Cuiabá & Salvador

Fernanda is in Brazil's wild west, the geographical heart of South America, where the largest cattle herds in the country live. Fernanda explores the culture and food of the cowboys then, on horseback, helps move a herd through some of the most inhospitable areas of the Pantanal, a large freshwater wetland and one of the world's great natural wonders. This is a place for nature lovers and bird watchers and the waterways are full of fish, including the piranha. Fernanda sees the elusive blue macaw parrot and hears about what's being done to replenish their numbers and to discourage poachers. Back in town it's Friday night, which means one thing: lambadão, a souped-up version of the lambada made famous in the 1980s. The final stop on Fernanda's cross-country jaunt is Brazil's first capital and, arguably, its beating heart. Salvador is the centre of Afro-Brazilian culture, with 80 percent of its residents boasting African blood. The women here are tough, regal and proud and the thumping pulse of drums is never far from earshot. Wandering around the beautiful streets of the old city, Fernanda comes across a drumming group with a social conscience. Later, as the sun sets over Salvador's famous coastline, Fernanda reflects on how much has changed since she's been away from the country that she loves.