Brazil is a glorious country of rich tastes, smells and sounds, ever-present physicality and outstanding beauty. Brazil revels in a seemingly endless array of delicious food, a uniquely rich natural heritage and vast, diverse landscapes. The country has appalling poverty, urban degradation and city precincts where the fear of crime is almost palpable. Yet this is a wonderful country that is exhilaratingly, viscerally and enviably alive.
The country’s size, beauty and athletic excellence all reminded me of Australia. This sense of unexpected similarity between these two countries was strengthened by the nature of their capitals and people. Canberra and Brasilia are both custom built capitals, constructed as modest compromises between the grander alternative national HQs of Sydney or Melbourne and Rio De Janeiro or Sao Paulo. Meanwhile, the ease and friendliness of Australians and Brazilians speak of nationalities more obviously at home in their own skins than any others I have encountered.
Brazil is a country renowned for soccer and sensuality - both expressions of a country at ease with its own physicality. In many ways Brazil’s sensual nature is best expressed not through flesh but through food - in particular the lush tropical fruits available almost everywhere. But carnality is never far away - and not just on the country’s beautiful beaches. The oddity that is Brazilian TV hires a disproportionate amount of bikini clad young women (with pole-dancing a recurring programming theme during my first two month visit to the country). Both the country’s most successful children’s TV presenter and most renowned female referee have posed in various states of undress for men’s magazines. Meanwhile, love motels in each part of the country promise “paixão sem limites” ("passion without limits") for amorous motorists.
A vivid physicality seems to be everywhere in this country - from the dancing and beaches in Rio De Janeiro to the soccer pantheons of Sao Paulo, from the roaring energy of Iguacu Falls in Parana to the high maintenance beauty of Bonito in Mato Groso Do Sul, from the theme park thrills in Goias to the architectural splendors of Brasilia. And then of course there is the startling wonder of nature that is The Amazon in Amazonas.
I can’t wait to return.
Other postings relating to my travels in Brazil:
Waterfall (Stone Roses) - getting up close and personal with nature’s party piece: Iguacu Falls
Comment feed for this post
