Brazil is one of the four new global super powers with its vast natural resources & burgeoning industries. Half a continent in size & a potent mix of races, religions & cultures, of unexplored wildernesses & bustling modern cities, it is also one of the few countries Michael Palin has never fully travelled. With the next Olympics to be held in Rio in 2016 & the World Cup in Brazil in 2014, international attention will be on the country as never before. Michael Palin`s timely book & series take a closer look at a remarkable new force on the world scene. From the Venezuelan border & the forests of the Lost World, where he encounters the Yanomami tribe & their ongoing territorial war with the gold miners, Michael Palin explores this vast & disparate nation in his inimitable way. He journeys into the heart of the Amazon rainforest. He travels down the north-east coast to meet the descendants of African slaves with their vibrant culture of rituals, festivals & music. He visits the shanty towns of Rio & the beaches of Copacabana & Ipanema. He goes to Sao Paolo, where the rich commute by helicopter. He travels south to meet German & Japanese communities, meets supermodels in the making & wealthy gauchos in the Pantanal before ending his journey at the spectacular Iguacu Falls.