My Day in Brasilia

---

Now this is a town you only need to visit for one sleep especially if you have no car.

And what a sleep it was … no sex ...yet the sleep was sublime.

My perfect room had feather pillows … 500 thread Egyptian … real sheets; not the see thru kind … enough towels for a sauna party … a posterpedic mattress … the rainforest effect shower head … only thing missing was a friend to share the 12 hours I spent in the room.

The room was so fine I sang an aria under the water fall!

I did have to tell them that the fettuccini on the menu was not good. It turned worse when I saw the price.... R$32…
I suggested they get a new recipe.

THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION, IN QUOTATION MARKS, comes FROM THE INTERNET.

Brasilia was “Built in just three years between 1957 and 1960 by masses of locals on appalling wages....

Oscar Niemeyer “designed very much with the car in mind ...

“The layout of the city is unique. Said to resemble the wingspan of a bird, each area of the city has been assigned a specific function, with housing, hospitals and the financial district kept as separate entities.

"Visitors too will find themselves clumped together in one of two hotel zones." and I became thutoughly lost ... that almost never happens.

“Here are some of the world's finest examples of modernist architecture. ....

“The city's Rodoviária - bus terminal “….sits in the middle of everything....

“Attempting to walk around the city is a huge mistake.” YES YES YES


“Buses are your best bet for getting to the places on the tourist trail; most start at the Rodoviária and tickets are bought on board.” R$2/ride

I rode the bus twice … most busses end at the Rodoviaria too. The bus terminal is a hive of activity and I was being very careful when one man stopped short in front of me and the man behind followed me and then eyed my bag … maybe its because I have a funny bag … but did not go in his direction …never did see him again … kept my hand in my pocket holding my taxi money.

Had to walk to sector 5. The city is divided north, south, east, west with the same numbers in each quadrant … no names like Oak, Jefferson, Mackenzie or Bayview. This is just a bit unnerving. The only other city I have been in that has a similar system is Washington D.C.

By the end of the day I had visited:
1. The Cathedral which is thought to represent the crown of thorns
2. The National Congress where they had desks with hidden buttons underneath so votes could not be observed
3. The Itamaraty Palace which is a modern building housing antique furniture and painting … extremely tasteful
4. National Museum of the Republic where an eclectic exhibit of art work was on display
5. The Rodoviaria filled withal colours of busses and hordes of people
6. The park of Three Powers where a huge plaza stood empty and
7. Sector 5 where all the hotels a re crowded together in each others backyard.

Did see the most beautiful bridge in the world …from a distance … did not want to know how much a drive in a taxi to take a picture would cost. Bridges are made to be crossed … did not have time for that today.

Stayed in the beautiful room as long as possible. Began my walking adventure at 11:30.
I made a mistake … turned left instead of right when leaving the Sonesta Hotel… I walked in the wrong direction for a half hour deep into the north wing of a residential area. A very generous guitar player in a guitar shop made sure I got on the right bus … to the terminal … the hotel is within walking distance of where I wanted to go … should have turned right!

By 16:00 had been on two tours … one in French the second in Portuguese. Took lots of pictures. Took the bus back for R$2 and saved my taxi money for the trip to the airport.

After leaving the Cathedral I passed vendors who were weaving dried grasses and flowers. One of the men showed me how the flowers were made and he gave me the five samples. So how could I refuse to buy the pods that contained the dried elements necessary to create fanciful flowers. R$20 later I was walking down the street with four pods, some extra seed husks and my five fantasy posies. Carried them for the rest of the day. Am keeping the seed pods but gave the flowers to the girl at the desk in the hotel.

It was an extravagant venture into the hinterland of Brasil … a long time coming … read about the building of the new capitol when I was in grade eight …thank you Life Magazine … thank you Dad for paying the subscription … godknows it was a sacrifice … the only connection with a real outside world … when living far away in a northern mining town.

By 17:30 was in a taxi on my way to the airport and Belem.

---

Photos

The Most Beautiful Room
This has been the best ... and most expensive room I have stayed in ... no ... the Holiday Inn in Vancouver cost more but was as great

View from the Room
The TV Tower stands in line with the Administrative Sections of the city.

Art Dome
This dome is across the street from the Cathedral. Its curves present an interesting collection of contemporary art.

Brasilian Clouds
The best clouds have been here in Brasil.

Falling Stains of Glass
Less than 20 years later and many pieces of the stained glass are falling away.

Strawflowers
From natural, dried, chemically stained grasses,pods, seeds and leaves an array of flowers not seen before is created.

FLoating Cement
Inside the Palace old is juxtapositioned with the new.

Who has Landed ?
At the Congress can be found two towers, a concave dome and a convex dome. These are the difinitive structures in Brasilia ... the seat of the Federal Government.

Brasilian Shoes
Can never live in Brasil if I have to wear such shoes!

Worry!
BE off fried food, fast food and any place that has a drive thru!! The pic was taken in the House of Representatives. President Lulu only comes here to make the opening speech ... otherwise he sends a spokesperson.