Not only did two weeks in Rio de Janeiro make me use with ease the Brazilian/Portuguese interjection “Oba, Oba” (which means Wow! or, Amazing!), it also convinced me that Brazil has to be in everybody’s bucket list. There is so much to see, to marvel at and to do in this country, the biggest in the South American continent. I stayed at a hotel right along Copacabana Beach, the four-kilometer stretch of powdery white sand facing the Atlantic Ocean, which is one of the reasons why the country is very popular among fun-loving tourists. I learned that the original beach used to be just a thin sliver of white sand, not enough to accommodate sunbathers. But in the early 1970s, the government decided to do something to prevent the sea from reaching the houses along the beach during typhoons. A large landfill took care of that problem, consequently increasing the beach area, giving Copacabana Beach the aesthetics that has made it famous.
Then there is Cristo Redentor (Christ The Redeemer), the biggest statue of Jesus Christ in the world, and recently named as one of the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. Perched on top of Corcovado Mountain, overlooking the entire city of Rio de Janeiro and the surrounding bay, the statue is two-thirds the size of the Statue of Liberty (officially known as Liberty Enlightening The World) and has become the iconic symbol of Brazil. Its outstretched arms signify peace, but tourist guides are quick to claim that the country wants to show visitors that Jesus Christ himself welcomes them to Rio, as the statue is very visible to those arriving in the city by plane or by ship.
A little over an hour away north of Rio de Janeiro is Petropolis, also known as The Imperial City, simply because it is where the Brazilian Emperor had his beautiful summer residence. Now, that building is being used as the Imperial Museum, with loads of precious artifacts detailing the history of the country. Very much like our Baguio City, Petropolis has cool climate throughout the year, except during winter when the temperature goes down to as low as 11 degrees Centigrade.
But my visit to Rio would not have been complete if I didn’t go to Ipanema Beach, which is just at the southern end of Copacabana Beach. Taking a cue from the very popular Astrud Gilberto bossa nova hit song in the mid-60s, I made sure I would spend time in Ipanema.
The girl referred to in the song is Helo Pinheiro, at that time, a very attractive 17-year-old girl living in Ipanema. Every day, she would walk past the same bar-café, when she leaves her house to go anywhere. Sometimes, she would even go inside the bar to get cigarettes for her mother and would be complimented with wolf-whistles when she leaves. In one of those times, noted Brazilian composer Antonio Carlos Jobim saw her walk by the bar, was mesmerized by her beauty coupled with her distinct sensuous gait, and the rest is history.
Cariocas, the name given to residents of Rio de Janeiro, are just like us, Filipinos. They also love to have fun, eat and party. Of course, they love the Samba, best performed during the weeklong Pre-Lenten Carnival in Rio, the biggest, most famous, most colorful, and longest street dancing event in the world.
Groups participating in the event are called Samba schools. Each school dons their chosen costume and performs a particular set of synchronized Samba steps. Close to a hundred Samba schools take part in the celebration, each with hundreds of participants dressed in extremely colorful and dazzling get-ups.
Another discovery I had about Brazil recently is the Acai (pronounced “asa-ee”) berry, which is indigenous to the country. This small, round, dark-purple fruit of the Acai palms is reported to purvey health benefits, like lowering cholesterol, decreasing body weight, improving memory, reversing diabetes and is even believed to be an aphrodisiac.
Its popularity has surged in recent years that a local Filipino company has marketed a concentrated health supplement, Organique Acai Premium Blend, which is processed and bottled in California. Cathy Salimbangon, executive vice president of Organique, underscores the company’s commitment to encourage Filipinos to lead a happy, fulfilling life. I’m sure she wants all of us to be able to party some more and enjoy what life and the world has in store for us.
And so, as the Cariocas are wont to proclaim, “Oba, Oba to life!”
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YOUR FRIDAY CHUCKLE
A little boy says, “Dad, I heard that, in some parts of Africa, a man doesn’t know his wife until he marries her.” “Son,” says the Dad “that happens everywhere.”