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The most amazing natural wonder in Brazil.

16/12/2011/14 Comments/in Things to do

That’s right, I’ve just gone right ahead and put a full stop at the end of today’s post title. No question marks today, it’s Friday, I’m feeling tough and I’m going to make a statement of fact. Lençois Maranhenses is the most amazing natural wonder in Brazil.

Before I tell you anything about it, I’m doing to do a quick backtrack regarding my tough Friday stance in that opening paragraph. I actually haven’t seen very much of Brazil – I’ve seen some of the Amazon region, a little of the north-eastern states of Maranhão and Ceara and a little of Rio state. I haven’t been down south to all those amazing beaches everyone tells me about. I haven’t been to the waterfalls of Iguaçu (and yes, I know they’re amazing). So I will listen if you tell me there is somewhere more spectacular (in fact I’d love to hear your opinions/suggestions).

But seriously, take a look at this:

Situated in Brazil’s poorest state, Maranhão, the Lençóis Maranhenses National Park covers 270 km² and lies on the coast of north-east Brazil. Situated next to the sea, these huge white sand dunes are dotted with rain-fed, fresh water lagoons.

Corny Stop Motion

15/12/2011/14 Comments/in Food and drink

As I wandered home last night I passed a guy standing at a little metal cart selling sweetcorn (milho). This must be one of my favourite street foods – there’s just something pleasing about selling this as a quick snack.

I know he doesn’t look it, but this guy was actually very friendly. It’s just when I took the photo (I did ask!) he put on his stern face.

Whereas most snacks are high in fat or sugar (or both!), here is a yummy snack that is relatively good for you. The sellers use the outer leaves of the corn as the wrapping, so there’s no need for plastic bags and all the usual packaging – once you’re finished you are only throwing away a biodegradable husk and some leaves! I wish it was more popular everywhere.

However, last night I didn’t buy sweetcorn. I bought pamonha (sounds like pam-ON-ya).

Essential for a Brazilian Christmas?

14/12/2011/7 Comments/in Food and drink, Musings

A little while back I gave you my top Brazilian supermarket survival tips, born from many hours wandering around supermarkets here in Rio. I remember as a young kid, on some of my first trips abroad, being fascinated by the supermarkets of France (anyone remember Hollywood chewing gum?) and Germany (those yummy ginger cake/biscuits covered in chocolate – yum!).

And I remember, aged 9, being awestruck the first time I saw Fluff:

Are you a Fluffer-nutter? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6gljDcLrvQ)

Even today I enjoy checking out the weird and wonderful products when I visit a new country. I remember noticing last Easter that all the Rio supermarkets took the same approach to Easter-eggs. They built a kind of wooden framework (a bit like a Pergola) and then hung the eggs at about face-height, meaning you have to duck under the eggs if you want to get past!

Scissor-tailed Visitors

13/12/2011/8 Comments/in Musings

Soon after we moved into our place in Glória/Santa Teresa, we took a trip to the nearest branch of Tok&Stok (a chain selling reasonably priced furniture and household goods, a little bit like Ikea but without the meatballs, herring and arguments). Our shopping list was not particularly exciting – a dish draining rack, cutlery tray, you get the picture. All in all it was a rather boring shopping trip.

Until we got to the checkout! Because there, hanging on a hook, was a hummingbird feeder. Wow. I love hummingbirds. We don’t get them back in Europe and although I saw a few in Colombia, the novelty has definitely not worn off. The feeder went in the trolley and I went home with plans of attracting legions of hummingbirds.

And guess what? It worked!

In Portuguese, hummingbirds are called Beija-flor (flower kisser). This one is called Beija-flor Tesoura (Tesoura is Portuguese for scissors, a reference to its forked tail). In case anyone is interested, the Latin name is Eupetomena macroura.

There’s graffiti all over the school!

12/12/2011/4 Comments/in Art and culture

I grew up in the city of Winchester on the south coast of England. It was a great place to be a kid/teenager – by no means a village, but small enough that if you didn’t know someone directly, you probably knew someone who knew them. It is just an hour from London on the train, yet it is situated in a particularly lovely part of Hampshire, characterised by gorgeous, gentle countryside (a million miles from the dramatic mountains, forests and beaches of Rio).

Thatched cottages in Wherwell, Hampshire. Putting the Shire into Hampshire.

Winchester is a fairly wealthy city with a population of just 40,000 – when I was growing up crime levels were very low. So you can imagine my shock when I arrived at school aged 11 to hear there had been an attack.