A CORSO WHAT?

According to the Oxford dictionary, a CORSO is:

1) (in Italy and some other Mediterranean countries) a social promenade.
       1.1) a street used for social promenades, or where races and parades were formerly held.

The Corso is a carnival attraction in Teresina, capital of the Piaui state, and is considered the world's largest event of its kind according to the Guinness Book: parade of theme floats and people in costumes.

This year it will be held on the 22nd of February and it will showcase 800 decorated trucks and an estimated audience of 300,000 people.

       Guide to the city (in Portuguese)

ALL A POLYPHONIC 10-STRING BANDOLIM CAN DO

A master of the Brazilian bandolim, Hamilton de Holanda is determined to show the world what the instrument can do.

De Hollanda plays an instrument called the bandolim. It evolved from the mandolin, brought to Brazil by Portuguese colonizers, and its acknowledged master was a man named Jacob do Bandolim. De Holanda says do Bandolim's genius lay in his ability to blend music brought by the Portuguese with that of African slaves to create a perfect balance.

"He created a Brazilian way, with a lot of emotion," he says. "You hear in his music a little bit of the fado nostalgia, but also the joy of Brazilian music, and African music too — and with such care in the refinement of a sound and the arrangements."

Normally, the instrument has eight strings, just like the mandolin. De Holanda had one built with 10 strings. "I wanted to create a polyphony in my instrument, and be able to play the melody, the accompaniment and the rhythm, all at the same time," he says. "Just as you see in a piano soloist or a guitar soloist, I wanted to express some polyphonic ideas in the bandolim — the same way a piano works in a jazz trio."



SOURCE: LEHIGH VALLEY COMMUNITY PUBLIC RADIO

SMALL, YET ELLEGANT

Curitiba's trademark and the favourite attraction of many visitors, the Jardim Botanico (Botanical Garden), is a huge green area of about 250,000 square meters. It was created in 1991 in the style of French gardens.

Flowers line the pathways to the Botanical Garden as visitors enter the gates toward the greenhouse. Each hedge is constructed carefully, and successfully channels the gardens of Versailles’s backyard. The greenhouse itself is the highlight of the gardens, set gracefully against the backdrop of Curitiba’s skyline.

The greenhouse is not impressive in size. It is only a hair over 450 square meters. However, its design is so arresting it steals the eye of any visitor who explores the garden.

An art nouveau construction, it employs metal and glass to sculpt its three peaks into a solitary monument dedicated to the beauty of nature. White metal wraps around the entire structure, carving out an intricate design across the greenhouse and truly setting the building apart from the rest of the similarly striking gardens.

The two-storey greenhouse resembles a castle and was inspired by the 19th century crystal palace in London. Inside is a collection of tropical flora and a water fountain. Most of these botanic species can be found in nature excursions around the state parks of Parana, but the building is the most important thing here. Outside are fountains and flower gardens and even a cafe. 

The forest is filled with paths for jogging and walking and there is also a lake. Worth visiting is the Museu Botanico with its remarkable collection of rare Brazilian plants, a library and a space for exhibitions. Gardens are open daily 6am-8pm and the museum Mon-Fri 8am-5pm.

Also, it houses a very interesting exhibit space named Espaco Cultural Frans Krajcberg. Inaugurated in October 2003, it is named after the Polish plastic artist. The space holds 114 large-scale sculptures and three carvings in relief made out of trunks of trees, donated by the artist to the city. Krajcberg, one of the artists most engaged in the environmental preservation issue, chose Curitiba for its ecological consciousness. Beside the artistic exposition, Krajcberg Space is a place of meeting, reflection and free exchange of ideas. The works are the starting point for reflection about man's relation to nature, about art and environment.

Works are divided in groups and classified by the artist by material characteristics of palms, upward trees, lianas, mangroves, burns, sticks and barks. Krajcberg extracts the material for his creations from nature. Calcined trunks of wood, extracted directly from places of depredation, are the ones which most identify his work, although the concern with the environment has always been part of his artistic accomplishments.

Among the works in the collection are sculptures, photographs, videos, texts and publications which are the base for educational actions. The program, in charge of Curitiba Cultural Foundation, involves besides the permanent exposition of Krajcberg's works, a video festival, debates, seminars and other actions that aim at environmental education and discussion about visual arts.

It is open Tue-Sun 9am-12am and 1pm-6pm.

SOURCE: Atlas Obscura

TRAVELING TO BRAZIL AT YEAR END?

High season in Brazil lasts from the week before Christmas until Carnaval (which falls sometime in Feb or early Mar, depending on the year). Flights and accommodations are more expensive and more likely to be full during this period. Book well ahead of time for accommodations during New Year's and Carnaval. This is the most fun time to travel -- towns and resorts are bustling as many Brazilians take their summer vacations, the weather's warm, and New Year's and Carnaval are fabulously entertaining. If you want to spend New Year's in Brazil, it's best to arrive after Christmas. The 25th is really a family affair, and most restaurants and shops will be closed.

Weather

As Brazil lies in the Southern Hemisphere, its seasons are the exact opposite of what Northern Hemisphere residents are used to: summer is December through March and winter June through September. Within the country the climate varies considerably from region to region. In most of Brazil the summers are very hot. Temperatures can rise to 43°C (110°F) with high humidity. 

The Northeast (from Salvador north) is warm year-round, often with a pleasant breeze coming off the ocean. Temperatures hover between the upper 20s to mid-30s Celsius (low 80s and mid-90s Fahrenheit). 

As befits a rainforest, the Amazon is also hot and humid year-round, with temperatures hovering around the mid- to high 30s Celsius (mid-90s to low 100s Fahrenheit). The dry season lasts from June to December and is often called "summer" by the locals as it is hot and sunny. As the rivers recede, beaches and islands reappear. The wet season typically runs from December to May and is referred to as "winter." The humidity is higher in the rainy season, building up over the course of the day to produce a heavy downfall almost every afternoon. Even then, however, mornings and early afternoons can be clear and sunny.

The Pantanal is very hot in the rainy season, with temperatures climbing over the low 40s Celsius mark (100°F). Most of the rain falls December through March. The driest time of the year is May through October. In these winter months things cool down considerably, though nighttime temperatures will seldom drop below 20°C (68°F).

 Rio has very hot and humid summers -- 38°C (100°F) and 98% humidity are not uncommon. 

São Paulo has a similar climate to Rio's, hot in the summer.  

Holidays:
Brazil's biggest holidays are New Year's (JAN. 1) and Carnaval (March 1-5 / 2014).

Read more: http://www.frommers.com/destinations/brazil/707679#ixzz2mdZ4qvu0

A ROOM IN THE FAVELA WITH A VIEW TO THE SEA

The postcardlike view is one of the attractions of the hostel run by Bruno and Fernanda on top of the Vidigal favela, south zone of Rio. Whoever stays here is begotten the Brazilian way. Perhaps that is why the hostel, which is less than a year old,  has always been fully booked.
Obviously the daily low fare is much of an attraction, but who climbs the hill is in search for something extra -wandering over alleys and lanes, greeting neighbors and feeling as a favela resident.
"An invisile wall is said to be felt though, but it is gradually coming down - fear eventually subsides into friendship after 24 hours. That's the difference.", says Cristiane de Oliveira, owner of the  hostel at Chapeu Mangueira Hill, in Leme.
An Austrian guitarist felt fearful at first when he came to the slum. "I saw no keys to the doors here, and was afraid people might barge in, but I never had any problem, and that is really cool," he said.
A survey led by the Ministry of Tourism reveals that 95.7% of foreigners who come to Brazil are willing to return. "There is a considerable number of those who have come, stayed and are now residents and no longer want to go away," according to Cristiane.
Such is the case of Mexican brothers Santiago and Oscar. They planned to spend a month at the Vidigal hostel. Four months have passed by and they already feel like Cariocas. "We feel like family here in Rio," they say.

SOURCE: JORNAL HOJE

LINKS: FAVELA DO CANTAGALO                         Ever growing tourism (in Portuguese)
              FAVELA CHAPEU MANGUEIRA
              FAVELA DO VIDIGAL

AN EFFECTIVE INTERNET SIGNAL AMIDST THE AMAZON RAINFOREST JUNGLE?

Balloons equipped with radio transceivers could soon be bringing the internet to remote parts of the Amazon rainforest in Brazil

. 

The airborne devices are said to provide the same connection speed as the 3G network from almost 800ft in the air.

The balloons, which aim to connect regions cut off by traditional technology, have been developed by Brazil’s National Institute for Space Research as part of the government’s National Broadband Plan.

Government ministers have also reportedly been in discussions with Google, which is also piloting its internet-powered balloon initiative, called “Loon”, in New Zealand.

Paulo Bernardo, Brazil’s communications minister, said: “It will be critical to isolated towns in the Amazon region , which are not yet served by operators.”

Around 250,000 homes – some 950,000 people - are connected to the internet in Amazonas, a state that is home to 3.5 million people, according to the 2010 census.

Earlier this month, the communications ministry, along with the ministry for science, technology and innovation, launched a test balloon in Cachoeira Paulista in São Paulo.

Once in the air, attached to a vehicle, it connected via radio to a fixed point in the city and allowed two video conferences across Skype to take place.

The balloon can carry a connection for a distance of up to 30 miles (50km).

Marco Antonio Raupp, science, technology and innovation minister, added: “I hope the project continues advancing so that the most remote regions, such as the Amazon, have an effective internet signal.”

The project is similar to Google’s pilot initiative, which began in June. In the trial, 30 balloons were launched in New Zealand where 50 residents were responsible for them as “balloon pilots”, offering connections with 3G speed.

The Project Loon balloons are 50ft (15m) by 40ft (12m) and are designed to travel 12 miles (20km) above the Earth’s stratosphere, moving with the wind to provide internet coverage.

“It sounds a bit like science fiction, but we are sure the project will become a reality,” Sameera Ponda, Google engineer, said.

“Bringing internet to all with balloons is easier and cheaper than doing it through satellites.”

Representatives from the web giant met with Brazilian officials to discuss a partnership last month, according to Folha de São Paulo.

“This project would certainly contribute in a significant way to increasing internet access in an area that is difficult to reach with traditional technology,” Mr Bernardo said.

SOURCES: The Telegraph

                     GLOBO.COM

SAILING THROUGH A WONDROUS CANYON

The State of Sergipe is the smallest state of the Brazilian Federation, located on the northeastern Atlantic coast of the country. It holds a precious gem 213km inland from its capital Aracaju - the Xingo Canyon. 

The Xingo Canyon - one of the largest and most beautiful in the world - is a deep valley 65 km long by 170m deep and its width ranges from 50 to 300 meters. 



The 60-million-year rocky cliffs  spring from the crystal emerald waters of the lake formed by the construction of the Xingo dam in the  Sao Francisco river.

Local attractions include rides by boats, catamaran or schooner into the canyon, the lookout at Piranhas town, a visit to the Xingo museum and to the hydroelectric power plant. Also, climbing, rappeling, cable crossing and trekking are available.

Source:  BLOG DE VIAGEM

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