“There were acerola trees and graviola and guava and maracuya and mandarin and caqui and pinha. At one stage, I stumbled upon a pineapple growing right before my eyes and I realised that I had never really thought about how a pineapple
grows,
and I could have easily gone my whole life without ever knowing, no matter how readily the information may have been available on the Internet.
It was in the centre of what looked like a giant cactus and it scared me to think that I couldn't drag out a memory of that sight
from my sub-conscious, but I was quickly distracted by turning around to find a star fruit hanging from a tree in front of me.”
Introduction
Brazil has been a revelation to me. The seven months I spent there gave me the opportunity to see the world again as if it were a new discovery. However, I knew that the sensation wouldn't last, as I became used to and took for granted, the tiny and enormous differences
that I encountered every day. I have written this account so that I can look back and see what wonders and curiosities filled my time when I first arrived there. I have also written it to provide a glimpse of what you might expect to encounter if you follow a similar path to my own.
Most importantly though, I hope this information will serve as a guide and a reference to all the more complicated and less desirable considerations of being a stranger in Brazil.
Content
The navigation topics will lead you into specific areas of the Brazilian way of life, with my observations of the places I have visited and people I have met. Curitiba, the capital of the southern state of Parana, plays host to many of my endeavours and is where I lived. I have also taken incidents from time spent in Joinville (Santa Catarina), Umuarama (Parana) and from the huge cities of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.
Links
The following links are for sites that offer further information about Brazil, from tourism to factual data. You will also find other external links located in relevant sections. This website takes no responsibilty for the content of these sites, nor the accuracy of the information therein.
- Turismo Brazil - A government run website, focusing on tourism.
- Curitiba - A website about Curitiba, aimed at tourists.
- CIA Factbook - A website, centred around Brazil's factual status.
- livinginbrazil.com.br - A website, directed at companies and individuals wishing to re-locate to Brazil; or to the USA, from Brazil.
