COME SWIM IN THE DESERT

Composed of large, white, sweeping dunes, at first glance Lençóis Maranhenses looks like an archetypal desert. In fact it isn't actually a desert. Lying just outside the Amazon Basin, the region is subject to a regular rain season during the beginning of the year. The rains cause a peculiar phenomenon: fresh water collects in the valleys between sand dunes, spotting the desert with blue and green lagoons that reach their fullest between July and September.

The area is also surprisingly home to a variety of fish which, despite the almost complete disappearance of the lagoons during the dry season, have their eggs brought from the sea by birds.

Some lagoons are more famous, such as Azul, Preguiça and Peixes, which comprise one of the park's main touristic sites. More time and energy are necessary to reach the 15-meter wide Bonita lake, the biggest in the region. It takes a little more than 50 minutes bouncing in a jeep and then a climb up a 30-meter high dune. The view from the top, however, erases any memories of the hardships. 

WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW ABOUT LENÇÓIS

WHEN TO VISIT

It's best to go between May (rainy season) and August; in these months, the lagoons are fuller

TEMPERATURE

Annual average of 26°C    

VACCINE

Not mandatory

OFFCIAL WEBSITE

www.turismo.ma.gov.br

HOW TO GET THERE

SP-São Luís-SP

TAM: tickets start at R$ 588*
Azul (via Belo Horizonte): tickets start at R$ 639.80**
Gol (outbound via Rio; returning via Brasilia): tickets starting at R$ 859.80**

AIRLINES

Azul: 4003-1118; www.voeazul.com.br
Gol: 0300-1152121; www.voegol.com.br
TAM: 4002-5700; tam.com.br

* Leaving from Guarulhos airport
** Leaving from Campinas airport

WHAT´S BEHIND THE BRAZILIAN PROTESTS?

The protests come after the opening matches of soccer's Confederations Cup over the weekend, just one month before a papal visit, a year before the World Cup and three years ahead of the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. However, they go beyond the R$0,20 (US$0.10) raise in public transport fares. 

Brazil is currently experiencing a widespread collapse of its infrastructure. There are problems with ports, airports, public transport, health and education. Brazil is not a poor country and the tax rates are extremely high. Brazilians see no reason to have such bad infrastructure when there is so much wealth that is so highly taxed. In the state capitals people spend up to four hours per day in traffic, either in their cars or on crowded public transport which is of very poor quality.

Other than the problem of infrastructure, there are several corruption scandals which remain without trial, and the cases being judged have been tending to end with the acquittal of the defendants. The biggest corruption scandal in Brazilian history finally ended with the conviction of the defendants and now the government is trying to reverse the trial by using maneuvers through unbelievable constitutional amendments: one, the PEC 37, which will annihilate the investigative powers of the prosecutors of the public ministry (the Brazilian equivalent of the District Attorneys), delegating the responsibility of investigation entirely to the Federal Police. Moreover, another proposal seeks to subject decisions of the Brazilian Supreme Court to the Congress - a complete violation of the three powers.

More than 100,000 people took to the streets in overwhelmingly peaceful protests in at least eight cities Monday. In Sao Paulo, Brazil's economic hub, at least 65,000 protesters gathered at a small, treeless plaza then broke into three directions in a Carnival atmosphere, with drummers beating out samba rhythms as the crowds chanted anti-corruption jingles.

Hundreds of protesters in the capital, Brasilia, peacefully marched on congress, where dozens scrambled up a ramp to a low-lying roof, dancing on the structure's large, hallmark upward-turned bowl designed by famed architect Oscar Niemeyer.
In Belo Horizonte, police estimated about 20,000 people joined a peaceful crowd protesting before a Confederations Cup match between Tahiti and Nigeria as police helicopters buzzed overhead and mounted officers patrolled the stadium area. Earlier in the day, demonstrators erected several barricades of burning tires on a nearby highway, disrupting traffic.

In Rio de Janeiro, crowds clogged entire city blocks, waving Brazilian flags and chanting against corruption and for democracy.

Protests also were reported in Curitiba, Belem and Salvador.

PROTESTERS RETURNING HOME BY SUBWAY IN SAO PAULO, CHANTING THE BRAZILIAN NATIONAL ANTHEM

SOURCES:  CNN INTERNATIONAL, THE GUARDIAN

TAKE A MUSICAL TOUR IN SAO PAULO

Paula Lima (born in São Paulo, 1970) is a Brazilian singer and composer whose music is influenced by bossa nova, percussion, samba, Brazilian soul, and international funk music.

In this video, she gives a tour of Bexiga, a traditional bohemian neighborhood in the heart of Sao Paulo.

PAULA LIMA´S OFFICIAL PAGE

VALENTINE´S DAY IN JUNE?

More than any other day of the year, Valentine’s Day is a holiday exclusively dedicated to the concept of romantic love as the ideal.

When compared to other countries, you’ll find that Brazilians often have a different concept of Valentine’s Day. The most obvious contrast, for instance, involves the date on which Valentine’s Day falls in Brazil: June 12. This is done so that both Carnival and Valentine’s Day can get their own time and place. As you can see, this is a sign that people in Brazil really take Valentine’s Day seriously. If you are going to be celebrating Valentine’s Day in Brazil, you need to develop the right plan for success. 

The first thing you have to plan is the meal. Most people celebrating Valentine’s Day in Brazil will have to put some intense thought into where they will eat. Another important part of Brazilian Valentine’s Day involves giving gifts.  The best way to celebrate the holiday with gifts is to get some excellent chocolates, beautiful flowers, and perhaps a sensual massage for both of you. 

CURIOSITIES AND SUPERSTITIONS: 

Brazil is mostly catholic, so following Valentine´s Day is St. Anthony's Day. The Portuguese monk who died in the 13th century is a patron of matrimony. Through the centuries, girls would not only pray to St. Anthony for a husband ASAP, but also engage in less religious activities such as writing the names of three potential boyfriends on little pieces of paper and placing them under their pillow on the night of June 12 to June 13. The one they drew first in the morning would be their fate. 

A much more disrespectful custom would be bullying the image of St. Anthony as a way to threaten him to help out. A typical way of doing that would be leaving the image, upside down, behind a door, until a proper boyfriend came by!