Do you wish to look like a local?

Hello dear readers,

Today this post is for those who like to blend in while traveling and look like a local.

Everyone knows that in Brazil it is sunny all year long, the plants are always green and people are always tan. Wait a minute, that's not true about the tan.
During the 2014 World Cup it will be winter in South America and summer in North America and Europe, so you'll probably be tanner than some Brazilians by then.
So this is a plus!

You can check what the weather would be like by clicking here. There is a post only about climate.

So here are some tips... 
What do Brazilians wear on the daily basis?

#1 - The casual clothes for Brazilians are less casual than some other countries, even to go to the mall, grocery store or college. 

#2 - Girls wear tight clothes, not loose T-shirts for example. A typical girl in São Paulo would wear skinny jeans and a nice blouse. Probably a scarf too. Simple and chic. Dresses are also very common.

#3 - Guys would wear nice shirts or t-shirts with jeans. No button shirt with shorts, but t-shirt with shorts are common. Usually the shirts are basic colors, white, black, blue, maybe light pink, they like to wear long sleeves and fold it. Plaid shirts are also very popular. 

#4 - Girls wear long earrings, it's not common to see diamond jewelry on a daily basis or jewelry by the beach.

Gisele Bündchen drinking chimarrão

#5 - Beach wear: don't mind our bikinis, wear what you are comfortable with, but remember to wear a long shirt (women), cover ups or dress on your way to the beach or pool. The guys usually wear shorts or swim trunks larger on the sides. 

#6 - Flip-flops, the most famous ones are Havaianas, you will find stores in many locations, there are many different styles you can choose from. 

#7 - Brazilians don't eat and drink on the go, specially coffee, but we do drink water. On the south, though, you will observe people drinking something similar to hot tea, it's called chimarrão and in other places they drink another variety of these herbs, but cold. 

#8 - When it's cold girls love high heels boots, a nice coat with jeans.


But remember, it's World Cup, so if you want, you can also wear a Brazilian jersey...
Just kidding!!!

Since you are in Rio you can also go to...

Rio is well-known by it's natural beauty, but the cities around it are also amazing places to visit. You have the option of visiting some other beaches or going to higher and colder place and enjoying winter the Brazilian way. Check the closest city from Rio you can visit:

(15km) Niterói: is located just on the other side of the bridge. You can go by boat from Praça XV in the center of Rio de Janeiro or you can cross the bridge Rio-Niterói by bus or car. If architecture is your passion you will love the Niemeyer Way, start from the Museum of Contemporary Art and along the way check the many projects created by thes biggest Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.

"Curves are the essence of my work because they are the essence of Brazil, pure and simple."

Oscar Niemeyer

(72km) Petrópolis: the city started to be developed after Dom Pedro II, emperor of Brazil, built a vacation home there in 1845, nowadays the home is the beautiful Imperial Museum worth visiting. There are no beaches in Petrópolis and the weather is cooler than in Rio. There you will find many nice restaurants, such as Cocotte Bistro, or Casa do Alemão. Save couple of hours to visit the famous brewery Bohemia which is not only a brewery but also a museum located in a beautiful home from the 19th century, where you will learn about the beverage and have a beer tasting. The Crystal Palace is also a place you can visit to listen live classical music, it was inspired by the Crystal Palace of London. Another option is to visit the  Itaipava brewery, one of the most modern of the country (unlikely Bohemia, this one is not a museum).

(179km) Búzios: If you want to enjoy the beach, Búzios may be the right place for you. Búzios is one of the favorite destinations of Argentinians and Chileans, that's because even during the winter you can still enjoy the sun and the crystal clear ocean. During the day you can visit many beaches around, you can stay in Búzios or go to Arraial do Cabo and Cabo Frio, in the evening you can walk thought the Rua das Pedras where you will find nice stores to shop for decorations, clothes, and after that enjoy some nice restaurants in the city. There are also many nice new hotels in the city.

(256km) Paraty: Located between Rio and São Paulo this charming historical city is perfect for everyone and to be visited all year long. You will enjoy walking thought its cobblestone paved streets, will you fall in love with itsthe architecture, the restaurants, and the many stores where you can buy crafts, liquors and much more. 

If you have more suggestions please share it with us.

Beach Culture: Beach Soccer

Hello everyone! As we saw on my last posts Brazilian have invented many fun sports such as futevôlei, frescobol, and capoeira. Did you know that beach soccer was also invented here? Yes, it was. It started in Copacabana beach and is now played in 75 countries.

globoesporte.globo.com

The beach soccer started to be played in 1992 in Rio and in 1996 the first Pro Beach Soccer Tour was organized in Europe, Asia and US. The sport quickly became very popular, in May 2005 FIFA decided to take over and organized the first FIFA Beach Soccer World Cup in Copacabana, Rio de Janeiro, when France was the winner followed by Portugal and Brazil.

beachsoccer.com

The game is played on the fine sand, at least 40 cm deep, free of shells or anything that may hurt the players. The court has 35-37 cm  length x 26-28 cm width. The match is played by two teams of 5 players each, including the goalkeeper. The number of substitutions are unlimited and the player who was substituted can return to substitute another player. The players are allowed the wear only a jersey, and shorts, an elastic binding to protect the feet may be worn too, but no footwear is permitted. The goalkeeper can wear long pants and gloves.

The match has three periods of 12 minutes each, this game requires excellent physical conditioning, skills and ability and usually many goals are scored in each match. It's a beautiful game to watch. Hope you enjoy it!

Sun, Sand, Sea, Soccer, Sweat... the perfect 5 S! 
Does anyone want to Swim? Sure! See ya!

Beach Culture: Frescobol

Frescobol first began on the beaches of Copacabana, after the second World War by Mr. Lian Pontes  de Carvalho. This game is played basically for fun, there is no competition or rivalry. You only need two racquets and a small ball, usually it's played close to the water. Frescobol is played along the entire Brazilian coast, and of course other countries are now playing it as well.

Now tell me... wouldn't it be perfect to order some food and drinks at the sand after sweating playing frescobol? Check my other posts on beach snacks and beverage.

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Watch this video with Samantha Brown and get to know more about Brazil's beach culture.

Beach Culture: Futevôlei

The story of futevôlei is quite interesting, it tells a lot about the Brazilian culture, specially the carioca culture. Carioca is how those born in Rio are called, they were the ones who invented this sport and are the ones who play the most. Futevôlei is present in carioca's daily routine, it has everything to do with their way of life.

In 1965 the police decided to forbid playing football at the beach in Copacabana, so Mr. Otávio de Moraes decided to play it at the volleyball court, with the net, which was allowed. 
Even though it was invented in Rio, cities like Santos, Guarujá, Florianópolis, Recife, Brasilia, and Goiania also enjoy practicing this original sport. Recently futevôlei spread among other countries, such as USA (Florida, California and Virginia), Paraguay, Australia and many countries in Europe.

flickr/portalpucrio

Usually futevôlei is played with two players on each side, but it can also be played with only one person on each side. Basically futevôlei is a beach volleyball played without using the hands, each team can touch the ball the maximum of three times and the minimum  of one, including when the ball touches the player by chance. Also one player cannot hold the other to reach the ball. The ball can be touched with any part of the body excluding hands, arms and forearm.

Well, of course watching is much more fun than reading, so I included here a video where you can watch people playing this beautiful sport in Rio.

Comparing the balls:

Beach soccer: 68 to 70 cm (same measurement as the regular field ball, but lighter).

Beach volleyball: 65 to 67 cm

Futevôlei: Size 5, is water proof and some brands have the FIFA Aproved quality mark.

Have you played or watched futevôlei before? Tell us what you think.

Beach Culture: Special delivery...

Hi there! Getting excited about coming to Brazil?

Are you planning on going to the beach? I'm sure you are...

Here you will see something really cool, you can order food and drinks from the comfort of your chair, under the shade of a coconut tree or your tent... so you can enjoy longer hours in this deserved leisure... What do you think? Great, isn't it? Just check what will be waiting for you... 

viajeaqui

jmemo.wordpress.com

Special delivery...

• Coconut water (água de côco) - it comes cold with a straw... delicious and sweet, perfect to hydrate.
• Popsicle and ice-cream - there are many natural flavors such as mango, acerola, papaya with orange, strawberry, coconut with pieces of coconut in it yum... lime, passionfruit... 
• Corn on the cob (milho verde) - the corn is salty, very tasteful. You can add butter if you want.
• Toasted cheese on a stick - very popular in many beaches, the guy toasts it right in front of you.
• Peanuts (amendoim) and Cashew nuts (castanha de caju) - very popular as well, I would advice you to buy a little more and bring with you to the hotel... you will need a little snack later.
• Beer - check my post about beer and find out which is the right for you.
• Caipirinha - check my post about caipirinha to understand what it is and how it's made.
• Tapioca - it is made of yuca flour, looks like a tortilla. You can order filled with coconut and condensed milk or cheese, ham, chicken, it varies. 
• Queijadinha - pastry made of coconut... addicting! looks like a mini pie... delicious... I mean, take many of them with you back home and share with the loved ones!
• Shrimp on a stick - if you hear anything similar to this, it means the shrimp guy is coming: "Olha o camarãooooooo"!! ;)

Hope you guys have a wonderful beach experience!

I'd like to be, under the sea

In an octopus' garden in the shade

He'd let us in, knows where we've been

in his octupus' garden, in the shade.

I'd ask my friends to come and see

An octopus' garden with me

I'd like to be under the sea

In an octopus' garden in the shade...

SONGS: Girl From Ipanema

Play the video and enjoy this post.

Garota de Ipanema was written in 1962 by Vinicius de Moraes with music by Tom Jobim. The song came to public in 1963 and soon became famous worldwide, it’s said that this song was recorded 170 times and it is one of the most recorded songs in the world.

By Layover Guide

http://goo.gl/nVvXs

Ipanema is a famous neighborhood located in Rio. 

Heloisa Pinheiro, a 19 year old girl would pass everyday in front of the Veloso Bar where Vinicius and Tom wrote the song, towards Ipanema Beach and also in her regular routine, giving them inspiration for this beautiful song. Nowadays that very bar is called Garota de Ipanema located at Rua Vinicius de Moraes, 49 in Ipanema. 

In 2004 the Library of Congress selected Girl from Ipanema as one of the 50 songs to join the list of National Recording Preservation Board as a song of cultural and historical importance for the United States of America.