Hi there,

It has been a while since the last time I went to Brazil! You probably think this is not too much time, but the fact is I miss it a lot!!! The best way to deal with it: listen to my CD's that I brought from Brazil and look for something interesting in the Web.
And Gosh, I found so many interesting sites about Brazil that I decided to create this page with links to them. It's still under construction. So, it has only a few links. However, if you are brazilian, you'll probably like to check this out!! And if you are just curious about the country, give a chance to some of the following links. You may find very interesting things out there!! You may find out that the country is not only Carnival and soccer games (although you'll find a lot about them as well). You may also understand why 10 months far from my country is so painful to me!!!

• First of all, let's make something very clear here! The official language is Portuguese, not spanish ! So, if you ever meet a brazilian, do not try to make a good impression by speaking spanish. Take my advice, it will not work!!!

  However, many brazilians can either speak correct and official Spanish or something we call Portunhol , a (sometimes ``dangerous'') mixture of both languages that only brazilians and people who speak spanish and have a lot of patience can understand. (Unfortunately, the best that I can do is to mumble things in Portunhol ;-)))

• Now, a bit of culture. Brazilians have a very proper sense of humor. Because the country has so many economical and social problems, brazilians are used to face difficulties with humor. We try to make jokes at everything, not only good but also bad things. Brazilians laugh a lot, and are very sarcastic, especially when facing bad situations. This does not mean that we do not care. This is just our way of handling the problems. So, do not think that we are not serious people. If you end up thinking that, then you really could not get the best we have. As we used to say: you went to Rome, but you did not see the Pope.

• Virtual Tour

  You can really go for a virtual tour through Brazil in this page. You'll find many pictures from different regions of Brazil, statistics about the country, history, weather, culture. Sergio did a very good job (I'm too lazy to build a web page as complete as his. That's why the best that I can do is to add a link to his page here!! ;-))
  
  

• Brazilian Culture on the Web

  I just loved this page!!! Everything that you can think of about our culture is there. Check out the pictures!! They are just great!!! Also, the brazilian eating habits!! That was kind of torture to me, especially the pictures of dishes and desserts (birthday parties)!!! That's one of the main complaints of brazilians outside the country, right? Well, I'm not different from them!! Take a look on the picture and recipe of Pão de Queijo (Cheese Rolls). That was a really a torture, because, after all, I am a very typical mineira ;-)) What about the barbecue?!! Fortunately, here in Madison we have the Barbecue of Independence, every 7th of September! It's pretty much like a welcome back to my stomach!! ;-))) Ah, check out also the crosscultural pages if you want to learn more about our culture! The brazilian body language manual is very funny!!!
  
  

• Another Virtual Trip to Brazil

  I have just found this page! I liked the picture, but I wanted one with the Christ looking at me!! Anyway, this page has links to almost every city in the country where the Internet has already arrived!!
  
  

• Brazil Info

  In case you're planning to visit the country, check this out! You can find a lot of information about hotels, tourism agencies, national parks, etc.
  
  

• São Paulo

  Try this guide of São Paulo city and check what the biggest city in the country looks like!
  
  

• Check out this photographic tour through Rio de Janeiro

  
  
  

• Have you ever heard of Porto Seguro ?

  No?? So you just never heard of one of the most beautiful and ``fun'' places in Brazil (at least in my opinion)! Not to mention its historical importance: this was the first place visited by the portugueses when they first arrived in Brazil, almost 5 centuries ago! It is located in the south of Bahia (I need to add a link to some nice page about Bahia! That's a must!) I've been there before, almost 10 years ago. It was after Carnival, the town was almost empty (no tourists) and still, it was one of my best trips!!! Just to give you a bit of its beauty I put this picture of one of its many beaches!
  
  

• Click here to see a great collection of pictures from Brazil!! The best I found out there, in the Web!
  

• National Park of Caparaó

  Do you like nature? Pico da Bandeira (Flag Peak) is one of the highest points of Brazil and is located very close to my hometown, in the state of Minas Gerais. It is 2890 meter high. I have not gone to the top yet, but it was just a matter of luck! It is not very smart to try to climb after it rains. In anycase, there is a beatiful and peaceful waterfall in the park that makes you want to stay there forever.

• National Park of the Cipó Hill

  This is another national park, located very close to Belo Horizonte, the capital of the state of Minas Gerais. You probably have already guessed that our fauna and flora are very rich (Well and I don't even start talking about Amazonia ;-)))

• Minas Gerais

  Check all this info about the state in Brazil where I came from!

• Brazilian Fauna

  Just in case you want to see some exotic animals... I am still looking for a nice web page about Amazonia.

• Fernando de Noronha

  Do you like scuba diving? Or maybe just spend some time in a wonderful island? This is the place.
  
  

• Music!!!! As you may know, this is one of our best and richest cultural expressions. So, if you like Music (good music, I should say), check this out!!!
  
  • Marisa Monte
  • Gilberto Gil
  • Caetano Veloso
  • Tom's club - Tom Jobim
  • Olodum
  • Tim Maia

  • Sounds of Brazil
  • Brazilian Popular Music (MPB) - This page is great! It has the lyrics of thousands of brazilian songs! (in Portuguese)

  I am still trying to find other artists that I like and that have a web page in english...

• Do you want to know everything about the greatest show on Earth?
  

• Click here to see a big picture of Carnival in Rio!
  

• Carnival around the world!
  

• We also have other parties. Check this out: Festa Junina (Saint John's Party)

  I think every brazilian can remember going to a Festa Junina, especially when he/she was a kid. But this festival is taken very seriously in some parts of the country, especially in Paraíba, in the Northeast. The official dance, there, is forró !!
  

  

• And since we started talking about dancing, I should not forget the official dance in the country: Samba !!
  • Samba Brasil
  • World-Wide Samba Home Page

  
  

• Latin Percussion

  I am always amazed and amused with the diversity of musical instruments that brazilians, and latin cultures in general, have. Although I studied music for some time and was supposed to know all of them, there are still many that I just can not recognize if I see. Check out the pictures of the following instruments in this Web page. Have you ever heard of them before??

  
  • Berimbau (commonly used in groups of Capoeira)
  • Tamborim (essential during Carnival)
  • Cuica (that's how you recognize a samba! Listen to the cuica)
  • Maraca (made by indian tribes, it has a very proper sound)
  • Bongos (borrowed from cuban brothers, it's always welcome in a group of friends)
  • Agogo

  But if you really like drums and percussion, check out Olodum's web page. Also, have you ever tried to make music from match boxes? Some brazilian are experts on that!!!

  I'm still looking for a picture of a roda de samba to show you!

  
  
  That is it... at least for now. I finish with pictures of the Christ (in case you never heard of it, check this out) and of Belo Horizonte.
  
  

  Can you see the Pão de Açúcar (Sugar Loaf) hill down there, on the left side of the picture?

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  The Christ is illuminated at night! It's a wonderful view!
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  

  Finally: Belo Horizonte, BH.