Brazil with Michael Palin

Michael Palin’s odyssey begins in the country’s north-east, where modern Brazil was born. He starts in the city of São Luís before traveling down the coast, dropping in on the vaqueros – Brazilian cowboys. He goes south to the coastal lagoons of Lençóis Maranhenses National Park, learns how to cook, Bahia-style, and finds out what lies behind the beguiling moves of capoeira dancers.

Michael travels by river through the heart of Amazonia. He meets the Yanomani tribe, visits Manaus Opera House and tastes exotic foods in Belem. And he is welcomed to the Wauja tribe, one of the most colorful of Brazil’s indigenous peoples. This leg of his journey ends in the capital, Brasília, where Michael meets rock star and political activist Dinho Ouro Preto.

Michael visits the source of Brazil’s great mineral wealth, Minas Gerais. Here, he meets Brazilians dedicated to preserving the state’s natural beauty. On to Rio de Janeiro, Michael finds out how the authorities are hoping to bring the favelas back into the city. He also learns how to celebrate like a Brazilian football commentator and books a room at an infamous ‘love hotel’.

Michael arrives in the town of Paraty and meets Prince João de Bragança, heir to Brazil’s defunct throne. In Embraer and São Paulo, he meets politicians, heads of business and TV stars with mixed opinions on Brazil’s superpower future. And after experiencing the serenity of the vast Pantanal wetlands, he comes to his journey’s end at the magnificent Iguazu Falls.