ANIMA MUNDI, OR THE INTERNATIONAL ANIMATION FESTIVAL OF BRAZIL

A festival that aims at informing, training, educating and entertaining by means of the infinite possibilities of the language of animation.
In 2012 Anima Mundi celebrates its 20th anniversary by promoting, besides the annual festival in Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, a series of activities that are featured in their website.Take part of Anima Mundi by entering your film, joining the virtual community and peeking through the windows of the universe of International Animation.
In Rio the Festival will be held from July 13th to the 22nd, and in São Paulo the dates are July 25th to the 29th.
More info on their website:  http://www.animamundi.com.br/en/festival/
A sample of some of our animators:

IF RAPPELLING OR ABSEILING IS YOUR THING...

It's as if a massive crack has suddenly opened on the flat-topped green highlands of this little explored region of Brazil. Around the fracture, big trees seem made of matches and water springs break through the rocky cliffs to slowly drop all way down or simply dissipate in the air.

Aparados da Serra and Serra Geral National Parks are located in the southernmost state of Rio Grande do Sul, near the border with Argentina and Uruguay. Here, winter temperatures can often be close to zero and locals proudly call themselves gaúchos and have in their history a bloody movement that tried to create an independent nation.

Approaching any one of the 60 canyons that form the adjoined parks is almost a surreal experience. Most don’t have any protective fences and are surrounded by ancient araucárias, a monkey-puzzle-like tree, often covered in lichens and Spanish moss. Itaimbezinho (which in the indigenous Guarani language means 'cut rock') is the best-known of the canyons and also the easiest to reach. However, Fortaleza Canyon is not only bigger in depth (3,000 feet) and length (5 miles) but is also the most impressive, a place of untamed nature that captivates all, and the perfect reward after 13 miles on a rather hard dirt track. When Aparados da Serra was created in 1959 as one of the first Brazilian national parks, few araucária trees had survived the greed of nine local loggers. Fortunately, with the help of new environmental laws, the wood has had an impressive recovery within the park’s area.
The canyons attract those who like adventure or tranquillity, from families to adrenaline junkies, and are home to animals including the armadillo, the elusive mountain lion, the maned wolf, the brown howler monkey, the pampas deer and the capybara, the largest living rodent in the world. Amongst 150 species of birds, the bright blue and black azure jay and the noisy southern lapwing, which fiercely protects its nest made on the ground, are there to be spotted.


Source: http://www.simonseeks.com/travel-guides/grand-canyons-brazil__117115

A BLESSING IN DISGUISE?

The Guarani Aquifer, located beneath the surface of Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay, and Uruguay, is one of the world's largest aquifer systems and is an important source of fresh water. Named after the Guarani indigenous people, it covers 1,200,000 km², with a volume of about 40,000 km³, a thickness of between 50 m and 800 m and a maximum depth of about 1,800 m. It is estimated to contain about 37,000 km³ of water (arguably the largest single body of groundwater in the world, although the overall volume of the constituent parts of the Great Artesian Basin is much larger), with a total recharge rate of about 166 km³/year from precipitation. It is said that this vast underground reservoir could supply fresh drinking water to the world for 200 years. However, at closer inspection, if the world population were to stay at an equilibrium of about 6.96 billions, not even taking into account that babies need less water than grown adults, this figure reaches 1600 years, allowing about 9 liters per day per person. Due to an expected shortage of fresh water on a global scale, which environmentalists suggest will become critical in under 20 years, this important natural resource is rapidly becoming politicized, and the control of the resource becomes ever more controversial.

A VERY SPECIAL TRAIN RIDE IN BRASIL

The Curitiba-Paranaguá train ride is one of the most exciting and scenic travel routes in Brazil. It winds its way across the mountains of Serra do Mar - Brazil's coastal range - in the southern state of Paraná. The trip covers 62 miles.
The journey between Curitiba, the state capital, and the port city of Paranaguá, owes its appeal to the engineering feats accomplished in the construction of the railway as well as to the natural beauty and cultural attractions along its path.


A Top Paraná Attraction:

According to Serra Verde Express, the company that runs the railway, more than 128,000 people rode the Curitiba-Paranaguá train in 2007. The train ride is a fun way to go from the capital to the Paraná coast, particularly if you plan to visit Ilha do Mel, ("Honey Island"), best reached by boat from Paranaguá.
Currently, the train only goes as far as Paranaguá on Sundays. On the other days of the week, the last stop is Morretes, an 18th-century town. You will spend about three hours in Morretes before taking the train back to Curitiba; plenty of time to enjoy barreado, the area's typical dish, for lunch.

Engineering:

Passengers on the Curitiba-Paranaguá train ride go through 14 tunnels and cross 30 bridges. The ride's engineering highlight is the São João Bridge, which hugs the mountains at a towering 180 feet.

 

History:

The construction of the Curitiba-Paranaguá Railway was ridden with tragedy. Of the more than 9,000 workers hired for the job, over 50% died. Work started in 1880 and finished five years later.

The main reason for building the railway was the need to create a channel for products from southern states through the Paranaguá port. Unlike other Brazilian railways, which were abandoned as Brazil made an ever clearer option for road transportation, the Curitiba-Paranaguá railway persisted largely due to its touristic appeal.

Romantic Train Rides:

A night train ride with special decorations, champagne and live music is one of the ways you can celebrate Brazil's version of Valentine's Day (Dia dos Namorados) on June 12.
Check the Serra Verde Express website for updates.
Source:

Brazil Travel

http://www.serraverdeexpress.com.br/ 

 http://www.conut.com.br/site/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=26&Itemid=62
http://www.curitibainterativa.com.br/modules.php?name=Encontre&d_op=viewencontreeditorial&lid=1385&ttitle=Passeio_de_Trem_/_Litorina

TOP TEN TRAIN RIDES IN BRAZIL

WANT TO WATER YOUR MOUTH A LITTLE?

This is Natal (Portuguese pronunciation: [naˈtaw], Christmas), the capital and largest city of Rio Grande do Norte, a northeastern state in Brazil. Natal is considered by IPEA (Institute of Applied Economic Research of Brazil), the safest capital city in the country. The implementation of the Via Costeira (Coastal Highway), 10 km (5.5 mi) long avenue along the shore and the dunes, was the true starting point for the beginning of tourist activity in the State in the 1980s. That is where the main hotels of the capital city, Natal, are concentrated. Natal has several tourist attractions and is famous for its natural beauty (such as the crystalline waters of Maracajaú and the largest cashew tree in the world), for its historical monuments and buildings (such as the Forte dos Reis Magos, the Alberto Maranhão Theatre and Newton Navarro bridge), for its beaches (such as Ponta Negra, Pipa and Genipabu) and also for its off-season carnival, the Carnatal. The city also boasts the second largest urban park in Brazil, the Parque das Dunas. It is the capital of Brazil closest to Europe, and the Augusto Severo International Airport connects Natal with many Brazilian cities and also operates some international flights. The city is one of the host cities of the 2014 FIFA World Cup, for which Brazil is the host nation.






http://www.luacheia.com.br/

SOME FINE SAMBA

Marisa Monte and Adriana Calcanhotto - two divas of the samba. Check this out:

AN EDIBLE PASTEL

It´s a flour-based dough  (some of the recipes include cachaça), envelope-shaped, with most different fillings (salty or sweet) and it is deep-fried. It is one of the most common and democratic Brazilian-made delicacies. You can find them in any street markets, but in São Paulo city it is something cultural: especially sunday mornings, it is a must do. To drink, ask for a sugar cane juice on the rocks, with some drops of lemon juice, or ananas.