Niterói’s ocean beaches

Niterói has some of the most beautiful coastal beaches in the area. If you are looking for urban beaches with mosaic promenades, rushing traffic, restaurants and shopping, then Rio is definitely your best bet. But if you are looking for quiet natural surroundings and beautiful views of Rio – check out the ocean beaches in Niterói.

There are many beaches surrounding Niterói but due to the low water quality within Guanabara Bay it’s best to seek out a “praia oceânica” (ocean beach) for swimming, surfing, snorkeling or fishing.

Itaípu Beach – this has been our personal favorite for years. It is about 1,000 meters long and is bordered on one end by a string of small, simple seafood restaurants which keep you in food and drink at umbrella-shaded tables on the sand. There is a tiny fishing village still in operation with a 1.5 meter wide walkway through its center.

The water is very calm, so this beach attracts families with small children as well as deep water spear fishermen. There’s nothing better than buying a fish from the guy emerging from the sea and then having your restaurant friends cook it up for you. Add cold beer. Ahhh – qualidade de vida. And the sunsets are amazing – with the golden sun dropping behind Rio.

Several Niterói bus lines terminate at the beach and there is a line (Pendotiba 770) that originates in Rio and terminates at the beach.

Camboinhas Beach – This is a very popular beach with food and drink services at tables on the sand (waiters run up and down from the kiosks located back by the road). The 2,600 meter beach can get a little hectic during summer weekends with jet skis zipping back and forth just offshore. The view of Rio is fantastic. Since there is no bus access to this beach it is popular among those with cars, or those seeking to be at a beach where those without cars cannot reach. But this does not mean fewer people. On a hot summer weekend the place is MOBBED with swimmers and sunbathers.

Piratininga Beach – This 2,700 meter long beach is split into two parts. There is the long end, which does not get a lot of traffic, but some, and then there is the more protected “prainha” where the surf is calmer (although it can still get pretty rough) and is more scenic. On busy days local independent entrepreneurs cover about half of the prainha with tables and chairs and serve food and beverages from their base camps under large awnings. This section is popular, in part, because there is a large rock formation from which you can dive into the surf.

Several bus lines terminate at this beach, but none from Rio.

Itacuatiara Beach – This spectacularly scenic beach is just 700 meters long and is truly mesmerizing. There are no services on the beach, so it is more of a do-it-yourself beach. There are food and beverage kiosks along the frontage road, but you have to leave the beach to get to them and there is a thick bank of vegetation that often blocks your view of the sea.

Itacuatiara is preferred by surfers. The surf is generally rough and sometimes downright dangerous. The lifeguards will call you out of the water and often down from the rocks at the first sign of large swells. The sea has a reputation for drowning swimmers here. But the sun bathing is fantastic. This beach, which you can reach by bus, is the “see and be seen” destination for the younger set. Lots of eye candy.

On the far west end of the beach is a tiny area where the surf is blocked by some rocks. Even on rough water days swimming is possible there. Actually it’s a bit small for swimming proper, but you can safely get wet to escape the heat.

Each beach has its appeal and we switch off from one to the other frequently, depending on our mood or which friends will be joining us. There is no shortage of options. Come check them out.

Best advice: visit the beach Monday through Thursday to avoid the crowds and arrive early to get some beach time in before the sun is impossible to bear.

You know you are in Brazil when

You know you are in Brazil when a family decides to build their house (while the city is not paying attention) directly in the middle of the road.

Last month, after a long legal process involving four city departments plus Niterói’s attorney general, this two story house (nearly completed) in the coastal Niterói neighborhood of Piratininga was torn down.

To be fair, it was at the end of the street. But there was no residential lot at the end of the road, rather the open space was to provide access to the lagoon immediately beyond what was the end of the street.

In this case a family decided the paved road provided a ready-made foundation for their construction site. Plus they got a prime location with an unobstructed view of the lagoon!

I can just hear the neighbors growling: “What are they doing? Ah, oh well, what can we do about it anyways? Sigh.” The construction clearly went on for months and months to get to the point it was at before the family (likely smelling the city closing in on them) abandoned the project without a trace.

The fuzzy photo above is of the city’s bulldozer finally taking the house down and restoring the open space.

Grover discovers the meaning of marriage

Recently Brazil put into law that LGBT couples (or straight couples for that matter) who register as being in a Stable Union can now pass their federal pensions on to their partner after death.  Another small step, and a right still not afforded LGBT folks in my country of birth.

Anyway - in case you were curious, Sesame Street's Grover interviews little Jessie here and clarifies "What is Marriage?"



UPDATE: And at the other end of the spectrum, here is attorney Ted Olson, the conservative powerhouse attorney who teamed with liberal powerhouse David Boies to overturn Proposition 8 in California, deftly explaining (on FOX news no-less) the bedrock righteousness of the court’s decision. Check it out.



[Thanks, Jake, for the link.]

Tex Mex in Niterói

It’s not as easy as you might think. I went to three grocery stores and could not find jalapeño peppers. And no one had corn chips in bags bigger than lunch snack size.

We were determined. I bought a slightly less-than-ripe avocado. We fell back on pimenta oil, since jalapeños were not available. And like it or not our only corn chip option was snack bags of Doritos corn chips with fake cheese flavor.

But at the end of the day we had luscious nachos with guacamole. Can you say SATISFACTION?

I was hosting a friend of mine who had never eaten guacamole before. Mission accomplished. Smiles around.

UPDATE: all the recipes for this fabulous lunch are now posted at Danielle's "Cooking In Brazil" blog.

Another step toward equality

Check out this powerful statement by the sponsors of the case that just struck down marriage discrimination in California.



Step by step we creep toward equality. (Why must we ask for permission?)

Today was a BIG day in California.

"In a major victory for gay rights activists, a federal judge ruled on Wednesday that a voter initiative banning same-sex marriage in California violated the Constitution's equal protection and due process rights clauses.

After a five-month wait, 9th Circuit District Court Judge Vaughn Walker offered a 136-page decision in the case of Perry v. Schwarzenegger, firmly rejecting Proposition 8, which was passed by voters in November 2008.

'Although Proposition 8 fails to possess even a rational basis, the evidence presented at trial shows that gays and lesbians are the type of minority strict scrutiny was designed to protect,' Walker ruled."

"Plaintiffs do not seek recognition of a new right. To characterize plaintiffs' objective as "the right to same-sex marriage" would suggest that plaintiffs seek something different from what opposite-sex couples across the state enjoy -- namely, marriage. Rather, plaintiffs ask California to recognize their relationships for what they are: marriages."

"Proposition 8 places the force of law behind stigmas against gays and lesbians, including: gays and lesbians do not have intimate relationships similar to heterosexual couples; gays and lesbians are not as good as heterosexuals; and gay and lesbian relationships do not deserve the full recognition of society."

That is to say: Prop 8 was bullshit and has now been deemed so under the law.  Let's move on.

So we are happy - but did you catch it?  The judge ruled that the opposition failed to "possess even a rational basis" behind their bullshit arguments.  The arguments that keep us from being with our loved ones in the hospital, that stop us from being full parents to our children, that allow us to support each other through medical benefits at work, that allow our partners to stay in our rental properties after we DIE, that give our homophobic relatives the right to scavenge through everything if a partner dies.  And on and on.  Spare me.

Today is a good day.  But why must we fight so?

Brazilian fashion - always upscale

If you are not already monitoring the Made In Brazil blog - you should be.

Great fashion, total joy, nothing but eye candy - girl and boy (OK, mostly boy).

The author is committed to promoting Brazilian (male) models.  True inside ti ti ti.

[Luiz does TV - I do the internet.]

The other blog I love for women's street fashion is Rio Etc.  If I were a woman this would be my go-to spot for being fashionable on a budget (or not).  Take the tip ladies.

But then, what do I know...

Dare I say: Qualidade de Vida

Luiz and I enjoy a rather slow paced life. We have left behind the frantic 9 to 6 or 7 or 9 or 10:30 lifestyle we endured while working in San Francisco. With few exceptions nowadays neither Luiz nor I work a Saturday (never a Sunday). Outside of the ambient heat, I don’t think either of us has broken a sweat since we got here.

It is a different world. It is a world we anticipated, created and embrace. We did not move to Brazil to be frantic entrepreneurs seeking to make a gazillion dollars. Slow and steady wins the race down here.

Since every day seems like Sunday I do on occasion think “should I be working more?” but then I snap out of it and say “WHY?” That is the USA trap I have escaped from. I know who I am. I am not defined by my business accomplishments. Luiz is more than that which he might produce.

It has been hard for us to let go of the dynamic so endemic in the United States that defines you by your economic achievements, by your job, by your title.

Been there. Done that. Now we live here. Graças a deus. These are different times.

We worked hard to prepare for a different reality here in Brazil. The numbers are on our side. It is important that we not fall back into the stressful dynamic of our past – because the growing middle class in Brazil seems to be adopting these preoccupations and would encourage us to work, work, work to buy a side by side refrigerator.

We are happy. We got off that train a couple years ago. And we are doing just fine, thank you very much. No stress. More travel. Quiet afternoons. Much more beach time.

It is possible. Run the numbers. Just say no/yes.