BRAZIL'S MESMERIZING MINAS GERAIS

Great Article written by Lisbeth Holt for Travel World News Online in October 2010:

The most mesmerizing baroque colonial cites in Brazil lie nestled in the mountainous mineral-rich state of Minas Gerais, the "province of mines." With American Airlines recently-inaugurated non-stop service from Miami to Belo Horizonte, the capital of the state, this region is now within easy reach of travelers. Adam Carter, President of the Brazilian Tour Operators Association (BTOA) said, "We've designated this amazing state to be our Destination of the Year."

Belo Horizonte, Brazil's first planned city, was built in 1897, just 270 miles north of Rio de Janeiro. This delightful, sophisticated metropolis is surrounded by the Serra do Curral mountain range at an elevation of 2,720 feet; its population some five million in the metropolitan area. Temperatures hover around 75 Fin the summer, the rainy season extending from November to March; around 63 F in the winter. It is one of Brazil's most prosperous states and its size exceeds that of France. "The quality of life here is one of the best in South America," vouches Daniel Anilton Duarte Marques, Director of Events of Minas Gerais. The city will be one of the hosts of the 2014 FIFA World Cup! Its huge soccer stadium, the Estadio Mineirao, is the country's third largest.

Visitors are welcomed in traditionally hospitable "mineiro" style to enjoy its world-class restaurants and bars, fine hotels, shopping centers, and beautiful parks. And as everywhere in Brazil, samba and jazz rhythms pulsate. It is the bar capital of Brazil because of the number of botecos or inter-generational meeting places to imbibe a beer, a cachaca (the sugarcane rum national drink), or a caipirinha! You can even grab a drink in the unusually attractive and clean Mercado Central which dates back to 1929. And, no surprise, the coffee is the best ever. The hearty cuisine, the comida mineira, is a savory combination of Portuguese, Indian and African flavors. Try the feijao tropeiro (a mix of bean stew, sausage and cassava flour) and frango com quiabo (chicken cooked with okra). The scrumptious pao de queijo, cheese bread, is downright addictive! The beautiful people meet and mingle for delectable cuisine at elegant award-winning La Favorita. Possibly Belo's best-loved restaurant is Xapuri. Its rustic interior belies a most succulent gastronomical experience... including many ridiculously delicious desserts! Traveling to Brazil without gorging oneself at a churrascaria would be unheard of; try Belo's Ambrosios! All different tempting cuts of pork, chicken, beef are presented to you until you can are beyond stuffed! Dieting here is not possible. Favored hotels include Savassi-situated Liberty Palace and luxurious Ouro Minas Palace.

The symbol of this gracious city is the Church of St. Francis of Assisi in the Pampulha region. This is Brazil's first listed modern monument. Located on beautiful Lagoa da Pampulha, this controversial church was designed by living legend Oscar Niemeyer. Although constructed in 1943, sixteen years passed before its consecration. Religious orthodoxy viewed the Chapel with skepticism, even alarm, because its construction of concrete parabolic arches deviated dramatically from the norm. Blue Portuguese azulejos (tiles) painted by Candido Portinari depict the life of St. Francis on the facade. Portinari's mural and Alfredo Ceschiatti's bas-relief sculptures beautify the interior. Gardens were designed by Roberto Burle Marx.

Niemeyer's latest daring project, completed in March 2010, presents an audacious visual treat. The enormous Tancredo Neves Administrative City is a complex of buildings which will enable all government facilities to be based in one space. One of the buildings is balanced off terra firma by massive concrete pillars. By the end of the year, some 10,000 people will be working here! "It's bigger than most of our cities," exclaimed Marquez.

Reputed to be one of the world's best contemporary art centers, the Inhotim Institute in Brumadinho can be reached in ninety minutes by car. This vast eclectic outdoor art gallery combines an avant-garde collection of art with exotic botanical gardens. Guide Luana Camara explained, "Inhotim provides a unique dialogue between man-made art and the natural realm." American Doug Aitken in collaboration with Damian Francis Wagner created the "Sounds of the Earth" exhibit featuring eerie sounds from deep within the earth as magnified by microphones. After viewing numerous thought-provoking exhibits, lovely Inhotim restaurant offers a bountiful buffet luncheon of mineiro delicacies.

"Belo Horizonte is the gateway to Brazil's most important cultural heritage and historical scenery," commented Marquez. These are the fabulous Gold Towns of Mariana, Tiradentes, Congonhas, and Ouro Preto which sprang into existence with the discovery of gold in 1695. Precious stones mined here include diamonds, tourmalines, citrines, amethysts, and the exquisite Imperial Topaz, found only in Minas Gerais.

Mariana, the first capital of the state founded in 1695 was named after the Queen of Austria Mary Ana, who was married to the King of Portugal. When adventurers from Sao Paulo, the "bandeirantes", crossed over the forbidding Escarpment mountain range to search for gold they discovered metal blackened by iron oxide. Once melted it shone with great brilliance. "Ouro preto": black gold! News spread like wild fire and tens of thousands rushed to seek their fortunes.

Here you can still ascend into the very bowels of the earth by cable car into the oldest and largest gold mine in Brazil, the Mina de Ouro Passagem, mined from 1718 to 1985. Thousands of slaves perished here. The Catedral Basilica da Se in Mariana holds a most unusual gift from the Portuguese crown to the first diocese in Brazil: a magnificent ArpSchnitger organ transported over the mountains in 1752, still heard every Sunday.

The city of Tiradentes (formerly named Sao Jose de Rey) was founded in 1702 in the foothills of the Serra de Sao Jose mountains. This is the birthplace of Joaquim Jose da Silva Xavier (1746 – 1792), nicknamed Tiradentes ("teethpuller") as he'd practiced dentistry. He was the leader of a band of idealistic conspirators, the Inconfidencia Mineira, inspired by enlightened ideas from Europe and the U.S. Constitution. They witnessed the exploitation of Brazilians and yearned to free the country from the yoke of Portugal. A Judas in the group betrayed their plans and Tiradentes was sentenced to die by the order of Empress Dona Maria I. Not just "off with his head!" but also drawn, quartered, and severed into pieces. Thus was the rebellion quelled. To this day, Tiradentes is honored as Brazil's foremost hero every April 21, the day of his execution, a national holiday. That is why Brasilia, the nation's extraordinary new capital, was inaugurated on that exact day in 1960.

The eighteenth century charm of Tiradentes is contagious, population just 6,000. Much in favor with wealthy residents of Belo Horizonte and other cities many old mansions have been lovingly transformed into pousadas (guesthouses, small inns) or restaurants. Sure to please discriminating travelers are the stunning Solar da Ponte Pousada and enchanting Pequena Tiradentes. Restaurants with rave reviews include Santissima Gula, Padre Toledo and Tragaluz ("come into the light"). Try its amazing chorizo beef.

A world of passion unfolds in Ouro Preto, two hours southeast of Belo, a fairytale city come to life with a population of 65,000. The former state capital (1711 – 1897) formerly called Vila Rica will celebrate its 300th anniversary next year. This was the first site in Brazil to be recognized by UNESCO as a World Heritage Site in 1980. Beautiful baroque architecture delights the eye at every turn. Its curved cobblestone streets are built on steeply rising green hillsides at an altitude of over 3,600 feet. Red-tiled roofs, whitewashed buildings, wrought-iron balconies and the colors of the doors and window frames in vivid blues, greens, yellows and reds are a feast for the senses. The iconic cast of characters who played their parts on this magnificent stage rise swiftly to mind. Shakespeare himself could not have imagined more fascinating heroes and villains men of faith and of greed, the romantics and idealists, incredible artists and intellectuals, all interacting in a whirlwind of events.

The population of Ouro Preto swelled to over 80,000 by 1750, exceeding that of New York City. Vast fortunes were made, some literally overnight. Opulent churches were constructed to reflect the wealthy gold-barons' expressions of faith. Lay brotherhoods of these rich individuals financed the building of the churches as the Portuguese crown forbade religious orders from the region. Between 1695 and 1820, hundreds of tons of treasure were transported on muleback, a perilous passage over forbidding mountains, the Estrada Real (the Royal Road) from Ouro Preto to Paraty and Rio and from there shipped to Portugal.

A compelling spirituality permeates these environs. You are awed when you step foot in the renowned Igreja de Sao Francisco de Assis and view the sculptures of Antonio Francisco Lisboa, "Aleijadinho" (1738-1814) and the paintings of Manuel da Costa Ataide (1762-1830); when you explore the oldest opera house in Latin America, the Teatro Municipal, which opened in 1770 and still stages performances; when you visit the Museu do Oratorio to view the fabulous treasury of 18th and 19th century sacred art. What breathtakingly beautiful legacies to inspire and enrich our world!

A truly gorgeous pousada is centrally-located Ouro Preto's Solar Rosario Hotel. Pousada do Mondego and Pousada do Arcanjo are also attractive choices. Wonderful restaurants include award-winning Casa do Ouvidor, Bene da Flauta, O Passo, and Casa dos Contos.

Among intriguing museums to visit, the Museum of Science and Technology displays a large selection of incredibly spectacular precious gems. Ouro Preto is the place to shop for precious stones as well as soapstone carvings and other handicrafts.

The pilgrimage site of Congonhas do Campo, built in 1757, was designated a UNESCO world heritage site in 1985. Every September thousands of the faithful gather at this hilly site at the Sanctuary of Bom Jesus de Matozinhos . Here stand Aleijadindo's twelve lifelike soapstone sculptures of the prophets. Aleijadinho means "the Little Cripple", so called because his hands were maimed. He worked with hammer and chisel strapped to his wrists and produced some of the most artistic religious masterpieces in the world. Sixty-six figures carved in cedar wood and painted by Ataide are housed in six chapels depicting The Stations of the Cross.

Sensational Minas Gerais provides countless soul-stirring experiences. It will likely capture your heart. You vow to return and this time, you mean it. BTOA's members can be relied upon for expert firsthand knowledge of the region, supplied with that special mineiro touch!

For more information on the State of Minas Gerais please go to the web site:

brazilmax.com.

At once both a cinematic cityscape and a grimy urban front line, Rio de Janeiro, known as the cidade maravilhosa (marvelous city), is nothing if not exhilarating. Flanked by gorgeous mountains, white-sand beaches and verdant rainforests fronting deep blue sea, Rio occupies one of the most spectacular settings of any metropolis in the world. Tack on one of the sexiest populations on the planet and you have an intoxicating tropical cocktail that leaves visitors punch-drunk on paradise.

With the seductive sounds of samba as their rallying cry, Rio's residents, known as cariocas, have perfected the art of living well. From the world-famous beaches of Copacabana and Ipanema to the tops of scenic outlooks of Corcovado and Pão de Açúcar to the dance halls, bars and open-air cafes that proliferate the city, cariocas live for the moment without a care in the world. This idea of paradise has enchanted visitors for centuries, and there are dozens of ways to be seduced. You can surf great breaks off Prainha, hike through Tijuca's rainforests, sail across Guanabára, dance the night away in Lapa or just people-watch on Ipanema Beach.

While Rio has its share of serious problems, there are plenty of residents – expats included – who wouldn't dream of relocating. It's no coincidence Christo himself sits arms outstretched across the city, either

For more on Rio de Janeiro:

Check on this article about Rio de Janeiro published by the Washington Times. The author explains how Rio has been an impact for the today's world. Rio is not only a city to marvel at, but also a city that carries responsibilities such as being official host for the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics. The short article holds much more, so check it out and express your opinion going to their web site:

washingtontimes.com.

Read what maria-brazil.org. has to say about Rio.

Do you know the meaning for the word "Carioca"? Find it at thefreedictionary.com.

Fernando de Noronha description based on a work at Wikitravel.org & Traveldudes.org that can be found at:

Traveldudes.org.

Fernando de Noronha is an archipelago in Brazil and a UNESCO Natural World Heritage Site. Its pristine beaches, landscapes and wildlife attract tourists worldwide.

The archipelago has never been linked to the mainland. Geologically, it is the tip of a submarine volcanic formation which rises out of the deep seabed and consists of one main island and several rocks and islets. The rocks form many natural aquaria and the underwater life is diverse. Because the reefs of the South Atlantic are isolated from the Caribbean by the outflow of the Orinoco and Amazon rivers, the reef communities are very different with many endemic species.

Bathed by currents coming from Africa the waters around the islands are very clear with very good visibility even at 50 meters and have great year-round warm temperatures. Of course, you can also see the large "global" species such as manta rays, sharks, moray eels, goliath groupers, sea turtles and dolphins.

The island is also home to one of the largest sea bird breeding colonies in the South Atlantic.

Discovered by Amerigo Vespucci (1454-1512), Italian merchant and cartographer in 1503, the archipelago is 4 degrees south of the Equator, around 200 miles off the northeastern coast of Brazil, north east to the city of Natal.

During its 500 years history, Fernando de Noronha has been temporarily occupied by the Dutch (17th century), French (18th century) before Portugal established dominion in 1737. They built an extensive defense system of 10 forts. The largest and best conserved fortress is Nossa Senhora dos Remédios de Fernando de Noronha.

The island also served as a prison and a US Army base. Today the population is around 3,500 and the main industry is tourism.

As an unique ecological sanctuary, Fernando de Noronha is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and a large part of the area is a National Marine Park. And it has the most wonderful beaches. Three (Sancho, Porcos and Leão) regularly feature in Brazil's top beaches list.

Being a small island with limited water resources and a fragile ecosystem, there is a maximum number of 460 visitors allowed on the island. Visitors also pay an Environmental Preservation Tax that increases progressively with the length of the visit.

The relative isolation from the mainland, the limits on visitors and the preservation make Fernando de Noronha an expensive destination. But the "happy few" will be well rewarded by the delights of this island paradise and its fascinating underwater world.

Links for more on Fernando de Noronha:

Information About Noronha From the Pernambuco Government.

Fernando de Noronha seen according to maria-brazil.org.

Beautiful Pics from Noronha by brol.com.

Paraty, The loveliest of them all... according to maria-brazil.org. description

A little gem of a colonial town on Brazil's Green Coast.

Paraty gets its name from a small fish abundant in swampy areas (it's a Tupi word). The town, which is a National Monument, is located in the largest area of primary Atlântica Forest in the state of Rio de Janeiro, 252 kms south of the city of Rio de Janeiro.

The Villa de Nossa Senhora dos Remédios de Paraty was the second largest Brazilian port until the mid-1700's, thanks to gold exports from Minas Gerais. It was also such a large producer and exporter of Brazilian sugarcane liquor, that "parati" became synonymous with cachaça (check out the song Camisa Listrada).

The town has a population of 29,000, which swells considerably during the summer months, carnaval, the Festival da Pinga (the Cachaça Festival in August), and the Festival of the Holy Ghost, celebrated 50 days after Easter. Paraty is also home to the yearly FLIP or Literary Fair, which brings writers from around the world, including a few Nobel Prize winners. It used to be a manageable size, but I heard that it's gotten too big.

Only special delivery vehicles are allowed in the historic center of town. Wear comfortable walking shoes, because the large, irregular cobblestones can be a killer...How some locals are able to ride bicycles on those streets beats me!

Paraty has several first-class inns (called "pousadas" in Portuguese) and you can take boat trips to its countless islands and coves, or go explore restored sugarcane plantations, bathe in waterfalls or walk in the forest...(actually you can spot monkeys hanging from phone lines right in town...) From nearby Angra dos Reis, a small train will take you on an unforgettable trip through the surrounding forest.

The small church of Santa Rita dos Homens Pardos is an extraordinarily beautiful example of 18th century architecture. It has one central altar and two side altars housed in balconies high above. It's home to Paraty's Museu de Arte Sacra, where you can see a superb 18th-century terracotta pietà. This image was stolen from the Nossa Senhora do Rosário church several years ago and later recovered from a junk shop in Rio. The shop owner had no idea of the origin and value of the image, and the person who found it, completely by accident, is a Paraty resident! I tried to obtain permission to take photographs inside the church and museum, but was unable to get in touch with the right guy. Oh well, next time...Next time, August 2007: The church is been restored and at the moment it also sports a very unbecoming banner with the words: Cultura em Greve (Culture on Strike), which means that Federal Government employees are letting taxpayers--the ones who ultimately pay their salaries--down.

We found a couple of wonderful shops, one at the Casa da Cultura and the other, Arte Brasil, right behind the Santa Rita Church. There are lots of fancy restaurants in Paraty, we'll let you pick and choose, but if you're on a budget and want to eat buffet-style, we found a self-service by kilo called Sabor da Terra, which was excellent. It's located on the main drag about 100 meters from the historical town center.

For those of you who wish to experience Paraty like an insider, we emphatically recommend The Academy of Cooking & Other Pleasures. Its owner, renowned chef Yara Roberts of PBS fame, is a charmer and a great cook with the sunniest smile you can possibly imagine.

For more on Paraty city and ecology go to ParatyCityWebsite.

Read the wikipedia.org. content

Great description of Sao Luiz, Maranhao by Maria-Brazil.org.

Founded by French explorers in the 17th century, São Luis do Maranhão is, ironically, the most Portuguese of Brazilian cities. Its wonderful buildings were for a long time in horrible disrepair and threatened with complete destruction. Fortunately, a lot of them were spared the bulldozer and today they're slowly being renovated into museums, inns, bars, and cultural spaces. São Luis (and the state of Maranhão) is home to some of the most beautiful crafts and folkloric manifestations in Brazil. Besides the capital city, there's the architecture of Alcântara across the channel, the national parks of Lençóis Maranhenses and Delta do Parnaíba, and the Chapada das Mesas and the river Tocantins in the southwest corner of the state...all breathtakingly beautiful. Can you tell Maranhão has become a favorite of ours? Here are some pictures I took while walking around São Luis...

The best place to buy crafts is the CEPRAMA marketplace.

The climate is very, very hot and humid, so remember to drink water or coconut water constantly. Wear comfy walking shoes and be prepared to walk up and down hills...The channel crossing between São Luis and Alcântara can be a bit rough; better done between January and June, July, before the winds come...Read about the bumba-boi dramatic dance and check out some music from Maranhão also.

I was also fascinated by the boats in Maranhão...and then reading a book by famous Brazilian sailor/navigator Amyr Klink, I found out that Brazil has the most diverse boat construction techniques in the world, the biggest diversity of boats, period. Isn't that nifty?

Maranhão's cuisine is a product of Portuguese and Black cultures, with a little bit of Brazilian Indian mixed in (farinha de mandioca). With such a long coast and so many rivers and mangroves, fish and crabs are a major staple of the local diet; so is rice. The most famous dish is called "arroz de cuxá." Cuxá is made with the leaves of the "vinagreira" bush (of the hibiscus family), farinha de mandioca, sesame seeds and dried shrimp and served with white rice and shrimp pie (which is really a shrimp frittata, flavored with fresh cilantro). There's also crab frittata and "caldeirada de camarão," a shrimp stew with coconut milk, serve with white rice and pirão (manioc meal mush). Yummy!!!

Check more cool info on Sao Luiz and Lencois Maranhenses at Maria-Brazil.org

Read what Wikipedia.org has to say about Sao Luiz History

cool pic of Sao Luiz:

Natal, Rio Grande do Norte according to lonelyplanet.com.

Natal, the capital of Rio Grande do Norte, is a clean, bright and rather bland city that has swelled as the entry point for coastal package tourism. Surrounded by impressively large sand dunes, Natal's main attractions are beaches, buggy rides and nightlife – don't come here if you seek museums and theater. The city's northern beaches of Praia do Meio and Praia dos Artistas are no longer the attraction they once were. These days, most visitors stay in the southern beach neighborhood of Ponta Negra, 12km from the center. It is a striking location, overlooked by fantastic dunes, and with steady surf and some great nightlife in the Alto de Ponta Negra area. Natal's Carnatal (out-of-season Carnaval), at the beginning of December, draws huge crowds from all over Brazil, and is a much bigger deal here than Carnaval itself.

For more on Natal check wikitravel. web site

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:

wikipedia.org.

Goiânia is the capital and largest city of the Brazilian state of Goiás. With a population of 1,301,892,[2] it is the second-largest city in the Central-Western Region and the 13th-largest in the country. Its metropolitan area has a total population of 2,063,744, making it the 11th-largest in Brazil.

Goiânia is a planned city founded on October 24, 1933 by then Governor Pedro Ludovico to serve as the new state capital and administrative center. Prior to this date, the state capital was the town of Goiás. Goiânia has the largest green area per inhabitant in Brazil, and is second only to Edmonton in the world.

For more on Goiania go to:

v-brazil.com.

Brasilia described by unesco.org.

Brasilia, a capital created in the centre of the country in 1956, is a landmark in the history of town planning. The 20th-century principles of urbanism, as expressed by Le Corbusier, have rarely been applied on the scale of capital cities. Only two noteworthy exceptions exist: Chandigarh and Brasilia. Its creators intended that every element, from the layout of the residential and administrative districts (often compared to the shape of a bird in flight) to the symmetry of the buildings themselves, should be in harmony with the city's overall design. The official buildings, in particular, are innovative and imaginative.

The idea of building a capital in the interior of Brazil is an old one, having been proposed on various occasions since the end of the 17th century. When elected president of the Republic of Brazil in 1955, Juscelino Kubitschek made the creation of the capital city a symbol of his policy to upgrade the image of the entire country, to expand industry, and to undertake major construction projects. In 1956 he appointed a commission to determine an exact location for the city and set up an executive body to carry out the construction work. In the same year, Oscar Niemeyer was made Director of the Department of Architecture and Urban Affairs, and Lucio Costa won the competition held for the plan of Brasilia. This choice brought back together the members of a team that had already proved its worth, Le Corbusier having previously been consulted for this project.

The definition of an urban ideal based on the separation of functions, the incorporation of vast natural spaces, and a street plan whose wide traffic lanes broke with the tradition of narrower streets, was implicit in the theoretical training of Costa and Niemeyer. However, the practical development of their own style meant that the primary functionalism of the International Style would be rejected in favor of solutions better adapted to the Brazilian context. In this regard, it may be recalled that Niemeyer had built, in 1942-44 at Kubitschek's request, the group at Pampulha, after having designed, in collaboration with Costa, the Brazilian pavilion at the New York World's Fair in 1939.

The 'pilot plan' that Costa drew up for Brasilia was one of great expressive power. As he himself described it, it was born of the initial gesture of someone designating a place and taking possession of it: a cross formed by two bars intersecting at right angles. This figure was then adapted to the topography and the natural slope of the ground: its orientation was improved by curving the arms of one of the crossbars. The curving north-south axis traces the layout of the wide transportation artery. Along it are the residential zones separated into superquadrats, all practically self-contained, and each possessing its own commercial and leisure centres, green spaces, schools, churches, etc.

The perpendicular east-west axis, known as the Monumental Axis, links the administrative sections of the new city, which became the official capital in 1960. Oscar Niemeyer's most renowned edifices were built there. They are noteworthy for the purity of their forms and their obvious monumental character, the result of an intelligent balance between horizontal and vertical buildings, rectangular volumes and curved surfaces, and the raw, unfinished materials and polished exteriors of certain structures.

Among the most beautiful buildings in the urban landscape of Brasilia are those sited around the Plaza of Three Powers, the Planalto Palace, or the Hall of Government, the Congress, with its twin skyscrapers flanked by the cupola of the Senate building and by the inverted cone of the House of Representatives, and finally the Supreme Court. Other structures of an exceptional artistic quality are the Esplanade of the Ministers, the cathedral, the Pantheon of Juscelino Kubitschek and the National Theatre

for more on Brasilia's History check macalester.edu.

Vitória is the capital of the state of Espírito Santo, Brazil. It is located on a small island within a bay where a few rivers meet the sea.

It was founded in 1551. The city proper (area 93 km2 or 35.9 sq mi) has a population of 313,300 (2005) whilst the Greater Vitória metropolitan area has a population of more than 1,612,885 (2005), the 14th largest in Brazil. In 1998, the United Nations rated Vitória as the fourth best state capital in Brazil to live in, rating cities on health, education, and social improvement projects.

Eurico de Aguiar Salles Airport connects Vitória with many Brazilian cities. The city is home to the Federal University of Espírito Santo (UFES).