Ellona and Gus Fritschie

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Ellona and Gus Fritschie

Ellona, 31, is a legislative assistant with the Senate Foreign Relations Committee. Gus, 31, works in computer security. They married Sept. 4 in Bethesda and live in Washington.

WHERE THEY WENT: Brazil, where they spent 16 days in Recife/Olinda, Rio de Janeiro, Salvador, Iguassu Falls and the Nannai Beach Resort in Muro Alto.

NO ILL WINDS, PLEASE: Because they married during hurricane season, they didn't want to risk the Caribbean. But they wanted a beach component, so they looked to South America.

BUDGET: $6,000

FALLS, CHURCHES: They wandered art galleries and churches in Olinda. They experienced the Afro-Brazilian culture in Salvador. They hiked the world's largest urban rain forest in Rio during the day and danced to live samba music at night. They were amazed by Iguassu Falls.

ENOUGH ALREADY: They also spent five days lazing at a seaside resort.

D'OH! One of the reasons they included Recife in their itinerary was to visit the Kahal Zur Israel, the oldest synagogue in the Western Hemisphere, but it was closed when they were there. "I was so disappointed," Ellona said. "I remember thinking I might never get there again."

OH! Ellona relied on the travel agent to attend to such details as their itinerary, but wishes she'd kept closer tabs on it. Although she would again work with a travel agent to get cheap airfares, "Remember, you're your own best advocate."

STILL . . . "We're so proud of what we did," Ellona said. "We were looking for something exotic and different that would still have all the elements of a honeymoon. And that's what we got."

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