Posted by Rachel
There are dozens of guide books about travel in Brazil, but they’re not one size fits all.Some focus on the big cities, while others don’t always have up-to-date information.
So today’s interactive question is: what’s your preferred guide book for Brazil?
My personal favorite guide book is Lonely Planet Brazil. My copy is a little outdated in terms of prices, so it’s important to get the latest version of the book. Besides having great and fascinating cultural and historical facts, it is usually on target in terms of the best places to see and stay. It also covers a variety of price ranges, so it works for different budgets.
What about you?
Posted by Rachel
For those who have traveled to Brazil, especially Americans, you will have probably noticed that Brazilian chocolate is excellent. Compared to American chocolate, which is watered down and pumped with chemicals, Brazilian chocolate is much more pure. 
So today’s interactive question is: What is your favorite type of Brazilian chocolate?
I am partial to Garoto, which I think produces some of the most delicious candy bars anywhere. The best way to try Garoto is buying a box of assorted chocolate bars, which you can easily eat in a few sittings. I also love the Garoto milk chocolate hazelnut bar, which is amazing. Batons, which are shaped like lipsticks, are also delicious.
What about you?
Posted by Rachel
For today’s interactive feature, the question is: who is your favorite Brazilian author?
Even though most Americans and Europeans are most familiar with Latin American authors like Garcia Marquez and Isabel Allende, Brazil has produced quite a few world class novelists, poets, and playwrights that have not received the international acclaim they deserve.
Though Paulo Coelho is Brazil’s best known author outside of Brazil, my favorite Brazilian author is Jorge Amado. I also love Machado de Assis, but I find Amado’s writing slightly less challenging to read, and I really feel like I am transported to another place and time. Bahia is one of my favorite parts of Brazil, and most of his work takes places there. He also really captures the soul of Brazil and manages to celebrate and decry the country’s accomplishments and challenges.
What about you?
Posted by Rachel
Brazil has some of the most amazing juices, smoothies, and drinks in the Americas that you can usually get on every street anywhere in the country. By day, there are fresh coconut waters, tropical fruit juices, and açaí smoothies, and by night, the famous caipirinha and hundreds of locally brewed beers.
So for today’s interactive feature, the question is: what is your favorite Brazilian drink?
This is a very difficult question, since there are so many spectacular fruit juices, and I’m always surprised to find ones made from fruits I’ve never even heard of. I’m a big fan of suco de melão (melon juice) and vitaminas (smoothies made with fruit, sugar, and milk). I also like caipifrutas, caiprinhas made with different tropical fruits instead of limes.
What about you?
Posted by Rachel
Though Brazil is best known for its outstanding soccer players, it has produced amazing athletes in other sports as well, like volleyball, Formula 1 racing, and track and field.
For today’s interactive feature, the question is: who is your favorite Brazilian athlete?
Though there are many soccer players to chose from, my favorite athlete of the moment is swimmer César Cielo Filho, who won a gold medal at the 2008 Olympics and has excelled at other international events. He’s only 21, and trains in the United States. His emotional win in Beijing–Brazil’s first gold medal ever in swimming–was one of my favorite moments of the last Olympics.
What about you?
