The road between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo is one of Brazil's most traveled tourist destinations. Called the Rio-Santos road, the drive is perfect for visitors who want to see the big cities of Brazil, coastline and beaches, as well as tropical islands, some touristy and others remote and deserted. The drive, along 500 kilometers of coastline, takes visitors past famed beach towns including Ubatuba, Sao Sebastiao, Guaruja, Ilhabela, Paraty and Angra dos Reis. It also allows visitors to come into to contact with native Brazilian culture and indiginous Indian tribes.

In Sao Paulo, helicopters offer an escape from the unbearable congestion of the streets below. Sao Paulo, the business center of one of the world's fastest growing economies and home to almost 20 million people, has seen a dramatic increase in traffic congestion in recent years that shows no sign of improving. 330,000 new cars hit the city's streets last year increasing the number of vehicles to an estimated 6 million. Every day another 635 cars and 235 motorcycles join the congestion. To escape the brutal traffic residents who can afford to do so have resorted to helicopters to make their way around. The number of helicopters in the country reached 1,089 by the end of last year, with about 470 in Sao Paulo, making the city home to the world's third largest privately owned fleet, which is expected to increase to over 550 in the next two years.

The road between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo is one of Brazil's most traveled tourist destinations. Called the Rio-Santos road, the drive is perfect for visitors who want to see the big cities of Brazil, coastline and beaches, as well as tropical islands, some touristy and others remote and deserted. The drive, along 500 kilometers of coastline, takes visitors past famed beach towns including Ubatuba, Sao Sebastiao, Guaruja, Ilhabela, Paraty and Angra dos Reis. It also allows visitors to come into to contact with native Brazilian culture and indiginous Indian tribes.

Marie Ruckie fashion consultant.

The road between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo is one of Brazil's most traveled tourist destinations. Called the Rio-Santos road, the drive is perfect for visitors who want to see the big cities of Brazil, coastline and beaches, as well as tropical islands, some touristy and others remote and deserted. The drive, along 500 kilometers of coastline, takes visitors past famed beach towns including Ubatuba, Sao Sebastiao, Guaruja, Ilhabela, Paraty and Angra dos Reis. It also allows visitors to come into to contact with native Brazilian culture and indiginous Indian tribes.

In Sao Paulo, helicopters offer an escape from the unbearable congestion of the streets below. Sao Paulo, the business center of one of the world's fastest growing economies and home to almost 20 million people, has seen a dramatic increase in traffic congestion in recent years that shows no sign of improving. 330,000 new cars hit the city's streets last year increasing the number of vehicles to an estimated 6 million. Every day another 635 cars and 235 motorcycles join the congestion. To escape the brutal traffic residents who can afford to do so have resorted to helicopters to make their way around. The number of helicopters in the country reached 1,089 by the end of last year, with about 470 in Sao Paulo, making the city home to the world's third largest privately owned fleet, which is expected to increase to over 550 in the next two years.

Two young and promising soccer players Maycon Vinicius, 12, a very poor and emotionally unstable kid and Jean Carlos, 10, who plays with the 12 year olds, are slated to be the next Ronaldinho's. Jean Carlos plays on the Santos team (former team of greats Pele and Robinho). He lives with his parents and younger brother in an apartment that Santos FC pays for and he also receives money from the club. Their parents are taking care of his career now, clearly as a business.

Oscar Nyemyer at his studio, shown in the back ground Sugar Loaf.

Two young and promising soccer players Maycon Vinicius, 12, a very poor and emotionally unstable kid and Jean Carlos, 10, who plays with the 12 year olds, are slated to be the next Ronaldinho's. Jean Carlos plays on the Santos team (former team of greats Pele and Robinho). He lives with his parents and younger brother in an apartment that Santos FC pays for and he also receives money from the club. Their parents are taking care of his career now, clearly as a business.

Many Brazilians of all ages and ethnic backgrounds gather once a week in a vacant field house in an old industrial district of São Paulo to practice sumo wrestling. Brazil is home to the largest Japanese population outside Japan, with more than 1.5 million people of Japanese descent. Sumo has become so established here that Brazil is even exporting some of its most talented wrestlers to Japan. Until the mid-1990's, sumo wrestling in Brazil was almost exclusively practiced by Japanese immigrants and their offspring. Today, however, about 70 percent of sumo aficionados in Brazil are Brazilians with no Japanese blood, largely because of efforts by the local sumo association to popularize the sport among the public, including sumo matches in city squares and other public arenas. The group has more than 2,000 members throughout Brazil and organizes a national tournament for amateur wrestlers every year. One of the oldest martial arts in Japan, sumo wrestling is believed to have emerged more than 1,500 years ago as a ceremony to please the gods of the Shinto religion. It was brought to Brazil almost a century ago by Japanese immigrants, who started flocking to the South American country in the early 1900's in search of work, initially on coffee plantations and eventually in agriculture in general. Many of the immigrants ended up settling in all-Japanese colonies in the countryside, mostly in southern states like São Paulo and Paraná, where they thrived as farmers and set up schools to teach their traditions from Japan. Today, sumo is a way for older Japanese-Brazilians to teach younger generations about their cultural heritage. At the weekly matches here on Sundays, for instance, the sport is practiced in its purest form. Decked out in nothing more than loincloths, wrestlers of all shapes and sizes recite traditional sumo chants in Japanese, going through all of the prefight rituals that have been associated with the sport for centuries. Sumo is still just a hobby for most here. But for a select few, it can also be a ticket to a high-paying career in Japan.

Gilberto Gil, one of Brazil's top music composer and singer has become minister of culture in the administration of president Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva as of january 1,2003.

Christ the Redeemer statue overlooking Rio de Janeiro. On July 7, 2007 a global poll decided on the Seven new Wonders of the World: The Great Wall of China, Rome's Colosseum, India's Taj Mahal, Jordan's Petra , Peru's Machu Picchu, Brazil's Statue of Christ Redeemer and Mexico's Chichen Itza pyramid. About 100 million votes were cast by the Internet and cellphone text messages. Among the losers: the Eiffel Tower, the Statue of Liberty, the Acropolis and Australia's Sydney Opera House. The pyramids of Giza, the only survivor from the original seven wonders retained their status without having to compete. The campaign to name new wonders was launched in 1999 by the Swiss adventurer Bernard Weber. Almost 200 nominations came in, and the list was narrowed to the top 21 choices. There was no way to know if an individual voted more than once.

Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula around time of elections.

Members of Brazil's Kamaiura tribe attend a ceremonial wrestling event.

The Congress.

Dr. Randas Batista performing a heart surgery by removing chunks of muscle. Batista found that he could actually make the heart stronger.

An Indian records the fights to celebrate Kuarup, where they honr the members that died during the year.

Construction workers working on one more high rising building in Sao Paulo, the fastest growing city in Latin America.

The road between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo is one of Brazil's most traveled tourist destinations. Called the Rio-Santos road, the drive is perfect for visitors who want to see the big cities of Brazil, coastline and beaches, as well as tropical islands, some touristy and others remote and deserted. The drive, along 500 kilometers of coastline, takes visitors past famed beach towns including Ubatuba, Sao Sebastiao, Guaruja, Ilhabela, Paraty and Angra dos Reis. It also allows visitors to come into to contact with native Brazilian culture and indiginous Indian tribes.

Bahiana woman in front of a PT (workers party) sign.

The trading floor of Brazil's Stock Market.

Orange producer loading his truck with oranges.

Pelé, soccer player.

Cosan SA, Brazil's largest ethanol producer in Piracicaba, Sao Paulo.

The road between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo is one of Brazil's most traveled tourist destinations. Called the Rio-Santos road, the drive is perfect for visitors who want to see the big cities of Brazil, coastline and beaches, as well as tropical islands, some touristy and others remote and deserted. The drive, along 500 kilometers of coastline, takes visitors past famed beach towns including Ubatuba, Sao Sebastiao, Guaruja, Ilhabela, Paraty and Angra dos Reis. It also allows visitors to come into to contact with native Brazilian culture and indiginous Indian tribes.

Aerial view of Sao Paulo.

Yara Bernette, pianist.

Frere Henri Burin Des Roziers visits the school at the Landless Movement " MST " a setllement called Joao Canuto about 45 km from Xinguara, State of Para, Brazil, September 8th , 2008

The road between Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo is one of Brazil's most traveled tourist destinations. Called the Rio-Santos road, the drive is perfect for visitors who want to see the big cities of Brazil, coastline and beaches, as well as tropical islands, some touristy and others remote and deserted. The drive, along 500 kilometers of coastline, takes visitors past famed beach towns including Ubatuba, Sao Sebastiao, Guaruja, Ilhabela, Paraty and Angra dos Reis. It also allows visitors to come into to contact with native Brazilian culture and indiginous Indian tribes.