More Than Fun To Say

I admittedly have not gotten to travel much during the last ten months living in Brazil, something I hope to remedy in the next year.  Regardless, sometimes I am forced to travel, such as on class field trips!

The 7th grade class trip this year ventured to the northern coast of São Paulo state to town of Ubatuba.  About four hours away from Campinas by bus, this place must rank near the top of lists of places that are fun to say, such as Walla Walla, Djibouti, and Sheboygan.  A vacation hot-spot during the summer months, it is often nicknamed "Ubachuva" (chuva is "rain" in Portuguese) during the off-season.   Fortunately, we were blessed with very little precipitation during our three days learning about this region.

First up was a stop at Ubatuba's aquarium.  Modest in size but of good quality, the aquarium showcased the diversity in marine life in and around Brazil.  Also, there were penguins, which are not endemic, however, who is going to complain about seeing penguins?!?

The marine area around Ubatuba lays claim to being the seasonable home to four out of the five sea turtles found along Brazil's coast.  Thus, with good reason, the Projeto Tamar, a research and rehabilitation center for sea turtles, in located here.

On the second day we hopped on a boat and headed across the water to one of the many islands that speckle this part of the coastline.  Ilha Anchieta - now a State Park - was once a prison that is famous for a (almost) successful mass escape attempt.  (Side note: since I've been in this country, I have now visited a total of three shuttered prisons, two on islands.)

Sometime during the mid-1900's, the prisoners devised a plan to earn the guards' trust by essential being really, really well-behaved.  It took two years, but they eventually got to a point where they were essentially seen as a non-threat.  The prisoners, now trusted companions to the guards, waited for the day the scheduled supply boat would come to the island to turn on the guards.  They killed who they needed to then went to the dock to wait, but the ship was late due to unfriendly seas, leading the prisoners to get nervous and restless, ending with what amounted to a bloody massacre amongst themselves on the beach.  When the supply ship arrived, the prisoners who were left boarded and subsequently crashed/sank/overturned near the mainland, thus drowning most of those remaining.

Even though the island is only about 500m away from the mainland at its narrowest point, the guards had convinced the inmates that the waters were infested with sharks by occasionally placing shark skeletons and skulls on the beach as "proof." Due mostly to the embarrassment of the escape incident itself, along with the damage incurred from the beach riot, which also involved setting fire to many of the buildings, the prison was immediately and permanently shut down.

Listening to the history of the prison.

Now a protected State Park, the island is a unique preserved example of a unique ecosystem, the Mata Atlântica (Altantic Tropical Forest), that once covered much of the Brazilian coast and is now mostly limited to the stretch between Rio de Janeiro and just north of the city of São Paulo.  A few hours of hiking the island's trails, visiting a few beaches, snorkeling, and poking around in the tide pools, we were all exhausted and ready to head back to the boat.

Island flora and fauna: flower (top), vulture tracks on the beach (middle),
and Spanish moss dangling from a tree (bottom).

This is a beautiful area of the country - rich in nature, culture, and history.  I hope to be able to return in the near future to explore more of this coast, including Ilhabela and Paraty, perhaps with a little more beach beach time and a little less chaperoning!

Looking down the dock toward the mainland from Ilha Anchieta.

A Taste of "Sampa"

Mão (Hand) by Oscar Niemeyer

Despite its proximity to Campinas, I have yet to explore the largest city in all of the Americas and the capitol of the state I reside in.  I think the very closeness of this megalopolis is what makes it so easy to put off visiting, like people who know few of the attractions in their hometown until visitors come.

I've been to São Paulo before for various conferences and in-transit stops at airports and bus terminals, but those hardly count. At only about a 90 minute journey down the highway by bus, I really have no excuses!

Last weekend we were finally officially introduced.  On a day-trip with the Portuguese language school I attended - hopelessly, at times - twice a week, we visited several cultural points of interest in the city.  The first stop was the Memorial da América Latina, a large, predominantly concrete plaza and separate buildings designed by famed Brazilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.

The Niemeyer-designed Salão de Atos Tiradentes (Hall of Acts)

The complex included a museum of Latin American art from Brazil and many other countries including Mexico, Peru, and Guatemala, among others.  There was also an impressive map of South America set within the floor that visitors could literally walk above and cross in a few large strides.

Latin American art of all types!

Standing above the continent (top).
Looking down on Brazil (bottom).

Next stop was the Museu do Futebol (Soccer Museum).  Located underneath part of the stands of the Estadio Municipal Paulo Machado de Carvalho this is a "must see" and I would gladly take anyone here.  Exploring all things Brazilian soccer, each room and exhibition is sensory experience unlike anything I've experienced.  Strangely, though we were allowed to take photographs in all the other museums filled with preserved artifacts, taking pictures of any kind was prohibited here.

Proof of my visit: the outside, the field, ticket stub.

After that healthy dose of national pride we headed to the Memorial da Resistência (Resistance Memorial), a museum implemented to remember a darker time in the city's history.  Originally built as a railway depot, the building was later made into a place where political prisoners were held, officially called the State Department for Political and Social Order, from 1940 to 1983.

A view up at the Memorial da Resistência from the only
outdoor prisoner area, a stretch of hallway open to the elements.

Our final stop before heading back to Campinas was a quick stop along the Avenida Dr. Arnaldo, where a section of curb several blocks long is filled to the brim with flower stalls, open 24 hours a day for whosoever might need them.

Até mais, Sampa!  I'll be back...