Essence of Rio

Rio 2016 unveils Olympic Park masterplan

2011-08-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

The Organising Committee for the Rio 2016 Olympic Games has unveiled the masterplan for the city’s Olympic Park, following an international competition to find the best design. The winning project was chosen ahead of 60 entries from companies in 18 countries and outlines both the park’s Games-time usage and the long-term legacy it will leave for Rio.

It shows how the different areas of the Olympic Park will be used, such as where the public spaces, squares and parks will be located, and also outlines the location of the permanent and temporary venues and the future real estate developments to be built at the site.

In 2016, the Olympic Park will be at the heart of the Games, hosting the competitions for 10 Olympic sports (basketball, judo, taekwondo, wrestling, handball, hockey, tennis, cycling, aquatics and gymnastics). The Main Press Centre (MPC) and the International Broadcasting Centre (IBC) will also be built on the site.

The new permanent sports venues in the Olympic Park will be built around the existing facilities, such as the Maria Lenk Aquatic Centre, the Olympic Velodrome and the Olympic Arena. After the Games, this group of venues will form South America’s first Olympic Training Centre, helping to discover and develop sporting talent, while at least 60 per cent of the Olympic Park will be freed up for future developments.

“This is yet another step taken towards building the Rio 2016 Games legacy,” said Carlos Arthur Nuzman, President of the Rio 2016 Organising Committee. “The Olympic Park legacy for Brazilian sports will be a training centre modelled after the successful experiences of the world’s greatest sporting powers.”

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Brazil: An intriguing battle of No 10s

2011-07-09T18:19:00.000-07:00

As Brazil brace up to host the 2014 WC, fans’ expectations reach a feverish pitch

Sooner than we know it, and it seems sooner than Brazil needs to prepare for it, the most successful soccer country on Earth will hold the 2014 World Cup.

FIFA and the Brazilian authorities are at odds about the pace of building not just stadiums, but the airports, roads and hotels needed for such a gargantuan event.

Those spats are very familiar. Remember the doubts about Athens being ready on time for the 2004 Olympic Games? Remember what was said about South Africa being fit to stage the 2010 World Cup? They got there, though both are still counting the cost.

Right now, however, Brazil’s burden is greater. It expects not just to play host to the World Cup, but to win it. Its emerging economy might cope with the bills, but its players will not be allowed to forget that soccer is not simply Brazil’s game, it is The Beautiful Game.

They can either blame Pele for that or be inspired by the way he and his generation played it. Pele could never have been the great performer he was without men like Tostao and Gerson to read his intent and create his openings; those two remain respected, and demanding, commentators on the game in Brazil.

They played, 40 years ago, when a team could field more than one “playmaker.” Yet it is the No. 10 jersey that Pele wore that is so synonymous with Brazilian expectations. There are three tournaments that matter going on around the world at this moment: The Copa America in Argentina, the Women’s World Cup in Germany, and the World Under-17 event in Mexico.

So there are three No. 10s – Paulo Henrique Ganso on the senior Brazil men’s side, the incomparable Marta in women’s soccer, and a boy called Adryan Oliveira Tavares in the juniors.

Brazilian media expects great things from each of them, and it puts a heavy boot into any wearer of that jersey who falls below the levels set for them. It is often said that there are 203 million soccer experts in Brazil, all of them either supporters or critics, and all supposedly better judges at picking the national squads – the Selecao – than the incumbents.

When Brazil’s senior men’s team was held to a scoreless draw by Venezuela on Sunday, the experts damned the coach, Mano Menezes, for choosing the lineup he did, damned the field in La Plata for being below par for beautiful play, and damned the players’ lack of cohesion and finishing ability.

Menezes did not, could not, hide his own frustrations. He is charged with returning the Selecao to its proper, creative, Brazilian style. His predecessor, Dunga, had tried to make Brazil hard to beat by acknowledging that most decent Latin Americans these days are hired in their youth by European clubs, and thus conditioned to play a more pragmatic style.

It doesn’t work, and never has with Brazil. Joao Saldanha, the builder of the 1970 Brazil team, once complained bitterly that his successors studied in Europe and “imprisoned” players who should be free spirits into systems that repressed them. Menezes tries to reverse the trend. He selects younger players.

He trusts Neymar, the teenager of Santos, to express his talents. He tells Pato, the striker of AC Milan, that he is good enough to be the new Ronaldo. And Menezes builds the team around Ganso, another player developed at Santos, the club of Pele. Ganso is 21, by which time Pele was winning his second World Cup. But different players, especially Latins and especially the pivotal playmakers, grow into their skills at different ages.

Ganso has come through major knee surgery, and at 1.84 meters, or a little over 6 feet, he is taller than expressive, twisting, turning and inventive midfielders tend to be. He has an exquisite left foot and vision to match, but in La Plata on Sunday, he was the butt of the critics. He shouldered too much blame for Brazil running around like a bunch of individuals. And some who have not seen him shape matches for Santos do not see him as the No. 10 of the new Brazil.

Menezes does. With Kaka resting after severe injuries of his own, the next in line to be the playmaker is a wonderfully gifted Sao Paulo youngster – the 18-year-old Lucas Rodrigues Moura.

They keep on coming. Adryan is doing delightful things for the Under-17 side playing in Mexico at the moment. Then there is Marta. She might be the best, the most complete No. 10 Brazil currently possesses. Five times the world women’s player at the age of 25, her speed of movement and of thought this week were too much for Norway.

The Scandinavians are good athletes, but Norway’s defenders were bamboozled by Marta. Two goals from the No. 10, each struck with eye-of-the-needle precision, and a third created by her, confirmed that one player might not make a team, but can transcend it.

Marta’s message to all comers is that Brazilians think this is their time. Brazil has been decades behind the women’s movement in soccer, which is why Marta, the female Pele, has had to play abroad to win recognition. Her purpose now is to bring home a World Cup, and throw down the gauntlet on the men.

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Rio unveils cable car in notorious favela

2011-07-08T14:33:00.000-07:00

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff inaugurated Thursday the first cable car of the notoriously crime-ridden Complexo do Alemao, as Rio prepares to revamp the slums ahead of world sport meets.

Since 2008, Brazil's second-largest city has been racing against the clock to improve security and infrastructure in its shantytowns before hosting the 2014 World Cup and the Olympic Games in 2016.

Far from the Bondinho tramway that carries tourists to the top of Sugar Loaf Mountain, the new rail car forms the backbone of a project to overhaul transport in the impoverished neighborhoods that are elevated and cut off from one another.

Drug traffickers wield control over several such favelas.

"The Alemao cable car symbolizes the fact that we are investing not only in our main streets and hydroelectric plants, but also in people to change their daily lives because with the station, people living here will enjoy public services they didn't have before," Rousseff said at the inauguration ceremony.

Each station will be equipped with a post office, bank and library.

"Before, people used to consider leaving the neighborhood because of drug trafficking and insecurity, but now that will change," said the president, adding she was proud of her role in the "pacification" of the Alemao favelas during a major November 2010 military operation.

The authorities hope the cable car, currently stretching across 3.5 kilometers (2.2 miles) and six stations, will become an alternative means of transportation for nearly 70 percent of the people living in the Alemao, home to 85,000 inhabitants.

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Rio Launches Pre World Cup Facelift

2011-06-09T13:36:00.000-07:00

Rio Pre-World Cup Facelift

For Its Infamous Favelas

With an eye on the 2014 World Cup and 2016 Olympics, both to take place in Brazil, Rio de Janeiro plans to improve its image with an extreme makeover of its notorious hillside slums.

Already known as the Cidade Maravilhosa (Marvelous City,) Rio de Janeiro is getting ready to become more fabulous still. South America’s “sleeping giant,” Brazil has finally woken up and is quickly becoming an international power. And Rio, the country’s second largest city, is hoping to cut a profile worthy of that status by hiding its darkest sides: the favelas, its infamous hillside slums.

The housing department of the city has launched a program called Morar Carioca (Living Carioca Style) to reshape 215 of the city’s 600 favelas. In recent months, the police have struggled to pacify the slums. Now architecture will do its part to fix the many social issues that plague these troublesome areas, which together cover an area of about 12 million square meters. The Inter-American Development Bank has helped raise roughly 4 billion euros worth of funding for the project, and authorities have already selected 40 projects by some of Brazil’s best architecture firms to carry out the transformation.

The 2014 Football World Cup and the 2016 Olympic Games have together played a large part in hastening the projects and spurring fundraising efforts. But more importantly, according to sociologists, the Brazilian society is finally feeling the need to address long lasting social injustices.

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Richest Man Brazil

2011-03-09T14:46:00.000-08:00

Richest Men of the World

Eike Batista (No. 8)

Source: Mining, oil
Citizenship: Brazil

Brazil's richest man is gearing up to take over the world. Making a play for foreign investors, Batista announced this year the opening of an office in New York and his intention to list some of his companies on the London Stock Exchange.

Through his holding company, EBX, Batista controls businesses spanning mining, shipbuilding, energy, logistics, tourism and entertainment. After months of discussions, he was triumphant in February in taking control of Canadian gold outfit Ventana. Two-thirds of his fortune comes from OGX, the oil and gas exploration company he founded in 2007 and took public a year later. He says the company will start producing oil this year. In rare recent setback, his planned IPO for his shipbuilding business (OSX), meant to be the world's largest IPO in 2010, was a disappointment and has had a lukewarm reception in the Brazilian market.

The son of Brazil's revered former mining minister, who presided over mining giant Companhia Vale do Rio Doce, got his start in gold trading and mining. Onetime champion offshore powerboat racer; formerly married to Playboy cover girl. In media interviews he's been warning Carlos Slim Helú that he'll soon take his spot as the world's richest man, but he still has a ways to go.

Richest Man Brazil

Anti aging rainforest fruits

2011-02-13T08:58:00.000-08:00

You may think that the wondrous plants of the Amazon rainforest remain hidden from modern science, but their medicinal and energizing properties have not gone completely unnoticed.

The rainforest’s original inhabitants, the indigenous Indians, have been using the raw ingredients found in nature to heal, energize and improve their health and well-being. It may even have prolonged life.

The Western world is largely unaware of these rainforest treasures and their scientific benefits. But you are on the threshold of finding out what such discoveries can mean to you.

It will give you an advantage over others that are eating high-fat, high-carb diets that lead to obesity and a shortened lifespan. The life-giving juices and teas of the Amazon rainforest will make clear what the indigenous people of the Amazon have always known.

Anti aging rainforest fruits - Scientific background

The common factor in all the fruits, juices and teas of the Amazon is their content of antioxidants. Antioxidants are nature’s way of defending against chemicals and pollutants that threaten healthy cells every minute of the day. It is true of all living things, plants, animals and human beings.

Your body produces some antioxidants/enzymes quite naturally, but some can only be obtained from healthy foods.

Anti aging rainforest fruits - Antioxidant Enzymes

Naturally occurring enzymes perform billions of cell-saving operations in your body without exhausting themselves. Although your body will produce incredible amounts of antioxidant enzymes over your lifetime, it can be very slow to create new ones if your body is under siege. If your body is exposed to more pollutants than your antioxidant enzymes can destroy, your cells may be in trouble.

Certain fruits and plant-based foods contain antioxidants that your body can use over and above the body’s own antioxidant enzymes. For that reason it makes sense to consume a variety of the antioxidant rich botanicals every day. It is your body’s best defense against premature aging.

In addition to the antioxidant plants that you already know, grapes, blueberries, and green tea, here you will learn about some amazing rainforest plants poised to take the antioxidant world by storm.

There are fruits and teas that will give you energy and longer life - the ones from the rainforest. It is strange that they are not already well known in the Western world - why isn’t this already common knowledge? People in South America have used these plants for centuries, but the knowledge has been passed down from generation to generation orally - rather than in writing. This is particularly true among the people of the Amazon basin. Westerners simply have not had the opportunity to hear the stories.

Researchers who have made it a point to learn about and listen to the traditional healers have had their research priorities laid out for them.

As more and more about the wondrous fruits and plants have become known, they have set about the task of analyzing their active components and examining them in ways that is credible to modern science.

In case after case it has been established that the oral stories of indigenous Indians are correct and that the fruits and teas indeed have properties that energize and help them lead a longer and healthier life.

Let’s focus on three: açai, cupuaçu, and yearba mate. They are not yet household names in the West, the Indians of South America have been using them for centuries. Once you learn about their real qualities you’ll want a chance to take advantage of their amazing properties too.

Rio Olympics 2016 Logo

2011-02-01T15:57:00.000-08:00

New Year’s Eve in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil is always a big party, but this year it was even bigger than usual, with an estimated two million people showing up for celebrations around the Copacabana Beach.

The focus for this year’s celebrations was firmly on the Olympics, with the games scheduled to be held in the city in 2016. Celebrations included the unveiling of the official 2016 Olympic Games logo.

At 10pm, on large screens set up around the beach area, and amid a fanfare of music and fireworks the Olympics logo was revealed. The new emblem was designed by Rio agency Tatil and is based on four pillars that reflect both the spirit of Brazil and of the Olympic Games themselves - contagious energy; harmonious diversity; exuberant nature and Olympic spirit.

The new Olympics logo resembles three figures dancing hand-in-hand in yellow, green and blue, in which the famous form of Sugarloaf Mountain can also be seen. According to International Olympic Committee president Jacques Rogge

“The new Olympics logo really reflects the vision of Rio de Janeiro and Brazil for these games”. One thing is for certain, Rio de Janeiro is sure to be putting on one serious opening ceremony.

Original Story:

Logo of Rio Summer Olympics Games 2016

2011-01-09T10:59:00.000-08:00

Three people holding Each others Hands…

The logo of any international sporting event has to have such elements which reflect the colors of the particular event and the host city.

The final logo of Rio Summer Olympics 2016 has embedded within itself both these colors quite beautifully. Just a little deep and close look at the logo can make you understand the embedded theme and here we present to you this closer look in descriptive form.

* Three People: Three people colored as Green, Blue and Orange in the logo present a stylized version of the circles of Olympic Games Logo which represent the people of different continents participating in the Olympic Games.

* Holding Hands in Hands: This symbolizes unity among different nations of the world brought through sports which is one of the slogans of Olympic Games.

* Dancing Mode: All the three people are shown to be dancing which portrays the fun and enthusiasm of Carioca (Rio de Janeiro’s citizens) and Brazilians for sports. It also aims at reflecting the excitement of the Rio’s citizens for the transformation that SUMMER OLYMPICS GAMES 2016 are going to bring to Rio de Janeiro and in turn to Brazil.

* Shape of the Illustration: The shape formed by the internal space between the three dancing people in the illustration is made to resemble the SUGARLOAF MOUNTAIN in Rio de Janeiro. This landmark has been taken as a symbol for the city. The vertical shape between green and orange and the horizontal shape between green, orange and blue, both make up the shape of the Sugarloaf Mountain.

* Four Pillars of the Logo: It has been announced that the logo design is based on four pillars namely contagious energy, Harmonious Diversity, Exuberant nature and Olympic spirit.

The final logo of the Summer Olympics games 2016 is in complete affirmation with the culture and colors of Rio de Janeiro, the host city and the spirit of Olympics Games.

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Brazil is booming

2011-01-03T13:25:00.001-08:00

Brazil is the world's fifth largest car producer, and according to its national automakers' association:

• Auto sales are soaring and should total 3.5 million units for 2010, a 9.8 percent increase over the prior year.

• New cars are coming off assembly lines at an even faster pace. Automobile production in Brazil is forecast to grow 13.1 percent this year, more than the 6.5 percent expansion previously predicted.

• But the supply is not keeping up. Brazil still needs to import 20 percent of its demand for autos.

Next, take a closer look at this auto production picture from a regional viewpoint ...

Brazil is Argentina's biggest trade partner. And Brazil's auto demand is leading to a parts shortage in Argentina.

Brazil's factories can't keep up with demand.

Integration has become a focus for the regional auto makers who have plants in both countries. Any moves toward this should help the producers. In this case, the two large American companies, General Motors Corp (NYSE:GM) and Ford Motor Co (NYSE:F), have significant operations in Brazil and Argentina.

Fortunately, through the MERCOSUR agreements, Brazil and Argentina have virtually eliminated tariff and non-tariff barriers on most trade between them, creating a strong economic bond and spirit of cooperation.

The key solution now has to do with direct investment. In response, the Brazilian Development Bank and Argentina's Banco de La Nacion, are creating a debt-backed $200 million fund that will be available for the auto sector of both nations.

However, accommodating all the new vehicles creates another problem ...

It Will Take Billions to Get the Roads Back In Shape

According to President Rousseff,

"Brazil has gone for more than 30 years without investing in infrastructure in a sufficient amount. President Lula's administration started to change that. I have to solve the road issues in Brazil, the railroads, the highways, the ports, and the airports."

Brazil's highways need massive updating to accommodate all the new cars.

Consequently, the Brazilian government announced plans to spend more than $500 billion on infrastructure over the next four years, which should benefit the whole economy.

Sectors, such as utilities, telecommunications and industrial materials should see strong growth. An exchange traded fund (ETF), like EGShares Brazil Infrastructure (BRXX), is one way to get in on the action.

Brazil is in great shape. It has amassed a robust currency reserve of $287 billion, the eighth largest in the world, and is experiencing an economic boom never seen before. What's more, Brazil has one of the lowest debt-to-GDP ratios in the world. Its budget deficit is only three percent of GDP, compared to over 10 percent in the U.S.

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Rousseff sworn in as Brazil's new president

2011-01-01T13:57:00.000-08:00

Dilma Rousseff was sworn in as Brazil's first female president Saturday, capping a rapid political trajectory for the career technocrat and former Marxist rebel who was imprisoned and tortured during the nation's long military dictatorship.

Rousseff, 63, takes the helm of Latin America's largest nation, which has risen both financially and politically on the world stage under outgoing leader Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva.

"I am going to consolidate the transformative work done by President Lula," Rousseff said during a 40-minute inaugural address. "He changed the way the government is run, and led the people to trust in themselves."

Silva leaves office as the nation's most popular president with an approval rating that hit 87 percent in his last week in office. Rousseff was his hand-chosen successor — and served as his chief of staff, helping shape his policies.

Brazil has made significant progress since Silva was elected. His social programs and wealth redistribution helped pull 20 million people out of poverty. On the brink of a sovereign default in 2002, it now lends money to the International Monetary Fund. Unemployment is at a record low, its currency has more than doubled against the dollar and the nation will host the 2016 Olympics.

While proud of those gains, Rousseff said now was no time for her nation to relax.

"There is still poverty shaming our country," she said. "I will not rest while there are Brazilians without food on their table, homeless in the streets, and poor children abandoned to their luck."

Rousseff referenced those of her generation who fought and died at the hands of Brazil's 1964-85 military dictatorship. Rousseff was part of an armed rebel group for three years before being arrested and imprisoned in early 1970. She spent three years in jail, during which time she was brutally tortured.

"That at-times tough path made me value and love life much more," Rousseff said during her speech, choking back tears. "It gave me, more than anything else, courage to confront even bigger challenges. It is with this courage that I'm going to govern Brazil."

Rousseff, wearing a white skirt and matching jacket, took the oath of office alongside Vice President Michel Temer in the national Congress. A heavy rain swept over Brazil's capital, Brasilia, as Rousseff arrived at the Congress in a 1953 Rolls Royce, her hand waving out the window to the thousands of cheering onlookers. Her security detail comprised six young women, clad in black and running alongside the car through the downpour.

Rousseff takes on the formidable task of maintaining Brazil's momentum.

In the eight years under Silva, Brazil sharply cut poverty while its economy boomed, and it has increased its political clout on the global stage. Brazil will host the 2014 World Cup and is expected to be the world's fifth-largest economy by the time the 2016 Olympics come to the nation.

Huge challenges also await Rousseff, who served as Silva's energy minister before becoming his chief of staff, where her tough managerial manner earned her the moniker "Iron Lady."

In addition to sweeping improvements Brazil needs in its infrastructure, security and education, she confronts the danger of following the charismatic Silva, who leaves office with an 87 percent approval rating.

"Dilma will have to meet high expectations that the country is on an upward trajectory and life will continue to get better for the average Brazilian," said Michael Shifter, president of the Inter-American Dialogue. "That will not be an easy challenge."

Shifter said it could prove difficult for Brazil to maintain the pace of success it saw under Silva.

The external economic scenario could worsen, cutting into strong demand for Brazil's agricultural and industrial exports, particularly if anything should dampen China's growing appetite for Brazil's goods. The Asian nation this year passed the U.S. as Brazil's biggest trading partner.

And Rousseff will need a strong economy to improve the nation's woeful airports, ports, and roads — all vital in transporting Brazil's raw goods to market and in hosting the World Cup and the Olympics — events Brazilians hope will bolster their newfound image as a nation that gets things done.

Rousseff also will have to handle the unwieldy political coalitions required to govern Brazil. Silva, with his vast experience, his unique popularity and by sheer force of will was able to satisfy the leftist elements in his Workers Party, while at the same time employing orthodox economic policies to calm the business community that fretted early on about his socialist roots.

Rousseff lacks Silva's political acumen and charisma and it is not yet known if she will be able to command the far-flung components of the Workers Party while also keeping other factions happy in a coalition government.

But as Silva's hand-chosen successor, and a Cabinet member of his government from its start in 2003, Rousseff has the power of continuity going for her.

"Dilma represents a great novelty in Brazil," said Alexandre Barros, a political analyst with the Early Warning political risk group in Brasilia. "Before, every new government brought with it huge uncertainty. Everybody would shout about how Brazil was going to ruins. But now, with Rousseff, no. She represents what we've already seen."

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2016 Rio Olympic logo to unveil during New Year celebrations

2010-12-31T17:16:00.000-08:00

2016 Olympics’ official logo will be unveiled at the traditional New Year celebration of the Brazilian city. Just moments before the fireworks go off at Copacabana beach on Friday 31st midnight, the logo will be displayed by being projected on a large screen on the sand. International Olympic Committee’s members and local officials will be present on the occasion in addition to the millions of tourists and Rio residents.

In 2009, Rio was selected as the host for the 2016 Olympics. Rio defeated cities like Tokyo, Madrid and Chicago to ensure the honors. 2016 Olympics is also special because in that year, for the first time, Olympic Games will be held in the South American continent.

According to the organizers, the logo was selected after keeping in mind the South American culture. Not only that, they claimed that the logo will be a symbolic representation of the enthusiasm displayed by the South American people and the magnificent natural beauty of the continent.

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Brazil upgrades hotel supply as Olympics, World Cup approach

2010-02-26T15:46:00.000-08:00

As they gear up for the 2014 FIFA World Cup and the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, Brazil’s Ministry of Tourism and the Brazilian Development Bank (BNDES) are looking to refresh the country’s hotel inventory with a 1-billion Brazilian reais (US$544.5-million) line of credit for property refurbishment, expansion and ground-up construction.

But unlike the development booms that typically precede other major world events, Brazil’s will likely focus on its existing supply—not new builds, according to advisors and developers who work in and have studied the region closely.

The main reason? Oversupply.

“We already have lots of rooms in the big cities of Brazil. … what we most need is renovation of the existing hotels,” said Diogo Canteras, managing director of HVS in Brazil.

According to STR Global, there are 1,316 hotels comprising 167,035 rooms in the country, thanks in part to a surge in condo-hotel development in the 1980s and 1990s. The result has been a market weighed down by too much product, yielding average daily rates that are half that of other major countries and markets within the Americas. In January 2010, for example, the country posted an ADR of US$95.55, compared with Argentina (US$165.92), Costa Rica (US$172.73), Puerto Rico (US$192.90) and Venezuela (US$147.98).

But it’s not just oversupply that plagues the industry, Canteras said. Age is an equally debilitating factor. “The average age of a hotel is 30 years. … They really deserve a good renovation.”

Nowhere is that more true than the mid-market, which represents the majority of Brazil’s existing supply.

“I see the refurbishment much more focuses on the mid market,” Canteras said. “… They have depreciated a lot during these last years, and with some renovation you can better position this property from a mid-market property to an upper, mid-market segment (property).”

Renovations sought through the new line of credit will do more than provide a face lift; they’ll help propel the Brazilian hotel industry toward the standard of its counterparts throughout South and Central America, said Rogerio Basso, practice leader of Latin America for Ernst & Young.

“It’s certainly a move in the right direction to professionalize and enhance the standards and the quality of the lodging supply,” he said.

On the road to Rio For the 2016 Olympics

2010-02-23T19:54:00.000-08:00

Travel agents don’t have to wait six years to sell their clients on Rio de Janeiro. The members of the Brazil Tour Operators Association are now offering some great deals to one of the most besutiful cities in the world.

And you can bet that North Americans will get a warm welcome as the people of Rio, the Cariocas, are still celebrating winning the Olympic bid for the summer games in 2016.

Spectacularly sited between towering mountains and lush natural parks and surrounded by turquoise water and miles and miles of white sand beaches, Rio is a feast for the eyes and the senses.

Americans come to this sophisticated city for its sizzling, non-stop nightlife, world-class dining and its infectious party atmosphere – and not just during Carnival.

Balmy breezes and the sounds of samba and pagode fill the air all year round. And then there are the beaches – 55 miles of them – with names like Ipanema, Copacabana, Saõ Conrado, Leblon and Barra.

This Cidade Maravilhosa, or marvelous city, is especially dramatic when viewed from the 1,300-foot Pão de Açúcar, Sugar Loaf Mountain.

Visitors have a choice of two cable cars or – for the very intrepid – climbing. Rising 2,330 feet above the city is Corcovado Mountain, with a 98-foot statue of Christ and another panoramic view of dramatic Rio.

Corcovado lies within the largest park in Rio, Tijuca National Park. In its 8,000 acres visitors can see armadillos, iguanas and marmosets. The 340-acre Botanical Gardens offers more manicured natural beauty with 5,000 species of flora, including Imperial Palms planted in the 1800s.

Visitors can opt for a quiet afternoon walking or cycling around picturesque Lagoa Rodrigo de Frietas.

The Carmen Miranda Museum is located in Botofogo and art lovers will enjoy the Museum of Contemporary Art in Niterói, designed by famed native son Oscar Niemeyer. Santa Teresa has some 50 artists showing their works out of the neighborhood’s 19th century homes.

The city has a well-deserved reputation for its excellent restaurants serving authentic regional food, traditional barbecue, fresh seafood and every international cuisine.

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Paraty or Parati, Brazil's Baroque Pearl of the Tropics

2010-02-01T05:49:00.000-08:00

One of the most enchanting of all the old Portuguese colonial towns in Brazil, Paraty has been dubbed "a virtual museum in a tropical paradise" because of its blend of natural and architectural beauty.

Its grid of rough, cobblestone streets is lined with stark, white stone buildings decorated with brightly hued doors and window shutters. It's sandwiched between a backdrop of misty rainforest-encrusted mountains and sparkling seas graced with little yachts and schooners named after Pele and other famous Brazilian footballers.

You can hop on one of these boats, which will take you for a tour around the beautiful little islands nearby, but I prefer exploring the gorgeous town itself.

A small Indian settlement until the late 17th century, Paraty quickly grew in importance after the Bandeirantes, the Portuguese version of the Spanish conquistadors, stumbled across enormous gold deposits in the mountains of inland Brazil.

They needed somewhere from which to launch the booty back to Lisbon and Paraty, with its wide, curving harbour, fitted the bill.

It wasn't long before the rich began to construct lavish buildings and churches here and, four centuries on, Paraty still evokes something of a bygone feel - despite its smattering of souvenir shops, art galleries and cosmopolitan eateries.

If you visit, don't wear high heels and do think twice about hiring a bicycle to get around town. The rough and ready cobbled streets are challenging, to say the least.

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Bahia Brazil

2010-01-14T09:19:00.000-08:00

All eyes will turn to sultry Rio de Janeiro when it hosts the 2016 Olympic Games, but right now Brazil’s white-hot destination may be the northeastern state of Bahia. With its distinctive African-influenced flavors, cultural diversity, palm-fringed beaches and a new crop of chic hotels, the region is fast emerging as a jet-set playground.

In the village of Trancoso, a hideaway that gets more fashionable by the minute, the Dutch designer Wilbert Das (longtime creative director of the Diesel label) opened Uxua Casa Hotel (www.uxua.com) using recycled materials including old roof tiles and abandoned fishing boats. The hotel’s colorful casas and lush gardens were a canvas for the 2010 Pirelli calendar, shot by the bad-boy photographer Terry Richardson. Speaking of the town’s rising cachet, a luxury Fasano resort — with 30 beachfront villas, a restaurant and a spa — is in the works.

In Salvador, known for its pulsing street carnival and the historic Pelourinho district, head to one of the city’s boutique lodgings. Zank (www.zankhotel.com.br) recently opened in the residential Rio Vermelho section and seamlessly blends modern and classic styles, with exceptional views of the Atlantic Ocean just steps away. Nearby is the Pestana Bahia Lodge (www.pestana.com), with a hilltop infinity pool and sunny sea-view rooms. While there, don’t miss “The Kiss” and “The Thinker” by Auguste Rodin, on temporary view at the Palacete das Artes (palacetedasartesrodinbahia.blogspot.com), which opened a gallery devoted to the French sculptor.

— Paola Singer

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Excitingbrazil.com

It's Not Too Soon To Plan For The 2016 Summer Olympics?

2010-01-05T08:37:00.000-08:00

If you're Brazilian, or, a Cariocaphile (a Rio lover) then you've already started the countdown for the 2016 Summer Olympics in Rio de Janeiro. Back in October, we were down in the "Marvelous City" and right smack in the middle of Copacabana Beach with the rest of Rio for the world announcement. Don't worry, our writer Shira Levine cased the joint to check things out for those of you considering getting your Olympic Games on in, uhhh six and half years.

Based on how utterly psyched Brazilians, tourists in Brazil, and everyone on Twitter responded to the news that Rio would be hosting the 2016 Summer Olympics, it might be wise to get samba steppin' now to book that hotel stay and flight.

And good news to Southerners! As of Dec. 15, US Airways brought it with the Brazil-bound convenience and began direct service to Rio from its hub in Charlotte, North Carolina. So now you have a flight option, but what about a hotel? Never fear, we've pulled together some options below.

Brazil is one of the few economies that's grown during our global economic recession. By 2016 expect a completely reinvented Summer Games-ready Rio. Rio scored a $14.2 billion Olympic budget and has reportedly $60.3 billion in public and private investments. The city plans to develop an additional 14,000 hotel rooms to the currently 28,000 hotel rooms already lining the 50 miles of beaches. Yes, that's a lot of housekeeping.

As of now, those gunning for Carioca-style joie de vivre, can have their pick of our favorite fancypants hotels in Rio. Yes, they will cost you a pretty Brazilian Real whether your visit is for an overnight stay, a dip in the pool, or, a few caipirinhas.

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After Olympic party, hard work ahead for Brazil

2009-10-18T08:49:00.000-07:00

As Rio awoke from a night of celebration after being awarded the 2016 Olympics, Brazil was already looking ahead to years of hard work in what will be a historic time in Latin America's biggest nation.

The world's two biggest sporting events will take place in Brazil a few years from now — the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics — and the country has little time to spare.

"We know the IOC decision has increased our responsibility," Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said. "We know what we need to do. The word from now on is work, work and work."

Critics have questioned whether Brazil's infrastructure can handle such large events, and whether the country is safe enough to welcome the participants and tens of thousands of visitors into the country. Others say the events will help Brazil's emerging status as a world power — with the country predicted as the world's fifth-largest economy by 2016 — and serve as a catalyst for change and improvement to more than 190 million people.

"Brazil needed the Olympics. We needed this challenge," Silva said in Copenhagen just hours after Rio beat Madrid, Tokyo and Chicago. "We only needed one chance to prove that we are a great nation and that we have the capacity to do well just like any other country in the world."

Soccer's governing body FIFA awarded Brazil the World Cup in 2007 for the first time since 1950, and the International Olympic Committee on Friday decided to bring the games to South America for the first time.

It will be the fourth time the same nation hosts the Olympics and World Cup consecutively — Mexico did it in 1968 and 1970, Germany in 1972 and 1974 and the United States in 1994 and 1996.

"That's something I didn't think I would see one day in Brazil," 78-year-old retiree Claudio Correa said Saturday while strolling on Ipanema beach. "Two big events like these right here. It certainly puts Brazil's name right up there."

Silva said that in addition to giving Brazil the status of a "first-class nation," the high-profile competitions also give Brazil a boost in pride and self-esteem.

"No one is happier than Brazil's people," Silva said. "But maybe because we were a colony for such a long time, we always had this sense of inferiority, of not being important. We always thought that we couldn't do what the others could."

With a sound technical project and a lot of passion, the Brazilians and Rio de Janeiro convinced the IOC they were finally ready to host the Olympics, after failed attempts in 1936, 2004 and 2012.

But there is a lot to do before Brazil is ready to stage the two major competitions.

Despite natural beauties and fun-loving people, the nation also has to deal with poverty, violence and other problems inherent to a developing country. Among the problems that will have to be addressed ahead of 2016 are security and transportation.

"We'll have to sleep less and do more," Silva said.

Officials are already getting to work, and members of the new Rio 2016 Organizing Committee met with IOC officials on Saturday in Copenhagen to discuss future actions. Committee President Carlos Arthur Nuzman said several meetings in the next few days will be needed to begin organizing the city's plans.

Back home, media praised Rio's achievement with front-page headlines across the nation.

"Rio deserves it," the O Dia daily said.

The sports daily Lance wrote that the "The dream became reality."

Some analysts, however, pointed to the challenges and possible drawbacks the country will have by organizing two major competitions in a short period of time.

"This decision is great and we have to celebrate," columnist and TV commentator Antero Greco said. "But we know there will be a lot of public money involved in these competitions and we have the responsibility to make sure this money is going to be well used."

There was a lot of criticism because of a budget overrun following the 2007 Pan American Games in Rio, and there are concerns the same may happen with the Olympics, which will cost Brazil $14.4 billion.

A study by Brazil's sports ministry said the games are expected to create 120,000 jobs each year across Brazil until 2016, plus 130,000 jobs per year the following 10 years. Tourism also likely will get a boost, as will the hotel industry.

In addition, funding to crime-fighting programs has already been granted to Rio and more is on the way. The city will likely host the World Cup's main media center and FIFA's headquarters in 2014.

The Cariocas, as Rio citizens are known, celebrated wildly on Copacabana when IOC President Jacques Rogge announced Rio as the winner Friday. The party then moved to the beachside bars for the traditional choppe (draft beer) and caipirinha — a Brazilian cocktail made from sugarcane liquor, fresh fruit, sugar and ice.

"There is a lot of reason for Brazilians to be celebrating," said 25-year-old Ecuadorean Gabriela Baroja. "Brazil will become a better country."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jSXt7bbhIZKMmDyPvAZ-dTP_B2hQD9B3NOV81

Rio de Janeiro woos Woody Allen movie project

2009-10-14T17:53:00.000-07:00

The Brazilian city, host of the 2016 Olympics, is courting film productions to gain jobs and polish its image as a tourist destination.

The Brazilian city has formed a new film commission, hired a longtime movie industry pro to head it and set an ambitious first goal: landing the next Woody Allen flick.

Taking a cue from Barcelona, the Spanish city that was the principal setting for Allen's last film, "Vicky Cristina Barcelona," Rio is dangling $2 million in subsidies to attract the director's as-yet-untitled next movie.

This month, Rio was named the site for the 2016 Summer Olympic Games, and city fathers hope it's on a roll. It will also be one of several Brazilian cities hosting the 2014 World Cup soccer match.

Although nothing is signed, Allen's production company sent two top producers -- Stephen Tenenbaum and the director's sister Letty Aronson -- to Rio this month to scout locations. They made stops at landmarks including Sugar Loaf Mountain, the Botanical Garden and a park near the hilltop Christ the Redeemer statue.

Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes and Rio de Janeiro state governor Sergio Cabral agreed last month to merge the city and state film commissions. The new Rio Film Commission has been given a $45-million three-year budget that includes promotion and incentives.

The political allies see movies as a way of boosting tourism, creating jobs and polishing the city's image, which has been besmirched in recent years by rampant crime.

Steve Solot, the longtime Latin America chief for the Motion Picture Assn., was named to head the new commission. Although Solot said Rio is competing with "all the film commissions of the world" to attract Allen, he expressed confidence that the New York-based director's next movie would happen in Rio.

"It will be a postcard for the city and state and a step toward making Rio a real destination not just for filming but for tourists leading up to the World Cup and Olympics," Solot said.

Despite its exotic scenery and festive spirit, Rio's major film productions have been few and far between. They include Alfred Hitchcock's "Notorious" (1946); a James Bond film, "Moonraker" (1979); "Blame It on Rio" (1984), starring Michael Caine; "Moon Over Parador" (1988), with Richard Dreyfuss; and "The Expendables," a Sylvester Stallone vehicle slated to open next year.

Many businesses, including film production services, have fled Rio in recent years because of the crime rate. Although the city dominates in the production of soap operas, most commercial films and videos are shot in Sao Paulo, the country's business hub, said Bruno Barreto, an Oscar-nominated director and son of Brazilian producer Luiz Carlos Barreto.

Bruno Barreto said his native city had not been a "production-friendly town" and had done little to promote itself in recent years. That may be changing with the new political leadership and the increase in royalties that the city and state are receiving from offshore oil production.

Solot said Rio has adequate film production services to accommodate Allen and other filmmakers. One of the Rio-based production houses negotiating with Allen to help produce his next film is Conspiracy Productions.

In the U.S., most states decided long ago that hosting movie productions was good business. Forty-three states now offer subsidies covering up to 40% of a film's costs, with Michigan, New Mexico and Louisiana among the most generous.

Solot said studies have established that a typical U.S. film production pumps $200,000 a day into a local economy through spending on hotels, restaurants and technical and other services.

Spain gave Allen $2 million, or 10% of his budget, to attract "Vicky Cristina Barcelona." The movie's positive effect on tourism in Barcelona and Oviedo, the two primary cities used as locations, caught the attention of other cities in Europe and Latin America, Solot said.

"My job is to put the city and state of Rio on the map of the world of audiovisual communications," he said. "That includes film but is much, much more, from reality shows and video games to pay-per-view and video on demand. . . . Rio has been on the map for a few important films historically, but it's not on the map of the production community presently."

http://www.latimes.com/business/la-fi-woody-rio13-2009oct13,0,3264136.story

Rio's new Olympic rings are expensive

2009-10-11T11:02:00.000-07:00

Played by heads of state, marketing jocks and heavyweight lobbyists, the game of winning the Olympic Games has become just as fierce as any contest on the track or in the pool.

To win the 2016 games for Rio de Janeiro, Brazil spent some $50 million. It fielded the likes of Pele, Paulo Coelho, a best-selling author and the entire Brazilian diplomatic corps. Whereas U.S. President Barack Obama, on behalf of Chicago, breezed into the meeting of the International Olympic Committee in Copenhagen minutes before the decision was made on Oct. 2, Brazil's president, Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, spent two days there, having earlier written personal letters to the 106 voting members and had each hand-delivered by an ambassador. Why did Rio win? "We wanted it more," said Carlos Roberto Osorio, of Brazil's Olympic committee.

That was the easy bit. Holding the games will require effort and expense on a scale that Rio, a problem-studded metropolis of 12 million (half of whom live in the city itself), has never seen. Apart from new stadiums and other sports facilities of all kinds, the plans call for new bridges and roads, and a doubling in the number of hotel rooms. To revamp a chaotic transportation system, engineers will blast through granite mountains to extend the metro from Ipanema to Barra da Tijuca, 13.5 kilometres away. Tens of thousands of athletes must be escorted to scattered events through some of the worst traffic in the Americas.

The police, already overstretched, must keep the Olympians safe from some of Latin America's most brazen criminals -- they committed over 2,000 murders in the city itself last year. Where padding public works contracts and sticky-fingered politicians are the norm, who will make sure the $14.4 billion budgeted for the games will be put to good use -- to say nothing of up to $50 billion in indirect investment?

There are plenty of skeptics, not least in Sao Paulo, Brazil's financial and industrial centre, where Rio is often dismissed as a party town. (With Brazil scheduled to host the soccer World Cup in 2014, Paulistas joke that Cariocas, as Rio's residents are called, are planning to take 2015 off.) The Pan American Games held in Rio in 2007 reportedly cost 10 times the official budget, and left behind underused arenas.

But there are reasons for hoping that Rio might just succeed, where other places have failed, in imitating the achievement of Barcelona, which used 1992's games to reinvent a city. Rio has been declining for half a century, since it lost its status as the national capital to Brasilia. For most of this time, the city and surrounding state have been poorly governed and brutally and badly policed. Manufacturing and banks moved to Sao Paulo; favelas, or slums, multiplied and the only growth industries seemed to be drug trafficking and gang warfare. One in six Cariocas is poor.

Some things are improving, partly as a result of Brazil's stronger economy. Offshore oil is injecting revenue to the state. Poverty is falling and property is booming. Often at odds in the past, the city, state and federal governments united for the Olympic bid. The new transportation lines promised for the World Cup and the Olympics are sorely needed. The white elephants of the Pan American Games will find a new use.

But will the games regenerate Rio, or distort its priorities? The prospectus talks of redeveloping the decaying port area, and of at last cleansing Guanabara Bay of sewage and industrial pollution. But whereas Barcelona built its Olympic village in a derelict part of its port, in Rio it will be sited, along with many events, in Barra da Tijuca, a nouveau-riche neighbourhood at the wealthiest end of the city.

During the Pan American Games, police and army troops flooded the streets, smothering crime. More useful would be to use the next seven years to coax the violent young men of the favelas to take up sport, or to get construction jobs. "Why don't we make eliminating poverty in Rio and pacifying all the violent slums our goal for 2016?" says Andre Urani of the Institute for Studies on Labour and Society, a think-tank in the city. But there are no policies in place to achieve this.

For Brazil, the award of the games, hard on the heels of the World Cup, is yet another symbol of its growing status in the world. As Lula put it in Copenhagen, Brazil is no longer a "second-class country." That may bring intangible benefits. It is now the job of Brazil's politicians to ensure that they outweigh the costs.

By: The Economist

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/opinion/westview/rios-new-olympic-rings-are-expensive-63954812.html

Brazil looks to transform sporting greatness into gold on world stage

2009-10-07T15:40:00.000-07:00

Samba nation ready to build on success in winning right to host 2016 Olympics by becoming a leading economic power.

In Lapa, the fashionable centre of Rio de Janeiro nightlife, the partying was long and memorable. On Copacabana beach, the sand was packed with revellers. Pelé cried, and his compatriots celebrated the latest evidence that for one of the world's most glamorous, charismatic countries the good times are starting to roll. So often described as belonging to a "country of the future", Brazilians found themselves living in the present this weekend.

Minutes after Rio de Janeiro was announced on Friday as the venue for the 2016 Olympics, the South American city's sprightly 39-year-old mayor, Eduardo Paes, logged on to his Twitter account and summed up the feelings of all of Rio's six million residents. "Our city deserves this present," he trumpeted. "Viva Rio".

Across Brazil, even in the remote towns of the Amazon rainforest, the same sentiment was being expressed. For Brazilians this was a victory that both Rio and Brazil richly merited – not simply because South America has never hosted the Games before, nor because Rio's residents, weary of violent crime and the city's crumbling infrastructure, were in need of a distraction from their often difficult day-to-day lives.

Above all, they say, this victory was deserved because, for Brazilians, winning the race to host the 2016 Olympics was confirmation that their country was at last acquiring a swagger and an influence beyond the football pitch, which Pele and so many others have graced with distinction. "It is difficult to believe that a third world country has reached this point," declared Brazil's president, Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva, after the decision was announced, with his tongue firmly in his cheek.

"We have left behind being a second-rate country to become a first-rate one. Respect is good and we are happy to receive it," he added.

Brazil, as President Lula has frequently commented of late, is living through a "special moment". Rising exports, a commodities price boom and the government's investment in social policies have helped millions of impoverished Brazilians rise from poverty since the leftwing leader came to power in 2003. The IMF says that Brazil, and other countries in the region, have weathered the global financial crisis "rather well".

In the second quarter of this year, the Brazilian economy grew by 1.9% and is forecast to expand by 5.3% in 2010 – numbers that Britain's chancellor, Alistair Darling, would kill for. The games will bring hard cash as well as prestige to the Latin American nation, which has the biggest economy in the region and the ninth largest in the world. A government-commissioned study by the Fundação Instituto de Administração estimates there will be a $24.5bn boost between now and 2027, thanks to increased spending by tourists, growth in employment and construction, and higher tax revenues.

Many believe that Rio, too, is on the rise. After years of neglect and urban violence, investments are gradually returning to Brazil's former capital, bolstering an economic and cultural boom that has already seen dilapidated areas of the city centre redeveloped with many others expected to follow suit. For the ambassadors of Brazil's cultural capital, the International Olympic Committee's decision was a boon beyond measure.

"From the business point of view this is one of the best pieces of news imaginable," said Isnard Manso, a cultural impresario and dancer from the Centro Cultural Carioca, one of Rio's top samba clubs. Manso said the "double-whammy" of the 2014 World Cup and the 2016 Olympics could help transform Rio's historic centre, fuelling a cultural "turnaround" that has been under way since the beginning of the decade.

Rio's fledgling renaissance mirrors a national boom that the Brazilian government hopes will transform the country into one of the world's leading political, economic and oil powers. In 2007 its fortunes received a potentially vast boost with the discovery of huge offshore oil reserves that could help turn the country into an even bigger hitter on the international stage.

"We are certain that there is an immense quantity of oil that could turn Brazil into one of the world's great oil powers," Dilma Rousseff, President Lula's chief of staff, said last week. "While the entire world is facing immense difficulties… we are discussing abundance," she added, boasting: "We went into the [economic] crisis last and are coming out of it first and on top of this we have one of the greatest patrimonies to administrate."

Diplomatically, too, Brazil, a member of the G20, which has eclipsed the power of the G8, is starting to flex its increasingly toned muscles. During a recent meeting with foreign correspondents in Rio, the foreign minister, Celso Amorim, said: "Obviously, Brazil was always one of the world's biggest countries in terms of size and population. Today Brazil is one of the biggest and most stable economies. Our currency is one of the most stable on earth. Our democracy is totally consolidated… Today, I think, we have an international attitude which corresponds to our true greatness."

Much of this new "attitude" is down to President Lula, who has led the way for a number of increasingly prominent South American presidents who are helping to put the so-called "forgotten continent" back on the map.

Recent years have seen Lula, a one-time shoeshine boy and firebrand union leader, transformed into a respected international statesman who is now considered a future contender for the presidency of the World Bank and was recently referred to as "my man" by US President Barack Obama as a result of his continued domestic popularity.

"At this moment… what is happening again in the world is that there is no longer one single owner of the truth," Lula told his weekly radio show Breakfast with the President, after last month's G20 meeting.

John Hawksworth, head of macro-economics at PricewaterhouseCoopers, says that the so-called E7 – or Emerging Seven – nations of Brazil, China, India, Russia, Turkey, Indonesia and Mexico could overtake the G7 in the next two decades.

The rise of climate change on the international agenda has also turned Brazil, home to the Amazon, the world's largest tropical rainforest, into a key diplomatic player.

"A Copenhagen agreement without Brazil would be like Kyoto without the United States," Ed Miliband, Britain's secretary for energy and climate change, said during a recent visit to Brazil, referring to December's summit on climate change in the Danish capital.

Brazil still has its vast armies of the poor. Despite Lula's efforts to alleviate the suffering of the poor, Brazil's favelas still exist alongside wealthy enclaves. The country has one of the highest levels of inequality on the planet, with the richest 10% in possession of half the nation's income while less than 1% trickles down to the poorest 10% of households. But such questions were pushed into the background yesterday as Rio continued to celebrate its "deserved" victory.

"From an artistic point of view, as a dancer and a cultural producer, this will… give us a unique chance to show the entire world that samba is not just about the bottoms of half-naked ladies parading through the sambadrome," said Manso, one of Rio's leading samba businessmen and dance instructors. "It is great news."

He will not be the only Brazilian dancing.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/04/brazil-2016-olympics-economy

Rio De Janeiro Olympics 2016: A Big Astonishing Development

2009-10-02T15:10:00.000-07:00

Many People Assumed Chicago Would Win the 2016 Olympic Games Bid, but it was Rio De Janeiro that Won!

The Rio de Janeiro Olympics 2016 games are sure to be a great time for everyone involved. When the Rio de Janeiro Olympics 2016 games were announced, there was celebration all over the streets of this Brazilian city.

The Rio de Janeiro Olympics 2016 games come as a surprise to many that assumed that President Barack Obama, Michelle Obama and Oprah would be able to sway the IOC (International Olympic Committee) to select Chicago as the 2016 Olympic Games venue.

I, for one, am glad that the 2016 Olympics will take place in Rio de Janeiro. Not that I have anything against Chicago - I have been there several times. However, just last week honors student Derrion Albert was beaten to death with wooden planks. Crime in Chicago is just too prevalent for the city to receive a blessing such as the Olympics.

The Rio de Janeiro Olympics 2016 games will take place 7 years from now. However time will fly by and in the meantime, Rio de Janeiro has a lot of work to do to prepare for the events. This Brazilian City is the first South American country to host an Olympic event, according to ABC news.

ABC News reports how the President felt when the Rio de Janeiro Olympics 2016 games were announced: "The president was watching television when the news came across, and I think obviously the president is disappointed, as you might imagine," White House Press Secretary Robert Gibbs told reporters on Air Force One.

"I think he continues to believe -- and we heard this from a number of people -- that Chicago had a very strong if not the best bid. ... I think he feels obviously proud of his wife for the presentation that she made and he doesn't shy away from promoting America in this event or in any other venue as a way to showcase this country."

While many people are surprised that Chicago and Tokyo did not get the Olympics in 2016, many people are pleasantly surprised that Rio de Janeiro did.

For instance, imagine you have the opportunity to travel and attend the Olympics in 2016. Where do you want to go? Rio de Janeiro has a lot to offer tourists already. There will be plenty of sightseeing and shopping to partake in. Chicago boasts great shopping opportunities - but not much else.

Although many people think that the Rio de Janeiro Olympics 2016 games are a disappointment. I think people need to be happy for the South American town as they host their first Olympic games in 2016.

http://www.associatedcontent.com/article/2242597/rio_de_janeiro_olympics_2016_a_big.html?cat=9

Rio optimistic about chance to host historic 2016 Olympics

2009-09-29T16:57:00.000-07:00

Rio de Janeiro's bid to host in 2016 the first edition of the Olympics ever held in South America is most optimistic, less than two months before the crucial decision on the Games.

'We get to the home stretch as a very competitive bid,' Rio 2016 executive secretary Carlos Roberto Osorio told German Press Agency dpa.

In the interview, Osorio stressed as crucial the success of the strategy of presenting to the International Olympic Committee (IOC) a high-quality technical project and strong political arguments to back the Brazilian city's bid.

Some experts predict that Rio will get to the key meeting October 2 in Copenhagen as the favourite to host the Games, ahead of Madrid, Chicago and Tokyo.

Osorio did not explicitly acknowledge such predictions, but he did admit that the 'carioca' bid was the one that made the most of the chance to present its project to IOC voters in June in Lausanne.

Rio 2016 is convinced that they made a strong impact when they put forward a map with all the cities that had hosted Olympic Games - in summer or winter - to this day. The blank in South America appeared to impress the 93 IOC members who attended the presentation, over 90 per cent of the total number of voters.

'Rio was the city that made the most of the technical briefing in Lausanne. For Rio that was a strategic and fundamental opportunity, because of all four countries Brazil is the only one that never held Olympic Games, and that is why it generated greater curiosity and interest for IOC members,' Osorio said.

Through the map, the bid official hopes to have convinced several voters that 'it is time' for the Games to reach South America, a region with 180 million people under the age of 18.

'We do not ask for this as a favour, but because we have what it takes to host those Games, both in technical and in financial terms. Brazil still has solid finances despite the crisis, it is still growing,' he said.

'In 2016, Brazil will stand on the international stage at a singular and historic moment, similar to Spain's in Barcelona 1992 and Japan's in 1964, when it presented itself to the world as a nation that had recovered from the war. The time for the historic transformation of Spain, the United States and Japan has already been left behind,' Osorio told dpa.

Besides, he noted that the complete support given to the bid by the three levels of government - federal, state and city - are an 'integral, absolute and unrestricted' financial guarantee that all commitments in the ambitious bid portfolio will be fulfilled.

According to some analysts, the fact that Brazil has been picked by FIFA to host the 2014 football World Cup could be the 'carioca' bid's main problem. Those experts argue that the IOC would not like to 'fight' with FIFA to attract sponsors as late as two years before the Olympics.

Osorio, however, rejects that argument.

'The 2014 World Cup is not a problem, but one of the Rio bid's great strengths. And the president of the IOC (Jacques Rogge) and the members of the evaluating commission have already said that.'

Osorio argues that the World Cup gives the IOC an added guarantee that 'key infrastructures - technology, telecommunications, accommodation, airports - will be ready, complete and tested two years earlier.'

This week, the race for IOC votes is moving to Germany, where according to Osorio the athletics world championships in Berlin will be the last major battleground for support.

Besides the top officials of the Rio 2016 bid, led by Carlos Nuzman, Berlin will host Rio de Janeiro state Governor Sergio Cabral, Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes and the High Performance Sports secretary at the Brazilian Sports Ministry, Ricardo Leyser.

'Athletics is regarded by many as the basic sport in the Olympic Games, and many of the IOC voters will be there. That will be the last major battle before the October 2 election,' Osorio said.

For all his optimism, however, he refused to name favourites in the race.

'The four cities are working very hard. This is a very competitive race, and we will all be fighting 24 hours a day until the date of the election.'

http://www.monstersandcritics.com/sport/olympics2008/features/article_1494971.php/Rio-optimistic-about-chance-to-host-historic-2016-Olympics-Feature

Boom Times for Rio, Brazil: US$ 70 Billion to Be Invested in 3 Years

2009-08-10T19:43:00.000-07:00

Exploration of oil in Campos Basin, the Petrobras investment, the construction of the Angra 3 nuclear power plant and of Açu Port, all of this together means a total of 126.3 billion reais (US$ 69.5 billion) in investment scheduled in the state of Rio de Janeiro over the next three years.

The figure is included in the Rio Decision document, which refers to the period from 2010 to 2012, disclosed yesterday by the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Firjan). In the prior edition of the study, the investment forecasted in the previous edition of the study, for the 2008/2010 period, totaled 107 billion reais (US$ 59 billion).

Petrobras alone should be responsible for the 77.1 billion reais (US$ 42.4 billion) over the next three years. Firjan president Eduardo Eugênio Gouvêa Vieira pointed out, however, that even excluding the energy sector state-owned company, investment should total 50 billion reais (US$ 27.5 billion) in the period.

Of the total, 28.6 billion reais (US$ 15.7 billion) should be invested in the infrastructure area, with special attention to energy (8.6 billion) and logistics (US$ 5.8 billion). For the transformation industry the total forecasted is US$ 11.2 billion. The Rio de Janeiro Petrochemical Complex (Comperj), which is being built in the city of Itaboraí, is leading the ranking of main investment announced, reaching a total of US$ 8 billion.

The Infrastructure and New Investment director at Firjan, Cristiano Prado, stated that "there is a process of interiorization of investment in progress," of which 79.4 billion should benefit several regions in the state. The study identified four axes to be the engines of the economy of Rio de Janeiro in coming years.

The first is the south axis, which involves Angra 3 mill, in the city of Angra dos Reis. Angra 3 started to be built in 1984, but work there was interrupted two years later.

In the Sepetiba axis, the highlights are investment in the port and ironworks area, as well as the metropolitan arc. In the eastern axis, the priority is the construction of Comperj which forecasts, starting in 2015, the generation of 168,000 direct and indirect jobs and also income. In the North axis, Açu Port and pre-salt oil are the great highlights.

The president at Firjan stated that the opportunities do not end with mapped investment, as the state of Rio de Janeiro presents investment opportunities in the pre-salt layer, in the high-speed train to connect Rio de Janeiro to São Paulo and in the construction of the ports of Sepetiba and Petrobras, Gerdau and the National Ironworks Company, among other projects.

He added that Rio de Janeiro currently answers to 13% of the Brazilian Gross Domestic Product (GDP). In the long run, he believes that the state may grow to 20% of GDP.

http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/11078/1/

Brazil's growing middle class powers rebound

2009-08-04T09:54:00.000-07:00

Brazil is beginning to pull out of an economic dive triggered by the global financial crisis, but it's not the country's vaunted soybean, meat and iron ore exports that are powering the turnaround of the world's ninth-largest economy.

Instead, more than 20 million Brazilians who have joined the consumer economy in recent years and now have money to spend are playing a key role in Brazil's recovery.

"Investments and exports are down, but consumer spending is still growing, although slower than before," said Juan Pablo Fuentes, who tracks Latin American economies at Moody's Economy.com in West Chester, Pa. "People are still willing to buy durable goods like electronics and cars. It shows optimism, which is important."

Brazilians who formerly eked out a living are leading the way.

From 2001 to 2007, the poorest 10 percent of the population enjoyed a 49 percent increase in real income, said Brazilian economist Marcelo Neri, or what he called "Chinese-like growth."

Some 27.8 million Brazilians - out of a population of nearly 200 million - joined the consumer economy from October 2003 to October 2008, said Neri, who is based at the Getulio Vargas Foundation in Rio. "They could now buy durable goods like computers, maybe even a car, and get access to credit," Neri said.

Spurred in part by a federal sales tax break, Brazil's auto industry sold more cars in a single month in June than ever - 300,157. This topped the previous monthly record in July 2008 by 12,047 vehicles.

Neri credited the expansion of the consumer class to an activist government that has increased direct payments to the poor and raised the minimum wage, which is also indexed to benefit retired public workers.

After growing for five years, however, Brazil's economy contracted by 1.8 percent during the first quarter, and Neri estimated the tough economic times have caused about 2.8 million Brazilians to fall back into poverty.

"It's not a big loss," Neri said, amounting to about only 10 percent of those who joined the consumer society during the boom years. "The average Brazilian today still has money in his pocket."

Moody's Economy.com is projecting Brazil's economy to grow by 0.5 percent in 2009 thanks to a second-half rebound that's expected to offset a difficult first six months. The firm expects Brazil's economy to grow by 4.2 percent in 2010 and lead Latin America out of recession.

"The worst is over," said Paulo Levy, an economist at the Rio-based Institute for Applied Research, adding Brazil is in better shape to weather the global economic mess than it was a decade ago.

Successive governments have tamed inflation, boosted foreign currency reserves, cut foreign debt, turned budget deficits into surpluses and "sent signals to investors that they could rely on Brazil," Levy said.

Tapping into the country's currency reserves has permitted the government to boost spending on new roads and ports and direct more money to the poor.

Still, even a fortified Brazil was no match for the economic disaster that hit in October when bank loans disappeared and demand for its export products withered.

Investors pulled back, with the electronics, construction and aircraft manufacturing sectors taking a beating. Foreign investment dropped by 20 percent during the first five months of 2009, and imports plummeted by 28.9 percent during the first six months of 2009, compared with the first six months of 2008. Exports dropped by 22.2 percent.

The only bright spot for Brazil's trade: China's continuing thirst for Brazilian soybeans, iron ore and oil.

China accounted for 8.2 percent of Brazil's exports in the first six months of 2008 but 14.9 percent in 2009 - becoming a bigger market than the U.S.

"I don't know where we'd be without China," said Jose Augusto de Castro, a vice president of the Rio-based Brazilian Foreign Trade Association.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/world/AP/story/1170421.html

Living in the 'real' Rio de Janeiro

2009-07-31T07:58:00.000-07:00

For whoever has seen the 2002 movie "City of God" -- based on real stories set in the eponymous slum in Brazil's Rio de Janeiro -- a favela can be a scary place, plagued by violent crime.

The unpretentious Pousada Favelinha, a modest guest house and hostel located at the top of Rio de Janeiro's favela Pereira da Silva, is one notable exception to the city's criminal reputation.

Originally inaugurated in January 2005 by a Brazilian woman and her German husband, it is now run solely by its "carioca" (Rio-native) owner, Andreia da Silva Martins, whose family is both at home and on friendly terms with everyone in the neighborhood -- as well as the police.

The little "Pereirão," a favela that a modest few thousand call home, was just as dangerous as any other until one fine spring day in 1999, when the local police cracked down on the whole favela and killed all its drug dealers, the Pousada Favelinha claims on its Web site.

Since then, the "morro" (hill) has cleaned up the crime, with a police post permanently located at the top entrance of the favela in Santa Teresa, while the bottom entrance leads out to a gentrified neighborhood in Rio's Zona Sud.

During the five days and nights that I stayed at the Favelinha, safety in and around the favela was never an issue. I saw no automatic rifles, and residents greeted me as I passed them in the narrow alleys, while dogs and cats lounged on cement platforms and rooftops.

One girl even walked me to the door of the hostel upon my first arrival, and showed me where she lived in case I needed any help later.

"They're proud to live in a favela that hosts visitors from all over the world," says Carlos, who welcomed me inside. Indeed, it's in everybody's interest to keep the neighborhood safe and friendly.

Meanwhile, I was constantly admiring the extraordinary view of the city from atop the hill, as were the other guests -- predominantly round-the-world twentysomething backpackers from Western Europe and Australia -- during those hot summer days of Carnaval 2009.

And as our leisurely breakfasts and evening brought together both the dorm-room dwellers and the private-room couples around balcony chats, we quickly developed a natural complicity -- not only of those who dared to bunk in a favela, but of those who climbed the steep uphill trek at least once a day.

In recent years, "slum tourism" -- seeking out the shantytowns of developing nations for a more authentic holiday experience -- in Brazil has gained in popularity, and a handful of other establishments open to foreign patronage (if not community volunteers) have sprung up in peaceful favelas around the country.

Among the most prominent is The Maze, a more upscale bed & breakfast -- which also hosts jazz gigs, original artwork for sale, and even the occasional film shoot -- inaugurated in Rio de Janeiro's Tavares Bastos favela in late 2005 by the Brit Bob Nadkarni and his Brazilian wife.

http://edition.cnn.com/2009/TRAVEL/07/30/brazil.favelinha/#cnnSTCText

Brazil's Ronaldo gets part in film in Middle East

2009-07-26T18:00:00.000-07:00

Brazilian soccer player Ronaldo will take part in a film about a Palestinian girl who hoped to meet him but was killed by a land mine before she could fulfill her dream, his club said Sunday.

"(Ronaldo) confirmed that he made an agreement with the Iranian director to make the film in the Palestinian territories," a spokesman for the Brazilian club Corinthians told Reuters.

The three times FIFA World Player of the Year's part will be filmed when Corinthians plays a friendly "Peace match" against fellow Brazilian team Flamengo at a Palestinian venue on September 15.

Corinthians have authorized Ronaldo, a World Cup winner with Brazil 2002, to stay on for a few days after the friendly to film his scenes.

The film is based on the true story of a young girl who was good at soccer and idolized Ronaldo. She died after losing a leg when she stepped on a land mine in southern Lebanon.

Ronaldo, a United Nations ambassador, visited handicapped children on a day trip to Ramallah on the West Bank and to Tel Aviv in 2005.

The film, produced by Iranians Mansur Sohrabpour and Mohammad Latif, will be shot in Lebanon.

http://www.reuters.com/article/filmNews/idUSTRE56P2FY20090726

Top Secrets in South America

2009-05-03T11:43:00.000-07:00

Brazil, Argentina and Chile offer the intrepid visitor stunning treasures—and at little or no cost.

When I first visited Rio De Janeiro back in the early '80s, I did all the touristy things my friends and my Fodor's suggested. I checked out Sugar Loaf, that granite plinth that surges like a diva from the jade curtain of the Atlantic. I danced through a pair of flip-flops at Carnaval and at daybreak soothed my feet in the storied sands of Ipanema, under the gaze of the great art-deco Cristo Redentor, blessing us all from the heights of Corcovado.

But Brazil grows on you. Now that I have lived in the country for 26 years, I've come to appreciate that the most rewarding attractions often are not the ones starred in the guidebooks. The best news about Brazil—and much of South America, in fact—is its wealth of quieter, less obvious pleasures. Not all of them cost a fortune; many can be enjoyed for free, or nearly so. Past the heralded beaches and tony resorts, on to where the tire tracks stop and the noise and neon fade, a world of parks, conservation areas and wilderness awaits. And with pocketbooks pinched and nerves frayed, there is no better time to get out and appreciate the great outdoors.

With jungle-clad hills that tumble into the sea and forests spun in a thousand shades of ocher, green and dun, Brazil has a lot to offer the intrepid, the restless or the merely curious. The biggest dilemma is where to start. Brazil can easily induce traveler's overload. The country's national parks alone cover 28,000 kilometers, the size of Portugal and England together. But with a little guidance from this outdoorsy insider, any tourist can revel in the hidden treasures of Brazil—as well as those of its two southerly neighbors, Argentina and Chile.
Click here to find out more!

The Amazon rainforest, with 720 conservation areas—including parks, national forests, and nature preserves—is a wanderer's horn of plenty. Yet for those on a budget, minding the clock or looking for instant gratification, an Amazon excursion can be tiring and frustrating. Instead I recommend the Pantanal, easily the most spectacular wetlands region in the Western Hemisphere, and possibly the world. A system of marshes, lakes and rivers forms an open-air steam bath that sustains an unbelievable concentration of wildlife: the giant anteater, with its tail as feathery as a boa; the electric-blue hyacinth macaw; and the capybara, a hamster on steroids. During the rainy season, from October to February, this landlocked sea covers 210,000 square kilometers. Getting there requires a two-hour flight from Rio or São Paulo, which isn't cheap, or a cross-country bus, which isn't comfortable. But once you're there, the food and lodging are honest and cheap (except at the odd megastar resort), and exploring the filigree of rivers is a bargain. The sights are unequaled.

There are many ways to tackle the Pantanal. I favor renting a car and heading down the Transpantaneira, a dirt track "highway" that is impassable in many stretches. Starting at the edge of Pocone, a tidy cattle town in southern Mato Grosso, this 145-kilometer track is punctuated by 125 precarious wooden bridges, with sylvan theater at every bend. There sits a cortege of majestic white herons, making thrones of trees and fence posts. Here is a brace of jabiru storks, done up like businessmen in their black collars and white tailcoats. Tiptoe out on a wooden bridge and watch the river caiman, South America's smaller cousin to the alligator, as it lies on a stream bottom, maw agape, waiting for lunch to swim by.

It's an old wetlands tradition for cowhands to sit by the campfire at night and tell jaguar tales. Did you hear about the one that dragged a full-grown steer into the swamp? Do you know they eat caimans'' tails? "Ahn, anh, anh" and "Ssssssss!" the cowpokes mimic the jaguar in a wetlands karaoke. How much of this is true and how much fantasy for gringo ears is hard to say. Either way, it only adds to the mythic pull of the Pantanal.

But it's not necessary to go that far. The Tijuca National Forest is a 15-minute cab ride from Ipanema. This 3,200-hectare expanse of dense rainforest, crosshatched by foot trails and waterfalls, may be the only national forest in the world set in the heart of a megacity. Braided by lianas, colonnades of trees with the musical names ipé, ingá and abricó-de-macaco rise 40 meters from the forest floor. Here and there, bright orange and red bromeliads nestle in their crooks. To the untrained eye, it's a pristine millennial forest, but that's an optical illusion. A century and a half ago, Tijuca was an ailing massif. The original Atlantic rainforest that once draped Rio's shoulder had been stripped away for coffee plantations. But with no roots to hold the soil, every rainy season brought calamity, as tons of soil, stone and debris slid down to silt the riverbeds and drown Rio's streets.

It took a future-minded emperor with a soft spot for tropical flora to rescue the city from itself. Dom Pedro II ordered that seeds be taken from tropical plants and trees from all over the world to replant Rio's balding pate, creating one of Latin America's first mass reforestation campaigns. Reinventing Tijuca took 30 years and 100,000 trees. In time, wildlife came back. Now humming birds, wildcats, armadillos and dozens of species of monkeys make their home in the center of the park. Tourists can wander the many footpaths and sit by waterfalls. Here and there, through the dense brush, a glimpse of the stone and steel skyline of Rio pokes through, a jolting reminder of how flimsy the frontier between the sublime and the hectic can be.

The frontier between countries, of course, is just as flimsy, and perhaps more arbitrary. Argentina is the world's eighth- largest nation and is blessed with a wonderfully diverse geography that includes deserts, forests and waterfalls, as well as glaciers and snowcaps. The strength of the dollar and euro against the peso in recent years has made Argentina one of the globe's most popular travel destinations, allowing many adventure seekers to visit for the first time. Airfare within the country can be pricey, but fortunately Argentina has an excellent bus system that can transport travelers on the cheap, and accommodations run from swank hotels to hostels and campsites. The country's 25 national parks are well maintained and staffed, and admission costs next to nothing when it isn't free.

I suggest starting at the northern border, which is home to the stunning Iguazú Falls, a series of 275 falls that jut into Brazil and are surrounded by a rainforest teeming with hummingbirds, toucans and monkeys. The Brazilians have the panoramic views, but the Argentine side offers a more intimate experience, with a latticework of walkways and observation decks that allow a view of the falls from above and below. The most awesome is the Garganta del Diablo (Devil's Throat), an 82-meter-high free fall that whips up a sea-white mist with a deafening thunder. Don't miss the zodiac boats that pass in and under the falls, delivering a thrilling soak. The park's only lodging, the Sheraton Iguazú Resort & Spa, offers direct views of the falls—for a price. But the sleepy nearby town of Puerto Iguazú provides a variety of inexpensive overnight options, plus plenty of great family-style restaurants that serve tasty local river fish and juicy Argentine steaks and chops.

From Iguazú, head south down the long spine of Argentina to busy San Carlos de Bariloche, the gateway to Patagonia. This bustling city is the jumping-off point for the Lake District, a famous draw for skiers, hikers and boaters. Here the 710,000-hectare Nahuel Huapi National Park—dubbed the "Switzerland of South America"—soars from deep valleys to Andean cliffs peering over the bluest lakes. Some of the best fly-fishing in the world can be found around Nahuel Huapi, and in some spots anglers are even allowed to keep their catch. In-the-know Argentines go a little farther, to San Martin de los Andes and Villa la Angostura, low-key Patagonian villages that have so far eluded the year-round tourist crush of Bariloche.

Farther south is land's end. Ushuaia, located on the island province of Tierra del Fuego, is the southernmost city in the world. Its population and fame have boomed over the past decade as the principal casting-off point for the growing fleet of cruise ships to Antarctica. The pristine Tierra Del Fuego National Park, 21 kilometers west of Ushuaia, offers a wealth of trails for exploring its dense green forests, valleys, streams and lakes, like Lago Roca, surrounded by jagged snowcapped mountain peaks. Tierra del Fuego also offers world-class trout fishing, hunting and mountain biking, and is South America's preeminent region for cross-country skiing.

If the road south runs out, turn west to Chile. Five years ago, Alberto Gana and his partners at the Chilean outdoor tour operator Latitud 90 had an idea. For several years, they had organized camping trips for tourists in Torres del Paine National Park. Located in southern Patagonia, it's one of the best places in the world to see enormous glaciers up close while taking in breathtaking landscapes that abound with exotic wildlife, like the fast-moving camel known as the guanaco, and the flightless South American ostrich, the nandu. But there were never any accommodations suitable for keen nature aficionados who cared about thread count.

Until now. Borrowing from the high-end safari camps common to east and southern Africa, Gana's company created Patagonia Camp. The first of its kind in South America, it's an ecologically minded complex situated just outside the park that is centered around 18 yurts, Mongolian-styled tents made from cloth and wood that come with all the amenities of a five-star hotel room—most important, heat and a stocked modern bathroom. They allow guests to enjoy the royal treatment without being completely removed from the region's legendary gale-force winds and frequent rains. "This has always been one of the continent's best parks," says Gana. "Now its possible to experience the park with all the comforts."

Over the past decade, the flow of visitors to the park has increased by 10 percent per year, the majority coming from all over Europe and North America. Devoted hikers are drawn to the rigorous eight- to 10-day treks that wind through the entire park. In the inverted summer of South America, from December through March, the days are warm and treks can stretch on until midnight, through the light of a glorious Patagonian sunset. But most hikers opt for a shorter—though no less spectacular—five-day trek called the "W." Along the 250 kilometers of well-kept trails, hikers weary of tents and howling winds can find campsites with bathrooms and refugios, or huts. And for those whose pockets aren't deep enough for Patagonia Camp—where a single costs $2,110 for three nights, including meals, transfers and tours—there are plenty of lower priced lodging options within or just outside the park. From there, hikers can take day trips to the main sites, like the Paine massif, the famous spires known as the torres, or towers, that typically crown postcard views of the park. "It's possible to see the park by car, by boat, by foot," says Rodrigo Condeza, owner of the Miralejos tour company. "The best way, without doubt, is by foot." Then there are no barriers between the traveler and the open land.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/195705

Brazil: Satellites to monitor deforestation

2009-04-20T11:26:00.000-07:00

Brazil is expanding satellite monitoring of deforestation to the entire nation.

Environment Minister Carlos Minc says that until now, such monitoring was a "one-note" song about the Amazon. He says other flora-rich areas such as the Patanal and the Atlantic rain forest will soon come under satellite protection.

Minc announced the measure Thursday at the World Economic Forum on Latin America in Rio de Janeiro.

Satellite coverage helps officials track deforestation and send more agents into areas at risk.

Officials hope the system will be fully functional within a year.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hx6Vt_YLJZwPW0y_w6U2jS5ywYcQD97JRHFG2

LATIN AMERICAN SOCIAL ENTREPRENEURS OF THE YEAR 2009 AWARDED IN RIO

2009-04-17T06:33:00.000-07:00

The Schwab Foundation announces the new selection of leading Latin American Social Entrepreneurs 2009 at the Opening Plenary of the World Economic Forum on Latin America, in the presence of President Lula and President Uribe

- One Brazilian, one Chilean and two Colombians recognized for their innovative models and path-breaking achievements in land rights, education and rainforest conservation

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil – Four social entrepreneurs have been recognized as Latin American Regional Social Entrepreneurs 2009 during the opening plenary session of the World Economic Forum on Latin America, held in Rio de Janeiro on 15 April. Andre Cavalcanti de Albuquerque, Founder of Terra Nova, had previously been recognized as Social Entrepreneur of the Year Brazil. The other three winners are Veronica Abud from Chile, and Marta Arango and Martin von Hildebrand from Colombia. They received their awards in the presence of President Lula of Brazil and President Uribe of Colombia.

“This crisis teaches us that we need to refocus the economy on serving society. It is these social entrepreneurs that show us the way to a sustainable future,” said Klaus Schwab, Executive Chairman of the World Economic Forum and Founder of the Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship. Social entrepreneurs emphasize long-term sustainability instead of short-term gains. Their primary focus is to maximize benefits for society and the environment by implementing innovative approaches to the key challenges the world is facing. They operate social businesses or organizations that are a mixture of non-profits and for-profits.

The Schwab Foundation for Social Entrepreneurship, an affiliate organization of the World Economic Forum, conducts the search and selection of social entrepreneurs in Latin America, Africa, the Middle East, India and South-East Asia. It selects 3-5 social entrepreneurs per year from each region. Selected social entrepreneurs are connected to the world’s business, political and media leaders through the events and initiatives of the World Economic Forum.

http://www.exchangemagazine.com/morningpost/2009/week16/Thursday/041603.htm

Rio: Volvo Race heads to Boston, the cold and whales

2009-04-13T19:30:00.001-07:00

The seven yachts taking part in the Volvo Ocean Race around the world left the heat of Rio de Janeiro on Saturday for Boston where they will once again find colder weather and will have to watch out for whales along the way.

The teams departed on the sixth stage of the world's most gruelling offshore yacht race, a distance of 4,900 nautical miles, which is expected to last 15 days, at 3:00 pm (1800 GMT), aided by the moderate winds blowing in Rio's Guanabara Bay.

"Watch out, it's a whale breathing zone and there is a lot of stuff in the water. Also, it's possibly very cold up there," said the skipper of US team Puma, Ken Read, before the departure as the fleet was blessed to guard against "stormy waves".

Sweden's Ericsson 4, the winner of the first two stages, will be looking to defend its comfortable lead in the overall classification against its nearest rivals Puma and Telefonica Blue of Spain.

"Will we have a defensive strategy? No, we can't be too conservative if we want to win the race," Ericsson 4's Brazilian skipper Torben Grael before the sixth stage departed.

The yachts will go around the island of Fernando de Noronha located some 350 kilometres (220 miles) northeast of Brazil, with the first to arrive to collect four points.

After that it is virtually a straight line towards Boston, with the first to arrive to pick up eight points.

"We have to arrive first, both in Boston and at the scoring gate (at Fernando de Noronha) otherwise we will not make up for our delay," Telefonica Blue's Dutch skipper Bouwe Bekking said Friday.

As they close in on the finish line of the sixth stage, they will have to deal with low pressure systems sweeping across North America on their own trip across the Atlantic.

From Boston, the race, which is looking to reduce costs to attract more entrants for its next edition in 2011, will head to Ireland.

The event began in Alicante in Spain in October and involves a total of 10 stages covering over 37,000 nautical miles.

Standings at the start of the sixth stage

1. Ericsson 4 (SWE)/Torben Grael (BRA) 66 points

2. Puma Ocean Racing (USA)/Ken Read (USA) 56.5 points

3. Telefonica Blue (ESP)/Bouwe Bekking/NED) 54.5 points

4. Ericsson 3 (SWE)/Magnus Olsson (SWE) 44.5 points

5. Green Dragon (CHN/IRL)/Ian Walker (GBR) 41 points

6. Telefonica Black (ESP)/Fernando Echavarri (ESP) 23 points

7. Delta Lloyd (NED)/Roberto Bermdez (ESP) 15 points

8. Team Russia (RUS)/Andreas Hanakamp (AUT) 10.5 points (Has withdrawn for the time being from the race)

http://www.google.com/hostednews/afp/article/ALeqM5ghTKg-1t9Hp386DbraSwxOZ0Z9Gw

Can't blame it on Rio

2009-04-13T19:24:00.001-07:00

I have always wanted to visit Rio de Janeiro. Even though the late Jade Goody thought Rio de Janeiro was a man, it hasn't diminished my desire. I am not making that up.
During her time at the Big Brother reality show, she had asked someone, 'Rio de Janeiro, a bloke innit?'.

She might be right actually. Rio does seem to have masculine qualities. I've heard so much about the city, seen so much of it on television, and all of it is so appealing. It's brutally sensual, like the Brad Pitt of Troy. There's so much to lust and love in Rio -- its naturally beautiful setting -- the city boasts the largest urban forests in the world:

Floresta da Tijuca, mountains almost rising out of the sea and one of the most famous beaches in the world -- the Copacobana. Mix that with the hedonism of the
carnival and the samba.

Such riches stand in stark contrast to its dark side. Rio israted one of the most violent cities in the world and its favelas or shanty towns highlight the disparities between the rich and the poor.

Then there's the football and the Maracana. Some of Brazil's most famous footballers have kicked leather on its sandy beaches and dusty by-lanes. Garrincha, Zico, Romario, Ronaldo and Adriano are all products of Rio's favelas.

Interestingly, there's another common thread that runs through the names that I have listed. With the exception of Zico, who was known for his determination and discipline, others, all incredible footballers, have struggled in their personal lives. Alcohol, drug abuse, women, torrid marriages have eventually wrecked their careers.

Garrincha, considered by many in Brazil as Pele's equal, died of a liver failure after a lifetime of alcohol abuse. Brazil never lost a match in which Pele and Garrincha played together. The 'little bird' was a mental and emotional wreck by the time of his death.
Romario, Brazil's hero of the 1994 World Cup and one of the most prolific strikers the game has ever seen, was often dropped from the team for indiscipline and missing training sessions after nights of partying.

Ronaldo, the highest goalscorer in World Cup with 15 goals, has had his own problems with fame. His much-publicised broken relationships, encounters with transvestites, alcoholism and weight issues have adversely affected his on-field performances.
The latest in the list of troubled Brazil football stars is Adriano. The Inter Milan striker went missing on April 4 after international duty. He was not on his scheduled flight back from South America to Italy. Neither the club nor the Brazil football federation had any contact with the forward.

After an intense week of speculation, where rumours of his death also circulated, Adriano came out of hiding and informed that he had been in the favelas of Rio with his mother and friends after an emotional break-up with his girlfriend. Adriano then said that he wanted to take a break from football and think about his career. Alcohol and drug abuse were also cited as reasons for his mental state.

What is it with the footballers from Rio de Janeiro? How do you explain such beauty and misery, such mastery and frailty? Maybe it's to do with the city that nurtured them. Dichotomous Rio de Janeiro, just as beautiful as it is ugly. I can't wait to head there.

http://www.dnaindia.com/report.asp?newsid=1247091

Brazil calls for Cuba membership of OAS

2009-04-13T18:40:00.001-07:00

Brazil said on Monday that Cuba should be allowed to join the Organisation of American States but that it is not seeking a standoff with the United States over the issue at a regional summit this week.

The call by Latin America's main diplomatic power to bring Cuba in from the cold adds weight to growing demands for U.S. President Barack Obama to go further in unravelling Washington's decades-old policy of isolating Cuba's communist government.

Obama eased the 47-year-old U.S. embargo against Cuba on Monday by allowing U.S. telecommunications companies to do business there and lifting limits on family travel and money transfers to the island by Cuban Americans. [ID:nN13331508]

At a Summit of the Americas meeting that starts on Friday, several Latin American leaders will push for a broader re-integration of Cuba into the OAS regional group.

"Cuba being absent from the inter-American system, including the OAS, is an anomaly and needs to be corrected," Brazilian Foreign Minister Celso Amorim told reporters in Rio de Janeiro.

The Obama administration has made it clear it will not completely lift the embargo as it aims to keep up pressure for reforms in Cuba. It also does not want the April 17-19 Summit of the Americas to be dominated by the Cuba issue.

OAS chief Jose Miguel Insulza also expressed caution, saying Cuba needed to show clearly it was committed to democracy to be readmitted to the group.

"We need to know if Cuba is interested in returning to multilateral organizations or if it is thinking only about the end of the embargo and economic growth," Insulza told Brazilian daily newspaper O Globo.

"This is a summit of countries with good will but good will alone is not enough to cause change."

All 34 leaders at the Summit, from which Cuba is barred, are from democratic countries, said Insulza, a former Chilean foreign minister.

"The general assembly of the OAS decided that all member countries must adhere to democratic principles," he said when asked about Cuba, a one-party state that has been ruled by Fidel Castro and his younger brother Raul since they took power in a 1959 revolution.

Despite its support for Cuba, Brazil is unlikely to push the issue too hard at this week's summit.

"I think neither the Cubans nor we want to transform the summit into a confrontation between the United States and Latin America," Amorim said.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/UKNews1/idUKTRE53C3Q220090413?sp=true

Rio de Janeiro – one cruise passenger’s opinion - Brazil

2009-04-12T20:38:00.000-07:00

Rio de Janeiro (River of January, named by the Portuguese who founded the city on Jan. 1, 1502). Ah, Rio, "The Marvelous City," home of the Copacabana and Ipanema beaches, the Christ the Redeemer statue and, sadly, the crime capital of Brazil.

We were a month early for Carnaval, but the beaches offered sun, sand and surf -- it's summer in the Southern Hemisphere -- while the statue awaited our arrival with, literally, outstretched arms. Visible from just about everywhere in the city, Christ the Redeemer is, in a word, imposing. He has been watching stoically from atop 2,300-foot Corcovado Mountain since 1931, remaining impassive even when hit by lightning a year ago.

Two cable car rides took us to the 120-foot, 700-ton statue where crowds mingled in awe, stepping, occasionally, on those who lie flat on their backs at the base to get a better perspective for their photos.

If the statue could see, it may be disappointed with its subjects. It would be happy, certainly, with a modern, vibrant city of 6.1 million people, some of them among the richest in the world. But it would certainly be unhappy with the wretched poverty of many more. Interestingly, the poor live on the hillsides and have the best view of the ocean and the beaches.

Because of this poverty, the city's drug traffic is rampant, contributing heavily to a recent average of about 30 homicides a week. But tourists are relatively safe, except for the time they spend in a taxi. Intent on speed and apparently having taken a vow to never let another car pass, taxi drivers are, well, homicidal.

Read complete story here:

http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09102/961808-37.stm

Rio de Janeiro: Alternative - a trip through the city's hinterland

2009-04-06T23:33:00.000-07:00

Thanks to the Copacabana, carnival and Sugarloaf Mountain, Rio de Janeiro attracts millions of holidaymakers every year. But most of them hardly ever venture beyond the outskirts of the city even though the surrounding area has plenty of picturesque colonial towns, coffee plantations, islands, national parks and verdant jungle to offer.

Serra da Bocaina National Park is just a few hours by car to the south of Rio, but the atmosphere is similar to the Amazon with orchids and fern-bedecked trees lining the stone path that winds through the rainforest.

The air is humid and tropical and the path is covered with moss, making it advisable to carefully consider every step.

It is hard to imagine how smugglers made their way 250 years ago to the historic town of Parati on the Atlantic coast.

Even more difficult to understand is how thousands of slaves walked through the dense forest along that same path. Today, it is one of the most attractive routes in the park.

Luciano Freie suddenly draws to a halt. "Can you hear that? We are almost there," says the trekking guide. At first, the noise is swallowed up by the bellowing of lemurs who live high in the trees' crowns. Then, the dim sound of Veadeiros waterfalls can be heard.

The ground becomes moister and the roar of the water gets louder until the falls can be seen. The waterfalls are among the most beautiful in Brazilwith the water falling 100 metres.

The next stage of the journey is 18 kilometres long. Along the way you see cross mountain streams, accompanied by the calls of parrots and toucans. But you can also marvel at apes, tapirs, sloths and giant anteaters in the park which lies between the states of Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo.

The Serra da Bocaina park stretches as far as Parati which lies on a fjord-like bay.

"Oh God, if there is a paradise on earth, then it would look like this place," said the Italian explorer Amerigo Vespucci after seeing the small fishing village of the indigenous Guaiana people. Today, the town is one of the best-preserved, colonial settlements in Brazil.

In the 16th century, Parati became a busy urban centre at the end of the Caminho do Ouro or Gold Trail. But as the goldmines ran out, Parati declined and not until the 1950s was its historic character rediscovered.

The UNESCO has placed Parati on its tentative list of World Heritage Sites and cars are banned from its cobblestone alleys. Its white-tiled houses are decorated with colourfully painted window frames and doors.

From the town's port, you can take a boat to one of the islands in the bay. Ilha Grande is the largest of the hundreds of islands south of Rio. The long beaches of Lopes Mendes are among the most beautiful in the world.

Many holidaymakers are also attracted to the small bays where pirates used to hide in the past. A rather more touristy spot can be found in the north of the state, the peninsula of Buzios.

With its nightclubs, restaurants and up-market boutiques it has been dubbed the St. Tropez of Brazil.

If you want to experience more Brazilian culture, you would be advised to travel inland. Close to the small town of Vassouras, you can visit the colonial coffee bean estates where the coffee is fit for a king.

Another royal theme can be found 65 kilometres from Rio de Janeiro in the town of Petropolis where the Brazilian imperial family lived in the summer months.

The royal palace was built in the 1840s and is open to the public. Thanks to the town's colonial-style architecture and French-Gothic cathedral, you would hardly know you are in South America.

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/263367,alternative-rio-de-janeiro-a-trip-through-the-citys-hinterland.html

Lula da Silva: Brazil’s ‘Teflon’ Leader

2009-04-03T11:34:00.000-07:00

He has been called the Teflon president, the most popular president in the world, a leader who has survived scandal after scandal only to see his approval ratings rise to new heights.

But with industrial production slowing badly and unemployment climbing, President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil may be showing some chinks in his seemingly impregnable armor, analysts say.

As he took the world stage at the Group of 20 summit meeting in London on Thursday, he faces mounting challenges to his domestic popularity and perhaps to his status as one of the developing world’s most forceful advocates.

At least three polls showing a recent drop in his stellar approval ratings and a rush of controversy over comments he made last week, in which he blamed “white people with blue eyes” for the economic crisis, could be signs that Mr. da Silva, known as Lula, is mortal after all, analysts said.

“The prospect that Brazil’s economic and social gains could be undercut by the global crisis could well dampen an enormously successful two-term presidency,” said Julia E. Sweig, director for Latin American studies at the Council on Foreign Relations.

Mr. da Silva still has an enviable following at home, but if the economic storm continues, it could erode that support much further and hamper his ability to pass the presidency in 2010 to his chosen successor, Dilma Rousseff, his chief of staff, analysts said.

At the economic summit this week, Mr. da Silva sought to establish Brazil as a global power, but “the trick in London will be to hit the right substantive notes establishing Brazilian leadership without heaping too much scorn on those around him,” Ms. Sweig said.

Last week, Mr. da Silva heaped plenty of it. The economic crisis, he said, was caused by “the irrational behavior of white people with blue eyes, who before seemed to know everything, and now have shown they don’t know anything.”

The comments might have caused only a mild stir in the presence of other Latin American leaders, who have roundly criticized bankers in the United States and Europe. But said in Brasília with Prime Minister Gordon Brown of Britain at his side, Mr. da Silva’s comments raised hackles both at home and abroad.

“This was to be Lula’s big chance to show that he was the voice of reasonable, considered leadership,” said Amaury de Souza, a political analyst who heads MCM Consultants in Rio de Janeiro. “Now he can be accused of racism, which greatly weakens Brazil’s claims in foreign policy.”

Some analysts suggested that the Brazilian president, as he often does, may have been making his comments for the working poor, the core of his support. But the comments touched an open wound among Brazil’s elites, who resent the popularity of Mr. da Silva, a former metal worker with a fourth-grade education.

It was not the first time he had flashed his anger about the crisis. After spending the better part of a decade growing its economy, taming inflation and saving more than $200 billion during a commodities boom, Brazil was seen as a model in the world economy.

“Brazil’s desire to be considered one of the major economic powers is part of this frustration that Lula has,” said Johanna Mendelson-Forman, senior associate of the Americas program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “It’s as if he is saying, ‘Here I have made it as an economic power, and the world crashes.’”

As the economic crisis unfolded in the United States and Europe last fall, Mr. da Silva played down the possibility of contagion in his country.

“There, the crisis is a tsunami,” he said in October. “Here, if it hits, it’s going to be a little wave, not even big enough to surf on.”

But now Brazil’s economy is suffering. Its gross domestic product fell by 3.6 percent in the last quarter of 2008 from the third quarter, the worst drop of any Latin American nation. The country lost 654,946 jobs in December 2008, and 101,748 more jobs in January, according to the Labor Ministry.

The impact is exacting a political price. In March, Mr. da Silva suffered his first drop in popularity in over a year.

His approval ratings in some polls are still impressive, hovering above 70 percent, but they could fall below 50 percent if the economic slide continued, said David Fleischer, a political science professor at the University of Brasília.

Mr. da Silva’s team has impressed some economists with its efforts to try to stop the economic boat from leaking further. And despite the recent drop in popularity, few are counting out Mr. da Silva, one of Brazil’s most resilient politicians. In 2006 he rebounded from scandal to win a runoff and secure his second term. Then the Supreme Court charged two top aides with corruption in 2007, but it failed to affect the president’s popularity, which continued to rise.

Even at the summit meeting in London, his stature seemed to follow him.

One Brazilian news organization showed video of President Obama reaching over to shake Mr. da Silva’s hand. “Here’s my man, right here,” Mr. Obama said. “I love this guy. He’s the most popular politician on earth.”

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/04/03/world/americas/03lula.html?em

TOBOC's Newest Branch- Brazil- Rio De Janeiro

2009-04-03T11:20:00.000-07:00

TOBOC is excited to inform our members we have now opened another branch in Brazil- Rio De Janeiro, famous for one of the seven wonders of the world.

Brazil, Rio De Janeiro (PRWEB) April 3, 2009 -- TOBOC is excited to inform our members we have now opened another branch in Brazil- Rio De Janeiro, famous for one of the seven wonders of the world which is 'Christ the Redeemer' Statue apart from our Head Office based in Montreal- Canada with branches in Paris- France, Florida- U.S.A, Bangalore- India and Beijing- China.

Brazil the glamorous land of Carnivals, football, churches, foffee, dance (the samba) and of course rich in natural resources, TOBOC decided to venture into this beautiful country to help exporters and importers gain more visibility worldwide.

Known for its agriculture in soybeans, coffee, meat, sugar cane, citric, cocoa and industrial products like chemical, shoes products, cement, iron, steel, airplanes, engines and automobiles, buses and machines, it is rich in resources as well as manpower.

The Brazilian operations will be headed by Walter Hindenoch. Brazil has many associations pertaining to various sectors and after much research TOBOC could not turn away from the fact that though Brazil is rich in culture and resources, the poverty level cannot go unnoticed.

Having said this we intend to extend a helping hand to all sectors in Brazil by increasing their business growth through us worldwide under the constant supervision of Walter Hindenoch. Brazil continues to pursue industrial and agricultural growth and development of its interior. Exploiting vast natural resources and a large labor pool, it is today South America's leading economic power and a regional leader and TOBOC is proud to have firmly planted its 5th branch in this untapped land high in industrial and agricultural products.

http://www.emediawire.com/releases/2009/4/prweb2289914.htm

US Airways nonstop Charlotte-Rio flights OK'd

2009-03-20T22:31:00.000-07:00

Pending final spring approval, daily trips start in October with seating for 204 passengers.
No word if the cheesy '70s song will be part of the marketing, but – my-oh, me-oh – US Airways is flying to Rio.

Yes, de Janeiro.

Federal officials on Friday approved US Airways' nonstop Charlotte-Rio de Janeiro flight. Pending final approval this spring, the carrier will start daily flights in October, using a Boeing 767 that seats 204 passengers.

The route would be the first nonstop service from Charlotte to South America, although US Airways expects at least 90 percent of passengers to connect in Charlotte from other airports.

For Charlotte travelers, though, the Rio flight provides another option for vacationers who have seen Europe become more expensive because of the dollar's exchange rate, said Nancy Cutter, president of Court Travel in uptown Charlotte.

“South America is very, very overlooked for a lot of people,” Cutter said. “It's been a great value for 15 years.”

Charlotte is US Airways largest hub, and the airline operates more than 80 percent of flights at the airport. US Airways applied for the Rio flight in January, and the U.S. Department of Transportation officials on Friday also approved a Houston-Rio route by Continental Airlines.

Other nonstop international flights in Charlotte include US Airways to Frankfurt, London and – starting April 21 – Paris, and Lufthansa to Munich. US Airways also flies to nearly two dozen destinations in the Caribbean, Mexico and Central America. The carrier asked the U.S. government in 2007 for permission to fly from Charlotte to Bogota, Colombia, but officials awarded flights to other airlines.

US Airways' international expansion comes as major airlines have seen softer demand for flights in recent months. After cutting domestic service last fall and this year, some carriers now are looking at reducing service to other countries.

US Airways won't start selling tickets for Rio flights or set a date for the first flight until it gets final approval from federal officials, airline spokeswoman Michelle Mohr said. A check of travel Web sites today showed that round-trip fares for Charlotte-Rio flights in October – connecting at other airports – cost about $1,000.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/business/story/612204.html

The South of Brazil - Rio Grande do Sul

2009-03-08T22:22:00.001-07:00

More North Americans and Europeans visit the South of Brazil than is often imagined. Currently the vast majority are heading for the spectacular waterfalls at Foz do Iguacu and sadly miss the opportunity to take the time to explore the southernmost region of Brazil.

Sub-tropical, both the landscape and the climatic conditions in the south are markedly different to the rest of tropical Brazil. For starters, the south has four distinct seasons including a winter when between July and August, the temperatures dip noticeably.

The southern states of Rio Grande do Sul, Santa Catarina and Parana are full of contrasts and surprises. It is the region responsible for Brazil’s fine wines and most of the country’s outstanding beef. It is the region where European influences mix with those of the “gauchos” and the rest of Brazil. It is the region where in the 17th century the Jesuits built their missions alongside the settlements of the Guarani Indians.

The south is home to Curtiba, a town considered to be near perfect by urban planners; to Blumenau, with its distinct Bavarian architecture and Germanic influences, including its own Oktoberfest; to Florianopolis and its outstanding beaches; to Porto Alegre, the largest and best developed city of the southern states and the gateway to the mountain resorts of Gramado and Canela and the Brazilian wine country.

Attractions in the south are equally varied and rewarding and range from the spectacular falls at Foz do Iguacu to the equally breathtaking Itaimbezinho Canyon, the largest in Latin America, from the picturesque railway journey between Curitiba and Paranagua to whale watching off the coast of Santa Catarina; from the mystical rock formations at Vila Velha to the historic missions in Sao Miguel, and from the sought after teaches of Santa Catarina to the majestic highlands.

There is the “Green Coast” of the south, the colonial charms of Parati situated in a setting so beautiful and with colonial architecture so well preserved that it has been referred to as the “baroque pearl of the tropics” in Brazil.

http://www.excitingbrazil.com/riograndedosul.html

Black and white and so colorful

2009-03-08T16:07:00.000-07:00

About three years ago, Brazilian dance troupe Grupo Corpo stunned a Mondavi Center audience with its sensual, provocative dance "Onqotô."

The theme of the dance was "loneliness, brought on by metaphysical questions like 'Who am I?' or 'Where am I?' " explains choreographer Rodrigo Pederneiras, one of six siblings who founded the company in Belo Horizonte, Brazil, in 1975.

This Friday, Pederneiras' company returns to the Mondavi Center with another dance that is sure to thrill, delight – and challenge.

Pederneiras describes the work, titled "Breu," as "a poetic translation of the violent, barbarous times we live in."

"Breu" debuted at the troupe's home theater, the 1,700-seat Palácio das Artes in Belo Horizonte, in 2007 and was performed on the East Coast of the United States and in Canada last year.

Joel Lobenthal of the New York Sun described its New York premiere as "a dazzling display of punishing virtuosity" and John Rockwell of the New York Times called "Breu" "a brilliant physical display."

Belo Horizonte, a city of 3 million roughly 300 miles north of Rio De Janeiro and the South Atlantic Ocean, has embraced Grupo Corpo. Indeed, the troupe is the most successful dance company in Brazil – and well-regarded internationally.

Pederneiras has choreographed for the Municipal Ballet Theater of Rio de Janeiro, the City Ballet of Sao Paulo, Les Ballets Jazz Montreal, the Deutch Opera Berlin and the Opera du Rhin in France.

Mixing genres that show the varied influences of Brazilian culture, Pederneiras creates dances that, though grounded in ballet techniques, are basically modern dance, performed barefoot or in regular shoes, and with allusions to such popular dance as Brazilian street dance, ballroom and African dance.

Jeremy Ganter, associate executive director and director of programming at the Mondavi Center, was responsible for bringing the troupe here in 2006 – and in booking its return as quickly as schedules would allow.

"To me, they are the unsung heroes of modern dance," he said. "... They are in the same league as Alvin Ailey in terms of being a group we want to continue a relationship with and bring back. The quality of their dancers is definitely comparable."

In an e-mail exchange, choreographer Pederneiras discussed the dance, his approach to creating and arranging dance and the "Brazilness" of what he does.

"Breu," he says, "is my most radical dance movement in 30 years as a choreographer. In order to express in movement the complex, piercing score by singer and composer Lenine, the dancers and I had to leave behind the sensuality, lyricism and joy that had characterized the group's work since 1992 and initiate new forms of movement."

Asked how that movement differs from his previous works, the choreographer responds: "The forms are harsher, more angular and more powerful than predecessors. The abrupt falls and the painfully slow upward movements of the dancers appear to condemn their bodies to the ground, where they move with the aid of the pelvis, wrists, elbows, knees, ankles and heels."

The accompanying music is "a stimulating babel of sound," Pederneiras says. The original score ranges from hard rock to traditional Brazilian genres. The scenery (by brother Paulo Pederneiras) features huge, cold plaques of shining black tiles.

"The costumes (by Freusa Zechmeister) feature black-and-white leotards that divide the body in half, front to back – the back being solid black so that under the lights, "for split seconds, they seem to become one with the scenery," the choreographer says.

(You can see a short excerpt from "Breu" by clicking on the video link on the Grupo Corpo entry at www.mondaviarts.org.)

Grupo Corpo dance, Pederneiras says, explores a private world, where dynamics and balance have more meaning than movement.

"Our body learned how to dance on the street, and my language is a modern one," he says, "using peculiar forms of Brazilian popular dances in order to create a rhythm vocabulary all my own."

Classical ballet techniques were the basis of his choreography, Pederneiras says, and daily classical training still is woven into his dancers' workout routines.

Pederneiras has largely chosen to use the work of Brazilian composers since 1992. (The only exceptions are Ernesto Lecuono ("the Cuban Gershwin") whose work accompanied the 2006 Mondavi program and Philip Glass whose music accompanies "Seven or Eight Pieces for a Ballet" on this year's program.)

Grupo Corpo tours with a troupe of about 30, and while the economy is affecting the arts in Brazil as it is in the United States, "We didn't change anything because of the economic crisis," he says. "This tour was planned a long time ago."

In Brazil, in addition to performing in Belo Horizonte, Grupo Corpo regularly performs to sold-out crowds at the 2,240-seat Theatro Municipal in Rio de Janeiro and at the 1,130-seat Teatro Alfa in Sao Paulo.

The company had an invitation to perform at the Moscow Dance Festival this year, but the event was canceled because of lack of funding.

The troupe, instead, will "take this opportunity to tour more in Brazil, where we have a big demand," Pederneiras says. "It's a big country and usually we don't have enough time to tour (everywhere we'd like)."

http://www.sacbee.com/entertainment/v-print/story/1676490.html

Salgueiro crowned Rio Carnival champs

2009-02-27T08:23:00.000-08:00

Samba school Salgueiro was crowned champion of Rio's fiercely competitive Carnival parades on Wednesday, knocking off a powerhouse rival and overcoming a shooting that left three dead outside its headquarters just months ago.

Salgueiro's parade theme centered on the history of the drum and its importance to music in various cultures. An army of 4,100 marched alongside ornate floats featuring prehistoric beasts ridden by cavemen.

The school scored 399 points out of a possible 400 to win its ninth title and first since 1993. In second place with 398 points was Beija-Flor, which had won five of the previous six years and edged out Salgueiro in 2008.

"It's a huge win. Salgueiro really needed this victory," said a crying school president Regina Celia Duran. "Salgueiro is a family, and we are now all very happy."

Brazilians spent hours glued to their televisions, screaming in joy and groaning with disappointment, as judges announced scores for the schools' floats, costumes and how well they moved through the half-mile Sambadrome stadium.

Thousands jammed each school's headquarters, most of which are housed in Rio's hardscrabble outskirts. At Salgueiro in the Tijuca neighborhood, fans decked out in the school's red and white colors hugged, jumped up and down and cried in disbelief as their win became clear.

Schools spend upward of $2.5 million to create lavish 80-minute parades. A win brings a trophy, possible sponsorships and bragging rights — but no cash.

Authorities were on the alert for any violence, after three people were injured in a shooting last year during celebrations in front of Beija-Flor's headquarters.

Violence has in the past hit samba schools, whose funding is often suspected of being tied to illegal lotteries.

In December, a gunfight outside Salgueiro ended with two security guards and a bystander dead. No suspects were caught, and the motive for the attack is unknown. During Carnival 2007, a vice president of the school was shot dead outside headquarters.

Last week, more than 40 young tourists were robbed by armed men who invaded two hostels. There were scattered reports of at least 15 other foreigners being mugged.

Rio's Carnival officially ended Wednesday, but several large parties are still scheduled through the weekend. The top six finishing samba schools get to march again on Saturday in a champions' parade.

Officials had expected nearly 720,000 tourists to flock to the city's Carnival and pump $521 million into the local economy.

The top six finishing samba schools get to march again on Saturday in a champions' parade.

In Brazil's business capital of Sao Paulo, which holds a less celebrated parade, the Mocidade Alegre school was announced as the winner on Tuesday.

Military police used pepper spray to break up a rambunctious party outside the school's headquarters in northern Sao Paulo. Three people were hurt, none seriously.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5ircGw24KLMeC_o2boCr0e961aOFgD96ISB580

Brazil's Carnival Kicks Off in Rio de Janeiro

2009-02-23T09:42:00.001-08:00

King Momo, the character considered the owner of Carnival, received Friday the key to Rio de Janeiro from Mayor Eduardo Paes at a ceremony where he officially declared the pre-Lenten festival open.

The figure of King Momo, who has reigned since the year 1933, was on this occasion represented by bank employee Milton Junior, 29, who took the honor after almost 10 years in which practically without exception the same person played the monarch.

At the ceremony held at the Copacabana fort, Milton was accompanied by Carnival queen Jessica Maia, who was escorted by princesses Shayene Cesario Vieira and Charlene Valnice da Costa.

Together they awaited the arrival of the mayor as samba rhythms played and other traditional festival characters made an appearance, including representatives of the samba schools' old guard.

King Momo was welcomed with honors, amid the music of trumpets and drums and a shower of flower petals, to be given a replica of the key made be relatives of Candonga, an artisan of yesteryear renowned for his contribution to the festival.

Paes, attending his first Carnival as mayor, said during his speech that this is "the happiest day of my 50 days in the government."

The mayor also joked about ceding power to Momo and said that if during the next four days there should be any traffic problems in the city, "look for King Momo and not for Eduardo Paes."

Once the Carnival king was handed the key and the festival was officially open, the delegation wrapped up the ceremony by taking a ride on the gigantic ferris wheel installed in the fort to promote Rio de Janeiro's candidacy for the 2016 Olympic Games, as the crowd gathered there looked on.

http://www.laht.com/article.asp?ArticleId=328139&CategoryId=13003

Brazil's Carnival Kicks Off in Rio de Janeiro

2009-02-23T09:42:00.000-08:00

Carnival revelers promise grand party with less $

2009-02-22T22:31:00.000-08:00

Samba schools competing for local glory vowed Sunday to throw a magnificent Carnival party — complete with colorful floats, masked and face-painted dancers, and intoxicating musical rhythms — despite having less money to invest amid the global financial crisis.

Two big sources of revenue for the Carnival parades have fallen this year: Sponsorships from corporations and foreign tourists who pay for the privilege of marching with the participants.

Countless news media reports have reported on samba schools which, lacking the money for raw materials, have scaled back their productions, incorporating plastic bottle and other recyclables into their floats.

But school members are putting on a brave face, replacing cash with creativity and enthusiasm.

"They say this is the year of the Carnival in crisis, but the party that lives inside us all has no price," said Miqueas Cherry, 30, a seamstress who helped create costumes for the Grande Rio samba school.

The $2.5 million samba-school parades are the centerpiece of the world's largest Carnival bash — and schools compete fiercely to dominate the show.

The parades, in which Brazilian celebrities and slum dwellers dance alongside each other, take place over two nights and pit the top 12 samba schools against each other. The winning school earns bragging rights and massive attention from the local news media.

Samba school Beija-Flor, last year's champion and the winner of five titles in the past six years, is again the favorite. The school will parade just before dawn Monday in front of 80,000 spectators at the Sambadrome stadium.

Hundreds of informal, around-the-clock street parties — celebrations that many describe as the soul of Brazil's Carnival — hummed along outside the stadium Sunday, with the largest gathering attracting more than a half-million people.

Samba schools also staged early parades Sunday in Sao Paulo, a business-oriented city that some Brazilians say is too straight-laced to throw a proper party.

But Swiss tourist Christoph Fischer, 42, seemed to appreciate the milder version of events, noting that in contrast to the anything-goes chaos of Rio's pre-Lent bash, "Carnival in Sao Paulo is very organized."

Fernando Angelo Reis, 35, a nurse from Sao Paulo, acknowledged that the city's celebrations lacked the exuberance of those in Rio, or even those in the cities of Salvador and Recife.

But "even though Carnival might be a little better in Rio, I wouldn't trade it for Carnival in Sao Paulo because of security issues," Reis said.

In Rio last week, armed men with guns and grenades invaded youth hostels, tying up scores of foreign tourists and then robbing them.

Police have since reinforced patrols in tourist areas.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5h1MORJNEkoFFW212KtDumevq_cXwD96GOK681

Carnival queen sambas with Obama's face on thigh

2009-02-22T22:23:00.000-08:00

A Brazilian carnival queen famous for her skimpy attire is grabbing headlines again for painting President Barack Obama's face on her body.

Viviane Castro paraded nearly nude early Saturday with the U.S. leader's visage on her right thigh. Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva's face was on her left thigh.

Castro's stomach read "for sale" — a message she said represented the sale of Brazil's Amazon to the U.S. Many here fear the U.S. wants to control the resource-rich region.

Castro appeared in last year's Rio Carnival parade wearing nothing but a strategically placed piece of tape 1 1/2-inches (4-centimeters) long , violating a little-enforced nudity rule and drawing a penalty for her samba group.

She wore the same patch this year.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5jMESWMrTm_1On-T3k0X5SyDQQ-GAD96G3NQG0

Zannel Launches the First Mobile Carnaval and Mardi Gras Community Channel

2009-02-19T18:20:00.001-08:00

Mobile bloggers around the world to capture Carnaval and Mardi Gras events in real time

For the first time ever, mobile bloggers will be broadcasting video, pictures and text updates of Carnaval (or "Carnival" in the United States) and Mardi Gras celebrations in real-time from around the world using Zannel, the service which allows people to see and talk about what's happening now. The channel was created in partnership with Bossabeauty.com, the natural, beautiful Brazilian skincare line.

The Carnaval channel, available on mobile and web at http://www.zannel.com/carnaval09, will allow people from all over the world to see and share in real-time the best moments of the week's festivities, parades, costumes, and general revelry. In San Francisco, Zannel will hold a "King and Queen of Carnaval" Event on February 20, 2009 to watch the celebrations unfold. At the event, the two people with the best costumes will be anointed the King and Queen. To learn more about attending, contact carnaval09@zannel.com.

"We wanted to create a channel that captured the fun and excitement of Carnaval and Mardi Gras," said Vanessa Zbar, President of BossaBeauty.com. "We partnered with Zannel to enable people worldwide to instantly capture and share their unique experiences through their mobile phones."

http://www.earthtimes.org/articles/show/zannel-launches-the-first-mobile-carnaval-and-mardi-gras-community-channel,721500.shtml

Rio's Carnival: Why Just Watch, When You Can Join the Parade?

2009-02-17T09:18:00.000-08:00

Tourists are no longer just watching the parade at Carnival in Rio de Janeiro. Nowadays, tourists don costumes, join a samba school for the night, and fully participate in the festivities.

Rio de Janeiro, RJ, February 16, 2009 (PressReleasePoint) -- Sure, you can watch Rio's Carnival from the Sambdromo, but parading is where the fun is.

The number of foreign tourists participating in Rio's Carnival parade has increased dramatically in the last few years.

"Joining the Carnival parade is definitely one of my top 3 experiences in life!" affirms Casey A. from San Diego, who participated in the 2007 parade in Rio. "Everything is so grandiose and exuberant, and you feel like the center of attention."

"It's like the difference between going to Pamplona and running with the bulls, as opposed to just watching. Obviously, the risk at Carnival is a lot lower," compares Josh M. from Wisconsin, who participated earlier this year.

Tour operators have started sneaking tourists into the middle of the thousands of samba school paraders. This is so they are not identified by the Carnival judges, who often penalize samba schools for marching with participants who are not singing or dancing according to the song. This rule does not discriminate against foreigners, but against anyone who is not fully participating. To make the tourists inconspicuous, tour operators have been forming small groups of a dozen participants and mixing them in with a large group of Brazilians.

"We teach our clients a few tricks to blend in, so they don't look like tourists. First we teach them to wave and throw kisses to the crowd. We give them bubble gum so they appear to be singing, and of course we make sure they learn a few dance moves," reveals Mauricio Bastos of RioCharm Travel Services, one of the tour operators offering Carnival parade packages. "It's amazing how ecstatic everyone gets afterwards."

The Carnival experience starts at the hotel, where participants don the Carnival costume, usually something large and sparkly. Once dressed, members of the group meet at a subway station in Copacabana and head towards the Sambdromo, a mile long stadium in the shape of a corridor, where the Carnival competition is held. There participants meet the rest of their samba school and wait for their turn while sampling caipirinhas and other traditional beverages. Fireworks go off to indicate it's time for the next samba school to go in the Sambdromo. In military style, 4,000 or so participants from one samba school get in line and wait for their turn to enter.

Once inside the Sambdromo, participants are encouraged to have fun, and reminded to not do anything touristy, such taking photos or greeting famous observers in the VIP balconies. Each of the 12 schools has 80 minutes to move their school through the Sambdromo. Once members exit the Sambdromo, they can buy tickets to watch the other schools parade, or they can continue on to Carnival parties happening throughout the city. Participants get to keep their costumes, which many think of as the ultimate Rio souvenir.

"How to actually participate in the Carnival parade is rarely mentioned in travel guidebooks," states Cristiano Nogueira, author of a travel guide to Rio de Janeiro. "We added parade coverage in the second edition of "Rio For Partiers." Now at Carnival time we get a flood of email enquiries from interested travelers."

The dates for the 2009 Rio Carnival are February 21-28. For photos, videos and to learn more about parading in Rio's Carnival, please visit: http://www.rioforpartiers.com/carnival.html

http://www.pressreleasepoint.com/rio039s-carnival-why-just-watch-when-you-can-join-parade

Carnival in Rio

2009-02-17T09:08:00.000-08:00

The carnival to end all carnivals begins on Feb. 20, and the Samba School Parades continue until the following (Shrove) Tuesday. The bad news about this spectacular party is the cost of the tickets to the Sambadromo, which is the only area where you can see the main events -- about $900 for the best seats. The good news is that it is still possible to get some.
www.carnivalservice.com.

Around Brazil: The Romance of Rio

2009-02-09T14:32:00.000-08:00

Explore Rio‘s Romantic Side for Valentines Day

If you are hoping to take your loved one away on Valentine‘s, South America might seem to be a curious choice. But escaping the all-too-familiar breaks in Paris and Venice, Rio de Janeiro offers the budget traveler an intriguing alternative for a spot of romance.

Show your partner how much you really care by whisking them off to Brazil‘s golden capital for a truly indulgent trip that can add a bit of spice to your Valentine‘s Day without breaking the bank.

Dia dos Namorados

Translated as ‘Boyfriend/Girlfriend's Day‘, this is actually the Brazilian equivalent of Valentine‘s Day. The festivities are set in June instead of February, with the date coinciding with the traditional celebration of St. Anthony, who was considered the bearer of good fortune towards relationships.

A variety of concerts, performances and musical shows are hosted throughout the country on this day and it is not uncommon for couples to spend it partying with their friends and families.

Ilha Grande

During the day, take a bus or taxi out of Rio de Janeiro and head north to explore the cluster of beach islands famous for their beautiful and scenic landscape. The Ilha Grande is best visited in the hotter months of February when the expansive golden beaches, tropical forestry and blue ocean can be truly taken advantage of.

Once a part of the Atlantic rainforest (one of the largest ecosystems in the world) the region is home to a number of endangered species. The highest point is the Pico da Pedra D'Água, which stands at over 1000 meters high and provides unrivalled views of the stunning surroundings.

Zaza Bistro

Travelers looking for dinner on a budget can make a stop at Zaza‘s, located in the Ipanema district of Rio. The menu offers a wonderful mix of cultures and flavors, incorporating a blend of traditional Latin dishes as well as Asian and European foods to perfectly cater to all tastes.

Sit and eat outdoors to catch a glimpse of the vibrant nightlife life of Ipanema, or the plush seating inside can provide a more private and ambient surrounding, making for a very romantic setting.

Rio Scenarium

A trip to Rio would not be complete without taking in the exciting and varied nightlife that the city has to offer. The Rio Scenarium is a very popular bar that makes for a fabulous place to spend the evening with your loved one, thanks to its lively and colorful atmosphere.

With food and drinks at very modest prices, treat yourself to a fruity cocktail and a bite to eat, such as the local fish dishes which prove to be extremely popular. Spend the rest of the evening dancing long into the night to the sounds of samba music provided by live bands.

Backpackers can take full advantage of the sun, sea and sand of Rio, whilst indulging in the cultural spectacle of Brazil - making this Valentine‘s Day one to remember.

http://www.gringoes.com/articles.asp?ID_Noticia=2237

The Azores

2009-01-26T22:18:00.000-08:00

Discovered by an Arab serving King Roger II of Sicily in 1154, the Azores were colonised by the Portuguese in 15th Century, after they had been visited by the English, Dutch, Spanish, Belgians and French... essentially, as they were seen as a stopover point between America and Europe. Whale hunting quickly became an essential resource for the inhabitants, who acquired a reputation around the world with many moving to California, Brazil, Bermuda and Nantucket, as Herman Melville explained in Moby Dick.

The greatest seafarers passed through Horta (island of Faïal), and it became a tradition for each boat to leave its mark in paint on the quayside. All the sailors had to drink a glass at Peter’s, in the famous bar opened in 1918, which is both a mailbox for sailors and a sort of museum of scrimshaw. Apart from this friendly welcome from the locals, the islands are worth visiting because of their astonishing sights, with their amazing floral displays, partly down to the climate and partly due to the fact that travellers brought plants there: araucaria from China, tulips from Virginia, Brazilian rosewood, Japanese camphor, and kapok and guinko trees. It is a genuine garden in the middle of the ocean, where pineapples, tobacco, vines, pomegranates and bananas grow in amongst azaleas and hydrangeas. Black sandy beaches, hot water springs and bubbling mud can be found alongside whitewashed houses made of black basalt, churches with their stone sculptures, creeks with high cliffs and small fishing ports.

A volcanic island

800 miles from the coast of Europe, the Azores offer a range of landscapes. The sea was a source of riches with whale hunting, but also brings in the visitors. There are more visitors arriving by sea than by plane to visit these green islands with their jagged coastline. There are in fact three main centres spread out over a distance of more than 200 miles. The islands are of volcanic origin and were formed relatively recently (4 million years ago) and indeed the volcanoes are still active, as the Capelinhos peninsula in Faïal only emerged from the ocean fifty years ago!
Located in the middle of the Atlantic, where the seas are 3000 metres deep, these are massive peaks, which culminate at 2352 metres on Pico. Located between 37° and 40° North and 25° and 31° West, they benefit from a mild, wet climate, which is not so very different from Brittany with average minimal temperatures of 8° and maximum temperatures around 25°. The best season to visit is therefore the summer, when the Azores high is well established.

In the middle of the Atlantic

Furthest east, Santa Maria was the first to be colonised and was used as an aircraft base in the 2nd World War. It is famous for its long beaches of fine sand and its many fossils buried in the sediment. The largest and most heavily populated island, Sao Miguel has towering cliffs and is entirely volcanic. With its many churches with their fine sculptures and blue mosaic work (azulejos), there are many hidden exotic gardens, where the waters of the Seven Cities keeping alive the legend of Atlantis, feed two lakes, one green and one blue in the bottom of a huge crater.

The lilac island, Terceira, tells the story of the islands, their struggle for independence and the conquests. You can find many imperios there. These tiny bright-coloured chapels are said to be home to the food offered to the Holy Ghost, and it is there too you find the Biscoitos vineyard, where each vine is surrounded by a small wall of violet lava. Pico is the name of the 2352 metre high volcano, which is still in activity and it is here that the old whaling ports of Lajes do Pico and Sao Roque are located. Sao Jorge is an island resembling a ridge rising out of the water, and measures 25 miles by just 4. Graciosa, the Island of Grace, is brightly coloured with its white windmills with red tops.

Faïal, the blue island, so called because it is covered in hydrangeas, has long been an attraction: Lindbergh and Slocum stopped here, along with whale boats. It is home to the weather centre and the telephone cable centre between Europe and America. Almost a thousand boats a year moor up in Horta, the main port on Faïal, which has a well equipped marina, which is both sheltered and friendly. The local paper publishes the name of each boat that stops there, as the arrival of a boat in the Azores is always an event for the 240,000 Portuguese inhabitants, who are off the beaten track and essentially have lived on farms since whaling ended.

Florès is one of the most beautiful botanical gardens with 850 plants and a yellow covering over all the paths. Finally, Corvo is the most isolated of the islands, where just 500 people live in an autarky. The nine islands, which have avoided tremors and earthquakes keep their traditions and religious festivals, while like all those that live by the sea, remain very open to others.

http://www.vendeeglobe.org/en/magazines/8709/the-azores.html

Rio de Janeiro neighborhood blooms

2009-01-26T12:26:00.000-08:00

Over the past decade and a half when she visited her nephew in Lapa, Geni Aparecida Martins saw little change in the downtown Rio de Janeiro neighborhood.
''No one came around here,'' she said on a recent January afternoon.

But since the Sao Paulo native set up a small thrift shop here more than a year ago, she has watched the neighborhood boom. A few blocks down from her shop, the immense Cores da Lapa development dwarfs nearby colonial facades. Still under construction, its 688 units sold out in two hours, according to the developer's website, and the smooth brick-and-stucco structure sports a pool inside its gates and palm trees planted into the sidewalks outside of them.

The neighborhood is rising with it; since the launch of the project in the end of 2006, real estate prices in the rest of the neighborhood have risen between 10 to 20 percent, according to the newspaper O Globo.

The next block tells a different story.

POLICE RAIDS

Municipal guards with batons and shields recently heaped dollies and drink coolers into a garbage truck; residents heaped curses onto them from broken windows in the graffiti-covered high-rise above them.

The apartment building, occupied by the Movement of Roofless Workers, housed supplies for unauthorized street vendors, which the new city government has been cracking down on as part of its ''shock of order'' actions in city that began with the new year.

''Now [Lapa] is in a phase of transformation,'' said Caví Borges, co-director of the 2007 documentary L.A.P.A., about the area's rap scene.

The neighborhood sits next to the skyscrapers of Rio's downtown and has a central role in the city by linking the wealthy beachside South Zone to the more residential, economically depressed North Zone. The area attracts both international tourists and local samba street musicians.

It's ''the most democratic place in Rio,'' said Borges, 33. ``[It's] as though it were the beach.''

At the beginning of the 20th century, Lapa's reputation was unsavory; many Rio residents still won't visit the area. Though it is the musical heart of the city, it remains a low-income neighborhood, according to local businessman Leonardo Feijó, who owns several commercial properties in the area.

Still, in recent years, Lapa has become an established nightlife favorite of tourists and a ubiquitous entry in the online guide and book Rio for Partiers.

OPTIMISTIC FUTURE

Feijó, 34, thinks the neighborhood could be rebounding, fueled by the growing club scene and the new economic development.

''It could be that in 10 years you have people from the middle class [living here],'' he said.

Stoking this notion of an economic boom, Rio de Janeiro Mayor Eduardo Paes recently announced details for a neighborhood improvement project called ''Lapa Legal'' -- ''legal'' in Portuguese meaning both ''lawful'' and, colloquially, ``great.''

The goal is to develop Lapa's tourism, cultural and economic potential and includes measures to organize street vendors and regulate the hours of shows in open spaces.

But informality and disorder are characteristic of the neighborhood, and having the state step in could destroy that, said Micael Herschmann, a professor at the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro.

''It was the society, the businessmen, the artists, that drove the history of Lapa,'' said Herschmann, who published in 2007 Lapa, Cidade da Musica, a history of the neighborhood's development. But he said certain aspects of the neighborhood, like its parking, could be improved by state assistance.

He said the neighborhood's revitalization to the mid-1990s, when the first of several new show venues, Arco da Velha, opened.

The entrance of these high-price music venues and bars is changing the scene of the Brazilian Bohemia. It used to be a place where people partied in the street and spent little money, according to filmmaker Borges.

But now it is becoming more elite, he said, and it brings ``people from the South Zone to there to pay 30 to 40 reais ($17-$23) for a show.

THREE-FLOOR CLUB

The popular Rio Scenarium, a three-floor dance club, bar and show venue in Lapa, costs 25 reais ($14) on weekends -- a cover charge that in Rio would buy at least four pratos feitos, the beans, rice and meat plates that are a standard dinner for many.

Entrepreneur Feijó says that when he set up Teatro Odessia in 2004, it was before the boom and risky to invest there. Feijó now owns four bars and show venues in Lapa, though he says its two main problems are street vendors who sell drinks for cheaper than the established clubs and the lacking infrastructure in the area.

''The new city government, I think it's going to solve it,'' said Feijó, adding that the streets needed cleaning and the street vendors needed to be removed. ``It's not possible for [the businesses] to do it all.''

But Elza Francisca da Cruz, 85, was born on the same street in Lapa, where she now sells sodas and water from a cooler, She wants to see more security around her to suppress crime, but she sayscracking down on vendors leaves them without livelihoods.

''If I don't work, I don't eat,'' da Cruz said.

Martins, 52, has seen business grow in her small thrift shop since setting it up a year and a half ago, and said she is of two minds concerning the efforts at urban cleaning.

When she sees the street vendors losing their jobs, her side that thinks with her heart ''is dying of pity,'' she said. But, she added, her ''side of reason'' thinks that it is better to clean up and secure the area.

``For my business, my thrift shop, it makes it more valuable.''

http://www.miamiherald.com/business_monday/story/869849.html

Brazil Expands Investment in Offshore Drilling Projects

2009-01-25T13:19:00.000-08:00

Brazil’s state-controlled oil company, Petrobras, announced a crisis-busting investment plan Friday to spend more than $174 billion over the next five years, much of it for prodigious deep-water oil and gas exploration.

The investment covers the 2009-2013 period and represents a rise of 55 percent over the $112.4 billion the company had vowed to spend on development between 2008 and 2012.

This investment is “very robust and very important for the continuity of Petrobras’s growth,” José Sergio Gabrielli, the company’s chief executive, told reporters Friday at a news conference in Rio de Janeiro.

Petrobras, whose full name is Petróleo Brasileiro, had promised to unveil its spending plans in September but delayed the announcement several times because of the world’s financial turmoil.

In 2007 and 2008, Petrobras and partners including Repsol YPF of Spain and the BG Group of Britain discovered vast deposits of oil under more than 4,000 meters of water, rock and salt.

Although the finds are at previously untapped depths and will be costly to extract, they hold an estimated 8 billion to 12 billion barrels of oil, according to Petrobras figures. Company officials and oil experts say that other reserves of that size could be nearby.

One of the finds alone, named the Tupi, holds the equivalent of 5 billion to 8 billion barrels of light crude oil and is the world’s biggest new field since a 12-billion-barrel find in Kazakhstan in 2000.

President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva of Brazil has said repeatedly that developing these oil reserves is vital to the country’s future, and Petrobras has set aside $28 billion to that end.

In all, new drilling could produce 219,000 barrels a day by 2013, 582,000 barrels a day by 2015 and 1.82 million barrels a day by 2020, he predicted.

Natural gas extraction would rise from 7 million cubic meters a day in 2013 to 40 million a day in 2020, the company added.

Petrobras produced a daily average of 2.18 million barrels of oil and gas last year.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/25/business/worldbusiness/25brazil.html?_r=1&ref=business

Brazil: The Greatest Party on Earth!

2009-01-25T13:00:00.000-08:00

The Rio Carnival Starts to Heat Up

When carnival season hits Brazil in February, Rio de Janeiro is the destination for backpackers.

The four day celebration is one of the most vibrant and colourful parties on the planet.

And for those yet to experience this blend of hedonism and noise at first hand, nothing else will come close to matching the frenetic atmosphere on show.

The carnival, which is traditionally a major celebration of the excesses before Ash Wednesday, will see the city bustling with tourists and natives alike, all ready to immerse themselves in the glamorous festivities.

It's a good idea to plan your trip carefully, though, to help you take full advantage of a trip to Brazil without missing the best of the carnival.

Find Perfect Accommodation

If you arrive before Sunday's main parade, there's lots of time to explore the city and check-in to one of the many great hostels available in Rio. The centrally located Surf n' Stay Backpackers provides a fantastic location for those also wanting to enjoy the waves during their trip. Macumba Beach is situated just 100 meters from the hostel in Copacabana, while the local shopping center is the ideal site for picking up souvenirs.

See a World Famous Attraction

The statue of Christ the Redeemer sits high above the heaving streets of Rio de Janeiro and is the city's most iconic sight. One of the New Seven Wonders of the World, it is located on the peak of the Corcovado Mountain and can be accessed from a mini-train that ascends from the Cosme Velho District. The summit will not only provide a stunning view of Rio (and the carnival chaos below), but will literally have you standing at the foot of one of the world's most spectacular sights.

Eating Out

Experiencing the best in local cuisine is one of the joys of backpacking, whether it's simple snacks or massive main courses you're after. Brazil is well known for the snack empadinha, which is a pastry pocket stuffed with various fillings and ingredients. Popular due to its size and wide availability, this snack is perfect for on-the-go eating, as you party through the streets till dawn.

Carnival Capital

When Sunday arrives, the parade kicks off celebrations and the carnival has well and truly begun; all the events of the day before lead up to a great explosion of colour and sound emanating from the 'Sambadrome'.

Brazil's love for dance is celebrated in all its glory during the evening parade, as thousands of people gather to enjoy the spectacle of seeing various samba schools 'compete'. The fantastic blend of music, floats, dancing and flamboyant costumes make for an unrivalled experience, as backpackers can sit back and soak in the culture and traditions that Brazil has to offer.

For those travelers on too tight a budget to make it into the Sambadrome (unfortunately, tickets can be expensive), there are a host of other events taking part all over the city. Carnival balls, street parties and the very popular samba beach parties all take place outside of the purpose-built arena, meaning everyone can enjoy the amazing atmosphere of the carnival season.

Great Weather

The carnival takes place in February; a peak time to enjoy Brazil's weather and beaches, while also soaking up the carnival atmosphere, that will make this a trip you'll never forget.

http://www.gringoes.com/articles.asp?ID_Noticia=2231

Brazil unemployment rate at 7-year low

2009-01-22T18:54:00.000-08:00

Brazil's unemployment rate dropped to its lowest point in seven years, officials said Thursday — but analysts warned joblessness is expected to rise as businesses struggling to obtain credit in a global financial crisis begin laying off employees.

The government took steps to address those concerns: Finance Minister Guido Mantega announced on Thursday that the government would pump $42 billion in new funds into Brazil's National Development Bank, or BNDES.

The jobless rate stood at 6.8 percent in December, compared to 7.4 percent in December 2007, Brazil's IBGE statistics agency reported. The rate was 7.6 percent in November 2008.

December's reading was the lowest unemployment rate since 2002, when the government began using the current method of calculating joblessness.

The low rate comes despite the loss of 654,000 full-time jobs last month — but is largely due to the hiring of temporary holiday workers, analysts said.

Forecasts are for increasing unemployment as those part-time workers lose employment and as Brazil's economy slows in the midst of the global crisis.

"Those lost jobs in December will be reflected in January's unemployment figures," said Thais Zara, chief economist for the Sao Paulo-based economic consulting firm Rosenberg & Associados.

Zara had no forecast for how much unemployment would rise, but said it would be "substantially worse."

On Wednesday, Brazil's central bank issued its biggest interest-rate cut in five years, slashing its benchmark rate to 12.75 percent.

Credit has been tightening for Brazil's biggest companies, which have been signaling that layoffs could be coming soon if they cannot find financing.

"Businesses that count on resources from the international market and are not finding them because of the global financial crisis will be able to fall back on the BNDES," Mantega said.

According to the minister, the BNDES will have $166 billion at its disposal this year to loan to Brazilian businesses that are not able to find credit on the international market. Last year, the bank lent $37.5 billion.

Economists surveyed by the central bank have revised their 2009 growth forecasts to 2.5 percent from 4 percent in recent months. Some analysts predict an even greater slowdown as the world crisis stalls demand for the commodity exports on which many Brazilian companies rely.

Exporters of everything from cars to minerals to food have been laying off employees, while others have sent workers on paid vacations and idled plants because Brazilian labor laws make firings too costly.

Mantega told reporters Thursday the BNDES would put a priority on loans for the gas and energy sector, along with industry and the government's infrastructure projects.

Especially important is the ability of state-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA to continue development of massive new offshore oil discoveries, which could hold up to 80 billion barrels of oil and could require up to $600 billion over the next 30 years.

"It's important to us that Petrobras' entire plan remain viable," Mantega said. "If it isn't possible with external resources, we'll make it happen with internal resources."

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5g9ep4hNDgPwvJZwiW2_kn2HLk6rAD95SD4BG0

Denis Norden's heaven on earth: Rio de Janeiro

2009-01-10T07:55:00.000-08:00

The writer and broadcaster Denis Norden on cuisine, culture and beautiful womenfolk of Rio de Janeiro.

I used to write speeches for corporate clients who were putting on conferences to reward their reps and one year I attended an event being held in Rio de Janeiro.

It's undoubtedly the most amazing place I've ever visited. The city has a wonderful location and boasts famous landmarks such as the Sugar Loaf Mountain and the Corcovado.

We stayed in a wonderful hotel on the beach, The Copacabana Palace (0055 21 2548 7070; www.copacabanapalace.com.br), which was positively luxurious; the guests all seemed incredibly glamorous, myself excluded.

The other part of town which is worth a visit is Ipanema – a short distance away – where I was struck by the colourful fruit on display at the juice bars on the street corners, where they sell the most delicious sucos (fruit juices).

If you want to try Brazil's national dish, feijoada (a beef or pork stew with beans), go to the Casa de Feijoada (2523 4994) in Ipanema. Feijoada may not be quite to everyone's taste, but it's certainly an experience.

Another thing that any red-blooded man visiting the city cannot fail to appreciate is Rio's womenfolk who really are astonishingly beautiful.

At the same time, it's undoubtedly a city of extremes and you're never more than a few miles from the favelas, the slums climbing the hills behind the city and a constant reminder that not all of the city's inhabitants enjoy the good life.

Going back to the conference, I remember that some bright spark heard that each year the city voted a local beauty as the 'Girl From Ipanema' in homage to the hit Sixties song.

To cut a long story short, the organisers managed to hire the very first girl from Ipanema – Heloísa Pinto (now known as Helô Pinheiro), who inspired the song – to appear at the conference. And lucky me – I got to dance with the her.

Rio really is the most fabulous holiday destination, whether or not you get to dance with the Girl from Ipanema.

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/travel/destinations/southamerica/brazil/4161167/Denis-Nordens-heaven-on-earth-Rio-de-Janeiro.html

Rio's Carnival: Why Just Watch, When You Can Join the Parade?

2009-01-10T07:45:00.000-08:00

What is the latest trend at Carnival in Rio de Janeiro? Tourists are no longer just watching the parade. Nowadays, tourists don costumes, join a samba school for the night, and fully participate in the festivities.

Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (PRWEB) January 9, 2009 -- Sure, you can watch Rio's Carnival from the Sambódromo, but parading is where the fun is.

The number of foreign tourists participating in Rio's Carnival parade has increased dramatically in the last few years.

"Joining the Carnival parade is definitely one of my top 3 experiences in life!" affirms Casey A. from San Diego, who participated in the 2007 parade in Rio. "Everything is so grandiose and exuberant, and you feel like the center of attention."

"It's like the difference between going to Pamplona and running with the bulls, as opposed to just watching. Obviously, the risk at Carnival is a lot lower," compares Josh M. from Wisconsin, who participated earlier this year.

Tour operators have started sneaking tourists into the middle of the thousands of samba school paraders. This is so they are not identified by the Carnival judges, who often penalize samba schools for marching with participants who are not singing or dancing according to the song. This rule does not discriminate against foreigners, but against anyone who is not fully participating. To make the tourists inconspicuous, tour operators have been forming small groups of a dozen participants and mixing them in with a large group of Brazilians.

"We teach our clients a few tricks to blend in, so they don't look like tourists. First we teach them to wave and throw kisses to the crowd. We give them bubble gum so they appear to be singing, and of course we make sure they learn a few dance moves," reveals Mauricio Bastos of RioCharm Travel Services, one of the tour operators offering Carnival parade packages. "It's amazing how ecstatic everyone gets afterwards."

The Carnival experience starts at the hotel, where participants don the Carnival costume, usually something large and sparkly. Once dressed, members of the group meet at a subway station in Copacabana and head towards the Sambódromo, a mile long stadium in the shape of a corridor, where the Carnival competition is held. There participants meet the rest of their samba school and wait for their turn while sampling caipirinhas and other traditional beverages. Fireworks go off to indicate it's time for the next samba school to go in the Sambódromo. In military style, 4,000 or so participants from one samba school get in line and wait for their turn to enter.

Once inside the Sambódromo, participants are encouraged to have fun, and reminded to not do anything touristy, such taking photos or greeting famous observers in the VIP balconies. Each of the 12 schools has 80 minutes to move their school through the Sambódromo. Once members exit the Sambódromo, they can buy tickets to watch the other schools parade, or they can continue on to Carnival parties happening throughout the city. Participants get to keep their costumes, which many think of as the ultimate Rio souvenir.

"How to actually participate in the Carnival parade is rarely mentioned in travel guidebooks," states Cristiano Nogueira, author of a travel guide to Rio de Janeiro. "We added parade coverage in the second edition of "Rio For Partiers." Now at Carnival time we get a flood of email enquiries from interested travelers."

The dates for the 2009 Rio Carnival are February 21-28. For photos, videos and to learn more about parading in Rio's Carnival, please visit:
http://www.rioforpartiers.com/carnival.html

Holier than thou? Rio's Christ statue has rival

2009-01-07T15:30:00.001-08:00

A little-known Brazilian farming town with sugar cane wealth is set to upstage Rio de Janeiro by erecting a statue of Christ that will eclipse its famous equivalent atop Rio's Corcovado mountain.

The Christ statue in Sertaozinho, northwest of Sao Paulo city, will be 187 feet tall when perched on its 128 foot (39-meter) pedestal, Brazilian daily newspaper Folha de Sao Paulo said on Tuesday.

Rio's iconic statue overlooking the beach-side city measures up at 98.4 feet high, but its much shorter pedestal gives it a total height of just 125 feet.

"Far from a pretense of grandeur, we're thinking about visibility," said Nerio Costa, mayor of the town 206 miles from Sao Paulo which hopes to inaugurate the 1.5 million reais ($681,000) structure at Easter.

But those suspicious that Sertaozinho, with a population of just over 100,000, is trying to rival the country's top tourist city can cite other evidence.

The agricultural town also boasts a lake-side artificial 160-yard (meter) beach built at a cost of $3.64 million (8 million reais), Folha said.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/lifestyleMolt/idUKTRE5053VM20090106

US winery owner dies in Brazil

2009-01-02T14:08:00.001-08:00

A German-born businessman who owned a New York winery has died while summing in the ocean off of Brazil, police said Friday.

Christian Wolffer, 70, suffered a deep cut while swimming on New Year's Eve near the colonial town of Paraty, about 150 kilometers (100 miles) west of Rio de Janeiro, said police investigator Luiz Carlos.

Authorities are investigating whether the cut was caused by a passing boat. It isn't clear if Wolffer drowned or died from the cut.

A former investment banker and venture capitalist, the native of Hamburg, Germany, owned the Wolffer Estate vineyard and winery — formerly known as Sagpond Vineyards — near Sagaponack, New York, in the Hamptons area of Long Island.

Before going into the wine business, Wolffer had founded Euro Investors Property, Inc. — also based in Sagaponack — and had worked for the German chemical company BASF in Mexico.

A woman answering the phone at Wolffer Estate offered no details but said the family would release a statement soon.

http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hgKOhOA0ZLewr_cAmy_wzQ1rtRLwD95F5JOG0

48 Hours In: Rio de Janeiro

2008-12-14T10:12:00.001-08:00

The beach is best for the citizens of this fascinating Brazilian city. And with the New Year celebrations on their way, why wait for the carnival? Simon Calder enjoys a caipirinha or two

Midsummer in the sunny south of Brazil is always a seductive proposition. This remarkable city combines sun, sea, sand and samba, which are constantly celebrated by the citizens – notably on New Year's Eve, when two million of them will be on Copacabana Beach. But at any time of year, flying down to Rio has much to recommend it: this is a city that always has a smile on its face and a sun-hat on.

Touch down

The easiest way is aboard the new British Airways (0844 493 0787; ba.com) non-stop flights from Heathrow to the city's Galeao airport, which operate three times a week. The alternative is TAM (020-8897 0005; tam.com.br).

From the airport, a cab to the farthest-flung parts of town, Ipanema and Leblon, should cost no more than 50 reais (R50/£14). The journey takes as little as half an hour, though two or three times longer in rush hour.

Get your bearings

Because of the way that steep hills clad in profuse vegetation crowd in Rio, the city has complicated geography. The commercial hub is to the north, with the Candelaria church (1) marking the main crossroads for the city. Just to the east, the domestic Santos Dumont airport (2) is the closest-in of any big city. South from here the beaches begin – Flamengo and Botafogo – before the glorious punctuation of Sugarloaf mountain, the city's symbol. You can get an ideal overview by taking the cable car, in two stages, to the top; it departs from the Praia Vermelha base station (3) at least every 20 minutes 8am-9.50pm daily, for a fare of R44 (£13).

Continuing south, Copacabana is the city's "signature" beach, but many visitors prefer the lower-key charms of Ipanema and its western extension, Leblon.

Check in

Where do Duran Duran stay when they play Rio? The Fasano (4), on the ocean at the eastern end of Ipanema, at Avenida Vieira Souto 80 (00 55 21 3202 4000; fasano.com.br). Even if you choose not to pay the $340 (£230) nightly rate, excluding breakfast, to stay at the city's leading design hotel, it's worth calling in to admire the Philippe Starck interior.

A well-located and cheaper alternative is the Ipanema Plaza (5) at Rua Farme de Amoedo 34 (00 55 21 3687 2000; ipanemaplaza.com.br). A double costs $110 (£75) a night, excluding breakfast.

There are plenty of cheap hostels, such as Mellow Yellow (6) at Rua General Barbosa Lima 51 in Copacabana (00 55 2547 1993; mellowyellow.com.br).

Take a hike

Three miles, two beaches, and one long and beguiling stretch of sand: that is the prospect awaiting you at the eastern end of Ipanema beach. Clamber up on to the rocks of Ponta do Arpoador (7) for a fine view of the bay, then wander along the beach noting the numbered lifeguard posts. Each post traditionally attracts a different group of people. Post seven is popular with suburban visitors and is also nearest to Rio's best surfing beach. Eight is the gay post, while nine is for young people and 10 is for the rich and famous.

Once you cross the canal that leads up to the lagoon you leave Ipanema and join Leblon. At the end of this stretch of beach is a statue of a local gossip columnist. Leave the beach here, walk inland for one block along the Avenida Visconde de Albuquerque; turn left for one block and left again, and you will find yourself at the foot of a road which winds up to the mirador (8) where you get a fine view of the city.

Take a ride

Plenty of buses will take you into town, or a cab will cost around R20 (£5.50). Track down Carioca station (9), where Rio's last tram ride begins. They run every half hour, on the half hour, 7am-8.30pm; fare R0.60 (£0.20). People get on and off all the way along, and the rule is that if you ride on the running board then you don't need to pay. This is a remarkable journey, which lifts you across the old aqueduct then takes you rattling up to Santa Teresa, a once-run-down district that is being regenerated and is beginning to attract musicians and artists.

Lunch on the run

Santa Teresa, now the most Bohemian part of town, has plenty of options. If you take the tram to the point at which the lines diverge, at the stop called Largo dos Guimaraes, you will be right next to Jasmine Mango (10), Rua Pascoal Carlos Magno 143 (00 55 21 2242 2605), where good salads and coffee await.

Cultural afternoon

Every day feels like a festival in Rio, but there is only one real carnival – the samba-fuelled five-day frenzy each February; in 2009, it runs from Friday 20-Tuesday 24. But at any time of year you can go to Samba City (11), at Rua Rivadavia Correa 60 in Gamboa, which was reclaimed from an old railway yard three years ago and is now the home of the largest samba schools; this is where they make the costumes and the floats. You can get to look inside this fun factory, where the main product is flamboyance, any day except Sunday (00 55 21 2213 25030; sambacity.info).

An Aperitif

If it happens to be Saturday, you will need to get along to the Confeitaria Colombo (12) at Rua Goncalves Dias 32 (00 55 21 2505 1500; confeitariacolombo.com.br) before it shuts at 5pm; it opens 8am-8pm from Monday to Friday. This stunning Belle Epoque café was created at the end of the 19th century when Rio was at the height of her own beautiful era – she was the capital of the biggest country in South America. She lost that crown to the new city of Brasilia in 1960, but here at the Colombo they still party like its 1899, and gaze at themselves in lavish mirrors imported from Antwerp.

If you prefer to start drinking later in the evening, head to Travessa do Comércio, a narrow street lined with bars off the Praca 15 do Novembro in the Central district.

Dining with the locals

You could walk through the early evening light for Rio's best plate with a view. Porcao's Rio (13), at Avenida Infante Dom Henrique in Flamengo park (00 55 21 3389 8989; porcao.com.br; open daily noon–1am), has views across the water to Sugarloaf – try to get a table by the window on the south side.

Start by helping yourself to whatever you like from a buffet spread, then eat your body weight in barbecued meat; wash it down with a caipirinha, a mix of cane spirit and lime. Expect to pay around R70 (£20), plus drinks – expensive by Rio standards, but well worthwhile. If you prefer to spend about half as much, the Barril 1800 – a few yards west of the Fasano (4) is a seafront place with an extensive, good value menu. Or try Garota de Ipanema (14), where "The Girl from Ipanema" was written; there is plenty of memorabilia here, and the address – Rua Vinicius de Moraes 49 (00 55 21 2521 3168; garotaipanema.com.br) – celebrates one of the writers.

Sunday morning: Go to church

The church of Candelaria (1) is the spiritual landmark at the heart of Rio and was built on the site of the city's first church. Despite all the traffic outside, it retains a wonderful serenity.

Look at the magnificent cupola, which was transported to Rio from Lisbon. It opens 9am-1pm on Sundays, 7.30am-4pm from Monday to Friday, 8am-noon on Saturdays.

Out to brunch

The Brazilian family feast, feijoada, is a Saturday event – except at the place where the name is the menu: Casa de Feijoada (15) at Rua Prudente de Morais 10 in Ipanema (00 55 21 2247 2776), which serves the dish daily. Expect a vast amount of meats and sausages in a cauldron, served with black beans, rice, kale and orange.

Window shopping

Rio has some large street markets but if you're only in town for a couple of days then they might be a bit tricky to cope with. Instead, come to the Hippie Market (16) any Sunday from 9am to 5pm for crafts and curiosities.

A walk in the park

Take the funicular railway that heads up to Corcovado (00 55 21 2558 1329; corcovado.org.br) – pausing as you go through the base station (17) to read the information on this fascinating piece of infrastructure. Stop halfway, at Paineiras station (18). This is the gateway to Tijuca National Park, and within minutes you can find yourself in rainforest, with such a profusion of vegetation and fauna that you will find it hard to imagine you are on the edge of a city.

The icing on the cake

Continue by train to the summit of Corcovado – the mountain known as "Pinnacle of Temptation" to the first mariners who came to Rio. It offers fabulous views of the city and has one of the new seven wonders of the world: the statue of Christ the Redeemer (19). This 100ft-high statue was paid for by the people of Rio, who wanted someone to watch over them.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/48-hours-in/48-hours-in-rio-de-janeiro-1063794.html

Christmas Tree of Bradesco Seguros e Previdencia

2008-11-30T05:58:00.000-08:00

The Biggest Floating Christmas Tree in the World,
is Inaugurated in Rio De Janeiro

Event brought together thousands of people at the Rodrigo de Freitas Lagoon TO

RIO DE JANEIRO, Brazil, Nov 29, 2008 The inaugural event of the 13th consecutive edition of the Christmas Tree of Bradesco Seguros e Previdencia, the biggest floating Christmas tree in the world according to the Guinness Book of Records, brought together thousands of people this Saturday (November 29, 2008). Considered the third greatest event in the city of Rio de Janeiro, after Carnaval and New Year's Eve, the Tree brings something new for 2008 in the form of "A melody of peace for the Brazilian family." The spectacle of lights and colors has taken on a musical touch. An electronic carillon, imported from Italy and similar to the one used in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, has been installed within its structure to reproduce Christmas carols with bells played manually by professional bell-ringers. There are also fireworks scheduled for every Saturday.

The programming of the inaugural event, with a live television broadcast in real time by the Tree's hot site included a concert given by popular Brazilian artists such as singers Elba Ramalho, Joao Bosco, Roberta Sa and guitarist Turibio Santos, as well as the Choir of the Bradesco Foundation, made up of 112 young students. The American soprano Carol McDavit, who has been settled in Brazil for the past 20 years, also made an appearance.

The project has become the largest event sponsored by a single private company in Brazil. This is the 13th edition of the Christmas Tree of Bradesco Seguros e Previdencia, which for the first time will have thirteen flashing sequences of different images to dazzle the public. At the top of the 85- meter Tree, the star is now accompanied by two angels representing peace. The 52 kilometers of lighted strands are to evoke the Christmas theme, and 1,600 flashing lights are to evoke twinkling stars.

Certification in the Guinness Book

The second certification in the Guinness Book of Records, as the "largest floating Christmas tree in the world," was obtained because of the height of 85 meters in 2007 and recorded in the recently published 2009 edition. With its launching in 1996, the Tree was 48 meters high and up until the 2006 edition, 82 meters. The first certification in the Guinness book was awarded in 1999, when this symbol of Christmas measured 76 meters.

Technology and the Environment

For the past three years, the Christmas Tree of Bradesco Seguros e Previdencia has had generators fueled by biodiesel to reduce carbon emissions into the atmosphere. For the third year, to ensure rationality in the consumption of fuel, the generators will be controlled by a computerized system.

Neutralization of Carbon

Emissions of carbon gas into the atmosphere produced by the assembly, display and dismantling of the Tree will be neutralized by the planting of trees in regions of the Mata Atlantica rainforest.

WWW.ARVORENATALBRADESCOSEGUROS.COM.BR/FOTOS

Super-rich buck global trend and spend, spend, spend

2008-11-28T19:23:00.000-08:00

The security barrier swung slowly skywards, clearing the way for another glistening four-wheel drive to glide past, its occupants obscured by black-tinted, bulletproof windows.

Nearby, under the shade of a towering jackfruit tree, a cluster of dusty construction workers took a break from their morning's work - erecting yet another luxury, palm-flanked fortress in Jardim Pernambuco, a cocoon of 140 millionaires' mansions nestled on a hillside above southern Rio de Janeiro, the heartland of Brazilian high society.

While the credit crunch wreaks havoc elsewhere, Brazil's super-rich have so far emerged relatively unscathed. Glossy lifestyle magazines are filled with full-page adverts for spa resorts, designer handbags and diamond bracelets that cost more than many Brazilians earn in a lifetime. High-end estate agents say they are as busy as ever, while a new wave of so-called "extra-class" hotels are packed to the rafters each weekend.

A recent study conducted by MFC Consultoria e Conhecimento, a Brazilian research group specialising in luxury goods, claimed that Brazil's luxury sector, known by some here as the Mercardo AAA - Triple-A Market - grew by 17% last year with a similar rise expected for 2008.

Brazil is a world leader when it comes to growth in numbers of high net-worth individuals. In the last two years its number of millionaires jumped from 130,000 to 220,000 and for now at least, the economic slump has not stopped them shopping. "The main players [in Brazil] are Louis Vuitton, Dior, Versace, Armani, Valentino, Gucci and Prada," said Carlos Ferreirinha, director of MFC.

From the Amazon city of Manaus to the southern metropolises of Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo, a growing number of luxury shopping centres and condominiums are opening their security gates, pools and tennis courts to the country's wealthy.

Brazil's president, Luiz Inácio "Lula" da Silva came to power in 2003 promising to haul millions of his compatriots out of poverty. But his time in power has also coincided with an unprecedented boom for the rich. Lula currently enjoys an historic approval rating of 57% among Brazil's wealthiest citizens.

"From an economic point of view Lula is not a leftist, he is not a revolutionary. He is a conservative," said Lucia Hippolito, a well-known political commentator. "He feels very at home around businessmen."

However, there are increasing signs that the financial crisis is starting to rear its head in Brazil. Falling commodity prices have eaten away at the advance of Brazil's currency, the real, and a series of major infrastructure projects are expected to suffer delays as a result. The middle and lower classes are also starting to feel the pinch as credit dries up. Ferreirinha believes Brazil's luxury boom will start to slow in 2009.

For now, however, the crisis seems a distant prospect in places like Jardim Pernambuco, where the afternoon silence is broken only by the chirping of birds and the thwack of tennis balls.

"The bankers are happier here than ever before," said Hippolito. "In Brazil we joke that Lula is the father of the poor and the mother of the rich."

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2008/nov/29/brazil-credit-crunch

Petrobras’ Future Could Be Bright

2008-11-22T13:03:00.000-08:00

Petroleo Brasileiro SA (NYSE: PBR) has uncovered what has been called one of the biggest oil fields in the world, but the retreat in oil prices has led to a sharp drop in the firm’s market valuation. The drop can be attributed to the fact that the majority of this oil is very expensive to get out of the ground and the company’s project assumptions of $40 a barrel oil is at risk of breaking. The big question is: How far will oil drop and will it stay low?

Oil prices hitting $147 were a clear sign of a bubble, but many are saying that $40 a barrel may be too low. So, where is the actual market equilibrium for crude oil prices? The question is difficult to answer due to the nature of the oil market - the supply side is tightly controlled and the demand side is difficult to predict. However, we know that an improvement in the economies of the world would increase the appetite for oil once more and spur prices higher.

So, assuming the current economic crisis doesn’t last forever, oil prices should eventually move higher. The big question is when this will happen. The United States is the largest consumer of oil and the current recession is expected to last for awhile. However, a rebound in oil prices only relies on an increase in spending, which some economists are expecting to see as early as the second half of 2009. So, if oil begins to turn around companies like Petrobras could prove to be quite the bargain.

Petrobras currently trades at just over 4x earnings despite holding rights to one of the largest oil reserves in the world. Its recent discoveries off the coast of Rio de Janeiro have been estimated to contain billions of barrels of high quality light crude oil. The company just recently began commercial production of Brazil’s first subsalt oil a few months ago by linking a subsalt well to an existing production platform that was lifting heavy oil from shallower depths.

Investors confident in oil’s eventual recovery and Petrobras’ impressive line-up of projects over the long-term should consider investing in long-term or LEAPS options. These let investors place bets without committing as much capital up-front, which helps multiply gains when a recovery takes place. Currently, the January 2011 $25 LEAPS are trading at just $5.00 a piece. This means that investors can obtain the rights to 100 shares of Petrobras at $25 per share anytime during the next 791 days for just $500 down!

leapsinvestor.com/market-news/petrobras-future-could-be-bright-261

Telenovelas lose their sizzle in Brazil

2008-11-22T12:52:00.000-08:00

Genre grappling with weak ratings

RIO DE JANEIRO -- Is the gloss coming off telenovelas, the perennial primetime favorites that could be relied upon to pump Brazil's free-to-air webs?Recent viewing data shows that audiences are falling, leading some analysts and industry execs to prophesize the end of the genre's dominance as competition from the Internet and pay TV lures viewers away. Others blame saturation of the format.

Studies from local research firm Ibope show a decrease in eyeballs for TV Globo's telenovelas. The net is a distant audience leader here and produces and airs four in primetime Monday through Saturday.

The most dramatic fall is in TV Globo's 6 p.m. slot, currently occupied by "Negocio da China," which has declined to 40% this year from a 56% average in 2006 when ??? was on air.

Even TV Globo's 10 p.m. slot, now featuring "A Favorita," the country's most-watched TV program with an aud share of 60%, is down from the 69% notched up in 2006.

The situation has become so dire that No. 4 net TV Bandeirantes recently shut down its telenovela production division and did not renew the temporary work contract of some 200 employees. Net has vowed to resume production next year.

The rapid expansion of competing media is probably the main culprit in telenovelas' rating decline. With incomes rising, many Brazilians can finally afford pay TV -- some 5.4 million homes had subscriptions in July, up 13% from March 2007, according to sector association ABTA. And the number of Internet users has soared to 23.7 million in July from 11.6 million in July 2004, according to Ibope/NetRatings.

However, webheads believe it's a cyclical decrease."This year's telenovela audience should not be compared with the audiences in 2006 or 2004 that were exceptional years," TV Globo's spokeswoman told Variety. "Audiences sharply fluctuate year by year."

She pointed out that "A Favorita's" 60% share compared well with the 41% share the 10 p.m. telenovela slot had in 1999.

No. 2 net TV Record is also bullish on telenovelas, says communications manager Ricardo Frota.

The net is investing 200 million reals ($100 million) to expand its production center Recnov in Rio. This will allow TV Record, which already makes and airs two telenovelas, to open a third telenovela slot.

But it's going to fill the slot with a tried-and trusted format -- a remake of Colombia's worldwide phenom "Betty la fea," due to air in mid 2009. It will be co-produced in Rio with Mexican giant Televisa, as part of a recently inked five-year deal.

Miriam Shirley, media director of the Rio division of pub agency Ogilvy & Mather, believes the truth about telenovelas may be somewhere in between.

"Yes, there is a falling trend. But the ratings will eventually stabilize," she says. "Telenovelas will no longer be as important as they once were, but they will continue to present outstanding audiences."

Shirley adds the expected economic slowdown here next year may be an opportunity for broadcasters.

"In a crisis, Brazilians traditionally cut pay TV subscriptions. We may also see people cutting broadband subscriptions and turning back to dialup connections," she says. "In the meantime, the good old telenovela will be available on free TV."

www.variety.com/article/VR1117996311.html?categoryId=2523&cs=1

Brazil uses phrases of Obama to promote Rio's 2016 bid

2008-11-22T11:57:00.000-08:00

President of the Brazilian Olympic Committee, Carlos Arthur Nuzman, "stole" words from U.S. President-elect Barack Obama to promote Rio de Janeiro's 2016 Olympics bid.

Nuzman used words like "change" and "hope" to woo the support of the International Olympic Committee regarding the selection of the host city of the 2016 Summer Games.

"Rio is a passionate city that is full of beauty, diversity and energy. The games would help to promote the already social transformation taking place in Rio. You have the power to make a historic decision and to make a change, strengthening our Olympic movement," said Nuzman.

Like Obama's speech, Nuzman claims that a vote for Rio de Janeiro is a vote for change. The Olympic Games have never been held in South America. Thus, a vote for Rio de Janeiro would truly represent a change.

The vote is set to take place in October next year in Copenhagen. Also in the race are Chicago, Madrid and Tokyo.

http://news.xinhuanet.com/english/2008-11/22/content_10395597.htm

When In Rio

2008-11-12T08:59:00.000-08:00

BLUE-blooded society girls, supermodels and the fashion elite jetted into Rio de Janeiro last week for a dose of the scintillating style that was behind the first ever Rio Summer event. And where else but Brazil could you see Valentino Garavani and Lady Gabriella Windsor get down to the samba with a Carnival dancer, Natalia Vodianova play beach ball with her kids, and Carlos Miele's models prance alongside giant cannons to a live MC and street band?

The four-day extravaganza saw Brazilian brands pull out all the stops by cherry-picking the best holiday looks from their regular collections. Kitted out in colourful wraps and tunics while on the boardwalk, bikinis and slinky trunks when they dive in and sheer caftans and heels after they dry off, everyone has a bag ready for a stroll down the beach in Rio.

Brazil's ubiquitous summertime brand, Blue Man, chose a Bohemian Seventies rock chick as its muse and sent her down the runway in sugar coated bikinis; Salinas decorated op-art inspired swimwear with futuristic floral jewellery; Daslu took the fashion pack to a nightclub where models in its newly launched youth label 284 climbed around a disco-lit scaffold sidestepping shirtless boys doing Capoeira moves.

Cris Barros and Jo de Mer, meanwhile, went for subtle pre-beach frocks and maillots while Iodice and Triya injected fearless colour into their razor-sharp creations. Osklen, Lenny and Rosa Cha flexed their taut muscle as kings of the year-round holiday wardrobe, and Cia Maritima and Isabela Capeto took cues from more natural shapes and colour palettes. But whatever their aesthetic angle, Brazilian designers who live, work and breathe the beach are in pole position to make both resortwear and swimwear a winning niche in their business.

http://www.vogue.co.uk/news/daily/081112-rio-summer-event-roundup.aspx

In the steps of the slave traders

2008-10-17T14:16:00.001-07:00

A wooden sailing ship is taking adventurers along the Brazilian coast, writes Mike Heard.

Intrepid travellers get the opportunity next year to explore the coast of Brazil in a wooden sailing ship.

A 40-metre vessel, built in the Amazon jungle, sails between Rio de Janeiro and the Unesco World Heritage town of Paraty, about 200 kilometres to the south.

En route, passengers can go ashore to swim and snorkel, explore villages and towns and hike through rainforests filled with monkeys and armadillos.

Paraty is noted for its well-preserved 17th-century colonial homes.

A former port for the shipment of gold and diamonds to Europe, it was also the centre of an area producing sugar-cane liquor and at one time had 250 distilleries for a population of only 16,000. The end of the slave trade in 1888 saw the population drop to about 600.

Tourism revived Paraty's fortunes in the mid-1970s when a highway linking it with Rio de Janeiro was completed.

The two-masted sailing ship, Tocorime Pamatojari (Adventurous Spirit), sleeps up to 16 passengers and has five crew.

http://www.smh.com.au/news/travel/activities--interests/cruising/in-the-steps-of-the-slave-traders/2008/10/15/1223750091984.html

Brazil: The country pays homage to the Samba master

2008-10-13T11:34:00.001-07:00

If he was alive, Angenor de Oliveira (1908-1980), better known as Cartola, would be celebrating 100 years this October 11. To put it simply, Cartola was one of the most important figures in Brazilian samba and the composer behind the first samba school in Rio de Janeiro. Despite having only 4 years of formal education, Cartola composed or co-composed over 500 songs, all of them presenting very elaborate but simple lyrics which are deeply loved by Brazilians.

“Cartola did not exist. It was a dream that we had”, has said Nelson Sargento, another legendary Brazilian composer. On the centenary of this dream, bloggers pay homage publishing their favorite song or poem, quotes, videos, photos and bits and pieces of Cartola's history, a history inextricably linked with the history of samba itself.

Danton K [pt] talks about Cartola's poor childhood - he was the fourth of seven children - and how this made him interested in music.

Angenor de Oliveira nasceu no bairro do Catete, no Rio de Janeiro, no dia 11 de outubro de 1908. Tinha oito anos quando sua família se mudou para Laranjeiras e 11 quando passou a viver no morro da Mangueira, de onde não mais se afastaria. Desde menino participou das festas de rua, tocando cavaquinho no rancho Arrepiados e nos desfiles do Dia de Reis. Passando por diversas escolas, conseguiu terminar o curso primário, mas aos 15 anos, depois da morte da mãe, deixou a família e a escola, iniciando sua vida de boêmio.

Angenor de Oliveira was born in the neighborhood of Catete, in Rio de Janeiro, on October 11, 1908. He was 8 when his family moved to Laranjeiras and 11 when they went to live in the Mangueira slum, which he would never leave. From a young age he participated in street festivals, playing Cavaquinho in the Arrepiados carnival groups and the twelfth day parades. He went through several schools, and managed to finish primary school, but only at 15 years. After the death of his mother, he left the family and school and began his bohemian life.

It was there in the neighborhood of Mangueira that Cartola met other sambistas and the malandragem. At 19 years, in 1928, with a group of friends, Cartola played an important role in founding a carnival group that later became Estação Primeira de Mangueira, one of the most loved samba-schools in Brazil. Douglas Ceconello [pt] talks about how he combined his two passions in this project:
Cartola não apenas fundou a Estação Primeira de Mangueira como escolheu as cores e o nome. O verde e rosa, achava ele, referiam-se às tonalidades de seu querido e amado - o que naquela época devia parecer bastante paradoxal - Fluminense.
Not only did Cartola found the Estação Primeira de Mangueira but he chose its colors and name. The green and pink, he thought, referred to the shades of his dear and beloved team - which at that time should seem rather paradoxical - Fluminense [Football Club].
http://globalvoicesonline.org/2008/10/12/brazil-the-country-pays-homage-to-the-samba-master/

Music of Brazil

2008-08-02T17:22:00.000-07:00

Brazil Overview:

Brazil is a country overflowing with music from every corner, and there is a deep connection between Brazilians and their music. A tricultural mix of indigenous groups, Portuguese colonizers and African slaves makes for an immensely diverse population. (It has the largest number of African descendants outside of Africa.) And while the indigenous music retained much of its traditional context throughout the colonial period (and even to today), it never played as central a role in the development of Brazil's popular music as did the music of the Africans and Portuguese.

As a vast country of many states, Brazil's music is regional, with each section (sometimes specific cities) contributing distinct musical genres. Portuguese influences abound in the country's rich and lyrical poetry, the exquisite melody, and the instrumentation including the accordion, guitar and violin families. Roman Catholic festivals and pageants remain as seasonal events in various regions in Brazil, and the Portuguese sentimental song forms such as the moda and the fado became staple genres. The European influences are not exclusively Portuguese, of course, as Brazil witnessed the arrival of settlers from Germany, Italy, Lebanon and even Japan.

The African elements are both obvious and subtle, and primarily include drumming and dancing forms expressed largely through communal and spiritual tradition as well as martial art forms such as capoeira. African slaves were brought to Brazil for nearly 300 years, with the racial predominance of Sudanese and Bantu groups (Yoruban, Dahomean, Congolese and Angolan), among others. The Afro-Brazilian religion known as candomblé is one of the largest manifestations of syncretic religion in the Americas, combining Yoruban and Catholic symbolism, and thrives primarily in the northeastern state of Bahia. As in Cuba and Haiti, Brazilian Africans were able to retain a great majority of their music, dance and spiritual traditions, primarily along the coastal areas, resulting in some of the richest and most popular forms known around the world. Among Brazil's most celebrated colonial-era forms were the lundu and the maxixe, both steeped in African tradition with dance elements viewed as erotic and indecent, but which (of course) became increasingly popular as they climbed the social ladder to acceptance by the middle class. Centuries later, Brazil would again "shock" the world with forms such as the samba and the lambada, producing some of the most exciting and vibrant music and dance anywhere.

Considered one of the most popular forms ever to emerge from the country, specifically from Rio de Janeiro, samba is another distinct music and dance genre that dates back to the colonial period. Coalescing in the early 20th century, samba's roots lie in the circle dances of Congolese and Angolan tradition. Around the turn of the century it became associated with carnival, where large groups of Brazilians of largely lower class status joined together in celebration. As it evolved over the decades to come, samba became the distinct sound of Rio's carnaval, with large contingents known as escolas (schools) beating on multiple percussion instruments as they paraded through the city streets. Samba would also spawn several sub-styles and fusions in the eastern state of Bahia, leading to one of the country's most popular genres to date: samba-reggae. And by the 21st century, televised broadcasts of Rio's carnaval share the unbridled energy of samba with the world.

One of Brazil's samba relatives emerged during the late 1950s as a softer, more refined form primarily for singing. Connected to a previous offshoot known as samba-canção, bossa nova was a slower vocal form with lyrics reflecting the romantic and nostalgic side of Brazilian life, and one of its pioneers was composer Antônio Carlos Jobim (1927–1994). Along with lyricist Vinícius de Morães, Jobim's rich and unconventional bossa nova explored the influences of American jazz music through its more sophisticated harmony, while the vocal style was less dramatic, more nasal and subtle. When artists such as João Gilberto first recorded bossa novas in the late '50s, music critics panned it as "music for out-of-tune singers," yet the genre would go on to become one of the most celebrated Brazilian styles on an international level.

The 1960s were tumultuous political times in Brazil, and the musical landscape was transformed by the experimental tropicália movement. Artists who spoke out against the government repression of the decade found themselves in prison or in exile, such as Gilberto Gil (Brazil's current minister of culture) and poet/activist/musician Chico Buarque, but as tensions relaxed in the '70s, Brazilian music began its most prolific and prosperous era of the 20th century. Dubbed as MPB or música popular Brasileira, this musical melting pot of artists and genres embraced virtually anything and everything from Brazil and beyond, and paved the way for numerous collaborative opportunities between Brazilian artists and their international peers. Seminal artists such as Milton Nascimento, Elis Regina, Ivan Lins, Maria Bethânia, Caetano Veloso, João Bosco, Djavan, Gal Costa and many others explored the richness and variety of regional music, and melded it with jazz, rock, folk and classical forms. Samba found a new forum outside of the carnaval, with modern harmony and electric instruments that brought it into the nightclubs 24/7, and Afro-Brazilian roots music began its journey toward the spotlight as MPB artists shared the wealth of Brazil's African heritage within the vehicle of popular music (now largely referred to as axê music).

In Brazil's northeastern state of Ceará there is an entirely different lifestyle and climate, with a vast arid desert known as the sertão, and a distinct musical and dance style commonly known as forró. This accordion-driven music is part of the region's popular dance forms dating back to the late 19th century, when cowboys would celebrate the end of the dry season. Over time, the specific rhythm attached to the style, called the baião, would inspire a couples dance accompanied by accordion, zabumba (bass drum) and triangle. The leading pioneer of the style, Luiz Gonzaga, made the first recordings of the style in the mid-1940s. While the style lost momentum during the bossa nova fever of the '60s, forró would gain a new generation of fans in the '80s when MPB artists Gilberto Gil and Caetano Veloso recorded modern versions of Gonzaga's tunes.

While native tribes in the Amazon retain their ancient musical traditions dating back centuries (or millennia), Brazilian regional music continues its extraordinary journey from tradition to modernization, and keeps the world moving to an infectious beat. —Rebeca Mauleon

http://www.brazilcham.com/default.asp?id=248&c002_ui=sa&c002_id=421

Brazil boom lifts millions into middle class

2008-07-09T05:51:00.000-07:00

Clearing a space among empty beer bottles, Paulo spreads out a glossy leaflet that envisions an urban development more reminiscent of Tokyo or Singapore than the Rio de Janeiro slum where he has lived for 50 years.

A pedestrian bridge with a sweeping arch is shown next to an azure swimming pool surrounded by palm trees. Nearby, a hospital and a sports center will rise, not far from hundreds of new apartments for residents now living in shacks perched on the hillside.

It is a different world to the daily life of the more than 1 million people living in Rio's slums, or favelas, who have long been left by government to fend for themselves, often caught between ruthless drug gangs and violent police tactics.

"We believe in it," said Paulo, a community leader in the Rocinha favela who, like many in the slums, did not want his real name used for fear of reprisals from drug gangs. He then sounded a note of skepticism about Brazil's government. "If they don't do it, then maybe they will suffer."

The Rocinha development, part of a $315 billion federal program aimed at improving the country's decrepit infrastructure, is one sign of how millions of poor are benefiting from an unprecedented period of economic growth in South America's largest economy.

The income of the poorest 10 percent of people grew by about 9 percent per year between 2001 and 2006, compared with 2 to 4 percent for richer people, according to the World Bank. The country still has some of the worst inequality in the world, but that is changing rapidly as tens of millions move out of danger of hunger and within reach of their first television, refrigerator or computer.

"It's more like it is booming up than trickling down," Deborah Wetzel, the World Bank's lead economist and head of poverty reduction and economic management for Brazil, said of the growth.

NOT FOR EVERYONE

Much of the progress has come in the past few years, helped by a family stipend program expanded by President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva that ties welfare checks to school attendance and which is being copied around the world.

Yet for many in the remote countryside and the thousands of slums that surround big cities, the obstacles to a better life remain equally large -- terrible schools, high crime, discrimination, and skewed legal and tax systems.

A study by the government's Institute for Applied Economic Research showed that the richest 10 percent of Brazilians hold 75.4 percent of the wealth. Thanks to a regressive tax system, they only lose 22.7 percent of their incomes to tax, compared with 32.8 percent for the poorest 10 percent of Brazilians.

In Rio, only a handful of slums out of more than 600 in the city are in line for improvements under the federal program, leaving many feeling left out. Resistance from drug gangs who fear the works will threaten their trade has already led to delays.

"This growth is not for all the population," said Leriana Figueiredo, who works at a sports center funded by British group Fight For Peace in the Nova Holanda shantytown, which is not due any public works under the program.

"The majority here don't have jobs."

A short walk from the center on a recent night, armed youths were selling cocaine from street-side tables as openly as other stall owners were selling fruit.

COMPANIES MOVE IN

Rocinha, often called South America's largest slum, is in many ways the Hilton of Rio's shanty-towns with at least 8 banks and a slew of foreign aid groups. The stability is deceptive, owing more to the firm grip of one of Rio's most powerful drug gangs than the presence of the state, but the effect of the country's economic growth can be seen in its bustling streets and stores.

Mexico's Banco Azteca, owned by tycoon Ricardo Salinas, plans a branch in Rocinha after starting Brazil operations this year in the northeast targeting low-income savers. Customers can use fingerprint technology to get around literacy problems and open an account with as little as $3.

Outside a Casas Bahia store in downtown Rio, 27-year-old Nara Macedo Moreira said on a recent afternoon that her monthly income of just 600 reais ($375) had not held her back from buying a flat-screen television and a DVD player.

"I'm furnishing my whole house this way," said Moreira, who was visiting the store to pay her latest installment. Next on her shopping list was a computer.

But it is still alienation that defines much of life in the thousands of lawless slums that surround big cities, despite national unemployment near record lows.

Most children in Nova Holanda drop out of school at around 12 or 13, Figueiredo said, leaving them with little chance in the job market and vulnerable to being tempted into drug gangs that offer quick money and status. Discrimination against slum dwellers, many of whom are black, is another economic barrier. Many job seekers from poor areas give false addresses when applying for positions.

Two young workers at the boxing project, Bruno Silva and Carol Belo, both had hopes of getting to college one day but felt they had been held back by poorly-funded schools compared to the ones attended by middle-class children. They said books were often missing sections and were so scarce that students had to photocopy one chapter at a time.

"I need to take an entrance test but I don't see the point," said Belo, who wanted to take administration and social studies. "I have too many weaknesses."

http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN2546910920080709?sp=true

Bossa Brazil has got the moves

2008-07-09T05:45:00.000-07:00

Bossa Brazil: The Birth Of Bossa Nova

This solid documentary goes straight to the source and invites the pioneers of the genre to recall the birth of bossa nova 50 years ago.

Pioneering musicians Carlos Lyra and Roberto Menescal are our guides, reminiscing about Antonio Carlos Jobim (The Girl From Ipanema), João Gilberto and muse Nara Leão. They point out old haunts in Rio de Janeiro and recall the key players behind the fusion of jazz and samba.

Their love for bossa is infectious, making it easy to see how their style captured the imagination of a student generation looking for a way to express their spirit.

Brazil was then enjoying a golden period: Pelé was leading the national football team to World Cup victory and the arts were thriving. But this all about the music – panoramic shots of Rio's beaches are about as far it goes in examining bossa nova within a wider cultural context.

http://www.metro.co.uk/metrolife/film/article.html?in_article_id=209233&in_page_id=9

Petrobras Finds Signs of Large Oil Deposits Near Tupi

2008-07-03T06:20:00.000-07:00

Petroleo Brasileiro SA has found signs of large oil deposits near its Tupi field, the largest Western Hemisphere oil discovery since 1976, the state- controlled company's chief executive officer said.

``Today we have information about the areas and the indication of the existence of hydrocarbons,'' Jose Sergio Gabrielli, Rio de Janeiro-based Petrobras' chief said in a Bloomberg TV interview at the World Petroleum Congress in Madrid. ``We're certain of a huge increase in reserves.''

Discoveries near Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo including Tupi will at least triple Brazil's oil reserves, Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told Bloomberg in June. Petrobras has about 13 billion barrels of proved reserves.

Petrobras found more oil accumulations in the basin, including Tupi-sized accumulations of natural gas and oil in its Jupiter field, and hasn't been able to quantify the total amount of reserves, Gabrielli said.

The company hasn't yet determined if the finds are separate fields or one larges discovery, he said. Under Brazilian law, if the field extends beyond the lease boundaries of a single company or exploration group, the participants must agree to develop the deposits jointly.

Tupi has as much as 8 billion barrels of recoverable oil equivalent, Petrobras said in November. The entire pre-salt region may contain as much as 50 billion barrels of oil, according to Peter Wells, director of U.K. research firm Neftex Petroleum Consultants Ltd.

15-Year Supply

Tupi may hold enough oil to supply every refinery on the U.S. East Coast for 15 years.

Petrobras preferred shares, its most-traded class of stock, fell 2.11 reais, or 4.6 percent, to 43.98 reais in Sao Paulo.

Petrobras said last year that it plans to spend $112 billion in 2008-2012 to expand production. The plan, announced before Tupi and other pre-salt discoveries were announced, may have to be expanded to meet the development needs of the oil province.

A new plan to include pre-salt development is expected to be announced in August or September, Gabrielli said.

Petrobras owns 65 percent of Tupi and operates the concession. Reading, U.K.-based BG Plc owns 25 percent and Lisbon-based Galp Energia SGPS SA owns 10 percent.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=a22xSc2mvg9A&refer=news

Kid´s carnival opens in Rio de Janeiro

2008-06-29T05:17:00.002-07:00

In South America, Rio de Janeiro has turned into a fairyland for children. A huge carnival is underway in the Brazilian city to entertain local residents and tourists.

The kids' carnival is dominated by youth. Some stick to conventional entertainment like shooting hoops, blowing balloons, and angling for fish. Others like to try something more challenging -- like cowboy stunts. And after an exhausting round of exercise, they can stuff their faces at the sausage, barbecue. Fruit juice is available at the ubiquitous food stands.

In Brazil, June brings the corn harvest. It's an occasion for celebration. People dress in the rustic attire of country folk and sing and dance around camp fires all night. For the children's carnival, face painting is a big deal.

The kids' carnival is also fun for adults. At nightfall, outdoor dance parties get rolling. Cartoon characters lead the way as children and adults enjoy an evening of family entertainment. The carnival is a major event in the city. More than 30,000 people attended the three day festival this year.

http://www.cctv.com/program/cultureexpress/20080628/102319.shtml

Brazil Oil Reserves Will at Least Triple, Lula Says

2008-06-26T22:16:00.000-07:00

President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva said Brazil will at least triple its oil reserves by exploring a new offshore area that includes the Western Hemisphere's largest discovery since 1976.

``This is very promising for Brazil,'' Lula, 62, said in a Bloomberg Television interview today at the presidential palace in Brasilia. ``We have to take advantage of this oil to develop the country.''

A tripling of proved reserves from 12.6 billion barrels would move Brazil into the world's top 10 nations in oil supplies, according to estimates from London-based BP Plc. Brazil, Latin America's largest economy, would overtake Nigeria, currently No. 10 with 36.2 billion barrels, and put it close to Kazakhstan, which has 39.8 billion barrels.

Lula, who is moving into the last two years of his final term, said he has changed his mind and won't seek membership for Brazil in the Organization of Petroleum Exporting Countries because he wants the nation to focus on refining its growing oil output, not just selling crude abroad.

``I want Brazil to export refined products,'' said Lula, who wore a light gray suit and a black tie peppered with white dots. ``I'm under no illusion that Brazil will join OPEC. I used to be, but am no longer.''

Petroleo Brasileiro SA, the state-controlled oil company known as Petrobras, said in November that its Tupi field may hold 8 billion barrels of recoverable oil equivalent, the biggest discovery in the Americas since Mexico's Cantarell field.

Pre-Salt

Tupi is part of an area called pre-salt that stretches 800 kilometers (500 miles) off the coast near Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo. Such reservoirs beneath as much as 3,000 meters (9,840 feet) of water and 7,000 meters of seabed may contain 50 billion barrels of oil, according to Peter Wells, director of U.K. research firm Neftex Petroleum Consultants Ltd.

Oil prices, which jumped above $140 a barrel to a record today, will probably stay high enough to justify exploring the pre-salt fields, Lula said. The Tupi deposit and nearby offshore prospects may cost $240 billion to exploit, said Neftex's Wells, a former Royal Dutch Shell Plc exploration manager.

Lula declined to provide an estimate for the pre-salt reserves today, saying the exploration is just starting. The government is working on new regulations to ensure the state keeps more of the oil profits from the pre-salt fields than it does from other wells so there's more money for education and health-care investments, Lula said.

Poor, Rolexes

``It's a chance for poor Brazilians to use this money as opposed to having people with a lot of oil and three or four watches and a Rolex in their pockets,'' said Lula, who grew up in poverty. ``We want to take advantage of these riches to ensure that Brazil can take a great leap forward.''

``Not only is God a Brazilian, he's now living in Brazil,'' said Lula.

Lula, whose rise to power panicked investors and brought the country to the brink of defaulting on its debt in 2000, has started the second half of this term with the nation boasting the highest credit rating in its history. After using the trust of the poor to buy time for his orthodox economic program to yield fruit, he has said he'll deliver on his promise to make sure the benefits of growth are also felt by poorer families.

Part of the future pre-salt oil revenue will also be used to enlarge a sovereign wealth fund Brazil is creating with about 14 billion reais ($8.7 billion) this year, Lula said. The fund will help finance the expansion of Brazilian companies overseas, he said.

Oil Refineries

Petrobras is investing more than $10 billion to build two refineries to handle expanding output of heavy crude oil from its Campos basin fields, the source of about 80 percent of Brazil's output.

A 150,000-barrels-a-day refinery in Rio de Janeiro will make products for the petrochemical industry and a 200,000- barrel-a-day refinery near the northeastern city of Recife will produce vehicle and other fuels. Petrobras also plans to build at least two more Brazilian refineries.

The government and the state development bank own 37.5 percent of Petrobras's preferred and common shares, and about 56 percent of the voting shares.

Lula said he is determined to prevent inflation from exceeding the government's 4.5 percent target. As evidence of his intent, he cited the decision to raise the government's primary budget surplus before interest payments to 4.3 percent from 3.8 percent of gross domestic product.

Threat of Inflation

``I worked a long time inside a factory and have lived in this country with inflation of 80 percent a month,'' said Lula, who lost the small finger of his left hand in an industrial accident at 19. ``I know the impact this has on a person who receives a monthly salary. And it's these people I want to protect.''

Lula achieved the transformation of Brazil's economic standing by combining a pragmatic mix of populist policies and capitalist economics that set off a 12-fold gain in the stock market's value in dollar terms and created a record number of Brazilian billionaires.

Since 2003, the Brazilian currency gained 120 percent against the dollar and the benchmark stock index has jumped fivefold, beating all major markets in the world. Brazil became a net foreign creditor for the first time in January as rising export revenue boosted international reserves to more than $190 billion. Standard & Poor's raised Brazil's credit rating to investment grade for the first time on April 30.

Shifting Perspectives

``I don't think there's much contradiction in what I used to say and what I say now,'' Lula said. ``When I was a candidate, my world was one thing. When I was a metal worker, my world was my union. When you're the president, you have to care for companies of 10 workers as well as those with 20,000 employees.''

Lula said the U.S. will eventually use Brazilian ethanol fuel, which is made from sugarcane, because it's 50 percent cheaper to make than corn ethanol and doesn't curb food supply. U.S. Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama's comments that it wouldn't be in the U.S.'s interest to replace gasoline with Brazilian ethanol fuel are just campaign rhetoric, Lula said.

``I'm convinced that whoever wins the election will start using ethanol made from sugarcane,'' Lula said, speaking in a wood-paneled room decorated with paintings by Brazilian artists Di Cavalcanti and Djanira da Motta e Silva.

Lula said he told President George W. Bush that the U.S. should help Central American countries start producing sugar ethanol for export to prevent social tension.

Talking to Counterparts

The Brazilian president said he's been talking to Bush, U.K. Prime Minister Gordon Brown and other heads of government about the need to reduce farm subsidies and invest in Africa to boost food output.

At the next Group of Eight meeting, in which countries such as Brazil and Mexico will also participate, Lula said he will propose a discussion about how potential speculation in futures markets for commodities may be driving up prices.

The global food shortage is a ``great opportunity'' for Brazil to become the ``bread basket'' of the world, Lula said, adding he will announce a government program next month to finance farmers and double their output.

``Brazil has found its path and I believe that there is no way back. From here on we will only improve,'' Lula said.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=ajMY92dNzAGs&refer=home

Hot market lures new generation of Brazil investors

2008-06-24T23:13:00.001-07:00

When Paolo Portinho meets up with his musician friends for a night out in Rio de Janeiro, they jam a few tunes and knock back some beers -- but only after having a serious talk about the stock market.

Brazilians' long-held suspicion of stock investment, born out of years of rampant inflation and economic instability, is evaporating in the face of a Sao Paulo market that has more than tripled in 4 years on the back of a booming economy.

The number of individual investors in Brazil has risen six-fold in the past five years and more than doubled since 2006 to nearly 490,000. In 5 years, the daily amount they trade has soared to 1.8 billion reais (560 million pounds) from 120 million reais (37 million pounds).

At a time when many Americans and Europeans are fretting over their jobs and houses as recession looms, magazine covers here are full of pictures showing grinning investors being showered in cash from their stock market exploits.

Despite a pullback in recent days, the market's Bovespa index is up 1 percent this year, compared to a 44 percent surge in 2007.

That compares to a 10 percent fall in the U.S. Dow Jones index and double-digit losses in several major European stock markets.

"I've been trading stocks since I was 18 but I never saw anything like this," said Mauricio Bastter Hissa, a 44-year-old who has written several best-selling books on investing here.

Hissa, a triathlete often found walking his German Shepherd dog near Rio's Leblon beach, gave up his job as a doctor last year to meet growing demand for his workshops and investment advice on his website.

Brazilians, many of them with spare income to invest in stocks for the first time, are signing up in droves to sites like Hissa's and brokerages with Internet trading sites such as Agora (click on www.agorainvest.com.br), and independent brokerage Spinelli (click on www.spinelli.com.br).

"Almost all of the old broker firms are going into the Internet business," said Portinho, 35, who heads the National Association of Investors (INI) in Rio and plays guitar when he meets fellow members of his investment club.

"They should be, because home brokers are a fever among Brazilian investors." Home brokers is the Brazilian term for Internet trading sites.

VULNERABLE TO DOWNTURN?

That is prompting industry change as banks seek to expand their brokerage business.

Banco Bradesco, Brazil's largest private bank, bought Rio de Janeiro-based Agora in April for $494 million, picking up its 29,000 active clients. Banco Fator, one of Brazil's last independent investment banks, has said it is scouting 4 or 5 brokerage investment targets in the expectation that share trading will surge in the years ahead.

Brazil's attainment of investment grade status in April -- a recognition of the emerging giant's growth prospects and debt reduction -- spurred another surge of investor interest.

The volume traded through home brokers hit 36.8 billion reais ($22.5 billion) in May, up 32 percent from April, according to Agora.

Amid the excitement, though, clouds are forming as inflation heads higher and the economy starts to cool.

The Bovespa index -- whose fortunes remain heavily tied to global demand for Brazil's commodities -- is finally showing signs of catching the rest of the world's cold with an 11 percent drop in June. Last year's red-hot IPO market has virtually dried up.

A proliferation of advertisements in newspapers and magazines offering too-good-to-be-true returns on stocks suggests some people may be vulnerable to a downturn.

But the number of investors relative to Brazil's 185 million population remains tiny, leaving much room for growth in the longer term.

"The penetration rate is still very low," said Marco Melo, head of research at Agora.

CLUBBING TOGETHER

Driving the investment boom has been a steep fall in interest rates. Current rates around 12 percent may seem high by international standards but that kind of return in a savings account is "peanuts" for Brazilians who not long ago could get 25 percent on government bonds, Portinho said. The costs of opening and managing a trading account have also plummeted.

The days in the early 1990s when annual inflation hit more than 1,000 percent have left their scars on investors, however. Experts say many lack financial expertise and are wary of straying from big names like mining giant Vale and oil firm Petrobras.

"People are not well educated," said Hissa. "Not only in stocks, but in their finances -- people spend all their money, borrow a lot of money and pay 10-20 times in (high-interest) instalments."

Lacking trading savvy, many Brazilians are turning to investment clubs to tap into others' expertise. There were 2,372 investment clubs in Brazil as of March, doubling from the end of 2005, with total investments of about 15 billion reais ($9.2 billion).

Members pay a small fee to the brokerage, which takes care of the accounting. About 20 percent of Brazilian individual investors use clubs, according to the INI, compared to less than 5 percent in the United States.

"I don't have much economic knowledge to decide which stock to buy," said Gilson Moura, a 38-year-old health insurance executive who invests about 500 reais ($300) a month through his Rio investment club. "(Aircraft maker) Embraer and Vale would be easy choices but maybe I can get a better result in the long term with a club."

http://uk.reuters.com/article/rbssFinancialServicesAndRealEstateNews/idUKN1247806420080625

Rio, Brazil, Finds Key to Sell Fashion Overseas: Invention

2008-06-24T17:46:00.000-07:00

One of the dresses is all printed. From afar, the white and black print looks like comic strips. From up close, it is possible to tell that they are emblems of Alice in Wonderland and Robinson Crusoe, with a few strokes of paint. It has ruffles and shoulder straps, pretty-and-happy-lady style.

The other dress is green-tinged, made of light cloth, and leaves one shoulder bare. It is short and gives a glimpse, almost unwillingly, of another dress underneath, of blue and red superimposed cloth, with a hood. She is a sensual young woman.

The two pieces described above are part of collections textile mills based in the southeastern Brazilian state of Rio de Janeiro and provide examples of the creative fashion style that Rio creates. Besides quality, it is the obsession with invention, lots of it, that warrants Rio-based mills the highest value added exports in Brazil.

The first dress is by Cantão, a company from Rio that exports to seven countries. The second one is by Espaço Fashion, also from Rio, which is now preparing to export its items to Portugal and Spain.

"The Rio lifestyle influences our creations. The feminine character, lightness and freshness are typical of our city, and feature in our collections," says Bianca Bastos, partner and managing director at Espaço Fashion.

The director at brand Cantão, Renata Mancini, asserts that lightness, comfort, and lots of color, which characterize Rio, are also present in the company's designs. The clothing items that Cantão exports, according to Renata, are precisely those featuring prints and embroidery. "The ones with the most artisanship," she says.

In order to stand out in the domestic and foreign markets, Cantão invests heavily in design. The company has a general direction, in terms of style, but it also has a specific designer for each of the segments in which it operates: jeans, blouses, cloth, footwear, and accessories.

Cantão exports since 2003 and its products reach Portugal, Australia, Japan, United Arab Emirates, the Philippines, Italy and United States. The company has an annual output of 1.4 million items, approximately 2% of which go to the foreign market.

Espaço Fashion, which has just closed its first export deal, is preparing to ship 15% of production abroad. "We are deeply concerned with associating design, quality and trends to our fashion products. At the same time, we are constantly working on our image, from merchandising to advertising campaigns, so as to reaffirm our position and, of course, attract gazes," says Bianca.

The company owns 16 stores and two franchises in Brazil, and also sells at 150 multi-brand stores.

The international success achieved by the two brands confirms a survey held by the Federation of Industries of the State of Rio de Janeiro (Firjan). The study points out that the state has the highest average export pricing for the segment in Brazil.

The foreign market pays US$ 79.36 per kilogram of clothing manufactured in Rio. This is part of the state's strategy of making higher quality products, according to the advisor at the Firjan International Business center, João Paulo Alcântara Gomes.

Gomes explains that three factors contribute for the state's textile mills to sell higher value-added products: investment in design, product durability, and market access strategy.

The Firjan survey shows that 73.41% of fashion exports from Rio went to developed countries in the first four months this year. Considering only those markets, average price for one kilogram reached US$ 93.05. The European Union pays US$ 115.37 for each kilogram of products from the state of Rio.

This strategy has led the state to perform above the national average for fashion exports. Whereas Brazilian foreign sales decreased 12.21% in the first four months this year compared with the same period in 2007, mills from Rio increased their exports by 3.83%.

During the period, Rio answered to 12.24% of the country's clothing exports. According to Gomes, the textile industry in Rio is mainly comprised of small enterprises.

http://www.brazzilmag.com/content/view/9467/1/

Billionaire Eike Batista Keeps SLR McLaren in Rio Living Room

2008-06-24T15:50:00.000-07:00

Eike Batista sits in the boardroom of his mining company, MMX Mineracao e Metalicos SA, overlooking Rio de Janeiro's Sugarloaf Mountain, a vitamin cocktail dripping into his left arm to stave off aging.

The intravenous bag is hanging on the pole of the green, yellow and blue Brazilian flag that stands next to the 51-year-old multibillionaire. Batista's focus isn't on the drip but on a deluge of decisions, including how to seal a $5.5 billion sale of two iron ore mines to London-based Anglo American Plc, according to Paulo Gouvea, an MMX executive who was present that January evening.

In rapid succession, according to Gouvea, Batista picks a color scheme via mobile phone for his yacht's upholstery (white and pink will do), checks his laptop computer, orders an aide to sell $200 million of unidentified shares, gets a phone briefing on the upscale Chinese restaurant he owns in Rio and reminds his assistant to book the eatery's private room for ``dinner with Cynthia,'' Anglo American Chief Executive Officer Cynthia Carroll.

Even as his businesses contend with environmental complaints, Batista is riding a wealth-creation wave in Brazil unlike few others in Latin America. Soaring commodity exports such as iron ore, which gives Batista most of his revenue, have helped the region's largest economy break a cycle of boom and bust.

The value of Brazilian exports had tripled as of May 31 from Jan. 1, 2003, and the benchmark Bovespa stock index jumped six-fold during the same period. The son of a former government minister and executive, Eike Fuhrken Batista is now probably Brazil's richest man.

`Not Afraid'

``I think big, and I'm not afraid to take risks -- even if I'm alone,'' Batista says during an interview in his Rio office. ``I started out in the gold business. I know about risk and loss and having to build a business from scratch when nobody believes in you.''

Batista, who favors pink ties and dark suits and sprinkles his Portuguese with English phrases like ``a win-win situation,'' is reveling in the prospect of greater wealth. In January, he told the Sao Paulo newspaper O Estado de S. Paulo: ``I want to surpass Bill Gates in five years. Brazil has to be No. 1.''

Gates, the Microsoft Corp. co-founder, owned 813.6 million shares in the software giant as of a May 14 regulatory filing, giving him a stake valued at about $22.9 billion as of June 20. Batista's investments in mining, power, oil, real estate, logistics, entertainment and forestry give him an empire of roughly $17 billion.

In April, Batista netted $3.5 billion with the sale of mines to Anglo American, his third 10-figure payoff in two years from companies he built. He added 6.7 billion reais ($4.2 billion) to his fortune after selling shares in June in his new oil company, OGX Petroleo e Gas Participacoes SA, and he stands to gain at least $1 billion in a planned offering of his logistics business, LLX Logistica SA.

`Quintessential Multitasker'

``He's the quintessential multitasker,'' says Gouvea, 33, corporate finance director at MMX, Batista's flagship publicly traded corporation. ``He is the only person I know who can have control of several deals at once and still be thinking about making money with really good ideas.''

Superstition helps too, Batista says. All of his company names -- EBX, MMX, OGX, LLX -- contain the letter ``x,'' for the multiplication of wealth in numerology, which holds that there is a mystical relationship between people's lives and letters and numbers. A golden sun logo, representing energy, wealth and optimism, according to Incan mythology, adorns the pink and gold flag of his yacht, the Pink Fleet, which ferries tourists around Rio's Guanabara Bay. The logo also shows up on his business cards and the china at his Rio restaurant, Mr. Lam.

Investment-Grade Rating

Batista hasn't needed luck to attract foreign investors. Brazil's economy is growing fast -- 5.8 percent in the first quarter following a 6.2 percent pace in the fourth quarter of 2007 -- amid rising consumer spending and foreign investment. Standard & Poor's in April granted an investment-grade rating to Brazil's sovereign debt, and Fitch Ratings followed in May.

Strong domestic demand and easier credit will insulate the local economy against a global slowdown and sudden drops in commodity prices, says John Praveen, chief investment strategist at Newark, New Jersey-based Prudential International Investments Advisers LLC, which manages about $630 billion.

``These are the conditions creating that kind of wealth for Mr. Batista,'' Praveen says.

Batista says he is capitalizing on the nation's relative stability.

``I'm part of a new generation of entrepreneurs who can access capital markets, who don't have to go to the government for funding, who can take on a lot more risk and see business pay off,'' says the green-eyed Batista, who's divorced from Luma de Oliveira, a former model and queen of Rio de Janeiro's Carnival parades.

Company His Father Ran

Brazil's currency, the real, has almost doubled in value against the U.S. dollar during the past four years. Inflation has collapsed from almost 5,000 percent in 1994 to 5.58 percent in May.

The Bovespa's rise has been led by Cia. Vale do Rio Doce, which is the world's largest iron ore exporter and the company Batista's father ran, and Petroleo Brasileiro SA, the state-controlled oil company known as Petrobras. Last year, Petrobras announced the biggest discoveries of crude in the Western Hemisphere in the past three decades.

Relatively low interest rates fueled growth, too. During the two years ended on Sept. 30, 2007, Brazil's central bank lowered the benchmark Selic lending rate 18 times to a record low of 11.25 percent from 19.75 percent, the longest easing cycle since the rate was adopted in 1999. The rate is currently 12.25 percent.

International Reserves

Brazil became a net foreign creditor in January after international reserves surged to a record $171.6 billion, leaving behind its decades-old status of biggest debtor among emerging markets. Reserves reached $198 billion on May 30.

Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, president since 2003, bolstered confidence by reducing the budget deficit and allowing the central bank to operate independently, Praveen says.

Batista isn't the only Brazilian billionaire riding the wave. Rubens Ometto, 58, controlling shareholder and CEO of Cosan SA Industria e Comercio, the world's biggest sugar cane processor, has increased the company's capacity 10-fold in the past two decades. In 2006, Andre Esteves, then 38, became Brazil's youngest self-made billionaire when he sold his Banco Pactual SA investment bank to Zurich- based UBS AG for $2.6 billion, plus a $500 million retention package for about 80 UBS and Pactual employees. Esteves ran UBS's Latin American business until June.

Some investors say the real has come too far too fast. Marcelo Carvalho, chief economist in Brazil for Morgan Stanley, predicts a 4.5 percent drop in the currency this year amid a surge in imports. In late May, Brazil's central bank forecast a current account shortfall of $1.5 billion for that month, down from a surplus of $3.31 billion in April.

Cancelled Share Offerings

Another hitch: Share offerings have been hit by a wave of cancellations. Twenty-seven companies postponed or withdrew initial public offerings this year through June 20, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. Investors abandoned the IPO market after the U.S. subprime crisis increased aversion to emerging-market assets.

Batista's appetite for risk -- and for oil -- is helping him buck the IPO trend. After plowing capital into gold mines in the 1980s and '90s and then into nickel, copper, iron ore and several nonmining businesses in subsequent years, Batista's new bet is offshore crude. The 6.7 billion reais that OGX raised in the June IPO will finance offshore oil development. The company, created last year, was valued at 35 billion reais after one of Brazil's biggest share sales.

Offshore Oil Fields

In a November auction for oil exploration rights, Batista spent $800 million for 21 offshore fields that hold potential reserves of 4.8 billion barrels, according to DeGolyer & MacNaughton, a Dallas-based petroleum appraisal firm.

The same month, Petrobras said the nearby Tupi oil field contained 5 billion-8 billion barrels of oil, the biggest find in the Americas since 1976. And in April, Brazil's oil regulator said the Carioca field, in the same vicinity, may contain as much as 33 billion barrels.

The announcements fueled share gains at Petrobras, which was the world's sixth-largest company as of June 20, surpassing Microsoft, Wal-Mart Stores Inc. and AT&T Inc.

``He is a guy that's not afraid of risks, and that in Brazil is truly rare,'' says Francisco Gros, vice chairman of the board of OGX and a former Petrobras CEO.

When OGX was created in September 2007 and failed to attract the $500 million planned for its startup, Batista took $370 million from his own pocket, Gros says. In mid-February, Batista donated his 30 percent stake in Brazilian and Chilean power plants -- valued at as much as $1 billion -- to minority shareholders in his power company, MPX Energia SA, to make up for losses since a December share sale.

Reassuring Investors

Batista said in a Bloomberg interview on Feb. 20 that he wanted to reassure investors such as Boston-based Fidelity Latin America Fund that he believed in the projects. Gros says such moves give Batista credibility.

While he pursues commodities riches, Batista also has large construction projects on the drawing board. He said in September that he planned to raise at least $800 million by selling a stake in LLX to build two port complexes in Brazil. One north of Rio would ship iron ore, ethanol and general cargo. Another near Sao Paulo would be a container port.

The ports and other business pursuits have drawn the attention of regulators, and some say Batista cuts corners or breaks rules to get things done in a country known for bureaucratic red tape.

Fined Three Times

His MMX mining company has been fined three times since mid- 2007 for buying charcoal produced from wood in areas where logging was restricted, according to documents from Brazil's environmental agency, known as Ibama.

In 2007, the federal police, the national Labor Prosecutors' Office and Ibama discovered that MMX was buying charcoal from an Indian reservation to feed its pig-iron plant near Corumba, in the heart of Brazil's Pantanal region, says Ricardo Pinheiro Lima, Ibama's chief in Mato Grosso do Sul state.

The Pantanal is the world's largest freshwater wetlands, 10 times the size of Florida's Everglades, according to the Arlington, Virginia-based Nature Conservancy.

MMX was fined 1 million reais twice in 2007 and 3 million reais this year.

``Unfortunately, by law we cannot apply bigger fines, but we are watching what they are doing,'' Lima says. ``We are stopping truckloads of illegal charcoal from feeding MMX's plant, and that's already a victory.''

An appeal by MMX is pending. The company didn't know the charcoal was coming from an Indian reservation, MMX spokesman Alexandre Falcao says.

Environmental Impact

In March, state public defender Thiago Tozzi filed a civil suit in the northeastern state of Ceara that accuses MPX and the state's environmental agency, Semace, with failing to produce a proper environmental impact study for a 700-megawatt coal-fired power plant, court documents show.

``What the company called the study was a sales pitch for the project,'' Tozzi says. ``It showed how Batista completely disregards legislation and has no respect for Brazilian society.''

Gouvea says Batista follows the rules.

``You will always have people protesting, complaining,'' he says. ``That's not unusual.'' Gouvea says the billionaire's team receives permits quickly because it's simply more efficient. ``We have a 360-degree vision of projects, and we are prepared to handle the challenges,'' he says.

LLX is in a battle over Batista's port plan at Peruibe, on the coast of Sao Paulo state. Tupi-Guarani Indians there accuse logistics company employees of coercion and trying to bribe them into leaving the land LLX needs to build the $2.5 billion port. Three federal prosecutors filed a civil complaint on April 24 that seeks an order condemning LLX for acts aimed at taking possession of Indian land.

Indians' Claims

Brazil's National Indian Foundation, or Funai, is trying to get the government to confer Indian reservation status on the 2,840- hectare (7,000-acre) oceanfront property, called Piacaguera, says Cristiano Hutter, the foundation's chief in Peruibe. He says the foundation has accepted the Indians' claims that their ancestors lived on the land for centuries. Funai has sent the request to Brazil's Justice Ministry for approval.

No date has been set for a decision, and a federal judge has ruled that LLX can't start construction until the matter is resolved.

Batista says the Indians aren't originally from the area and only recently settled there for economic reasons. He wants to move them to a farm he plans to buy 30 kilometers (19 miles) from the coast.

Records Back to 1553

At Peruibe's history museums, photos of Tupi-Guarani huts on the Piacaguera land in 1942 illustrate a section of the exhibit called Native Roots. Funai says there are records of the Indians on the land that date as far back as 1553.

As the Indians tell it, Jose Salomao Fadlalah, LLX's development director, made false promises to induce them to leave the land. He's named in the prosecutors' complaint, which says Fadlalah hired Funai employees and Indians as consultants to try to deceive other Indians to pack up and leave.

``He told us we should just accept whatever they offered, that we had lost the land, and those who didn't accept the proposal would be left with nothing,'' says Miriam dos Santos as she breastfeeds her 1-month-old daughter, Camile.

Fadlalah says that LLX hired consultants but denies they were instructed to lie or bribe the Indians. ``We really believe that our proposal is very beneficial to the families,'' he says.

Fadlalah says that from an environmental and legal point of view, the project is ``completely viable.''

``The area is not an Indian reservation, and it's not land where Indians have traditionally lived,'' he says.

His Father's Stories

Batista had experience with mining's challenges from a young age. He was born in the mining state of Minas Gerais and grew up hearing stories about iron ore, railroads and ports from his father, Eliezer Batista da Silva. Now 84, his father was a civil engineer who started working at Vale in 1949 and became CEO in 1961. He was also Brazil's mines minister in 1962 and '63. Da Silva moved to Dusseldorf, Germany, in 1968, and later to Brussels, to expand Vale's international operations. He returned to Rio in 1979, serving as CEO until 1986. The state-owned company was privatized in 1997.

Batista says his father, now an MMX board member, wasn't at home for most of his childhood and that his disciplined German mother, who died in 2000, was a large influence. Batista moved with the family to Germany and at 18 enrolled at RWTH Aachen University, where he earned a degree in metallurgical engineering. He says he discovered an entrepreneurial talent while selling insurance policies in Aachen to supplement his student allowance.

Gold and Precious Stones

Back in Brazil in the early '80s, Batista joined a gold rush near the southern Amazon city of Alta Floresta. He worked as an intermediary in the gold and precious stones trade, finding buyers in Sao Paulo and Rio and keeping 5 percent of the deals as a fee.

``When I was 24, I bought my first gold mine,'' Batista told an audience of business leaders in Sao Paulo on April 28. ``The mine was so rich that it was almost idiotproof.''

Batista says he made $6 million in his first year. He says he dealt with wildcat gold panners in the jungle and once had a bodyguard shoot and kill a man who drew a gun during a money dispute.

Soon after, he decided to mechanize production. He lost a few million dollars in the process, as the mine was located in a remote area and accessible only by airplane. He says he underestimated the logistics.

``I made many mistakes,'' Batista told the business group. ``I lost money; I even had to buy an old DC-3 to transport equipment to the mine, but in the end I made it work.''

Two other gold mine ventures followed, both through partnerships.

`Really Exciting'

``Looking for good-quality assets and attracting partners to help you add value to them is really exciting,'' Batista told the audience in Sao Paulo.

In the late '90s, after buying mining ventures in Brazil, Canada, Chile and Greece, and investing at home in a cosmetics company, a jeep maker and a courier service, Batista says he lost almost $500 million, and decided to settle for good in Brazil and dedicate his energy to iron ore. MMX was the first company created under Batista's EBX holding company. That year, 2005, iron ore prices averaged $32.63 per metric ton. By 2007, the price had jumped to $45.33 and rose 65 percent to $75 early this year. MMX's share price has soared almost sixfold to 59.75 reais on June 20 from 10 reais at the IPO in July 2006.

Batista's superstitious bent extends beyond company names. De Oliveira, his ex-wife, says he picked their sons' names -- Thor and Olin -- because they have four letters, which signifies strength in numerology. Batista's lucky number is 63. All of his bids in the oil licensing auction ended with 63 cents, and the contract with Anglo American was for a precise figure, down to 63 cents, a March 31 company filing shows.

`Believes in Luck'

``Eike believes in luck, in positive and negative energies,'' de Oliveira said in e-mailed responses to questions. ``He is superstitious like any Brazilian.''

Batista's personal life has been colorful, even by Brazilian standards. In 1991, he eloped with de Oliveira a week before his planned wedding to a socialite.

During the 13-year marriage, de Oliveira posed nude for male magazines, including Playboy. In 1999, Batista paid an undisclosed fee to Playboy after he persuaded de Oliveira to cancel a photo shoot, according to her brother and agent, Mem de Oliveira. Batista declined to comment.

``He first tried to make me gain weight, giving me chocolates, showing up at home with my favorite milkshake every day,'' she said in the e-mail.

$250 Million Divorce

In 2004, de Oliveira left Batista for a fireman, according to stories splashed on the covers of Brazil's main newspapers. She denies it and says the separation was consensual. She received $250 million in the divorce, according to the weekly newsmagazine Veja.

De Oliveira won't comment on the amount, saying only that Batista was always ``very generous.''

After the separation, Batista bought her a house a few meters from his own. He often spends time there with his sons, who are 16 and 12. The former couple still have a strong friendship, she says.

His current girlfriend is Flavia Sampaio, a 27-year-old lawyer who is also a model, according to Veja magazine. Batista declined to comment on his personal life.

What he doesn't spend on ports and similar big construction ventures, Batista pours into pet projects to beautify Rio, a city he says has the potential to become a true business capital even though it's riddled with crime and poverty. Rio is one of the world's most violent cities, where 6,113 people were murdered in 2007, according to data from the state's Security Secretariat.

`A Wonderful City'

``This is where I want to raise my children and grandchildren because it's truly a wonderful city,'' says Batista, who is fluent in German and speaks English with ease. ``My family and I use an armored car to go around, but I don't think it will be like this forever.''

Asked if he isn't afraid to wear his gold Rolex watch in Rio, Batista scoffs. ``We can't do things differently just because the city has a crime problem,'' he says. Batista isn't shy about telling the media that he owns a $26 million Embraer Legacy 600 business jet, a $19 million Pershing 115 luxury yacht and a $1.7 million speedboat whose engines have to be changed after each race. In the living room of his mansion in Rio's Jardim Botanico neighborhood, Batista has parked a Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren. The latest model lists for about $500,000.

Flaunting his wealth might be fun for now. It may seem less sporting, though, should complaints from federal prosecutors and fearful Indians gain traction--or demand for Brazil's abundant resources take a fall.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601109&sid=aSleFEFn3DNw&refer=news

Aker Solutions opens facility in Brazil

2008-06-21T19:57:00.000-07:00

Aker Solutions has officially opened Brazil's only manufacturing centre for deepwater marine drilling risers, located in Rio das Ostras, on the east coast of Brazil.

The unit is therefor ideally positioned to serve the fast-growing Brazilian oil industry and capitalise on the boom in the global rig market.

The new facility has seen an investment of BRL 22 million and will primarily manufacture for the Brazilian market, but will also be able to deliver to other regions of the world. The facility, which has a workshop that covers a space of 2,450 square metres, will offer clients services ranging from engineering and manufacturing to maintenance and technical support.

"The global rig market is extremely buoyant, and the amount of contracted new build drilling units is likely to remain at a stable high level over the next five to seven years, at least," says Raymond Carlsen, executive vice president, Aker Solutions.

In a press release, Aker Solutions says that the inauguration of the drilling riser facility base reflects the company's commitment to the development of the Brazilian oil and gas industry. The company already has a manufacturing facility for subsea trees and other subsea equipment in Curitiba, as well as a subsea aftermarket base in Rio das Ostras.

With the opening of the new manufacturing base for drilling risers Aker Solutions has created a further 60 jobs, in addition to 130 positions already filled.

http://www.norwaypost.no/cgi-bin/norwaypost/imaker?id=162759

Petrobras Oil Fields Have `High' Output Potential

2008-06-04T18:12:00.000-07:00

Offshore oil fields in Brazil's so- called pre-salt region have a ``high potential of production,'' said Jose Sergio Gabrielli, chief executive officer of state- controlled Petroleo Brasileiro SA.

``The risk of exploration is very low in the pre-salt area, and there is a high potential of production,'' Gabrielli said today during a senate hearing in Brasilia.

Petrobras, as the Rio de Janeiro-based company is known, owns the Western Hemisphere's largest oil discovery in three decades. The oil producer last month eclipsed Microsoft Corp. as the world's sixth-largest company by market value.

Gabrielli urged Brazil lawmakers to change oil-concession regulations in the wake of offshore oil and natural-gas discoveries near Rio de Janeiro. He proposed changes to allow the government to have a share of the oil output in an attempt to better regulate the market and attract more investments.

Brazil won't auction rights to explore the area while studies continue, said Haroldo Lima, director general of the national oil agency, today during the hearing.

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aBMO5M9DFe9E&refer=latin_america

ECM equals GED in Brazil

2008-06-02T20:38:00.001-07:00

It's easy to forget just how big the world is -- but when you fly to Brazil as I did this past week, you can get some idea: nine hours from Miami to Rio, and eight of those over Brazil. Brazil is one of the world's largest countries and one of its fastest-growing economies. Yet it's one we tend to simply associate with the Amazonian rainforest, and the equally beautiful Amazonians who decorate the beaches in Rio. The other side of Brazil of course is poverty, and even a brief walk around town will show you that in all its sad misery. As outsiders the poverty and conversely the vast landscape and oceanside glamour are typically all we see of Brazil.

Yet Brazil is a vibrant and growing nation, that has much to teach us, and just at the moment not that much to learn from us, particularly when it comes to ECM and Content Management. Or more correctly, GED (Gerenciamento Eletronico de Documentos) as ECM is called in Brazil. My last visit here was in 1999 to speak at Infoimagem in Sao Paulo, still one of the premier ECM events globally. At the time I was asked to speak on WCM (Web Content Management) and a lot of effort was put into the marketing my workshop. To cut a long story short, less than 5 people attended and the whole thing was a fiasco. The gap between the US/Europe and the adoption of new content technologies was just so big that not only did WCM not interest anyone in Brazil, they didn't really know what it was.

Fast forward to GED-Rio this year where I was honored to give the keynote speech, and the contrast could not have been sharper. At this event, it was I who was on the back foot at times, as smart and incredibly well-informed practitioners prodded and questioned me. In practical terms in 2008 there is no gap between Brazil and the rest of the ECM world. I initially wondered if this was because Europe and the US have not been advancing very quickly since 2001, and hence the gap has closed. But as time went on I realized the change was due to much more pragmatic and ultimately positive reasons, reasons that we might want to learn from.

Firstly, there has been over the last 15 years or so, a heavy focus on training ECM professionals in the country. Through the venerable CompTia CDIA courses, and more recently through AIIM training. Here in Brazil it seems that pretty much everyone who works in ECM has undertaken some kind of training and most carry their designations with pride. What a contrast from practitioners in most North American or European enterprises who seem to believe that specialist training is unnecessary and typically blame technology -- rather than their own failings -- for all the problems they encounter. In Brazil there is a healthy awareness that ECM is very complex, and that even elements such as scanning and imaging require specialized skills that are not best acquired on the fly. Brazil then has a very well trained and competent ECM workforce -- something in short supply north of the Equator.

This leads to a second healthy contrast, that of informed skepticism from buyers and users. After years of neglect and indifference by major North American & European suppliers, Brazilian buyers are not immediately enamored or taken in by the promise of new software and features. They have come to learn that it may be a long time before they see it for real, and that when they do, early adopters will have pointed out many inadequacies. The outcome is that we have a nation of conservative buyers who typically have a good understanding of the technical limitations, and consequently the savvy to budget accordingly to meet the true cost and complexity of business change and implementation services.

A greater focus on training and ECM-specific skills, alongside a more cautious and studious approach to product selection, such as we see in Brazil, would go a long way reducing the high number of failed projects we see in North America. We may not have noticed it yet, but the gap has all but closed, and its time for North America and Western Europe to start recognizing that nations like Brazil, China, and India have not only caught us up but have some valuable lessons to teach.

http://www.cmswatch.com/Trends/1259-ECM-equals-GED-in-Brazil

Brazil 'has strong economy'

2008-06-02T16:59:00.001-07:00

A Brazilian government official has praised the performance of the country's economy in recent years.

Sports minister Orlando Silva said Brazil is currently enjoying an economic boom that could put it in good stead to host major global events.

Indeed, Brazil staged the Pan American Games last year and is set to host the football World Cup in 2014.

This has prompted the government to submit a bid for Rio de Janeiro to host the Olympic Games in 2014 - a development which could stimulate further economic growth in the country.

Mr Silva told the Associated Press: "The PanAm games were a great success and gave Rio credibility."

"This would be the first Olympics in South America," he added.

The success of the bid could potentially enhance its investment potential and lead to more people buying property for sale in Brazil.

According to NuBricks.com, the country is an "overseas property hotspot" which offers "untapped potential" to foreign buyers.

http://www.realestatetv.tv/news/brazil_has_strong_economy-18618535.html

The great escape: Rio's best-kept secret

2008-05-31T06:45:00.000-07:00

Where do the citizens of Rio go to escape the city? They set sail for Ilha Grande – an island idyll with no cars, but plenty of beaches, wildlife and charm, says Ruby Armstrong

Placing your trust in a battered old fishing vessel and a leathery fisherman whose flip-flops are moulded to his feet is but a small leap of faith when bound for an idyllic island. After all, a gently chugging 90-minute boat journey feels like an appropriate method of transport to get to an unknown Brazilian isle: it allows you time not only to acclimatise to a slower pace of life, but also to contemplate what delights might await you.

Ilha Grande, 150km south of Rio de Janeiro, was used as a shelter for pirates and smugglers when the Portuguese first arrived in Brazil, back in the 18th century. Thankfully, access to this laid-back paradise is much safer these days: the island is making a name for itself as a tourist destination due to the extensive Mata Atlantica (Atlantic Forest) that covers much of it. When you arrive in the sleepy harbour of Abraao, the main village, you sense immediately that life moves at a leisurely pace here. This may be partly due to the lack of cars – and, indeed, banks – on the island, but it is more to do with the untouched scenery and absence of high-rise developments.

Beyond the village, a mere 10-minute walk away, the Pousada Naturalia guest house is perched on a hillside, so each room has a stunning sea view. Sunsets don't get better than when seen from your balcony on a gently swinging hammock, with a Brazilian beer in your hand.

Laurent and Henrique, the owners of the pousada, built it with a respect for the environment. Every stone unearthed during the building process has been reused. And the sympathetic way the pousada has been built means that it sits naturally against the hillside. There is, however, a gentle nod to creature comforts: the ample rooms all have air-conditioning and piping-hot showers (thankfully, there's not a TV in sight), and eight out of the 12 rooms have solar-powered water heating. Breakfast is taken in an open-sided "room" in the lush tropical garden, where hummingbirds drink from the hanging feeders and butterflies flutter in and out. A vast array of local fruits is laid out – from the smallest, sweetest bananas to jackfruit – and each day a surprise treat is produced from the kitchen: a lemon mousse one morning, fresh banana loaf the next.

Inspired by the enthusiastic directions of our hosts, we launched ourselves on an "easy two-hour walk" to the Lopes Mendes beach. The trail wound up and over steep rainforest hills, and along deserted pristine beaches.

Many of the 16 trails on the island were originally used by the Tupinamba Indians, the first recorded residents on Ilha Grande. Instead of their previous use – as a means of hunting and survival – they now lead visitors towards indulgence and relaxation. A combination of jet lag, an 11am start, and the heat meant that we arrived at the beach later than expected. But it was worth it. Before us stretched over 2km of pure white sand fringed by shady trees, and sea the colour of jade. Ilha Grande does beaches very well. Indeed, even if you chose a different beach each day, it would still only provide the merest of peeks at the 100-plus on offer.

Abraaozinho beach is a good spot (and a more manageable 20-minute walk eastwards from the pousada). But an even better way to visit a few beaches in one day, and see the coastline, is to charter a sailing boat, or join one of the many organised boat tours leaving the harbour each day to the areas not accessible by foot.

Boat tours are a popular among Brazilians, in particular the Cariocas – the citizens of Rio. They arrive for the weekend armed with beer and accompanied by extended family, grandparents included. Itineraries often include stop-offs at a lagoon, scuba-diving or snorkelling and fishing, with lunch served either on board or in fish restaurants on the shore.

After a hard day's work, small groups of fishermen congregate in the small main square of Abraao to play cards, beer in hand. Their catches find their way on to the tables of restaurants and cafés, in dishes such as the hearty bobo de camarao – a fish stew packed with seafood in a thick sauce made with manioc paste, a Brazilian staple. Lighter dishes include barbecued fish or meat, known as churrasco, with rice and vegetables.

For a body-conscious, beach-loving nation, the Brazilians love their desserts. Every night, two wheelbarrows, each carrying an enormous refrigerated glass container overloaded with treats, is set up at each end of the square. Huge passion-fruit cheesecakes, oozing chocolate cakes, and fudge balls with a caramel centre were just some of the goodies on sale. The less calorific option involves a short stroll to one of Abraao's ice-cream bars, where unusual flavours such as acai berry can be sampled.

If you do indulge in the sweet trolley, the sure-fire calorie burner is a guided trek to the 982m peak of Pico Papagayo ("parrot peak"), the beak of which can be seen poking out of the rainforest from anywhere in the village. Having learnt our lesson, we forced ourselves to leave the pousada at the break of day in an attempt to avoid most of the roasting heat. We knew it would be tough (it's rated the hardest climb on the island), but having broken ourselves in with a few easy hikes – and by emphasising that we were on holiday to our guide – we got there in the end. The views were outstanding.

Another option is the five-hour round-trip to Saco do Ceu ("bag of the sky") beach, so called because the water is so still at night that the stars are reflected on it. A short detour takes you to a waterfall called Cachoeira da Feiticeira ("witch's waterfall"); and on the beach itself there are plenty of seafood restaurants. Pirates used to hide out in this idyllic spot, but these days, less hostile, more glamorous sailors use it as a stop-off before heading to the crystal-clear waters of the Lagoa Azul (Blue Lagoon).

Rio's best-kept secret rewards those who are prepared to take that first small leap of faith.

http://www.independent.co.uk/travel/americas/the-great-escape-rios-bestkept-secret-837128.html

Brazil Leads World Stock Markets as Valuations Spur Downgrades

2008-05-30T06:31:00.000-07:00

Brazil extended its lead over the world's biggest equity markets in May, pushing prices to the highest level relative to earnings in four years and prompting analysts to cut ``buy'' ratings to the fewest since December.

The Bovespa stock index gained 12 percent this year, the steepest advance among the 20 largest markets, on record prices for the nation's iron-ore and oil and rising economic growth forecasts. The Standard & Poor's 500 Index, Japan's Topix, the U.K.'s FTSE 100 Index and China's CSI 300 all fell in 2008. The Bovespa jumped 5.8 percent in May, third behind the 14 percent rise in Russia's Micex Index and 6.1 percent advance in Argentina's Merval Index.

The Bovespa's climb pushed its average valuation to 16.8 times earnings, 61 percent above the level three years ago. Brazil's central bank raised interest rates last month for the first time in almost three years, while the percentage of analysts who recommend buying Brazilian stocks fell to 54.9 percent from 57.5 in April, data compiled by Bloomberg show.

``Brazil's been a great-performing market for quite a while but now when we look around the world we perhaps see more interesting earnings growth and valuations,'' said Deborah Medenica, who oversees $20 billion in emerging market equities at AIG Investments in New York. ``It doesn't make Brazil an unattractive market, just not as attractive as it has been.''

The Bovespa traded for 17.3 times its companies' average earnings on May 19, the highest since September 2004, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The S&P 500, the benchmark index for American equity, trades at 23.4 times earnings. The MSCI World Index of 1,934 developed-market companies trades at an average 16.6 times profits.

Petrobras Rally

Petroleo Brasileiro SA, the state-controlled oil company, led the Bovespa's advance as Nymex crude futures rose to $135.09 on May 22, the highest since trading began in 1983. Rio de Janeiro-based Petrobras climbed 42 percent from its March low and surpassed Microsoft Corp. as the sixth-biggest company by market value.

Cia. Vale do Rio Doce, the world's biggest iron ore producer, jumped 21 percent since its March 20 low. The Rio de Janeiro-based company reached an agreement with ArcelorMittal, the world's largest steel producer, to increase charges for iron- ore 65 percent. Vale's price-earnings ratio rose to 16.5 on May 19, the highest in at least two years.

Brazil became the best-performing market April 30 after S&P raised its long-term foreign currency debt rating to investment grade for the first time. Four months earlier, Brazil became a net foreign creditor as demand grew for its metals, sugar and soybeans. Fitch Ratings upgraded Brazil's foreign-currency debt to investment grade yesterday.

`Most Attractive'

``It's still one of the most attractive markets in the world,'' said William Landers, who oversees $8.2 billion in Latin American stocks at BlackRock Inc. in Plainsboro, New Jersey. ``Brazil is still able to grow very well with high interest rates. You can kind of look at Brazil and see a steady 4 to 5 percent GDP grower for almost a decade.''

The median expectation for 2008 economic growth in Brazil increased in the last three weekly surveys of 100 economists by the central bank, rising to 4.7 percent from 4.66 percent. In the first week of the year economists expected 4.5 percent growth, according to the survey.

The Bovespa slipped 1.9 percent to 71,797.54 yesterday. The Dow average rose 0.4 percent, while the S&P 500 Index advanced 0.5 percent.

Higher Rates

Prospects for higher interest rates prompted some analysts and investors to turn more bearish on Brazil. The benchmark lending rate may rise to 13.5 percent this year, according to the median estimate in the central bank survey published May 26, higher than the 13.25 percent estimate in a poll earlier in the month.

Deutsche Bank AG cut its rating on Brazilian shares to ``neutral'' from ``overweight'' in a report dated May 21 on concern higher interest rates and reduced demand from China will slow economic growth.

Wagers that Petrobras American depositary receipts are overvalued jumped in the first two weeks of May to the highest level in seven months, according to Bloomberg data. Short interest, a gauge of bets against a stock, rose to a ratio of 2.64 percent, the highest since the last two weeks of September, the data show. Short sellers sell borrowed shares with the expectation of replacing them at a lower cost.

Petrobras' Sao Paulo-traded shares fetch 17.8 times earnings, more than twice its monthly average during this decade. Vale's ratio is 40 percent higher than a year ago.

``With Petrobras and Vale, we're a bit mindful at these levels and we've reduced holdings,'' Alexandre Vianna, who helps manage the equivalent of $7.2 billion in Sao Paulo at Suladis DTVM, a unit of SulAmerica Investimentos. ``But this is in the short-term. The future here holds a very good story.''

http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601086&sid=aGm5lxp8T3Ew&refer=news

Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada Vivenda, Rio de Janeiro

2008-05-27T21:51:00.000-07:00

Pousada Vivenda is a dream come true for owner John Hudson. Not only is his eye for design evident everywhere, but also his belief in offering quality, comfort and personal service at all times. The result is a rustic-chic style, with exuberant tropical touches. Although not in the historical centre of Paraty, this has its own advantages. Most of the action is a nice safe 10 minute walk away, along the river, and the pousada, in turn, is wonderfully tranquil.

Vivenda is very small with 2 chalet-type self catering bungalows and one double suite, spread around a delightful swimming pool and bar. Add some gentle background Brazilian jazz to the very personal service and intelligent conversation with John and other guests, and the impression is that you are at a very informal, yet sophisticated, house party. Wonderful!

Paraty

Paraty is a world heritage site, a beautiful cobbled colonial town, with a traffic-free historical centre. Outside festival season at least, it appears to have stopped in time. The original inhabitants were Guaiana Indians, but the present town was founded in 1667.First famous for its sugar mills and its cachaca (sugar cane liquor) production, Paraty really came of age during the gold cycle of the 17th and 18th centuries, when the Caminho do Ouro (Gold Trail) was built. This opened up the interior of the country and more importantly gave the state of Minas Gerais access to the sea. It was through the port of Paraty that much of the gold and precious stones from Minas passed on their way to Portugal.

If Paraty is as well preserved as it is, much is due to its economic isolation in the 19th century, courtesy of the rather efficient pirates hiding out on the neighbouring beach of Trindade, who effectively forced merchants to find different ports. However another reason was the difficulty of access before the 1970s when the coastal road, Rio/Santos BR101, was built. In the last 25 years local tourism has grown substantially and the number of pousadas runs into hundreds, located both inside and outside the historical centre. Many of the original colonial buildings have been refurbished and now house craft shops, restaurants and bars, with live music in the evenings.

Not to be missed

- The journey from Rio to Paraty (one of the most scenic in the world)

- Schooner trips round the Ilha Grande Bay

- Walking tour round the historical centre of Paraty

- Walking the Caminho do Ouro, the 17th/18th century gold route

- Shopping for handicrafts, rugs, hammocks, wooden boxes, art, cachaça

- Festivals: Literary (July); Pinga (August); Gastronomy (November)

Getting there without a car

The easiest way is to get the bus from the Novorio bus station in Rio using the Costa Verde bus company. The journey takes 4.5 to 5 hours with a short stop roughly half way. There are usually around 6-8 buses a day in each direction.

From the bus station to the pousada is a 10 minute walk or a 5 minute taxi ride - fixed price R$10 (for anywhere in Paraty).

http://www.gringoes.com/articles.asp?ID_Noticia=2133

Brazil launches US$5 billion program to build ships and oil rigs

2008-05-27T06:21:00.000-07:00

Brazil on Monday announced plans to spend at least $5 billion to develop deep water oil finds, building new ships and hiring rigs as soaring world fuel prices boost demand for drilling equipment.

State-run oil company Petroleo Brasileiro SA, or Petrobras, will spend $5 billion to build 146 ships and plans to hire 40 deep-water drilling rigs and platforms, President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva told shipbuilders in Niteroi, a harbor town near Rio de Janeiro's coast. Analysts said the additional equipment could cost an extra $15 billion.

Petrobras has made a series of large offshore oil finds in the nearby Santos Basin, including a possible 8 billion barrel discovery at the Tupi field in November the biggest in the Western Hemisphere since 1976.

But as global oil prices soar, competition for equipment to tap that oil is increasing. Petrobras now leases nearly 80 percent of all deep-water drilling vessels in the world, according to local media reports. A Petrobras spokesman declined to confirm that figure or give his name, citing company policy.

The plan to modernize Petrobras' own fleet would employ about 8,000 shipbuilders, at least 70 percent of them Brazilian, and would require an additional 3,800 crew members once the ships are complete in 2017, Petrobras said in a statement.

Silva noted that Brazil's naval industry has grown more than 20 times since he took office in 2003, from 1,900 to 40,000 workers today.

Petrobras, which Silva said has become the world's sixth largest company, announced last week that it had discovered new medium-grade crude deposits in the Santos Basin at a depth of 4.2 miles (6.8 kilometers). It did not estimate the size of the find.

Deep underwater layers of sand, rock and salt make extraction expensive.

http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/26/business/LA-FIN-Brazil-Ship-Building.php