SP GLBT Pride - the best places to dance

São Paulo´s LGBT Pride - the best parties and discos to dance

Avenida Paulista, where every year, at june, the São Paulo gay pride is celebrated

As the São Paulo´s gay pride celebration aproaches, I´ve been searching for the best parties, as many friends have asked about it.

So, let´s post about it!

First of all, GLBT people comming from around the world will meet at sunday´s june 18th at Avenida Paulista for the biggest gay pride of the world!

The Museum of Art of São Paulo - MASP, meeting point for the Gay Pride Parade

The Week, the most famous brazillian gay disco and gay parties promoters, is promoting itis traditional Eterna Festival, which hosts lots of parties beggining this weekend until sunday 18th.

Tickets can be bought at www.theweek.com.br and www.ticket360.com.br   

    

If you are already at SP, those sites list places where tickets can be bought personally, generally with cash.    

Eterna Festival is composed by the parties Safado at Unique hotel, Marathon, Girassol and Circuit at The Week.

Searching today, SAFADO party at Unique hotel seems to be sold out at the internet.              

Ticket 360 says to call during weekdays. 

                        

On saturday, The Week is promoting Girassol, a pool party which begins 5pm saturday and Circuit, 23h30pm at TW place (Rua Guaicurus, 324 - Lapa, São Paulo - SP).

Girassol is yet 40 reais and Circuit is 50 reais (today´s prices). 

                        

The Dutch mega-party Milk Shake will be held in SP for its first time, and tickets are available starting from 170 reais plus 17 reais convenience fee. It begins friday 6pm until saturday morning. The proposal is a mega-party with brazillian and international music, open to all tribes, not just LGBT. It will be held at Francisco Matarazzo Avenue, at Barra Funda neighbourhood (rechable through the red line subway, Barra Funda station, taxis, uber etc).                        

   

As long as tickets are sold, prices get higher, so better hurry up. 

Another option is to go to regular clubs, off the festivals.                 

                  

For those who don´t want to spend that much with festivals, or simply prefer a regular kind-of-disco, some options are very good, but for sure there will be huge entrance lines.

Eventually dresscode is demanded, but here in Brazil hosts cannot reject people from getting inside a club without an objective reason such as dresscode. So, if you fit, and if you pay, for sure you´re gonna get in, no matter how long it takes. 

For gay man, Lions Club on friday´s is a very good option. Saturdays hosts more mixed-people events. Located at the the old city centre, it has a big terrace with a lovely view of the Metropolitan Cathedral´s dome.

                          

Yacht is more for pop music and diva lovers. Located at Bexiga, one of the oldest italian neighbourhoods, it has a beautifull light system, and handsome barmen dressing as sailors. 

                  

And Bubu, at Rua dos Pinheiros, 791 - Pinheiros, São Paulo -, is granted fun for singles. Fridays are the gay men nights, and saturdays, the lesbian nights - just look at the prices to see the night you will suit the better. Thursday 15 there will be a special lesbian night.

PanAm, at the rooftop of Macksoud Plaza hotel is also a very nice disco-bar, with an astonishing view of the city.     

São Paulo skyline, view from PanAm Club

If you survive all these parties, get ready for the Parada on sunday, starting by 11 am at the MASP (MASP-Trianon subway station at the green line 2).                    

São Paulo skyline, view from PanAm Club

Inhotim - getting there

Inhotim - getting there

Artwork at one of Inhotim´s Galleries

Inhotim is located at Brumadinho, a city in the southern outskirts of Belo Horizonte, or simply BH, Minas Gerais´State capital. It is about 30km south of BH, an half-hour drive. 

Though the artcenter provides shuttles departing from the fancy Savassi neighbourhood in BH (see the official site info: http://www.inhotim.org.br/en/visit/getting-here/), to calmly know and enjoy Inhotim, the best is to stay one or two nights at Brumadinho, or at a hotel, B&B, hostel, or pousada in the surrounding cities, such as Mario Campos. 

Lined palmtrees at Inhotim

The main buildings of the world are melting by candle light - Inhotim´s artwork

Brumadinho lacks enough hotels, but for sure the attraction caused by Inhotim will change this reality in the future. It is really unbelievable major hotel chains didn´t get buildings here, since the tourism to Inhotim is increasing at quite high rates. 

From BH´s International Airport, the ride is a bit longer, about one hour drive. But cars can be easily rented at the Airport. Car-rental companies have desks at the airport´s main concourse, at the old terminal. 


Renting a car with a good GPS (or using the cellphone´s GPS) is totally advisable. Roads are ok, but heavy traffic can be annoying at rush hours (early hours and 5pm to 9pm weekdays), and the driver must be careful with the trucks, since the trip from the airport to Brumadinho takes highways mostly at BH´s nearby cities. 

The main buildings of the world are melting by candle light - Inhotim´s artwork

If taking a car, it is advisable the best time to go is during the day, since it is a rural area, and some parts of the track are poorly enlighted at night.

BH´s airport has been recently renovated, so it is verty convenient. The sole problem is the lack of public transportation to BH, but there´s an executive bus which takes to downtown. But to Brumadinho, starting from the airport, only taxis and rental cars will be avilable. 

The airport has some international flights from and to the US and to Europe. 

Inhotim - an incredible place

Inhotim - an incredible place

 It is very hard to describe what Inhotim is. It is easier to put adjectives: astonishing, unbelievable, fantastic, esplendorous.

Gardens at Inhotim

Beheaded sculptures at Inhotim

Inhotim is a synestesic place. It mixes with our senses. The smell of trees, the view of the landscape and artwork, the sounds of birds, the music and beating of interactive pieces of artwork. The possibility of touching many sculptures and getting inside the galleries´rooms. Darkness and light. Monocromatic versus colourful pieces. Huge modernist buildings which seems to float over the grass in the middle of the most perfect jungle. 

Art work at one of Inhotim´s galleries

A huge contemporary art center, surrounded by lush gardens, open to the skies. 

Art galleries and sculptures share a huge espace in an imense botanic garden, flowered and colourful, with species from all over the world, and - of course - from the entire Brazil.

Artwork related to bus stops in Brazil, at Inhotim

Located at Brumadinho, a city some 30km south of Belo Horizonte (Minas Gerais capital), Inhotim is a park for nature and arts lovers (see future post about how to get to Inhotim). 

Sculpture at Inhotim

The galleries and works of art can be reached through three suggested pathways, embelished and shadowed by palmtrees, which help the visitor face them on hotter days.

Fotography at Inhotim, questioning poverty and abandon

If you get too tired, you can take a rest on the banks made with trunks of huge dead trees.

I think each pathway can be done in a day, for an average adult in good shape and without any disability. 

Younger people could do it in two days. Older and people with some disability can take the eletric cars, for an approximate fee of 30 reais (about 10 dolars), hop-on hop-off service at all galleries and major artworks. Or you can rent one for your family for 500 reais (about 160 dolars). 

On the next posts I´ll comment my favorite galleries and works of art, made by artists from around the globe. 

Also, I´ll write some posts regarding the awesome gardens. 

Beheaded sculptures at Inhotim

For artlovers and botanic lovers, Inhotim cannot be missed on a trip to Brazil. It is also a hotspot for birdwatching. Well, Inhotim can be the sole purpose for a visit to Brazil. 

Lençóis Maranhenses National Park

The Lençóis Maranhenses National Park

The Lençóis Maranhenses Natioal Park official website is available only in portuguese: 

http://www.icmbio.gov.br/parnalencoismaranhenses/guia-do-visitante.html) 

To enter the national park, it is only possible whith tour guides, who are provided by many tour companies at the small town of Barreirinhas. They take tourists in trucks with high suspension wheels, called "jardineiras", which can pass over the sand tracks that leads to the first point where the dunes and the lagoons can be seen. 

Before that, the jardineiras crosses the Preguiças river over ferry-boats. Tourists aren´t allowed to walk alone within the dunes, because its very easy to loose the sense of direction. 

These tours departing from Barreirinhas can be done in just one day, but for more brave and physically prepared people, it is possible to cross the dunes with a guide, and even sleep inside the dunes, which will take, of course, more than one day.  

(above, the Preguiças River)
(under, the hanging roots of the trees in the mangroves of Preguiças river)

LENÇÓIS MARANHENSES

LENÇÓIS MARANHENSES

Getting there

Lençóis Maranhenses - dunes and blue lagoons at the northeast of Brazil

I decided to split the post and repost our tour at Lençóis Maranhenses National Park. Also, I put the marker Lençóis Maranhenses at the scroolbar to the right.

Lençóis Maranhenses - dunes and blue lagoons at the northeast of Brazil

  The closest city to the national park is Barreirinhas, where there are many hotels. It is just a base-village to get to the dunes, so its advisable to take money and all you need, speacially sunblock and mosquito repellent. 

Lençóis Maranhenses - dunes and blue lagoons at the northeast of Brazil

Barreirinhas is 3 and a half hours from the capital of the state of Maranhão, São Luiz do Maranhão (Saint Louis). The SLZ airport is mainly a domestic airport, so to get to Maranhão you´ll probably need a conection in São Paulo, Rio, Brasília or Manaus. There are tour operators which takes tourists from SLZ airport to Barreirinhas, but renting a car can also be a good idea, with a GPS - and caution in the road to Barreirinhas, since it crosses many small villages with many speed-bumps. 

Another option is to come from the state of Ceará and its capital Fortaleza, although it is farther and you would have to cross a small part of the state of Piauí. In this case, trip would be very beautifull and at least two other stops should be added: Jericoacora, the most famous beach in Ceará state, and the "Delta do Parnaíba", the river Parnaíba mouth, in a delta shape. 

Mercado Modelo de Salvador

Mercado Modelo de Salvador

(Salvador´s Central Market)

The Mercado Modelo in located at Cidade Baixa (Down City), accesible from Cidade Alta (High City) through Elevador Lacerda (Lacerda´s lift, see previous post). 

The lift works as a regular public transportation, and its tariff is less than 50 cents of real, really cheap. Unfortunatelly, at Cidade Baixa there´s no much to see besides the Mercado Modelo, as basically the Cidade Baixa helds the seaport, the customs and trade companies. 

The Elevador Lacerda (Lacerda´s lift, to the left) and the Mercado Modelo, at the Cidade Baixa (center)
 Salvador, Bahia, Brazil

The Mercado, however, is pretty much focused on tourists, where you can buy local stuff, food, and craftsmenship. 

It closes by 7 pm, but one hour before there´s a nice sunset view on the 2nd floor, at the bar facing the sea. A good place to take your favorite brazillian juice, soft dringk, beer or caipirinha, as the sun goes down.

Between the Mercado and the sea, there is the touristic harbour, from where boats departing to Morro de São Paulo (see previous post) and other touristic attractions can be taken. 

The National Congress at Brasilia

The National Congress at Brasilia

The Brazillian National Congress building, seen from the Praça dos Três Poderes

The most iconic building in Brasilia is the National Congress. As the map of the city has a form of an aiplane, the National Congress is on its cockpit, just behind the Praça dos Três Poderes - the Plaza of the Three Powers - where also are located the Palácio do Planalto, seat of Brazillian Government, in the northside, while at the southside lays the Supreme Court.

 The Congress Building separates the Praça dos Três Poderes from the Esplanada dos Ministérios - the Esplanade of the Ministries - , whith its gigantic lawn between the blocks which hosts the Ministries. 

The Brazillian National Congress building: inside the Senate Plenary

The Congress Building hosts the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate. The building consists of an H-form building separating the shells wich hosts the Plenary of both houses. 

The Brazillian National Congress building, words from Juscelino Kubitscheck, the President who built Brasilia

The shell facing down is the Senate, because it is considered the closed Chamber, as representative of the States, while the shell facing up is the Plenary of the Chamber of Deputies, considered more open as represantative of the people.

The Brazillian National Congress building, modernist sculpture

Both can be visited with the help of guides, including in english, french and spanish. For more info in english, go to http://www2.congressonacional.leg.br/visite/agendamento-en. According to the official site, "The program of tours of the National Congress Palace takes place every day, including holidays, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. The groups leave from the Black Hall every 30 minutes. However, bookings are only made for Monday through Friday tours."

The Brazillian National Congress building: the Esplanade of the Ministries, seen from the Black Hall

This Black Hall is accesible from the Esplanade side, through the  front ramp. 

The Brazillian National Congress building: the Esplanade of the Ministries, seen from the Black Hall

Within the years, the building became small, and so more annex buildings where added, to host cabinets and rooms for the meeting of the various comissions. The tour guide is restricted to the main building, which is the one of greater interest. Both Senate and Deputies buildings are linked by spacious hallways, decorated with modernist pieces of art.

The Brazillian National Congress building: Senate´s rooftop

The Brazillian National Congress building: one of Ceschiatti´s angel

A sculpture represents the Araguaia river, one of the biggests river of Brazil; one angel of Alfredo Ceschiatti, the same artist who made the angels at the Cathedral is there; and the beautiful blue-painted tiles of Athos Bulcão decorates the green room at the Chamber of Deputies. 

The Brazillian National Congress building: the blue-painted tiles of Athos Bulcão decorates the green room, at the Deputies´Chamber

Some furniture in the main halls came from the former buildings of the chambers in Rio. It includes historic tables, chairs, tapestry, paintings and some sculptures too. 

The Brazillian National Congress building: old furniture brought from Rio, former capital.

The Brazillian National Congress building

The visited guide is advisable for a bit of Brazillian history and better understanding of all the artwork inside. 

Brasilia´s Cathedral: Niemayer´s masterpiece

Brasilia´s Cathedral: Niemayer´s masterpiece

Brasilia´s must see is doubtlessly its Cathedral. 

Brasilia´s Cathedral

Located in the end of the Esplanada dos Ministérios (the ministries´esplanade), it is the most symbolic building in the city, and maybe the most known. 

On its entrance, the four bronze-made statues of the Evangelists wellcomes the visitors. A dark tunnel on a down ramp leads to its hall, incredbly enlighted by the always-sunny days of Brasilia, making a colorful spectacle under the white and blue stained glass.

The three angels inside are suspended by steel cables. They, as the Evangelists, were sculpted by Alfredo Ceschiatti, who was aided by Dante Croce. 

Brasilia´s Cathedral

Inside the Cathedral, a milimetrical replica of La Pietá can be seen, just by the side of the via crucis painted by Di Cavalcanti. 

Brasilia´s Cathedral

The baptistery has an ovoid form. On its walls there is a panel made of ceramic tiles, painted in 1977 by Athos Bulcão, a famous painter of tiles, whose art is spread all over the city´s most iconic buildings. 

The bell tower countains four large bells, donated by Spain, completing the architectural ensemble.

The Cathedral is also very beautifully enlighted by night. The experience is quite different, so its worth going both day and night.

 

Brasilia´s Cathedral

Brasilia´s Cathedral

 It is very close the both North and South Hotels Sector, and some touristic companies offer day tours to the main monuments of the cities. 

Floripa (8) - Dunes of Joaquina beach

Florianópolis (8) - Dunes of Joaquina beach

The dunes at Joaquina beach at Floripa

Joaquina beach, in the east side of Santa Catarina Island, is loved by surfers. But its dunes, just some meters before, are an extra spectacle.

The dunes at Joaquina beach at Floripa

You can climb then and take wonderful pictures of the Atlantic, the Lagoa da Conceição in the middle of the island, and also of the mountains around.  

The dunes at Joaquina beach at Floripa

Joaquina is conected with Campeche beach by the same sandstrip, but getting there demands a longer walking. The part of the beach closer to the dunes have snack bars and people selling food and drinks on the beach, but going south towards Campeche is a good option for staying away from the crowds and getting a quiet view of the scenery. During holidays, speacially new year´s eve and carnival, it may be hard to park close to the beach, since the parking areas are very small. 

The dunes at Joaquina beach at Floripa

The dunes at Joaquina beach at Floripa

The dunes at Joaquina beach at Floripa

The dunes at Joaquina beach at Floripa

The dunes at Joaquina beach at Floripa

The dunes at Joaquina beach at Floripa

The dunes at Joaquina beach at Floripa