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Eugene Holley, Jr. |
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The
many worlds that this South American capital offers you
all the year long. |
Cidade Marvilhosa
Rio de Janeiro is known as the “Cidade Marvilhosa” (marvelous
city) thanks to its
cool and cosmopolitan beaches Leme,
Copacabana, Ipanema, and Leblon; and its world-famous Carnaval,
which
occurs in the last week of February. It marches with the
pomp and
pageantry of its Portuguese/Roman empire origins and
swings with the African beat of the samba. To get to Carnaval requires
booking no less than a year
in
advance.
But if you visit this Brazilian city of about six million people in
November, when the temperature
averages
about
85 degrees, you
might discover a Rio
beyond Carnaval; a Rio of many worlds
forged by five centuries of
Amerindian, European, and African
historical and cultural interaction. The city’s bairros
(districts) offer a variety of contrasting landscapes and
buildings.
There’s the neocolonial Parque das Ruinas (Ruins Park), the converted
Murtinho Nobre Palace of Laurinda Santos in the hills of Santa
Teresa, the sailboat and kayak friendly Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon,
and the futuristic cylindrical,
pyramid-shaped Metropolitan
Cathedral in the Centro - the business district.
Urbanity
and Nature
Urbanity and nature
have embraced since the city was founded January 1,
1502, by the Portuguese captain André Gonçalves Coelho, who
christened the land surrounding Guanabara Bay “Rio de Janeiro”
(River of January), because he thought he had discovered the
estuary of a great river.
The 1,296-foot Sugarloaf Mountain (Pão de Azucar), which
shadows the
bay, offers a spectacular view of the city via its cable car ride.
The Botanical Gardens house over 5,000 species of plants with a
number of prize sculptures from Brazilian sculptor Mestre Valetim.
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It’s a united nations of flora founded in 1809 by Prince Dom João
VI, the Portuguese monarch who relocated his court to Rio one year
earlier to escape Napoleon.
The gardens are located next to the Tijuca Forest, the world’s largest
urban forest. The Tijuca National Park
abounds
with
waterfalls,
grottos,
peaks, and
lookout points that make it a perfect spot for
hiking,
hang-gliding, and family picnics.
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The highest destination of the forest is the 2,310-foot peak Corcovado
(hunchback). Topping this mountain is the haunting 1931 statue of
Christ the Redeemer, which rises 131 feet into the sky.
Old
Brazilian Capital
Rio has many churches, like Our Lady of Candelaria Church, built in 1775,
with its baroque and Byzantine architectural influences in the
downtown district. The
sparse, but equally impressive Our Lady of
Rosario Church houses a moving
moving slave museum.
From 1889 to 1960, Rio was the capital of Brazil and the seat of the
Portuguese empire. The 2,200-seat Municipal Theater, which opened
in 1909, is a neoclassic masterpiece designed like the Paris Opera
House down to its Louis XV-style golden foyer. It’s the
country’s most prestigious
venue, and its lunch hour opera
recitals are a moving feast of sound. The National Museum of Fine
Arts, the Casa Franca-Brasil, and the
dazzling Belle Époque decor
of the Confeitaria Colombo Restaurant also show strong Gallic
influences.
Culinary
Rio
Then there’s the culinary Rio. Feijoada is the Brazilian
version of African-American “soul food.” It’s a
tasty dish
made of pork, sausage, and beef served with farofa, fried
onion and egg mixed with
manioc
flour and rice. Guaraná is
the national soft drink that tastes like ginger ale with a
pinch
of strawberry. Then there’s churrasco (barbecue)
which you can
enjoy at
excellent
Churrascarias.
The people of Rio call themselves cariocas, and their festive
character is best expressed by their energetic samba schools:
large working class
ensembles that represent the city’s
neighborhoods during Carnaval. Try to observe a
rehearsal
of a samba school like the Unidos da Tijuca and
you will be blown
away by the power of the African-derived processional pulsations
of the batería (percussion) section and the dazzling
choreography of the dancers called passistas.
The best places to hear bossa nova are at the Garota de Ipanema and Toca
do Vinicius.
If you want some spicy Brazilian jazz,
check out
Ipanema’s Jazzmania, the Satchmo Jazz Bar in Botafogo, or the
Rio Jazz Club in Copacabana.
With its 500th anniversary in 2002, Rio is
enduring and
eternal for visitors. |
Source: Hispanic Online Website |
GLOSSARY |
cool:
neither warm or very cold
(cálidas)
occurs: takes place (tiene lugar)
pageantry: rich and spectacular ceremony (pompa)
booking: reservations (reservas de pasajes u hotel)
in advance: beforehand (de antemano, por
adelantado)
averages about: is about (promedia)
beyond: in addition to (además de, aparte de)
forged: moulded, shaped (forjado, establecido)
Amerindian: Native American (amerindio)
pyramid-shaped: with the shape of a pyramid (piramidal)
embraced: included, integrated (integrado)
christened: gave the name (bautizaron)
shadows:
casts a shadow over (da sombra a)
abounds with: has plenty of (abunda en)
grottos:
small caves (grutas) |
peaks:
hills, mountains (picos, cerros)
lookout points: observation posts (miradores)
hang-gliding: flying a hang-glider (aladeltismo)
sparse: not dense (esparcido, no denso)
slave: servitude person (esclavo)
venue: spot, place (lugar, punto turístico)
dazzling: fulgurant (deslumbrante)
tasty: mouth-watering (sabroso)
manioc flour: starch from manioc of (harina de tapioca)
pinch: touch (toque, agregado)
ensembles: groups of musicians (conjuntos musicales)
rehearsal: practice session (ensayo)
blown away: carried away (arrastrado)
check out: visit (visita, pasa por)
enduring: unceasing (incesante) |
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MAS
"VIAJES Y OCIO"
FORO
INICIO |
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