Real Brazilian Portuguese & Culture
I first arrived in Rio de Janeiro seven years ago and I didn’t speak a word of Portuguese. I’d been listening to Vinicius de Moraes a lot at home in England, and really wanted to work out what was being said in all those old songs. I never took a class and instead sat on [...]
The Reggae Scene in São Luís do Maranhão When the reggae movement was first taking roots in Brazil during the 1970′s, it’s influence was seen to be the strongest in Brazil’s Northern region. Reggae completely took over the music scene in the Brazilian state of Maranhão, especially in the capital city São Luís. So much, in fact that [...]
Brazilian Landmarks This post will showcase Brazilian landmarks in the southeast region of Brazil. I have already written posts about Brazilian landmarks in the south, Brazilian landmarks in the north, and Brazilian landmarks in the northeast. Brazil is divided into five regions, and the southeast region encompasses four states: Espírito Santo (ES), São Paulo (SP) also known [...]
Carnaval in Olinda Along with Rio de Janeiro and Salvador, Olinda has one of three most attended carnivals in Brazil. The carnival of Olinda, however, is certainly the most popular in Brazil, in the sense that the party is protagonized by the people. In Rio, the main attraction is the parade of samba schools, which [...]
Olinda, Pernambuco Olinda is a historic city in the Brazilian state of Pernambuco, located on the country’s northeastern Atlantic Ocean coast, just north of Recife. It is one of the best-preserved colonial cities in Brazil. The city’s name can be interpreted as an exclamation regarding the beauty of its setting (“Ó, linda!” is Portuguese for “Oh, beautiful!”), but a much more likely source is [...]
“Você já imaginou todas as coisas bizarras que faria do meu lado?” “Did you ever imagine all of the bizarre things you would do by my side?” Renato asked me with that sly, yet timid grin pasted on his face. We sat stuffed together in the backseat of a weathered, 2001 Fiat. The subwoofers of [...]
I loved that my husband was from Bahia, the land of axé, beautiful beaches, moqueca and acarjé. However, it wasn’t until Renato picked me up at the airport in Salvador and took me on a seven hour long bus ride that only seemed to get higher and higher into the mountains, pausing for a pit [...]
Hotel Unique – São Paulo Building: Hotel Unique Architect: Ruy Ohtake Project Year: 1999 Construction: 2002 Address: Avenida Brigadeiro Luis Antonio 4700 – Jardim Paulista São Paulo 01402-002 Brazil Architecht Ruy Ohtake Description of Hotel Unique “Upon defining the form, as a long inverted arch (almost 100 meters in length) with two lateral concrete gables, [...]
Bonito – Carribean of the Central-West Bonito is a municipality located in the Brazilian state of Mato Grosso do Sul. Bonito in the middle of a region which is being discovered as “Caribe do Centro-Oeste” (Carribean of the Central-West) due to the unbelievable blue color of its waters. Owing to the enormous quantity of limestone in the ground, the water of [...]
Festa Nacional do Moranguinho In the Sothern Brazilian state Rio Grande do Sul, there is an annual strawberry party in which around 70 strawberry farms from the region show off the crème de la crème of the season. Of course, they don’t exactly do it out of the goodness of their hearts as they hope the tastiness [...]
Scenic Routes Through the South of Brazil There are a few scenic routes to drive through the South of Brazil which show off the natural beauty of one of Brazil’s most mountainous regions, the Serra Gaúcha. Serra Gaúcha The Serra Gaúcha, or The Gaucho Highlands, is the mountainous region in the northeastern portion of Rio Grande do Sul, a state in [...]
Carandiru Massacre – All But Forgotten The Carandiru Massacre, considered a major human rights violation in the history of Brazil, happened on October 2, 1992 after a riot broke out in the 9th Pavilion of Carandiru Prison Complex in São Paulo. The riot went out of control, which led to the elite force of the Military Police being [...]
Jericoacoara Jericoacoara, Ceará is situated about 327 km (200 mi) to the West of Fortaleza, somewhat near the border with the State of Piauí. The place is often referred to as Jeri, while the municipality is called Jijoca de Jericoacoara. The name Jericoacoara is of Indian origin, and according to the most accepted theory, its meaning is [...]
In total, Brazil has 18 World Heritage Sites (called “patrimônios da humanidade” in Portuguese). In order to be considered a world heritage site, a location must have global importance, because the preservation of these sites must be an international interest. There are two types of world heritage sites: 1. Cultural and 2. Natural and the [...]
Location is so important in São Paulo and is a major factor to consider when moving here. If you can get an opportunity to live near to where you work then take it, this may be a chance that won’t cross your path again. São Paulo is a huge city and if you live at one end [...]
If like me you’re a fan of snakes, or you just love being up-close and personal with some of the World’s most poisonous animals, then you must pay a visit to the remarkable Instituto Butantan, a biomedical and zoological centre in São Paulo. Here’s a bit of history for you: It was first founded in 1901 [...]
Brazilian Landmarks in the South I’ve already covered famous landmarks in Brazil’s Northeast, North and Southeast regions. So this post will feature Brazilian Landmarks of the Southern region. Brazil is divided into 5 regions, and the South region (called “O Sul” in Portuguese) is composed of only 3 states: Paraná, Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina. The [...]
Famous Brazilian Landmarks: The Northeast O Nordeste. I previously covered the famous Brazilian landmarks of the northern region, Brazilian Landmarks in the south and Brazilian landmarks in the southeast. In this post, I will feature Brazilian landmarks from the 9 states that make up Brazil’s Northeastern Region (a Região Nordeste do Brasil). The states of the [...]
Brazilian Landmarks in the North O Norte. Here I’ve put together a list of the most visited and most famous Brazilian landmarks in Brazil by state. Since there are inumerous Brazilian landmarks and tourist points to choose from, I have simplified this list by featuring only one famous landmark from each state in Brazil. Choosing [...]
THE SAND DUNES OF BRAZIL Among its diverse terrains, one not-so-well-known fact is that Brazil has several great spots to enjoy sand dunes, called dunas in Portuguese. Tourist companies have taken advantage of this delightful anomaly and made it possible for visitors to have the opportunity to do some dune surfing. Here is a list that [...]
