoke while I eat my food. It seems some of these young European tourists – in particular the French, German, Dutch and Israelis - don’t show any hesitation at all upon entering a restaurant before they light up a cigarette.

Unlike the USA, there are no laws prohibiting smoking in restaurants and cafes in most countries, so I guess I have to grin and bear it as far as smokers are concerned.

I remember one particular instance that left a really bad taste in my mouth. I was a passenger on an old slow boat along the Mekong River from the Thailand Border to Luang Prabang in Laos. The guy sitting directly in front of me – he was from Belgium - kept on smoking his fags and the smoke would waft backwards toward me. As I really abhor cigarette smoke, I politely asked him to refrain from smoking. Well, the guy stopped for about 5 minutes before he started smoking again - one cigarette after another. Talk about being an inconsiderate lout.

What irks me even more are a special breed of travelers who hijack their hostel – usually young backpacker types - and party late night (and into the wee hours of the morning), while other guests of the hostel are trying to sleep. These people can get very rowdy and raucous (loud) especially when there is alcohol and drugs involved. Unfortunately this is a notorious aspect of backpacker culture. I find their behavior to be very rude and inconsiderate. See the story of Nate the Great Lout!

On my most recent trip to Bolivia, I had a very bad experience with some very inconsiderate and vulgar tourists at my hostel.

I was staying in Samaipata, a small mountain town located on the backpacker tourist trail in southern Bolivia. The town becomes very quiet after 9:00PM as there are very few bars or nightspots for tourists to congregate. With nowhere else to get together, parties among backpackers often happen spontaneously at their hostel. Sometimes these parties last until the wee hours of the morning.

I had returned to my hostel about 11:00PM. Walking to my room, I passed by a group of young backpackers – both males and females - who were having a little party outside on the patio. Quite rowdy and loud - as evidenced by the number of empty beer bottles on the table, they were obviously somewhat inebriated. I greeted them goodnight, sort of an indirect way of telling them to keep the noise down.

Obviously they didn’t get the message as they continued on with their loud chatter and laughter. As I was trying to sleep as were some other hotel guests, I really thought these people were out of line. As the noise escalated, I bolted out of bed, went outside and told them very politely to keep their voices down.

I guess that was like adding fuel to the fire – as they got even louder and more raucous. Another 30 minutes elapsed (it was now close to midnight) before I bolted out my bed again, ran outside and told the young merrymakers to shut up already.

One of the young men - I recognized his voice as being Nate, the American guy from San Jose, California - retorted “Hey Old Man, Why don’t you go back to bed and put in your earplugs”. As he made his snide remark, the young British gals laughed hysterically like hyenas. Funny, huh? I wanted to shove my fist up his mouth but common sense prevailed as I returned to my room.

Well, the group did not break up their party until shortly before 1:00AM but not before singing in unison, Johnny Cash’s classic song “Ring of Fire”. Oh well, at least they sang it in tune!