Video of early 20th century Rio

Since comming to visit for the first time, to moving here I have always wondered where the term "cidade maravilhosa" came into play in reference to the city that I know now. This little clip helped to expain. the film is 7 minutes long, take the time to watch it through. Thank you Sisi for sending it to me.

More about things to do in Rio

In what is likely to be our last outing as a group of friends living in Brasil, Camillo, Rio Rose and the Commandant, Sissi and Antonio (and I behind the camera) spent yesterday exploring Santa Teresa. It was a little dark, threatening rain and cool for Rio but - speaking for myself only - a totally enjoyable day. We visited the Museu da Chácara do Céu (r. Maurtinh Nobre, 93, tel. 2507-1932) This Ultra modern home of industrialist Raymundo Ottoni de Castro Maya, completed in 1972, now houses his personal collection of art and books and has several rooms preserving the furniture and decorations of that era. It is more than worth the taxi ride and the R$2.00 cost of admittance. To the side of the museum - using the same parking lot - is the Centro Cultural Municipal Parque das Ruínas - this
remains of a house built in the forest has been preserved and enhanced with an interior metal staircase that circles to the top of the home and gives you a 360' view of Rio.






Lapa

Centro

Gloria

Santa Teresa

After the walk through of the museum and the 'ruins', we made a quick stop at our friends, Rosa and Paulo, to see how their new home is progressing. They are at about 5 years from having bought the land and three years into construction and the house is almost complete. I think it will be many more years before it is full of furniture, my impression is that each piece will have to be choosen with care in order to enhance the house's remarkable architectural design. For me the concept of a house, complimenting the surrounding city and forests, no real boundaries between inside or outside is the ultimate of living with nature.

Santa Teresa is a small microcosm - a totally unique experience within the city of Rio. I think it would be great fun to go to Lapa and catch the trolley - hanging on all the way up to Santa Teresa, get off, have lunch at one of many small restaurants and then take the trolley back to Lapa.

More about things to do in Rio

It was Sunday morning in Rio and raining very hard.
What to do?

We went to the Municipal Theater in downtown - central - Rio. (Theatro Municipal do Rio de Janeiro) for an eleven am concert. OSB Jovem or Orquestra Sinfonica Brasileira (The Brazilian Youth Symphony.) It cost one Real and a wait of twenty minutes in a line in the rain to get in. I would say this is the number one entertainment bargain in Rio.

The orchestra of young people (students of music) plus several pieces played by an all drum band was an enjoyable way to pass a wet morning. The theater is under renovation but truly beautiful.
The main staircase in white marble is breathtaking, the gracefully curving handrail is made of green marble. This building is a must see in Rio. The people in the photo are all strangers - I waited to get a clear photo of the stairs but all the other visitors to the Theater were eager to take their photos also so I gave up - Hope no one sues me for using their picture on the blog.

Things to do in Rio

There are the obvious activities in Rio, eating, drinking, walking on the beach, getting sunburned on the beach, walking the lagoa, taking tours, hiking.... okay enough! But the not so obvious activities - the things you have to know were to look to find out about - are sometimes the most interesting activities if you live here or stay for an extended time.

These activities are the ones that Camillo and I seemed never to find. Now that Sissi and Antonio are here in Rio and are eager to do new things all of the time, and seem to be plugged into how to find out about the intellectual side of Rio, we have been finding out about concerts and movies and special art shows. We have actually gone to 3 nighttime shows in the past two months - a record for us.

Last week after leaving one of our favorite lunch spots, they took us to a book store in Ipanema that has brochures that advertise local events. The LIVRARIA LETRAS EXPRESSOES IPANEMA on RUA VISCONDE PIRAJA 276 has out in open view at the front desk many brochures for the public. For example, Agenda Viva Musica! 36 pages of musical events, by the month, open to the public, often gratis, and additional information about featured events and the artists. We also found the Mapa dos artes Rio de Janeiro - a clear, easy to read map of the city indicating the locations of permanent museums and special art show venues. It includes a cross referenced numerical list with descriptions of the museums, including a brief history. These two guides are full of invaluable information for residents and tourist alike.

A Weekend in Rio (part 1)

This last weekend we had so much fun in the City of Rio that I thought you might enjoy remembering it with us. When we were staying in the city more often, we tended to do just what we do here in the mountains on a weekend, go to the gym, eat, and watch TV. Now that we are trying to go into the city every other weekend or so, to see family and friends, and by making plans in advance we ended up with a very good time.

Friday we drove the car in - this in itself is a change, we usually take the bus. Camillo likes the bus and I like to drive. Our 'difference' in age showing I suspect. Friday night we had dinner with Paulo and Lenira at D'Amici's in Copacabana (Leme). It was raining, we had to take a taxi (dry law) because we all planned on enjoying wine with dinner and the restaurant is somewhat overpriced (pretentious) [we have a little mental formula for value vs. price that includes quality of food (good not excellent), price of wine (way out of line), service (below good) and general ambiance (very nice - a little crowed for the prices)]. Despite other factors, we had a great time because, 1) we went to have a great time and 2) we love this couple - they are well read and Paulo especially has many OPINIONS! so discussions are HOT! (guess what, I also have opinions!) Lenira and Camillo generally just sit back and watch the fireworks show. This week's debate - education in Brazil - I have a more ground roots outlook and Paulo has a more top down approach. I think teacher education and classroom resources should be improved, and he thinks that the suggested program to give teachers a laptop so they can communicate with other teachers in Brazil is a good idea. This debate was from polar opposites you would have enjoyed it. I still wonder how a laptop in the outer areas helps when often there is no electricity (being changed rapidly) often no telephones (more cell phones than land lines available) and definitely limited areas of Internet connection. See I am still arguing.

Hard work and beautiful too -

I have been working so hard that there has not been much time or energy left for blogging. You remember me talking about taking a course in Linguistics at PUC-Rio? I am in the process of finishing the final paper. The Monograph! I have spent hours and hours trying to think my way through a 30 +/- page research paper.

I don't want to think it is hard because of my age and surely I have some advantage because I am writing it in English - BUT it IS HARD. Can you image all my classmates, native language of Portuguese, researching and writing in English. They hold down full time jobs, have young children, spend hours and hours reading and doing the homework and in the end travel many miles to attend class. A smart, ambitious group, and beautiful too. Teachers all, I have the greatest admiration for them. Over the past year I managed to take all these pictures but I missed many - sorry to those I missed this blog honors your efforts also.
Kisses - GingerV

Carnaval 2008 begins

Meet Tatiana my Portuguese teacher and Paulista, her namorado. They invited me to visit the VILAGE samba school in Nova Friburgo on Friday night.

This was an effort to help me 'integrate' more fully into the Brazilian culture.
Saturday morning I woke up barely able to move. (and I only drank 1 1/2 beers- can you imagine how the rest of them felt.)

I was scheduled for a spinning class at the gym at 10:30 but I had danced until 1:30 in the morning (more like just moved because I can't do that circle movement of the feet thing, that would make my big b.... jiggle and sway from side to side.) I woke up not knowing if I could sweat for the Goddess of fitness on the bike for hour. (I did it with grace if not full energy - my Baptist upbringing demanded that I meet my obligations if I was going to party so hardy.)

This feeling brought to mind, and helped me understand (no-No not fully understand, but at least empathized with) the work slow downs that happen in Brazil from now until end of Carnaval.

One thing I have to say is that Brazilians know how to have a great time, let their hair down, go for the pleasure of the moment - leave all their problems at the door.

Can you think of any other cliches that apply?

I was invited only to the Friburgo Samba school's warming-up party but from now until the Carnaval parade on FAT Tuesday, these Friburgenses, this Brazilian sampling of young and old, rich and poor, will show up at this big warehouse after eleven pm nearly every night, to practice their dancing, sing their new Samba's words until it is etched into their brains, and generally work themselves into a beer induced frenzy in preparation for LENT.

Whether they believe in the denial of Lent or not, I am positive they believe in the release of the BIG PARTY called carnaval and who needs to work during the next two plus weeks anyway.

More cows

Dressed to kill! shopping in Ipanema. That is not what the plaque says, this is my own interpretation.

Yesterday I took photos of two more and this morning I think I deleted them from my camera by mistake... I will have to go back today only in the rain, to try again.

I wonder a the lack of sense of humor in some people. They become so enamored with themselves that they forget to laugh. There are two brass sculptures of famous men, (I know not who) one at the end of Leblon and one sitting on a bench on the beach in Copacabana. I heard that the one in Copacabana was joined by one of the COWS - and some dry and humorless citizen made such a fuss that they removed it. Just what was wrong with a beautifully dressed lady joining him on his - public - bench enjoying her morning newspaper?

The beauty and the beast

Now that we have changed to daylight savings time, it is light until about 7 pm (1900) and I am walking to class at PUC in the evenings. There is one area that is very congested with people waiting for the bus and I did not feel comfortable walking through the area when it is dark so I was taking the Metro bus. When walking, I always see things that catch my interest, entertain me if you will. Rio is now having some type of competition of designer COWS. About 4 years ago we had the same type of show in Houston - they are quite entertaining and thoughtful. This young lady (Carioca girl?) struck a cord with me. It is could say women are superficial or it can say that you can be beautiful even with fat thighs and black spots if you take pride in yourself - you have to think yourself beautiful.

third world operation - first world objectives

Camilo coined the phrase "third world operation with first world objectives" and I love it for describing the recycling system in Rio. I don't know if other areas of Rio have this same process, but I know that this is the way recycling works in Ipanema and Leblon. These men with carts go into the commercial areas and pick up cardboard boxes, old or left over construction material, old refrigerators, defunct computers - nothing is too large or too small. for their wooden carts. When full, they pull the carts through traffic, down along the canal to the Logoa. They wait in lines to offload onto a truck owned by a cooperative. The goodies from the cart is measured by weight or volume and they are paid on average of R$40.00 per load. (WE stopped and ask how it works) Then they turn around and go for more, they can often collect 2 or 3 loads per day. This is hard, hot, backbreaking work - but they own the cooperative. They don't beg or steal, they provide a much needed commercial and environment service.

GingerV

Jardim Botânico - Botanical garden - Part one

Last weekend our apartment was being fumigated for some little bug feasting on our furniture, and we needed to leave the apartment closed for four hours. Camillo had a list of errands and I decided to walk to Jardim Botânico. I have been to the botanical garden in almost every city were I have live and visited. By far, Rio's is the best I've seen. This isn't a Carioca speaking but an Houstonian, and I think the gardens are the best of what Rio has to offer. I have been to the park 4 times now, and have only explored the left hand side. The front, along the Rua Jardim Botânico, is lined with Imperial Palms, very tall, very straight and very elegant. From the main entrance the park is bisected by a path also lined in the imperials, no matter the season this sight is very impressive. There are examples of many trees from Brasil and a few from other countries. This is were I have seen my only Southern US Cypress. Within the left-hand side of the park there is a bookstore, an Orchid greenhouse (mostly the most common orchids), a Bromeliad (Bromeliaceae) house (Fantastic), a small greenhouse with carnivorous plants (truly interesting), the toilets (very important to know) and many, many park

benches along the trails to encourage sitting peacefully, romantically or meditatively under a tree.

Life cycle of the Coqueiro Anão-verde

A walk around the logoa in Rio always brings some surprise. There is always some tree or bush with a flower that I have never noticed before. This Sunday it was a plant (tree) that I did not recognize. Only about 12 feet tall (4m) with this spiny group of buds growing from the trunk's side about head high (That means 5'6").
I stepped off the path for a closer look and,
of course, a photo or two.
I said to Camillo,
isn't this interesting - look at this, is it a fruit?

No it's a coconut!
A Coqueiro Anão-verde: A dwarf coconut now being grown on plantations in Brasil. Fast growing, fast fruiting, long lived and easy to harvest. Just what is needed to supply the locals with their agua d0 coco after a hot walk in the sun.
I had never seen the flower or the young fruit so close-up before.
Buds, flowers, young fruit, mature fruit and what appeared to be a dry brown seed/nut all on one tree.
Made my day!

Little places

I am always writing, Friburgo this and Friburgo that, but Camillo and I actually live about 15 minutes outside of Friburgo on the road to Lumiar (Estrada Muri para Lumiar). This road may have another official name or number but I don't know what it is, I have never seen a sign or the name on a map. When Camillo built the house close to 25 years ago, the paved road stopped at the condominium entrance (4 km) (because the commissioner of roads lived in the condominium!) and about 10 years ago it was paved all the way to Lumiar. A few years after that a 'curb' was put in all the way, effectively widening the road by about 6 inches, and finally, about 6 months ago the pavement was taken all the way through the mountains and meets BR 101 at Casimiro de Abreu.

I guess this mean it is now the road to Casimiro.

This is a lot of information just to introduce a small place were we sometimes like to eat in Lumiar. If you drive to Friburgo but take a right at the only street in downtown Muri to the right. Drive about 15 km or until the street dead ends in Lumiar then turn right again and the take the first left, just as you come to the new pavement (smooth and nice instead of full bumps and holes) there is a small grass hut, with plastic chairs and tables type place on the right called Barra Vento.

The food is simple but well prepared, the outdoor tables look out over a bubbling brook, service is friendly and there is a very polite, well educated dog waiting for handouts.

We ate Pastel frito na hora de camarão, which mean cooked this hour and was very hot and light (does that mean it wasn't fattening?), fried fish fresh from Rio that morning and polenta that were excellent. I will not mention the capirinhas but will say that I was very good having sworn to not over eat this weekend - I washed the meal down with a bottle of agua sem gas...

GingerV