Curitiba (PR)
All posts tagged Curitiba (PR)
CURITIBA (06)
Images From a Bi-Articulate Bus
(Click here for the complete overview of ‘Curitiba’)
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Destination Curitiba, capital of the state of Paraná.
Photographs of the center of Curitiba, taken from the rear of a bi-articulate bus
Click here to view ‘General Information’ about Curitiba (including videos)
A bi-articulate bus in front of Shopping Estação.
Double harmonica
Articulate buses are common in The Netherlands, since a few decades. I took such a regional bus, painted in yellow, to the high school during the eighties of the past century. Initially, when this bus type was introduced, many students went to the back, in order to experience the sometimes hefty movements when the bus was rounding the corners. Some even dared to stand in the ‘harmonica’ space. When I was traveling to the Dutch city of Utrecht for a job interview, I first met a bi-articulate bus, which follows the route to the university campus ‘De Uithof’. In 2005, I met the orange-red bi-articulate buses in Curitiba, who follow two different, fixed routes. The buses, introduced in 1992, follow specially designed bus tracks, thereby avoiding traffic jams.
Tube
The many bus stops along the tracks of the ‘ônibus biarticular’, as the bi-articulated buses are called in Portuguese, have the shape of a elongated tube, the so-called ‘estação-tubo’, with turnstiles at both sides, and ticket- and payment facilities. As a result, no delays occur when boarding. The bi-articulate buses have the capacity of 270 passengers. According to the numbers of the City of Curitiba, at least two million Curitibans make use of the nearly two thousand buses and four hundred bus services, on a daily basis. The City subsidizes part of the bus fare (2.20 reais in 2008), and the prize is significantly reduced (to 1 real only) on Sundays and holidays.
Below a few photographs, taken from the rear of the bi-articulate bus
By Adriano Antoine Robbesom
Related articles
- Travel in Brazil: CURITIBA (05). Frans Krajcberg in Jardim Botânico (insiderbrazil.wordpress.com)
- COLORFUL BRAZIL: Ukrainian Monument, Curitiba (PR) (adrianoantoine.wordpress.com)
- Heading for Brasil 2014: Stadiums under Construction (Update SEP 2011) (insiderbrazil.wordpress.com)
- Travel in Brazil: Belo Horizonte – MARANHÃO: (06) Daily Life in Bahia (insiderbrazil.wordpress.com)
- Travel in Brazil: Belo Horizonte – MARANHÃO. (04) Colorful Skies in Bahia (insiderbrazil.wordpress.com)
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CURITIBA (05)
Frans Krajcberg in Jardim Botânico
(Click here for the complete overview)
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Destination Curitiba, capital of the state of Paraná.
Born in Poland, Brazilian artist Frans Krajcberg has his own permanent exhibition in the Botanical Garden in Curitiba.
Click here to view ‘General Information’ about Curitiba (including videos)
The exhibition hall with the works of
Frans Krajcberg
Nature
Frans Kracjberg was born in Kozienice (Poland) in 1921. He studied engineering and art in Leningrad (now St. Petersburg), and continued his art studies in Stuttgart. The Second World War changed his life dramatically. During the war Frans lost his family, and in 1948 he decided to leave for Brazil. In 1951, Frans took part in the first Biennale in São Paulo, a biennial art event. His works were mostly abstract in those years. A few years later, Frans shuttled between Ibiza, Paris, and Rio de Janeiro. In that time he made his first work, inspired upon his contact with nature. He deepened his relationship with nature by living in a cavern in Itabirito (about 50 km away from Belo Horizonte) for some years. He lived here under very primitive conditions, including taking his bath in the nearby river, for example.
The works are positioned in a semi circle.
Fire-wood
Since 1964, Frans created his famous works from charred tree trunks. To obtain these stumps, he regularly traveled to the Amazon forest and the immense marshes of Pantanal, where he documented deforestation, photographed it, and took out his material. Starting in the seventies, Frans has received international recognition for his works, which themes are nature, and Frans’ intense interest in the preservation of nature. Today, the artist focuses mainly on photography. He now lives in a sítio (‘Sítio Natura’), in the south of Bahia, on invitation of artist Zanin Caldas. In this area of more than one square kilometer, Frans has constructed some kind of an eco-museum. More than ten thousand different trees have been planted in that vast area. A documentary (Maurice Dubroca, 2004) and a movie (Walter Salles, 1987) have been released about the life and work of this remarkable artist. Since 2002, the Botanical Garden in Curitiba has a permanent exhibition space with sculptures and pictures of Frans; and since 2003, the Parisian Musée du Montparnasse hosts a permanent area with works of the Polish-Brazilian artist.
Due to the orange color, it appears that the
flames are digesting the roots again
Semi circle
The permanent exhibition space with Frans’ works is in the shape of a semi-circle. The circular walls are of transparent material, allowing day light illuminate the space. The curves and bends of this ring construction provide an extra dimension to the sculptures. Most of the sculptures are a few meters high and show the color of charred wood, painted with bright orange hues, as if the colors of the flames that have choked and digested once living wood. The tree trunks, with extruding roots, have been modified by the artist, and painted in such a way, that it seems that the traumatic memories of the devastating fires are enlivened and immortalized. As if it appears that the trees again have become prey to the greedily consuming flames. This exhibition is really worth to get known with the work of Frans Krajcberg, and his close relationship with nature.
The ring shape of the hall provides an
additional dimension to the works.
It closely resembles burning flames
Also here, the tree appears to have lost its struggle.
Some works
Frans Krajcberg
See also: Website about life and works of Frans Krajcberg
By Adriano Antoine Robbesom .
Related articles:
- Heading for Brasil 2014: Stadiums under Construction (Update SEP 2011) (insiderbrazil.wordpress.com)
- COLORFUL BRAZIL: Ukrainian Monument, Curitiba (PR) (adrianoantoine.wordpress.com)
- Travel in Brazil: CURITIBA (06). City Images From the Rear of a Bi-Articulate Bus (insiderbrazil.wordpress.com)
- Heading for Brasil 2014: Stadiums under Construction (Update OCT 2011) (insiderbrazil.wordpress.com)
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The Brazilian Ministry of Tourism has distributed video clips of the twelve host cities.
Click on the links below the videos for more information about the cities.
BELO HORIZONTE (MG)
BRASÍLIA (DF)
CUIABÁ (MT)
CURITIBA (PR)
FORTALEZA (CE)
MANAUS (AM)
NATAL (RN)
PORTO ALEGRE (RS)
RECIFE (PE)
RIO DE JANEIRO (RJ)
SALVADOR (BA)
SÃO PAULO (SP)
A Foreigner in Brazil (07)
JUN 2005 (1): Visiting Curitiba (PR) and Paraguay
(Click here for complete overview of 2005)
Experiences of a Dutchman living in Belo Horizonte, since December 2004, from month to month.
June 2005, part one. On the way to Foz do Iguaçu (PR): one day in Curitiba, and one day in Paraguayan border city Ciudad del Este.
Colorful sunset in Curitiba
Start
June 2005 was a crucial month for me. A month full of adventure, with many changes, that continued in the subsequent months. This month was also the end of my stay with the family of Myra, I had spent six months in their house. I had the choice between leaving Brazil and extend my stay in the country. I had not finished my thesis; I needed more time for that. Some professors at the university had great interest in my knowledge and experience and wanted me to join their team. Prof. George, from Texas, even offered me a job as a microscopist. It was a very modest beginning, but really a beginning.
Wintry mist in São Paulo, early in the morning
Collection
It is not easy to obtain the necessary documents to stay, even in Brazil. My Dutch documents had to be translated into Portuguese by an official translator. I managed to find this translator; fortunately it was not too expensive to have my documents translated. I’m sure I would have spent a lot of time in the Netherlands for achieving the same result. My collection of documents gradually increased. I received my Brazilian Social Security number, my Brazilian bank account. Only then I was able to obtain a contract.
The mosque in the center of Curitiba
Curitiba
I was invited to visit Curitiba, and I stayed there one day. That autumn day was sunny and pleasant; I enjoyed the city tour that my friends organized for me. I visited a friend of these friends in a maternity clinic; it was the first time that I entered a Brazilian hospital. I entered a mosque for the first time; I then could not believe that I would set foot again in this Muslim prayer house, three years later. The tour was followed by a delicious churrasco (barbecue) in a restaurant. One of the friends was good friends with the owner; he guaranteed us good seats and excellent service. The waiters ran in and out with spikes of over one meter high with large chunks of roasted meat. They cut a piece of this delicious meat upon your request. My stay in Curitiba ended in one of the trendy bars in the center.
Disorder in the streets of Paraguayan
Ciudad del Este
Ciudad del Este
In the evening I went by bus to the location where the three countries of Brazil, Argentina and Paraguay meet each other, in Foz do Iguaçu. The bus ride took ten hours; I arrived there in the morning. From the bus station I walked toward the border with Paraguay and crossed the bridge, along with hundreds of fellow pedestrians who seem to make this crossing daily. I had my passport stamped and I was admitted to enter Paraguay. The border city is called Ciudad del Este, the city of the east. This city has the reputation be the center of commerce. The enormous quantities of electronics, designer clothes and brand shoes are hard to imagine. The narrow streets were further narrowed by the numerous stalls with electronics. I was constantly accosted by the vendors to take a closer look at their merchandise.
Large shoppings with all facilities for befriended
and buying-eager Brazilians
Armed!
I was looking for a hotel, where I would spend the night. It was not difficult to find a cheap hotel. I had the luck that the lobby staff spoke English, even though there level was not very high. Stammering and stumbling, and literally bowing, the poor devil explained me everything, and then guided me to my room. This room was not very big, but clean. I took a refreshing shower and went back to the city center, armed with my camera. I was not the only one who was armed, according to the many tough guys with a hard look, and with their gun in their hands or in a holster. My walk through the city did not only discover the city itself, but also various types of firearms.
Armed guardsmen, ready to act.
Checks
I was not in Paraguay for the electronics, but to see something of this neighboring country. Yet I could not resist browsing through the electronics shops, and I bought some accessories for my laptop. So I managed to get a mini mouse for only three euros, ten dollars for a camera, and a headset for four euros. It was lucky that I did not buy too much, since the Brazilian customs were checking the bus twice, when I was returning to Belo Horizonte. All luggage was carefully checked for the presence of illegal electronics. I was lucky that I carried the passport of my laptop with me, to prove that I already had my laptop with me when entering Paraguay.
Walking into Brazil
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Travels made in June 2005:
Belo Horizonte – Curitiba – Foz do Iguaçu – Belo Horizonte
By Dr. Adriano Antoine Robbesom
Related articles
- Travel in Brazil: CURITIBA (18). Historical Curitiba (II), Igreja da Ordem (insiderbrazil.wordpress.com)
- Travel in Brazil: CURITIBA (20). Casa da Memória I (insiderbrazil.wordpress.com)
- Travel in Brazil: CURITIBA (17). Historical Curitiba (I), Catedral Basílica Menor (insiderbrazil.wordpress.com)
- Brazilian Days (265): September 22 (insiderbrazil.wordpress.com)
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CURITIBA (04)
Jardim Botânico, the Botanical Garden
(Click here for the complete coverage of ‘Curitiba’)
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Destination Curitiba, capital of the state of Paraná.
The Botanical Garden is one of the most favorite locations in the city of Curitiba.
Click here to view ‘General Information’ about Curitiba (including videos)
Greenhouse, a copy of the London Crystal Palace
On the way
We went to the tourist information center, next to the railway station, where we obtained extensive information about the city of Curitiba. Quickly we made our plan of the day; we chose to visit to the Botanical Garden, even though the weather was anything but sunny and warm. According to the city plan we only had to follow long streets in order to reach the main entrance of the Garden. The route was longer than previously thought, perhaps the drizzle helped strengthen this idea. We walked along paths parallel to the Avenidas, it was difficult to get lost here. The walk lasted about thirty minutes.
Artistic object in the visitor center, with colored
water running.
Orchids
The visit to the Botanical Garden is free. We followed the signs to the visitor center, with hosts an extensive souvenir shop and an exhibition hall with many colorful and fragrant orchids. While fellow walkers were enjoying searching for souvenirs, I enjoyed walking around with my camera. Orchids are very special to photograph. The colors, the patterns, and the angel figure you could discern with some imagination, surrounded by curled and serrated petals. I walked around with the camera for about thirty minutes, and did my work.
Large meadows with the skyline of Curitiba at the
background.
Crystal Palace
We crossed a wooden bridge, and continued our walk through the garden. There was no accumulation of shrubs, plants and trees, but green meadows with scattered groups of trees and shrubs, which represent a certain type of vegetation. High above us towered the pines, which are typical of southern Brazil. The branches appear only in the top of the trees, and bear – in groups – large needles. In front of us, on a hill, stood a greenhouse, which is inspired upon the London’s Crystal Palace. Partly thanks to this ‘copied’ palace, this botanical garden is a main attraction of Curitiba, and recently, it was declared one of the Seven Brazilian Wonders (this list does not include Cristo Redentor in Rio de Janeiro, one of the Seven Modern Wonders of the World!). The greenhouse looks really impressive and provides a nice contrast with the green fields on both sides, and the French garden to the front. This French Garden consisted of neatly trimmed hedges in tight patterns. Central in this garden is a statue of a woman with a fountain around her body, like she appears to take a continuous shower.
Part of the French Garden
Collection
The Jardim Botânico Francisca Maria Garfunkel Rischbieter, the official name for this Botanical Garden, has been named after the engineer who was one of the pioneers in the urban development of Curitiba. The Garden was inaugurated on November 5, 1991. The Garden is almost 25 hectares, slightly less than half the size of the Botanical Garden in Rio de Janeiro, and number four of the country. Since 1992, the Museum hosts the herbarium of botanist Gerd Hatschbach, who in 1965 started collecting all the plants in the country, and now has grown to a respectable number of some 310,000 species. Scientists from around the world come to Curitiba to view this collection.
A lady under an upside-down fountain
shower
We were being peeped by this guy in the
greenhouse
Exposition
Besides the Greenhouse of 245 square meters is another special structure: a transparent semi-circle. This semi-circle host a permanent exhibition of the Polish Brazilian Frans Krajcberg, an artist who makes works of charred, illegally harvested timber from the Brazilian forests. It is an indictment against the deforestation, which he worked out artistically. We stayed more than two hours in the garden, until our stomachs were calling for food. We then quickly decided to go find a restaurant for a simple and inexpensive dinner. For us, the visit of this garden was one of the highlights of our short stay in the city.
French Garden
Wind screens protect sensitive plants
Bridge from the visitor center to the botanical garden.
By Adriano Antoine Robbesom © 2007
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CURITIBA
Capital of Paraná
All Brazilian capitals:
Aracaju (SE), Belém (PA), Belo Horizonte (MG), Boa Vista (RR), Brasília (DF), Campo Grande (MS), Cuiabá (MT), Curitiba (PR), Florianópolis (SC), Fortaleza (CE), Goiânia (GO), João Pessoa (PB), Macapá (AP), Maceió (AL), Manaus (AM), Natal (RN), Palmas (TO), Porto Alegre (RS), Porto Velho (RO), Recife (PE), Rio Branco (AC), Rio de Janeiro (RJ), Salvador (BA), São Luís (MA), São Paulo (SP), Teresina (PI), Vitória (ES)
Curitiba is a highly developed city in the south of Brazil. Its strategic location between the cities of Porto Alegre, São Paulo, and Belo Horizonte, and the border with neighboring country Paraguay ignited a significant influx of migrants to Curitiba. At present, about one half of the city population was not born in the Curitiba. Many touristic highlights in Curitiba refer to the countries of origin of the migrants. Curitiba is one of the World Cup host cities in 2014.
Curitiba
The city of Curitiba is the capital of the state of Paraná. The state of Praná is surrounded by the states of Mato Grosso do Sul, São Paulo, Santa Catarina, and the neighboring countries Argentina and Paraguay. Foz do Iguaçu, widely known for its beautiful waterfalls, is located in the tripoint of Brazil and the mentioned countries. The state of Paraná counts almost 200 thousand square km, twice the size of Portugal. The number of inhabitants is almost equal to that of Portugal: a little more than ten million. About one-third lives in the metropolitan area of Curitiba, more than 1.7 million reside within the city limits of Curitiba. In 1996 the Habitat II conference of the UN praised Curitiba as the “most innovative city in the world“.
History
The name of Curitiba refers to the presence of the typical pine trees. In Guarani language, ‘kur yt yba’ means ‘presence of many pine trees‘. The pine tree mainly found in Paraná is the Araucaria angustifolia, the Paraná or Brazilian pine, an evergreen pine tree that may reach 40 meters. A bird tightly associated with the pine trees is the gralha azul, the blue jay (Cyanocorax caeruleus). The now state symbol of Paraná appears in a local legend that the bird buries the pine seeds in the soil, where later new trees will grow.
The characteristic pine tree
The settlement already was named on a map, that dates back to 1654. In 1668, a pelourinho (a pole at which slaves were punished) was erected, being a symbol of the recognition of a settlement. Officially, the city of Curitiba was founded on March 29, 1693, when captain Martins Martins Leme organized local elections for the newly-founded village bearing the name Vila de Nossa Senhora da Luz dos Pinhais, later renamed into Curitiba. At that time bandeirantes (initiallly hunters of indian slaves, later pioneers) passed this location on their journeys in the search for fresh slaves, and later for gold mines. The name of Curitiba appeared in 1721, when magistrate Raphael Pires Pardinho arrived in the village, and paid attention to environmental issues in the city. This tradition is maintained and now provides the capital with a worldwide reputation of its environmental matters.
One of the altars of the first church in
Curitiba
Because of the location distant from São Paulo, Curitiba had been neglected for a long time and became impoverished. Starting from 1812, the city flourished again with the arrival of the so-called tropeiros, who accompanied large herds of cattle on their ways between the southern region and the states of Minas Gerais and São Paulo. The state of Paraná became separated from the powerful state of São Paulo in 1843, and Curtiba became its capital. Curitiba even became capital of Brazil for four days, between March 24 and 27, 1969, during the government of general Da Costa e Silva. The short transfer was a gesture to the loyalty of the city to the military dictatorship.
Curitiba – Capital of Brazil for 4 days (1969)
Economic activity
Curitiba has managed to control economic and urban expansion during the second half of the past decade. Only non-polluting industries were permitted inside its city limits and created a large industrial area that was integrated with significant green areas. At present, two-thirds of the economic activity is derived from services, and one-third from industrial activities. Curitiba hosts a number of multinationals, including car manufacturers and electronic industries. The city also has good facilities for information technology, and boasts to have a good infrastructure, with extensive and fast bus services. Therefore, the city attracts many investors from Brazil and abroad. About four percent of the economic activity comes from tourism: about two million tourists visit Curitiba annually. Curitiba is one of the host cities during the Word Cup Soccer in 2014.
Copy of the London Chrystal Palace in the
Botanical Garden
What to see
Despite its relatively cold climate, Curitiba is worth visting. The city hosts various tourist information points, where one may obtain elaborate information about touristic activities in Curitiba. At day, a special tourist bus with large windows follows a 40 km long track throughout the city, with stops at 25 touristic locations. Tickets may be obtained at the tourist services. A day pass includes three tickets that may be used at different stops. One of the landmarks of Curitiba is the Botanical Garden, with a copy of London Chrystal Palace. Many touristic locations refer to various groups of migrants: The Ukrainian Monument, located in the Tinguï Park, with a copy of a wooden orthodox church, with an interesting collection of pêssankas (typical, decorated eggs); Bosque Alemão (German Woods) with replicas of a German church and the façade of a historic German house; Bosque do Papa, referring to Polish migrants; Bosque de Portugal, referring to Portuguese migrants; the Arab Monument, and the Mosque Imam Ali Ibn Abi Talib in the center; Fonte do Jerusalém, erected to honor Jerusalem’s 3000 years; Bosque Italiana, where one may find Italian ingredients and food and may enjoy shows.
The tourist bus also will stop at the Oscar Niemeyer Museum, at Barigüi Park where is also a automobile museum, the larger Tanguá Park with a colorful landscape and a waterfall, the Wire Theater (Ópera de Arame), the Paiol Theater, a former gunpowder storage facility. A panoramic tower offers a splendid view of Curitiba.
Ópera de Arame – Wire Theater
Also the center hosts an interesting number of tourist locations. The historic center exhibits the churches Catedral Basílica Menor, and Igreja da Ordem with the Museum of Religious Art, the Curitiba Cultural Center with temporary and permanent exhibitions, the Paraná museum, telling the interesting history of the state. On Sundays, the entire historic center is filled with stands full of handicrafts.
Church annex museum of religious art in the
historic center
One of the major touristic locations outside Curitiba is Ilha do Mel, at less than 100 km. This coastal island may be reached by ferries, and exhibits a wide range of (eco)touristic facilities. More distant is the border with Paraguay and Argentina, where the waterfalls of Foz do Iguaçu (Puerto Iguazu in Spanish) are located. It is worth visiting the Brazilian as well as the Argentinean borders of the park. In Foz do Iguaçu one may consider to visit the immense hydro-electric power plant Itaipu, located at the border between Brazil and Paraguay. At the other side of Foz do Iguaçu is the Paraguayan border city Ciudad del Este, known for its extensive micro-electronics trades in small shops and stands thoughout the center.
► More information about Foz do Iguaçu.
Foz do Iguaçu: Devil’s Throat
CURITIBA (PR)
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| City of Dreams |
Curitiba, Brazil |
| Curitiba, host city of World Cup 2014 |
Curitiba – Bi-articulate bus service |
| Curitiba – Touristic Line (1/3) |
Curitiba – Touristic Line (2/3) |
| Curitiba – Touristic Line (3/3) |
Ilha do Mel (PR) |
| Train travel Curitiba – Paranaguá (1/4) |
Train travel Curitiba – Paranaguá (2/4) |
| Train travel Curitiba – Paranaguá (3/4) |
Train travel Curitiba – Paranaguá (4/4) |
| Foz do Iguaçu (PR) |
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By Adriano Antoine Robbesom © 2009
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CURITIBA (03)
Mercado Municipal
Destination Curitiba, capital of the state of Paraná.
The Mercado Municipal is an interesting market for groceries and for a variety of typical Brazilian products.
Click here to view ‘General Information’ about Curitiba (including videos)
Facade of the Mercado Municipal
Orange
Our first day in Curitiba ended with a festival, which was organized by local students, in the center of the city. Since we not stayed on the university campus, we had to arrange an orange taxi to the party bar. Orange taxis are quite obvious, much better than the lemon yellow taxis in Rio de Janeiro, and the usually white taxis in the rest of the country. Would it be a nice idea to introduce the orange color for Dutch taxis? The next morning began with a little rain, the rest of the day remained overcast. Curitiba is known for its cloudy days, its heavy rainfall, and its cold temperatures in winter. That day, it had been about 16 degrees, but even wearing two sweaters and a coat it felt chilly..
Inside view of the market
Railway station
We had not made plans for this cloudy day. Therefore we walked towards the station, Estação Ferrovia. From there arrive and depart dozens of buses, connecting Curitiba with the rest of the country, every day. A machine was placed besides the station; the traveler could get tourist information from that machine. The friendly manager of this machine, however, pointed to a kiosk only a few hundred meters further away. There we indeed encountered much more, printed, information about what to do in Curitiba. One of the most attractive destinations is Ilha do Mel (Honey Island), a few hours away. This island is a popular holiday resort, mainly thanks to its beaches. Given the rainy and cool weather that day, we thought it would be wiser to stay in the city. The station was however on the route to the Botanic Garden, Jardim Botânico, a very popular tourist attraction in Curitiba.
Different regional and national fruits
Municipal market
Mercado Municipal is located opposite the station, let’s say the City Market. This market is completely covered, and hosts dozens of stalls which mainly sell daily necessities. From fruit and vegetables to bread and drinks. Here you can find various kinds of tropical fruits, there were also species that I had not previously found in the country. There was also fresh fish available; the fish were kept frozen under thick layers of ice. There was meat in the form of whole chicken, and large chunks of beef and pork. There were seeds and beans, including the famous Brazilian brown bean in several varieties, corn, soy, peanuts. One may find many herbs and spices; Brazilians love to add spices to their meals. Including the pimenta, red peppers, which are used in large quantities, especially in Bahian dishes. There were small vacuum packed bags with honey, with or without cachaça (sugarcane gin) mixed with doce de leite, a sweet cream based on caramelized sugar and milk.
Beans and seeds of all kinds and colors
Wandering
We took the time to stroll through the market. I had ample opportunity to take photos of a market that already is familiar to me, like the market in Belo Horizonte, and in most other major Brazilian cities. Those who are familiar with Portugal, this kind of market be compared with the mercados in Lisbon and Porto among others. Even though this market in Curitiba was much cleaner and more organized than the market I had visited in Porto about ten years ago. The cleanliness was what immediately struck me at this market. While a typical market is usually a collection of all kinds of rubbish, of empty boxes, of packaging materials, of rotten fruit and vegetables, which are thrown into the gutter. At this market you did not need to watch where you put your flip-flops on the tile floor, there was not even a piece of plastic or paper on the tiles.
Beans, peanuts, soya, and corn
Hammock for dogs
We took the time to stroll through the market. I had ample opportunity to take photos of a market that already is familiar to me, like the market in Belo Horizonte, and in most other major Brazilian cities. Those who are familiar with Portugal, this kind of market be compared with the mercados in Lisbon and Porto among others. Even though this market in Curitiba was much cleaner and more organized than the market I had visited in Porto about ten years ago. The cleanliness was what immediately struck me at this market. While a typical market is usually a collection of all kinds of rubbish, of empty boxes, of packaging materials, of rotten fruit and vegetables, which are thrown into the gutter. At this market you did not need to watch where you put your flip-flops on the tile floor, there was not even a piece of plastic or paper on the tiles.
A hammock for dogs, in zebra design.
Colorful candies
Honey and ‘doce de leite’, in breakable little pouches
By Adriano Antoine Robbesom © 2007
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CURITIBA (02)
Shopping Estação
(Click here for the complete coverage of ‘Curitiba’)
Destination Curitiba, capital of the state of Paraná.
The former railway station has been transformed into a modern shopping mall with museums.
Click here to view ‘General Information’ about Curitiba (including videos)
Shopping Estação
Arrival
We arrived on the campus of the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR), in the heart of Curitiba, late in the afternoon. A small group decided not to stay, but to find a pousada. I joined this group. A little while later, our group of seven found a nice pousada near the center, within walking distance of a major shopping mall, Shopping Estação.
A train as museum piece
Railway station
The railway line between Curitiba and Paranaguá – a city 120 km east of Curitiba, on the Atlantic coast – was inaugurated in 1883. Two years later, the construction of the station in Curitiba was finished. More railway lines operated from this station to different parts of Paraná. Only in 1909, Curitiba’s isolation came to an end with the opening of the railway between the city and the northern cities of São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro, and, one year later, it was possible to travel by train to the more southern city of Porto Alegre. In the sixties of the past century the highway to São Paulo became a faster alternative than the train, and caused the decline of the railway. The lines were finally shut down in the nineties. A steam locomotive on the last piece of track that has been preserved is clearly visible in the present building – now a multifunctional shopping mall – as memory of this period.
Closer view of the train
Shopping
In 1997 the refurbished station reopened, and the huge building now houses an indoor shopping with 170 shops, two theaters, four museums, and ten cinemas. It also houses a vast open space surrounded by several dozen bars and restaurants, there is room for 1700 guests. It is very interesting to notice that one may draw long-sized plastic bags to store a folded wet umbrella inside.
Small-scale model of the shopping
Museums
The shopping hosts no less than four museums. The biggest and most interesting for me was the railway museum, with a nice overview of the history of the railways in Curitiba and surroundings. The second museum that drew my attention was the perfume museum, with a large collection of antique and modern perfume brands. Number three was the pharmacy museum, which housed a replica of an antique pharmacy. The fourth museum, which I have not visited, was a small museum about nature and environment. This museum was, in contrast to the other three museums, not free to visit and had limited opening hours.
Entrance of the railway museum
We had visited this multifunctional shopping several times: for a quick snack, for making photographs, for a visit to its museums, and for some small purchases.
SHOPPING ESTAÇÃO
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| Shopping Estação, Curitiba, Brazil |
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By Adriano Antoine Robbesom © 2007
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FLORIANÓPOLIS (01)
A Bus Travel of 24 Hours
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Destination Florianópolis, capital of the state of Santa Catarina.
A student meeting was organized in the capital of the Brazilian state Santa Catarina.
First travel to Southern Brazil
The first southern trip (June 2005) went from Belo Horizonte to Foz do Iguaçu, via Curitiba and São Paulo It took 14 hours to Curitiba, and more 10 hours to Foz do Iguaçu. I made a short stop of 10 hours in Curitiba, to meet two friends who guided me through the city. In Foz do Iguaçu, I spent four days in total, including one day in neighboring Paraguayan Ciudad del Este, and one day in Argentinean Puerto Uguazu. The return trip went from Foz do Iguaçu to Belo Horizonte, via Londrina and Uberaba, lasting 28 hours (partly due to a flat tire). The routes are indicated in green and red lines, respectively, in the map below this article.
Second travel to Southern Brazil
The second southern trip (April 2007) went from Belo Horizonte to Florianopolis, popularly called Floripa, via Curitiba and São Paulo. A bus trip of 24 hours. The same route was followed on the way back to Belo Horizonte, lasting another 24 hours.
Landscape of Paraná, on the way to Florianópolis
Reputation
Already in February, I received an invitation from the DA (Diretória Administrativa, administration of students) to accompany students during their travel to Florianópolis. It would be a short stay of only three days in the southern city, and two times 24 hours of bus travel. I hesitated for a long time. The offer sounded tempting, to a remote Brazilian capital. Florianópolis is 1300 km south of Belo Horizonte and enjoys a good reputation as an organizing convention city. How often I had seen several banners, on which huge letters in Comic script were painted, to announce another student meeting in Floripa.
Landscape of Paraná, on the way to Florianópolis
Europeans
When I noticed the name “Floripa” for the first time, it was not immediately clear to me that it is Florianópolis, the capital of the state of Santa Catarina. But at that time my knowledge of Brazil’s geography was not yet complete. When talking about Florianópolis, you talk about a different Brazil. That is what I was explained. For Mineiros (inhabitants of Minas Gerais), the inhabitants of Floripa appear somewhat stiff and distant, probably due to their European ancestry. The state of Santa Catarina hosts large populations of (descendants of) Germans, Austrians, Spaniards, Portuguese, Italians, and some Dutch. There appear even small communities that are completely isolated from the Brazilian society, and where their culture is well maintained, and where they speak their native language.
Landscape of Paraná, on the way to Florianópolis
Window
I hesitated for a long time, before I decided to join them, at the very last minute. The student president, Lucas, eagerly grabbed his pen and added my name on the list of travelers. I managed to obtain a window seat, on the right side. They knew that already, since my reputation of photographer was already known.
Landscape of Paraná, on the way to Florianópolis
Traffic jam
It was Friday afternoon, when we were about to leave. Some of the passengers had troubles due to traffic jams; therefore, the scheduled departure time of 4 PM was delayed for more than three hours. It was still sunny and pleasantly warm in the late afternoon. It was in the final week of April, autumn in Brazil. Almost everyone was using summer clothes. Finally, at 7 PM, the final passengers get in the bus and we left for São Paulo, a bus trip of eight hours. This part of the travel is familiar to me; I already had traveled this route four times. We arrived there at 4 AM, when the majority was sound asleep. Two hours earlier, we had a stopover in Pouso Alegre, at the border between the states of Minas Gerais and São Paulo. Pouso Alegre is located in a mountainous region; therefore, it was chilly there.
Landscape of Paraná, on the way to Florianópolis
Serene
From São Paulo to Curitiba, the bus travel lasted six hours. We drove along the ‘greenest city of the world’ in the morning; we made a stop in a small city just before Curitiba, and we had our breakfast there. For Curitiba to Florianópolis is another ten hours by bus. Everyone was awake by then, but most of them were still tired of their work and study activities in the past week. There was not much noise inside the bus, but there were relaxed chats, while others were watching DVDs or playing card games. Our bus driver (the same Ricardo who drove us to Salvador, and to São Luís) had stopped at a small restaurant where we could select our hot meal from an elaborate buffet for seven reais (2.5 euro). Most of the dishes were typical for the traditional Brazilian kitchen, but some dishes were more familiar for me: like small sweet and sour pickles, which I had not encountered since my arrival in Brazil, late 2004. Some other dishes appeared more German to me. The dessert was very familiar to me: semolina with currant sauce. Most of my fellow travelers disliked it, I was enjoying this sweet dessert very much.
Playing cards in the bus
Orange blue
In the afternoon, we drove on the highway along the coast. Here, the Atlantic Ocean had an azure color. The weak orange color of late afternoon sunshine was reflected by the white houses in small coastal villages. We were almost there …
The map above shows an overview of my two travels to the south of Brazil
Legend: ARG:Argentina/ GO:Goiás/ MG: Minas Gerais/ MS: Mato Grosso
do Sul/ PAR: Paraguay/ PR: Paraná/ RJ: Rio de Janeiro/ RS: Rio Grande
do Sul/ SC: Santa Catarina/ SP: São Paulo.
By Adriano Antoine Robbesom © 2007
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Inside Brazil 