From the green inferno of the Amazon, crisscrossed by eleven hundred streams and rivers, to the golden beaches of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is a fascinating land abounding in contrasts and contradictions. The heritage of the Portuguese colonial era, the tribes of Indians who still inhabit the remote regions, the rhythms of the samba, the explosions of glee at carnival time, and the sweet smile of the "garotas", or young women, of Ipanema all merge to form a picture of great charm.