Brazil

View of Pão de Açúcar (Sugarloaf Mountain) from the top of Corcovado Mountain.

Brazil

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I have only had the fortune of visiting two cities in the intriguing and beautiful country of Brazil: Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo. Brazil is the 5th largest country in the world in terms of both population and land area, and its economy ranks 9th in the world (in terms of purchasing power). Clearly there is much more for me to see in this country, and I look forward to returning one day.

Rio de Janeiro

Corcovado

Corcovado Mountain is perhaps Rio de Janeiro's most famous attraction; it was recently named one of the New Seven Wonders of the World. In Portuguese, Corvocado means "hunchback," referring to the shape of the mountain. At the top stands a large statue of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer), overlooking the city. The view from the top of the mountain is spectacular. You can reach the top via a road or by taking a train through a lush forest. Built in 1884, the railroad is Brazil's old electric railroad.

Small model of Cristo Redentor (Christ the Redeemer) with tourists at the bottom of Corcovado Mountain.

Train that takes visitors to the top of Corcovado Mountain. Built in 1884, this is Brazil's old electric railroad.

Ipanema and islands viewed from the top of Corcovado Mountain.

View of Rio de Janeiro from the top of Corcovado Mountain.

Forest area viewed from the top of Corcovado Mountain.

View of Leblon and Dois Irmãos Hills from the top of Corcovado Mountain.

Ipanema

Ipanema is one of Rio de Janeiro's beaches, internationally popularized by Antonio Carlos Jobim's bossa nova song, Girl from Ipanema. Ipanema is smaller than Rio's other well-known beach, Copacabana, with fewer tourists. Photos below include some of Leblon, an adjacent beach.

Ipanema Beach at sunrise. Palm trees and boat.

Island with lighthouse at sunrise, viewed from Ipanema.

São Paulo

São Paulo is Brazil's business center. With a population of 19 million in the greater metropolitan area, it is the largest city in the southern hemisphere.

Luz Station, part of São Paulo's metropolitan rail system, was built in the late 19th century.

São Paulo skyscrapers, reflected in river.

Clothes drying on balcony of São Paulo apartment.

Sign advertising acupuncture as a cure for impotence and premature ejaculation.

São Paulo street. Pedestrians and garbage receptacle.

Mannequin at entrance to mannequin store.

Entrance to Embraer, headquartered in São José dos Campos, near São Paulo. Third largest airline producer in the world after Boeing and Airbus.

Many cars in Brazil can run on gasoline, alcohol, or any mixture of the two.

Interestingly, many cars in Brazil are flexible-fuel vehicles; they can run on gasoline, alcohol, or any mixture of the two.

Truck with "100% Jesus Deus é fiel" ("100% Jesus God is faithful") written on the bumper.

Apparently this truck runs on 100% Jesus.

Favelas

A favela is a Brazilian shanty town, where people live in close quarters in poorly-constructed houses, often without sewage or electricity. The most famous favelas are in Rio de Janiero, constructed on hillsides overlooking the city (in a North American city, those hillsides with views would have the highest land prices in the city). These pictures below are of the less famous favelas in and around São Paulo.

Billboard advertising McDonald's in front of a favela near São Paulo.

Liberdade

The Liberdade neighborhood of São Paulo holds the largest Japanese population outside of Japan.

Man smoking in Liberdade, a Japanese district in São Paulo.

Kaisen Alimentos. A food shop in Liberdade, a Japanese district in São Paulo.

Graffiti

Some of the most interesting, beautiful, and strange graffiti I've ever seen can be found in the city of São Paulo. Some day I'd like to hire a driver and spend an entire day on a "graffiti tour." Here are some examples:

Graffiti in Liberdade (see above for description of neighborhood):

Graffiti in Liberdade, a Japanese district in São Paulo.

Natura

Natura, headquartered outside of São Paulo, is Brazil's largest cosmestics company. Natura's headquarters and factory are gorgeous, laid out according to feng shui principles. Employee benefits are similar to Google's: free busses to work, free food (including organic and vegetarian selections), gym, massages, on-site doctor, and child care. Solar power is collected in the parking lot, and the company has planted a forest of indigenous trees on its grounds. Natura has won numerous awards for its management and environmentalism.

Forest planted at headquarters of Natura, Brazil's largest cosmetics company.

Bird on the grounds of Natura, Brazil's largest cosmetics company.

Plaques commemorating "consultant" (salesperson) visits to the headquarters of Natura, Brazil's largest cosmetics company.

Factory workers. Headquarters of Natura, Brazil's largest cosmetics company.

Factory. Headquarters of Natura, Brazil's largest cosmetics company.

Stacks of products. Headquarters of Natura, Brazil's largest cosmetics company.

Crystals. Headquarters of Natura, Brazil's largest cosmetics company.

The Pau Brasil tree, after which the country of Brazil was named. Located at headquarters of Natura, Brazil's largest cosmetics company.

This is the Pau Brasil tree, after which the country of Brazil was named.

Eve Andersson (eve@eveandersson.com)

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