What if the part of Brazil most worth exploring is the one almost nobody talks about?
Eddie Lott is a Dallas-born expedition leader who has spent nearly two decades studying Brazilian history, geography, and culture. He rediscovered the Serra do Espinhaco in 2018 and has been documenting its trail…What if the part of Brazil most worth exploring is the one almost nobody talks about?
Eddie Lott is a Dallas-born expedition leader who has spent nearly two decades studying Brazilian history, geography, and culture. He rediscovered the Serra do Espinhaco in 2018 and has been documenting its trails and communities ever since. Elisa Oliveira is a Brazilian architect turned expedition coordinator who left behind her career and her previous life after a single weekend in the Espinhaco in 2019.
Together, they co-founded Gift of Go, a company that builds and leads founder-guided expeditions through one of Brazil's most layered and least-visited mountain ranges, and they are also husband and wife.
In this episode, co-host Paige McClanahan talks with Eddie and Elisa about how Gift of Go came to be, what their expeditions actually look like, and what travelers need to know before heading to this part of Brazil.
This is a rewarding listen for anyone drawn to real adventure travel in Brazil off the beaten path. Eddie and Elisa spent three-plus years walking the terrain, building relationships with local communities, and living in the region before guiding their first traveler. You'll hear why going deep into one place beats skimming across a whole country, how arriving somewhere by foot after 17 days on the trail completely changes how you experience it, and what it means to share a destination that still has almost zero international tourism presence.
Have you ever experienced a place that felt completely untouched by tourism? I'd love to hear about it, and I hope you'll share by sending me an audio message.
Co-host Paige McClanahan is a writer, editor, and former journalist based in Paris, France. As the author of The New Tourist: Waking up to the Power and Perils of Travel, Paige is passionate about making sure our travels have a positive impact on the world. Learn more about her work here.
Tune In To Learn:
What makes the Espinhaco a microcosm of Brazil's most important ecological, cultural, and historical themes
How Elisa left an engagement and a five-year architecture career after one weekend in a remote mountain village
Why Gift of Go spent three years in the field before guiding their first traveler
What the Veranico is, and why January might be the most spectacular and unpredictable time to visit
How the expedition formats work, from 12-day group treks to fully bespoke solo journeys
Why Brazil receives fewer international visitors per year than the city of Miami, and what that means for the right kind of traveler
Practical tips for Minas Gerais: think in regions, know your biomes, expect limited English, and prepare for the warmth of the people
What to eat and drink, from cachaça and UNESCO-recognized cheese to fig compotes with dulce de leche
And so much more
Resources:
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We’re taking you to Dallas, TX, a vibrant and fast-growing city packed with incredible food, unique neighborhoods, and endless things to do. From scenic spots like the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden and the Katy Trail to deep history at the The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, we’re coveri…We’re taking you to Dallas, TX, a vibrant and fast-growing city packed with incredible food, unique neighborhoods, and endless things to do. From scenic spots like the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden and the Katy Trail to deep history at the The Sixth Floor Museum at Dealey Plaza, we’re covering how to explore Dallas like a local, a few restaurants and spas we love and share practical tips for navigating this sprawling Texas city.
Episode Highlights:
• Top things to do in Dallas
• Best neighborhoods: Deep Ellum & Bishop Arts District
• Unique stops like the Eyeboretum
• Spa experiences at WorldSprings & Spa Castle
• Where to eat: Pecan Lodge, Hutchins BBQ & Eatzi's Market & Bakery
• Travel tips: weather, transportation & hotels
Hotels in Dallas we recommend:
• Canvas Hotel Dallas
• Marriott Dallas Las Colinas
• Magnolia Hotel Dallas Downtown
• Or check out these highly rated Dallas hotels
Find more fun things to do in Dallas, and even some that we wanted to do but couldn't get to, in our curated Viator shop.
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Welcome to Episode 15 of BUT DID YOU DIE? WITH THE JET SISTERS, where we chat about our trip to Dallas to experience the most recent total solar eclipse, aggressively cute alpacas at the Fort Worth Stockyards, Texas Longhorns, the new highspeed train from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, and the highs an…Welcome to Episode 15 of BUT DID YOU DIE? WITH THE JET SISTERS, where we chat about our trip to Dallas to experience the most recent total solar eclipse, aggressively cute alpacas at the Fort Worth Stockyards, Texas Longhorns, the new highspeed train from Los Angeles to Las Vegas, and the highs and lows of the home-buying process.
1:00 Rachel is a liar (sort of)
1:05 Did the eclipse live up to the hype?
2:20 Angie talks the path to getting a book deal and speaking at WITS Creator Summit in Utah
3:20 Angie naturally finds the rock specimens and dinosaur bones at the fiesta
4:00 The home buying process is going real bad (but kinda good)
7:15 Don't look at the sun
7:45 Mark your calendars for Aug. 12, 2045
8:30 We're going to Stockholm Sweden for the Eras Tour!
11:00 Travel news of the week: High speed train from LA to Las Vegas
13:05 Destination of the Week: Dallas, Fort Worth and Denton, Texas
17:25 Is taxidermy cute?
24:45 The end of the world: they ran out of BBQ in Dallas
26:00 Come see Angie on book tour in Woodstock, Ga., Fayetteville, Ga., and Franklin, TN.
26:30 Tune into The College Tour on Amazon Prime
27:24 Unhinged sign offs
High speed rail from LA to Las Vegas: https://apnews.com/article/high-speed-train-vegas-los-angeles-brightline-595913ff2fa3d9001fb89bfab4e6c4d2
Fort Worth Stockyards: https://www.fortworthstockyards.org/
Murals in Denton, Tx: https://angieaway.com/2018/07/07/the-ultimate-mural-guide-to-denton-texas/
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Angie's book, FLIRTING WITH DISASTER: https://amzn.to/4aV4C2S
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Welcome to Episode 8 of the BUT DID YOU DIE podcast, where we talk about transportation strikes in Europe and the upcoming solar eclipse in North America. Are you going to check it out? Plus, the thing about Dallas, Texas...
1:30 Things are about to get busy with THE BIGGEST DEAL EVER
2:00 T-minus …Welcome to Episode 8 of the BUT DID YOU DIE podcast, where we talk about transportation strikes in Europe and the upcoming solar eclipse in North America. Are you going to check it out? Plus, the thing about Dallas, Texas...
1:30 Things are about to get busy with THE BIGGEST DEAL EVER
2:00 T-minus 14 days until FLIRTING WITH DISASTER comes out
3:30 ATTENTION: Rachel went to the hair salon
5:00 The Eiffel Tower closed... but it's probably back open now
6:55 That time in Paris when we had to walk a very long way after midnight
7:25 Preparing for the solar eclipse in the USA on April 8
12:10 Why are flights so expensive in the U.S. right now?
12:45 Texas friends - where is the best place to watch the solar eclipse in/around Dallas / Waco?
14:30 What you need to look at the eclipse safely
16:00 Traffic tips on eclipse day
17:15 We need to work on our communication skills
18:20 TRAVEL DISASTER OF THE WEEK: a work trip to Dallas
19:30 Why is it so hard to drive in Dallas?
20:30 Come see Angie at the Dallas Travel Show on behalf of TRAVELING WITH AAA
22:15 HOT TIP: The sky is free
23:00 Launching a book is a whole thing
24:00 Rachel lies to get out of projects
24:30 Guess which one of us doesn't like EPCOT ...
25:00 ... but Guardians of the Galaxy is worth it
25:20 Interview with "Mark from the States"
27:30 EPCOT vs. the Cotswold Way
29:45 We're now streaming on your favorite podcast networks
30:00 5 stars is an A and 4 stars is a B
*************SHOW NOTES****************
Angie's Hometown Book Launch Party (there will be cookies) : https://www.sanmarcobooksandmore.com/event/angie-orth-book-launch
More about Angie's new book: https://www.hachettebookgroup.com/titles/angie-orth/flirting-with-disaster/9781546004691/
Solar eclipse on April 8 - the path: https://science.nasa.gov/eclipses/future-eclipses/eclipse-2024/
