Did I miss the memo?

Living abroad means that sometimes you just don’t get the memo. In the beginning I was ever-vigilant about things like what time to actually show up when invited for lunch at 12:30, or how best to befriend your new housekeeper, communicating respect, without totally freaking her out with your openness, or who to kiss hello and goodbye (including your dentist or cardiologist) and with how many slightly audible smacks.

I got the memo in advance about what to take to the beach (i.e. not a big towel, nor nearly anything else for that matter). My husband keeps slipping me the memo about flattery working better than sternness every time I get frustrated with a bank manager. And my mother-in-law has not given up trying to get me to read the memo about the omnipotence of the Brazilian family matriarch.

If you are no longer a teenager... wear the Speedo. [These boys look like they need some sunscreen as well!]

It didn't take long after I starting living here before I had to decide on which futebol team would be “my team.” Or better put, which team “was I?” According to the memo, here in Brazil people are not asking you which team you root for, they want to know which team you are. If you are asked: “What is your favorite futebol team?” the right answer begins with: “I am….” Nowadays my response is “Eu sou Flamengo.” “I am Flamengo.” Got it.

And speaking of futebol, there were a whole bunch of memos that must have gone out just before the World Cup started. Some I got, like the one that said to wear green and yellow on all game days. Everyone (EVERYONE), in any context, seems to have gotten that memo.

Several of my students slipped me the memo that said all bets are off regarding scheduled appointments or classes on game days for Brazil. Plus in Rio – if there is ANY game happening at Maracanã stadium, chances are businesses are closed (city government offices are certainly closed) or appointments are cancelled to avoid the craziness on the streets.

The one I didn't get (but should have anticipated) is the one that apparently told most workers that even though their boss will call them in for half a day on game days, letting them go a few hours before match time, they really don’t have to actually get any work done. So any attempt by unfamiliar gringos like me to, say, do some banking, or get a phone company issue resolved, or speak with a representative from the health insurance company --- forgeddaboutit.

OK, that’s fine. It's all good. Now I know. I’m not in a hurry anyway… For all intents and purposes, business in Brazil resumes in mid-July, after the World Cup has come to a (hopefully glorious) conclusion. Got the memo.

Brazil and the double edge sword that is the World Cup

I love this logo.

The Expat Blog Police just sent me a final notice. They are going to take away my membership card if I don’t post about the World Cup coming to Brazil.

Everyone has done it. Some bloggers have posted wicked (good and bad) critiques of FIFA and Brazilian politicians who are milking taxpayers for money they don’t have to line their pockets in the name of futebol. Other bloggers have tried to stay positive and posted videos and news bits about players, teams and home town pride in the lead up to the contest. One big theme has been the massive public response in Brazil against the wasteful spending on soon-to-be white elephant mega stadiums (some built in cities that don’t even have a home futebol team!) at the expense of improvements in healthcare, education, urban development and other proper priorities.

My commitment to myself here at Qualidade de Vida has been to keep it positive. Living abroad, living in Brazil, struggling to learn a new language and to adapt to new cultural norms – it’s not an easy road. While there are a ton of really fun and cool things that come your way, there are also some pretty challenging realities that wear on you. The internet machine is full of very vocal people griping about how crappy their life has become since they moved to Brazil and had to turn in their minivan and their dream of a GE Profile PFE29PSDSS refrigerator that automatically fills your water glass without spilling. Truth be told, there are some realities in Brazil worth griping about. But that makes for a lousy blog post, in my opinion.

If you know me you know that I am not a futebol fan. I don’t know the rules of soccer. I have never watched a basket ball game through in its entirety. The gratuitous violence in so many hockey games turns me off. The cultural grip American football has over the social construction of masculinity in the United States makes me sad. Sports have never been my thing. But hey, I get it that others go bonkers over this stuff. It’s all good. Go for it. But please don’t be stupid.

It seemed to me that the World Cup coming to Brazil was potentially a really good thing. Brazilians live and breathe futebol in such an all-consuming way that is difficult (perhaps impossible) to imagine if you don’t live here. This was an opportunity to put that passion on a world stage and really shine. It was an opportunity for Brazilians, the vast majority of whom have relatively little to nothing in terms of daily comforts, to focus on national pride and escape the hardships of their normal waking hours. Somewhere in here was an opportunity to leverage preparation spending to benefit locals in the long run.

But the World Cup is actually a big business venture. Oh yeah, they have international sports heroes play some games and all, but at the end of the day the event – the actual nuts and bolts of the event – is a venture capitalist’s wet dream. And the politicians that get to play with other people’s money? Well they are like pigs in slop. The television networks will make their money. Coca-cola, Budweiser and Visa will reinforce their brand to their followers. And large developers will make a killing on slip shod building projects that shine in the short term and then sit to decay when the cameras shut off.

Are we surprised? Is this unique to Brazil? Sadly no. FIFA has been leaving messes like this in their wake for a generation. The Olympic Committee comes to mind as another culprit of capitalizing on the public’s need to escape our daily drudgery if only for a short while. The Super Bowl folks in the States play this game, selling struggling communities the “privilege” to wave tax policies and local environmental ordinances to build unnecessary stadiums with money they don’t have on the promise of future glory which never comes… blah, blah, blah.

For me the good news is that this kind of corporate greed and political malfeasance is so in your face that the public gets awakened from their sleep and digs in for a chance to speak their mind. The communities displaced by developers making papier mâché facilities stand up and demand to be heard. Tax payers who may typically let a little corruption with public funds go unanswered suddenly say “enough.” A population is reminded who is supposed to be in charge and asserts itself to reestablish that order. Sometimes there is progress. Often times not. But at least people come alive for a short while and new activists are born.

Brazilians all across the country have been speaking up to say “enough.” There is a long political tradition here, like in so many developing countries and elsewhere, of deeply entrenched corruption.  It is endemic in the worst way. The population has largely been beaten into submission and share a feeling of hopelessness when it comes to politicians actually doing anything honest or truly good for the people – without also stealing a boat load of money in the process. But there is also a strong tradition of rebellion. Brazilians are fighters. Don’t forget it was just 30 years ago, in 1984, that widespread, organized, public pressure resulted in the brutal dictatorial government of Brazil surrendering to a popularly installed democratic administration. The taste of people power still lingers in the mouths of many present day citizens.

"Our heroes are teachers, not futebol players."

The current repulsive examples of corrupt politicians, greedy investors, entitled corporations and crony media networks has once again awakened a sleeping giant in Brazil. Students, urban residents, parents, religious leaders, artists, native peoples, labor unions… you name it. Look around – folks are pissed. Some say we are in for another round of people power that will result in real, lasting and proper changes for the better. Others just sigh and try to go back to sleep. We’ll see…

But the World Cup is coming. Billions have been spent. Sports broadcasters from around the globe are settling in for a fun ride. Fans are hoping for the best. And Brazilians still stand among the most enthusiastic fans once their team takes to the field. Politicians be damned – let’s play some futebol!

Room available in Rio for the World Cup

Those are the magic words so many people are trying to hear. As the World Cup approaches the frenzy to tie down suitable housing arrangements all over Brazil has reached a fever pitch. Take a breath. Cool down. I've got some practical advice to help you find the room you require.

There are still great rooms available (like this one, for example). And dare I say it: there will likely still be rooms to find even after the Cup has begun. Let me lay it out.

First things first. If you are looking for that nice hotel in the popular Copacabana/Ipanema/Leblon tourist-friendly beach side zone in Rio, well then, you probably should have had your people call their people a long time ago. Reports that “all” of the hotel rooms in Rio are booked started coming out weeks ago. The easy stuff in the nice locations are gone. Period. Let it go. Just going to a hotel website and booking a room is no longer an option. You can take a little solace in knowing that the folks who got those rooms paid through the nose for them. Hotels have been shameless in their inflated pricing and minimum stay requirements. Chances are great you will ultimately wind up with a perfectly suitable place for a lot less money.

So now what? What’s a Cup fan to do? Let’s get real, practical and specific – and get off the well-worn hotel path. Luiz and I have traveled to many corners of the globe during all seasons of the year. We generally travel on a limited budget prioritizing our safety while also not being shy about staying somewhere completely unexpected. Here are several approaches that have worked for us that may well help you secure your booking.

This is cute, but it is not a good map. Get a good map.

Before we get into it- get a map. Get a good map, not a tourist map that makes Rio look like just three rich neighborhoods with beaches plus outlying areas. Open up your map and locate where you need to go while at your location, where you prefer to stay, and where you would consider staying. Then identify the bus, Metro and taxi routes that weave in and around those areas. If there is a subway system (Metro), and of course Rio has one but there may be readers looking beyond Rio, then expand your “would consider” areas to include those areas around Metro stops that are perhaps further out than you had first considered. The subway will whisk you about very quickly, so being further out is compensated for. The larger your area under consideration the larger your chances of thoughtful, realistic success.

And don’t stop at city boundaries. Places like Niterói, for example, may be a neighboring city to Rio but travel times to and from matches will actually be faster from some areas in Niterói than from some (seemingly more desirable) areas within Rio. Traffic and transportation routes can easily warp travel times. And traffic within the city proper can be nightmarish. In the case of Rio and Niterói there is a ferry service between them that often trims 20 – 30 minutes or more off taking a car, taxi or bus between the same points.

Private rentals

Utilize the websites that post private homes and rooms within homes for rent. Places like Airbnb, HomeAway, and misterbnb, to name a few, are part of a growing number of “vacation rentals” websites growing in popularity. These sites are great for connecting you directly with people who have opened up their home/apartment or a room therein in locations in and around where you want to be. (Normally I would suggest checking out the couchsurfing website for more options, but I have heard again and again in recent weeks that this option is pretty well sewn up.) The vast majority of hosts and guests that utilize these services report having a flawless experience and guests often report enjoying the accommodations better than the typical (and typically more expensive) hotel room.

This looks pretty typical for a living and kitchen space in a regular one or two bedroom apartment.

This is a little more on the higher end of things.

The prices listed by hosts at these sites during the month of the World Cup vary from the ridiculously expensive, often posted by those looking to cash in on the “screw-the-tourists” WC fever going on here, to the great value room that offers more than a hotel for less money, to the VERY cheap opportunity that is perfectly doable but may be in a location or situation you had not previously considered - and is available if you just choose to give it a go.

Be sure to expand your search criteria on these sites to include any neighboring cities you have under consideration.

The great thing about these self-hosting sites is that just as you have been procrastinating to finally nail down your housing, so have home hosts been procrastinating to finally post their unit or room for rent, so new good stuff, often in great locations, continues to appear. If you don’t find anything one day, continue to visit the site and watch for new listings. Once a first-time host books their apartment they will tell their friends and get them on board for listing theirs as well, so another great place may open up soon thereafter. Monitor these sites over time. Luiz and I have a room in our apartment that is available. Check out our listing here.

OK, so that was an obvious option. Here’s another route that produces fresh results that may be off the organized room-rental grid.

Social networking

Duh… Capitalize on the networks you have in place for work and your personal life. Utilize those online social networking sites. I am a member of several Facebook Groups in the Rio area that connect gringos, including groups related to cooking and dining, “garage sale”- stuff for sale, employment networking, bloggers, expats, etc. These groups are comprised of folks on the ground in Rio and beyond that can quickly expand your eyes and ears when searching for a place to rent. Just last week one group member mentioned that they had a couple friends from Europe looking for a place and within a few hours a half dozen group members posted that they had rooms or entire apartments for rent. Drill down into these sites. Search for relevant groups and politely post your needs. If they are closed groups see if the administrator will let you make a one-time post. Be friendly and fun – don’t be an ugly troll. Match the vibe of the group you are poking your head into. Many of these groups prohibit posting solicitations, so consider reaching out to members to make a personal connection and then make your request for local assistance in a private message.

Simple room on the higher end.

As usual, asking everyone you know to ask everyone they know will do wonders for your search.

Utilize forums on travel sites

Sites like Lonely Planet, TripAdvisor. Fodor’sTravel, VirtualTourist, etc. have forums (discussion boards) where travelers ask questions of each other and self-appointed helpful locals. The people who frequent these forums as helpers are usually very eager to offer advice to others. Locate the forums section and key into the city you are targeting (I've linked to Rio above). You can post your need for a room or an apartment to rent there. Also request any insider tips folks may have for those off-the-grid options in those cities.

Pretty typical efficiency kitchen.

Newer two or three bedroom apartments may have a kitchen like this.

I have seen multiple posts lately, at several of the forums I haunt, from World Cup visitors who have already booked space but their travel companions have bailed on them. So now they are looking to hook up with other travelers at the last minute to fill out the space and share the costs already incurred. So it is worth checking in at these sites periodically to see if fellow travelers are looking for you. If you post a request for help or reply to a comment already on the board you can have notice of subsequent comments sent to your email, so you can post requests at multiple sites and not have to circle back and check them all the time.

Consider staying in a favela community

Rio’s favelas (usually defined as poor, slum areas) get a pretty nasty rep in the international press. Heck, most of the time they get a wicked nasty rep in our local press. To the uninformed person looking from the outside in most favelas can look like pretty intimidating, nasty and dicey places. That may be, in fact,  an accurate description for many, many such areas. But there are exceptions. For good or for bad there have been municipally organized incursions into several of Rio’s favela communities by police forces to “pacify” these areas. The stated intention is to win back control of these communities for law-abiding residents and to deny that control to drug traffickers and their minions. This effort has been met with mixed reactions by residents and mixed results by police. Let’s just save that discussion for another time.

For our purposes here it is worth noting that there are indeed some areas in some favelas in Rio that offer very good and relatively safe accommodation opportunities during the Cup. Many poor neighborhoods are just neighborhoods with poor folks living there. Not much drama. And those folks often have perfectly comfortable housing which some are opening up to visitors to rent during their stay in Rio.

Check out Favela Experience’s World Cup Accommodations website for some unlikely yet terrific options. I will remind you that most of the rich folks in Rio live down by the water/beach. The poor folks live in the favelas that have been climbing up the steep hillsides for decades. That means the favela residents have all the killer views.

Book a room in a favela and prepare to have your preconceptions shattered.

Work it out on foot

Yep. That’s right. Just show up and figure it out. It can be done. It works. But it is not for everyone.

This is where I offer my pep talk about the power of personality: your self confidence that allows you to go this route; your gregariousness that enables you to speak to practically everyone you meet to ask for their help; and your gut feeling that keeps you calm and safe in situations that you may not have planned to be in. 

This fly-by-the-seat-of-your-pants approach to traveling is not new or all that rare. But it is not for everyone.

In our experience, between Luiz and I, we have found perfectly suitable and quite reasonably priced rooms upon arrival in P-Town, Massachusetts during the 4^th of July weekend, in Cabo Frio, Brazil during Carnaval and in Venice, Italy the day before Carnavale. ALL of those situations are simply written off as a fool’s errand by armchair travelers who insist on booking ahead.

The thing to keep in mind is that there are most certainly more rooms available than most people know how to access. I once found a room in the Latin Quarter in Paris upon arrival and paid less than half of what I would have paid for most anything available online in advance. I had to walk down a few side streets and inquire at a number of unlikely places, but it panned out in less than a few hours.

Many, many local hotels do not have a website or are not even on consolidated business association websites. So searching for space via the internet shows only a portion of what’s out there. You need to walk up and down every street in your (prioritized) “preferred” or “would consider” neighborhoods and stop at every hotel and inquire. If they are full, ask where they might suggest you look. Just because a hotel is relatively invisible beyond its front door does not necessarily mean it is not worth staying at. Certainly preview the rooms, but keep an open mind. You may be very pleasantly surprised. The available room may have a balcony overlooking a magical hidden garden area. Many family owned hotels are just not working the business networking thing. There are scores of these types of hotels in Rio.

The trick behind making this pressured search work is: a) trust you will find a room, b) travel light so you can search without lugging around multiple pieces of luggage, c) give yourself some time to search before it gets dark. Don’t arrive at 5 p.m. and expect success before the sun goes down. d) speak to EVERYONE you come in contact with and ask for help, e) if you find a place that is fully occupied, question everyone there about their ideas for where else to look (once a clerk at a small hotel in Cusco, Peru agreed to call her brother at another hotel which lead us to a tip that paid off), f) include in your requests for help a friendly suggestion that you would pay to be a home guest at their place or the place of someone they might suggest (again, this has worked out well for us in the past), g) don’t give up easily. Enjoy the hunt. Rather than get all stressed, know that it is going to take time and effort and just pace yourself. Take in the neighborhood feel and notice the architecture around you. Stop for lunch or a coffee, etc. It’s only a fool’s errand if you give up too easily and act the fool while looking.

One of our best week long stays came about by meeting someone at an ice cream parlor who, after chatting for a bit, offered to move her and her baby out of her home and into her mother’s place to then rent us her house. She needed the money and we needed a place to stay. Win, win. Plus we had all the conveniences of home. Then there was the time in relatively rural Turkey where our inquiring around for a great place for dinner resulted in a guy giving us a ride (to and from) his brother’s restaurant a few miles away. The food was excellent. People who need the money will help you find a solution. Wear a smile and talk to everyone. And have fun with it.

If all else fails consider spending the night in one of Rio’s hundreds of “love hotels,” generally labeled motels. These establishments are in most areas and can vary from pretty fancy setups where all the magic happens to seriously funky flop houses where you should probably use your own sheets. But seriously, many of these motels can be a reasonable place to spend a night to get a fresh start on your neighborhood search in the morning.

Perhaps I digress. Admittedly most folks going to the World Cup did not pay all that money for air travel and game tickets to find themselves sleeping in a temporarily-converted children's room and doubled up with three generations of residents in a private home or in a room adjacent to a sex worker’s home base. I guess my point is to think outside the box and know that a solution is out there for those willing to put in the shoe leather to find it.

So to wrap up… 

The bad news (which you already know) is that if you have read this far you probably have plans to be in Brazil for the World Cup but you have yet to secure all the housing you need during your stay. The good news is that you still have a lot of time to sort things out. But don’t delay any further. Get to work putting some of these tips into action. People with extra cash in their possession can usually pay someone to solve their problem for them (and in the case of the World Cup they will get very expensive accommodation, for sure). The rest of us have to produce some personal magic, otherwise known as hard work.

Don’t panic. You still have time. Now get to it. Being in Brazil for the World Cup is going to be amazing and worth all your efforts. Good luck!

Carnaval Blocos de Rua in Rio

At last count there are 523 blocos (neighborhood street parties) scheduled in Rio from now through Carnaval 2014. I've got news for you. If you come to Rio for Carnaval and don’t have a good time… you are probably in a coma. For a growing list of Rio’s blocos, go here.

All too often the mistake is made that Carnaval in Rio is all, and exclusively, about the main event: the over-the-top fantastic Carnaval Parade in the Sambadrome that takes place all night and into the dawn on Sunday and Monday nights. That is truly a once in a lifetime party that should be on your bucket list. But the spirit of the loooong holiday weekend is definitely embedded in Rio’s residents, its neighborhoods and the very organic eruptions of neighborhood pride packed into its Blocos.

Blocos are the free, no tickets required, popular street parties that are the main popular expression of Carnaval throughout Rio. Blocos typically include live music, parading, party/costume themes and sometimes a performance stage. The bigger events may include a trio elétrico. All blocos are a riot of music, beer, celebration, beer, community pride, beer, and just plain fun, fun, fun.

Make no mistake, Blocos are not unique to Rio. They are popular in cities all over Brazil. Wikipedia cites the Brazilian state of Pernambuco as the center of Brazil’s Bloco universe, noting that the biggest bloco “Galo da Madrugada” attracts more than 2 million people in downtown Recife.

Some folks have their favorite bloco. Some blocos have a long, storied history. Some blocos have morphed in character over time, growing into huge events. Some have outgrown their earlier appeal. More and more are starting to include chemical toilets (thank you city government rules enforcement). All of them will have countless street vendors selling beer, other beverages and lots of food. These parties are walk up events open to all.

Going to a bloco is a very low maintenance thing. Just put on some very comfortable clothes. Be prepared for rain. Take just your house key, ID and some money. Leave all your unnecessary documents at home. Blocos are by far and away safe events, but you know how “opportunity creates the thief.” Pickpockets love crowds. Take your patience with crowds and your spirit of adventure.

Go. Catch the vibe. Dance. Smile. Feel the love.

Bom Carnaval.

2014 Rio Carnaval tickets

Sunday and Monday tickets. Tab at the bottom gets you in. Tab in the middle gets you into your Sector. The big badge you wear all night to get in and out of your sector.

Every year Luiz and I sit alert at our phones (and computer) to blast into the mad rush phone feeding frenzy that is the sale of Carnaval tickets in Rio. The tickets are made available at 9:00 a.m. on a set date via a series of telephone numbers. Depending on which Sector you are seeking tickets for, you dial that number and hope to get patched through to the business-like computer voice prompter to buy tickets. This year we got lucky and have some extras. More about that at the bottom of the post.

Prior to the sale date we coordinate with our friends to see where everyone wishes to sit and we all gear up to buy as many tickets as we can in that Sector. If one of us does not get through the hope is that someone else will and we can then buy them from each other. Ultimately we are working as a group to ensure our group can all see at least one night of the Carnaval Parade.

The big parade/competition takes place over two days: Sunday and Monday of Carnaval weekend. The neighborhood Schools of Samba are randomly assigned to parade at a particular time on either day. Which night is the best night to go is often a topic of great debate. Everyone has their favorite School(s) so if favorites among friends are split between two nights we have a debate on our hands regarding which night we should be trying to get tickets for. Some years the choice is obvious and clear. Other years some folks will follow the group on one night, but then spend the extra bank to see their personal favorite School on the other night.

Which Sector to sit in is a discussion that has been settled for many years. Among our group of friends the decision is largely a financial one. Carnaval tickets are expensive, even when buying them directly from LIESA, the Central League of Independent Schools of Samba, the official ticket vendor. The so-called “best” Sectors are generally seen to be Sectors 6, 7, 8 and 9. They are good because they are located far enough back from the beginning of the parade route that you can get a visual overview of nearly the entire School. The numerous sections of the parading School tell a visual narrative that corresponds to the music. Seen all together you get the best impact. Prices in these Sectors are way too steep for our crowd, especially for just one night out.

Sectors 4, 5, 10, and 11 are also good choices, if you have the cash. While not the ideal locations they still provide that long(ish) view you are looking for.

Us regular folks who go almost every year (some of whom have gone dozens of times over the years) look for a good value combining price and location. Since this is neither the first nor the last time in the Sambadromo we know the drill and are quite happy with Sectors 2 or 3. They are near to the front so the energy of the School is very high and the precision of their choreography is still on point and not frayed with fatigue. Sectors 12 and 13 can offer cheaper seats, but the Schools at that point (the end of the route) are often disorganized and sometimes running frantically toward the finish line to stay within the rigid time frame allowed and not receive a penalty for going over.

The night of the event we arrive early and claim a large area for our group at the down-route side of the Sector. You quickly learn that you have to stake a big claim on space at the onset because slowly but surely that shrinks in the face of a growing crowd of spectators worming their way into fractions of space throughout the seating area. It is inevitable. But we have some practiced skills at maintaining our spot throughout the night.

It’s always a great night. As a group we bring with us plenty of food and drink to last the long 9 hours or so of the show. Everyone knows all the songs and have years of stories to correspond to every School. The friendly competition insisting which School has been best over the years, insider scandalous gossip regarding the current Carnavelescos (the creative director, like the futebol coach), and assertions of confidence as to who will surely be named Champion this year make the many hours pass quickly. And the show itself NEVER disappoints!

Sound good? Well, like I said. We have some extra tickets available for both Saturday and Sunday nights. Send me an email if you want more information.

Bom Carnaval!

Visiting two flower festivals in northern São Paulo

Luiz and I get itchy feet if we find ourselves in Niterói for too long. Our persistent desire is to get out for a bit of wandering every couple of months, with a nice long vacation at least once a year. Lucky for us Brazil still offers countless nooks and crannies we have yet to explore, both right in our back yard as well as across the country. While we have been to scores of places throughout Brazil, not surprisingly we still harbor an insatiable desire to see and experience even more.

Our recent getaway was to Águas de Lindoia, a small town just about 200 kilometers north of São Paulo, near the state border with Minas Gerais. The impetus for the trip was to take in two regional flower festivals: the more famous of which is in Holambra and the other in Atibaia. We also visited Monte Sião, a tiny town noted for its clothing manufacturer outlet shops (i.e. really cheap good clothes).

We signed up with a tour operator for a four day/three night package excursion which included nearly everything (transportation, hotel, most meals, event admission tickets, etc.). Note: we do not own a car and car rentals in Brazil are mind-blowing expensive, so we sometimes join a package tour for short adventures not easily done by busses on our own. Tagging along with a package tour is generally hit or miss depending on how your wishes line up with the established itinerary of the package – and whether or not you share travel values with the operator. We have a great eco-tourism operator we travel with and are still working on a great match in the rural or coastal town adventures department.

Watch this space for a future post investigating the positives and negatives of package tours and tour operators. Coming soon.

Thursday mid-morning, on the way to our home base in the town of Águas de Lindoia we passed the largest Catholic basilica in South America: the Basilica of the National Shrine of Our LadyAparecida. The site is dedicated to Nossa Senhora da Conceição Aparecida, roughly translated as OurLady of Conception Who Appeared.  As the story goes, fisherman trying unsuccessfully to catch sufficient fish to feed a pending governor’s banquet caught in their net the body portion of a statue of the Virgin Mary. They cast their net out again and retrieved the head. As you might imagine, the story continues that thereafter they caught all the fish they required, and then some, to supply the banquet. Thus the holy spot was pronounced. Pope Francis stopped here recently while visiting Rio.

Just inside the basilica entrance there was this rather odd image of fishermen realizing success under the watchful eye of what looks to be a voluptuous va-jay-jay. I was confused. 

It is a huge structure. We took an hour or so to check it out, then returned to the bus and pressed onward.

The hotel in Águas de Lindoia was great. Nice room, great breakfast and dinner, good pool area, etc., but the town itself was a little sleepy. 

We were mostly in Águas de Lindoia because it was centrally located to the other places we planned to visit. There was a nice little park in the center of town, complete with a huge pond (small lake?). Very well kept and peaceful.

Holambra was hosting the main event: Expoflora 2013. 

This tiny town of somewhere around 11,000 residents, originally populated by Dutch immigrants, sports one traffic light, a few phaux Holland-type buildings, expansive flower farms in all directions, and most importantly, the well developed fair grounds where they host the annual flower festival. Our tour bus joined hundreds of others disgorging visitors to the festival. We spent a good four or five hours wandering through exhibit pavilions, watching traditional Dutch dance performances, shopping for flowering plants and tasting traditional Holland-inspired foods.

Overall the flower arrangements were delightful, but dare I say a bit predictable and commercial. The featured designers who created most of the designs in the main exhibit area seemed to follow the typical Brazilian impulse (as we have come to see it over and over) of relying on sheer bulk over design or creativity. I am posting photos of some of the more creative designs.

It was fun to shop for live flowering plants, and indeed we bought quite a few, but the prices were not very discounted. Not really. If you ever plan a trip with buying plants in mind, be forewarned.

The end of the day featured a shower of petals.

The next day we were shuttled off to tiny Monte Sião, just over the state line in Minas Gerais, for some discount clothing shopping at the dozens of small shops featuring factory direct sales. Good quality stuff, overall. Residents of nearby Campinas would do well to check out this place for some great value clothes shopping, including a great selection of men's and women's sweaters.

Luiz and I had no desire to go shopping, but alas it was part of the package. Many people who take these excursions are really into the shopping bits, so most folks enjoyed themselves. But Luiz and I, plus a few of the husbands killing time while their wives shopped, wandered off the main square and found the local artisan cheese shop and stopped for some grilled fresh blood sausage and beverages at tables right in front of the butcher shop. That’s more my style. Luiz hated the blood sausage thing, but me and the other guys really got into tasting it grilled with onions while listening to the butcher’s grown son describe their family recipe and production procedure. Now that’s village life at its best in my book.

View of the pool from our room balcony.

During the second half of the day Luiz and I begged off the next shopping stop and had the driver drop us back in Águas de Lindoia near our hotel. We chose the pool and some sun over still more retail entertainment.

We left just after breakfast on Sunday to make our way back to Rio with an extended stop in Atibaia for their annual Festival of Flowers and Strawberries. Now this is a local event I can recommend. It seemed much more organic to the community (not just a tourist thing like in Holambra). The festival overall and the flower displays in particular where heavily influenced by Japanese culture. Much more artful than the other event. And the strawberry sweets and treats for sale were irresistible.

This was somebody's amazing Lady Slipper orchid. Beautiful! 

Many of the flowering plants on display were provided by residents showing off their green thumb handiwork. You could really feel the sense of community and pride. And the plants on sale were WAY cheaper than similar items in Holambra. Garden shoppers should definitely check out this event for any purchases. There was also a mid-size sale of local handicrafts. Pottery, soaps, embroidered items, candles, the usual stuff, was included. We picked up a jar of homemade, sugar-free, strawberry preserves and a super cute pair of chickens made from small gourds perfect for – somewhere – in our apartment. J

Once back home, in the days that followed, Luiz set to sprucing up his little flower and herb garden in our kitchen window. Life is good again. Now Luiz sets his sights for a six day trip next month to PortoSeguro in southern Bahia. He’ll be traveling with his mother for some needed time away.

These are about half of what we bought.

Our kitchen window garden.