Brazil
2000
It was very exciting to lift the window shade and see South
America for the first time! Flying into Sao Paolo we were surrounded by a sea of
skyscrapers- making New York City look like a village? 17 million people live
here making it the 3rd largest city in the world.
Walfredo, a plastic surgeon who studied at the Northwest
Tissue Bank last spring, met us at the airport. He pointed out the favelas
where thousands live in squalor. Most of them came to Sao Paolo to get work,
but found others had already taken the jobs. They then wait, get discouraged
and sometimes turn to the drug trade. Walfredo’s mother is Portuguese. His
father is Italian. His grandfather came from Italy to work the tobacco fields.
A Simple lunch?
Against the advice of the restaurant staff, I bypassed the
American Sandwich and ordered the
Brazilian Lunch. It was a healthy combo of beans, rice, cooked tomatoes, red
peppers and onions. This was so low fat; I enjoyed lemon meringue pie for
dessert-yum.
Brazilian Barbeque!
Waiters in gaucho pants, high boots, with poet (blousy) shirts
brandishing a skewer of meat to be sliced per request. The meat was delicious,
the atmosphere charged. My favorite of the dessert buffet was a dish of papaya
cream and gelato topped with cassis syrup.
Sunday
Our friend, Rafael, hands me a newspaper. It’s in a language
I cannot understand, so I politely refuse. Then I notice the beautiful photo!
It’s Rafael and his bride sitting on his Harley. Each conference we meet new
friends and renew present friendships. This adds so much richness to our lives.
Schooling
Naturally, I ask endless questions of our hosts in each
country we visit.
I learned that Brazilian children study from ages 6-10. This
is mandatory. Then, they may enter free public schools IF they test high. If
not, only expensive private schools will admit them.
Car Tour
Maurice, my driver and guide earned the daunting amount we
paid for a day’s touring. We stopped to admire Sao Bento Church with its richly
colored stained glass windows.
We drove to Paranapiaca, an intriguing town established by
the British. Engineers built a funicular to transport people and goods up the
mountain. I felt the presence of past occupants in this little ghost town! Fog surrounded the old watchtower, tracks, turnaround,
and station houses.
We drove south from Sao Paulo through lovely verdant byways-
forest all around- large lakes reflecting the scene. Then…suddenly the whole
mood: temperature, topography, culture changed. We took a rough dirt road and
bounced our way to a quaint hillside village near Sao Pietro.
Ibirapuera Park
Sampled a sugar cane drink cut with lemon. Like coconut
drinks, this quenched my thirst, but…..uh….. didn’t become a habit.
I love to hang out at the parks so I can get a sense of
daily life. I enjoy watching children at play, families interactions.
Brazilian traditional foods
Manioc- starch, baked encrusted banana, refried beans, rice,
dried beef and onions, corn meal sprinkled over all with a guava jellied square
and semi hard cheese.
Musings
Brazilians are such gorgeous people! Black hair, blue eyes, and
long shapely legs. The women walk with confidence and wear clothes that fit!
Our hosts do scare us silly with warnings not to wear
jewelry or watches nor carry more than one meal’s cash. They are apologetic
about this state of violence in their city.
Bank Agony
I spent two hours trying to convince a bank to give me cash!
Seems Visa and Brazil are not getting along! Finally, with me near tears, the
bank manager agreed to give me a smaller amount from MY checking account back
home. Oh my.
Italian
Speaking Italian is fun and builds more bridges than speaking
English to the shopkeepers, many of whom have an Italian-speaking grandparent.
Had a nice lunch at Tatou on Rue Oscar Friere and the street just east of
Augusta.
Post Office Agony
A very nice teen accompanied me to the post office at the
urging of his family who own the shop where I bought several gifts. There
seemed to be many “rules” difficult to decipher. I observed the others in line-
one of my favorite occupations. Still, I had that American focus on getting the
job done in good time.
People are so gracious and hospitable. Sat with shopkeepers
in the “Made in Brazil” store and sipped coffee with cookies. Two of their
friends stopped by and joined us.
Passion fruit and fish make a delicious combination lunch.
Each morning I enjoyed
fresh papaya and fresh juices for breakfast.
Wednesday tour of Sao Paolo with Gustavo
We visited the museum and gardens of Dom Pedro I’s Summer
Palace. It was built to resemble Versailles. Afterwards, we parked then walked
under an awning into the elegant Jockey Club. Palm trees lined the corridor
leading into the dining room. We ate on fine china and dabbed our faces with
white linen napkins. This was a treat. I could see the many skyscrapers of Sao
Paolo.
Suddenly I hear the pounding of hooves! I flashed to scenes
from my 19c. Machado De Assisi novel. There in front of us was a racetrack. They were
practicing. All this while eating tender ravioli stuffed with brie and oranges
washed down with a lovely white wine. Dessert was a rich brownie ‘finger” dried
apricot and vanilla ice cream.
After lunch we toured the home of Oscar Americano, a
successful engineer who collected Brazilian and ecclesiastical art. Huge silver
incense lamps served as chandeliers. The subtle reds and blues of the immense
Persian rugs formed a perfect backdrop for paintings by Candido Polinari.
A Night On the Town
We walked to a dinner of yummy shrimp, cilantro, saffron,
wine sauce, rice and mashed beans sprinkled with corn meal. This is a dish from
Bahia in northern Brazil.
Now we were fueled for an evening of dancing Brazilian
style. At 10pm we joined Brazilian, Chilean, and Iraqi friends at a club called
“Lambar”. It featured the sensual dance, Lambada. I struggled to dance to the
one, two, three beat. We were easily 10 years older than most of the dancers.
We drank a fruit smoothie from the fresh fruit bar and admired the skilled dancers.
Each had a distinct style.
Imagine our awkwardness when our Brazilian friend ran two
red lights when she drove us back to our hotel around midnight. She explained
this was better than being the victims of a robbery. There is tension between
the haves and the have-nots.
Soiree at Marisa’s
It is such a privilege to visit a private residence. Marisa
and her husband greeted us at the door, introducing the children’s “Black
Mother” (nanny), the cook and cook’s
helper, the bartender and groundskeeper. The dining room was furnished in
white, tan and brown leather with teak inlaid floors. Hard to decide where to
look as the glistening city skyline and interesting art beckoned.
As is his custom, Glenn Phillips encouraged each country to
sing a traditional song. I did a Native American poem “Birds of Fire” with sign
language. Afterwards, a tall, ponytailed Brazilian told me a band called “Dead
Still Standing” used these words put to their music.
After a caipirinha drink, we danced to Latin music. Dad was
told he dances like a native.
Belo Horizonte
Anna Barbara Proietti picked us up at the airport and drove
us into town where we visited her Blood Bank. After a tour, we met her husband,
Fernando, her son, Matia, her daughter Maira, her Siamese cat and dachshund.
They live in an apartment in this city of 2 million. We picked up our e-mail
from a Mac in Matia’s room. The family spent 5 years in Baltimore in early
90’s, so they are fluent English speakers. We met Anna, when, as an Eisenhower
Fellow she visited the Puget Sound Blood Center. We ate at a traditional
restaurant. I especially enjoyed the mashed beans, hearty bread and kale.
We visited the huge Central market after lunch where people
shop and socialize. Somehow I had room for the best sweetest pineapple I’ve
ever tasted. Aisle after aisle heaped with household goods, crafts, foods, etc.
interspersed with bars where men chat, drink, and share a laugh. I think
Brazilians laugh more often than we Americans----something to emulate.
Belo is hilly, green and less hectic than Sao Paolo. What
fun to join Anna and her husband at a favorite nightspot complete with live
Brazilian jazz: trombone, clarinet, guitar, mandolin, Brazilian ukulele, and tambourine.
Ouro Preto
Our host, Anna, had great friends, Osmar Marques and Analia
Blanco who agreed to drive us to Ouro Preto , a charming, tile-roofed hill town
80 KM from Belo. About 35,000 people
live there. We spoke French and Italian, second languages for all of us, Using
languages we learned in school, we giggled our way through and enjoyed their
company.
Ouro Preto was at its height during the 19c gold rush. The
Portuguese imposed a tax on everything found in Brazil. In several ways, their
approach to Brazil was different from England’s toward the colonies. Rather
than emphasizing building a new community, they plundered Brazil. Today, the
Portuguese are among the many immigrants living together in this melting pot of
cultures.
Christ’s scourging and suffering are graphically portrayed
in the early churches. Lots of blood! We saw exquisitely carved furniture in
these churches. Some of the statues are articulated and have human hair. Some
have gold overlay. It is very dramatic. Of the small town’s 40 churches, one is
named “The Black Church” due to the
segregation of the time.
We watched a street artist painting a church. It was a
lovely rendition, so I asked the price. Due to my inexperience with the
currency, this sounded really overpriced, so I objected and said I would pay
half of what he proposed. I was ready for confession at the nearest church when
I later realized I misunderstood the money exchange rate and had truly cheated
this talented young man, Mea culpa.
The town is full of students attending its excellent
university. They live in dorms called ‘republicas.” Named by the students
themselves, there is ‘Republica Snoopy’ for example. A medallion with the name
and theme is posted outside.
Rio de Janiero
We’re peeking out the window at 3am. Jet lag. No problem, we
can watch the incredibly gorgeous Brazilians playing beach ball! When do they
sleep? If they eat at 10pm, guess this makes some sense. Hotel Ipanema is
centrally located so we could walk most places. The staff is helpful, the
restaurant good enough. Homey rather than sparsely elegant, it seemed just
right. Our guide recommends nearby Hotel
Paia.
The first evening, we enjoyed the sunset from Miranda
Viewpoint. Rio has reason to claim it’s the most beautiful city in the world!
Location, location, location! Irregular coastline, rocky hills, sandy beaches.
After a Brazilian barbecue dinner including quail eggs and palm, we climbed the
stairs to a music club downtown. A pianist and guitarist accompanied a singer.
We ordered our powerful caipirinha drinks and sat back to listen to the bossa
nova beat.
The next morning we walked the beach, noting the superior
skill of the young soccer players. There were many soccer camps. We saw beach
soccer and beach volleyball.
I booked a private tour with a woman recommended in the
Lonely Planet guide. What fun to discover her sister-in-law is Jane Yolen, a highly
respected and prolific author of children’s books! Maria L. Yolen picked us up
at our hotel and gave us a fascinating 5-hour look at this amazing city. As we
drove up into the hills we passed impressive Portuguese villas decorated with
colorful tiles. These luxuriously landscaped homes are close to the favelas
where conditions are very poor. Satellite dishes dot the hillside, providing TV
coverage to the favella residents.
Isadora Duncan danced in the outdoor court of a building we
toured. I’m not sure which building, but it was up on a hill and had a lovely
view.
We strolled through the Cultural Center past the Custom
House and outdoor booths selling food, crafts, leather goods, soapstone items
and beach wraps. Rio is ‘doggy town! We
discovered this walking around a large lake near the beach. Expensive condos
and an exclusive club add to the amenities. We watched a water skier, skaters
and other walkers.
Sugar Loaf Mountain
This famous Rio landmark was windy and wonderful. The view
is worth the trek. It was enchanting seeing monkeys in their natural habitat! They
were chattering on limbs arching over the path. We highly recommend taking the
gondola to the top at sunset. Stay to watch the
“chain of lights “ as Rio ‘s famous nightlife begins.
Our last day in Rio we walked Ipanema once more, and then
ate at a fine restaurant named Antiquities. The food was fabulous. Mike had a
delicious rice dish with thinly sliced pineapple and nuts in a cheesy cream
sauce and served in a half of a pineapple shell. My most memorable item was the
guava mousse pie as delicious as it was beautiful.
We had a drink at the bar where “The Girl From Ipanema” was
written. The lyrics are painted mural-style on the façade. Sitting there on the
open porch watching the world walk by, it was easy imagining spending part of
our retirement just like this!
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