Ipanema rules: Beach Etiquette
Ipanema is a public beach, with free access like all beaches in Brazil. If you're coming from a country where everything's regulated, expect to be spoiled. To start off, you don't even have get off your toosh to have your wish granted. Feeling hungry? Beach vendors offer ice-cream, cookies (don't miss the traditional Biscoitos Globo), corn-on-the-cob, melted cheese on a stick, shrimp on a stick, assorted homemade sandwiches, fresh-sliced pineapple... Thirsty? Mineral water, iced tea, diet and regular sodas, frozen fruit juice, chilled coconut milk, and yes, ice-cold beer, and delicious fresh-squeezed caipirinhas. You can rent your beach chairs and umbrellas. Need to accessorize? Hats, colorful beach throws, sunglasses, jewelry, even bikinis are for sale.
As there are a lot of misconceptions, here are some suggestions if you want to mingle. The first is that people do not walk around the city in their bikinis and Speedos, let alone in a thong! OK, it's a free world, you can do whatever you want, but the idea here is to let you in on how locals do it...
Girls on their way to or back from the beach usually wear shorts, a mini-skirt or a beach throw wrapped around the waist, most times a T-shirt or tank top, and flip-flops (Havaianas or other). They always carry a tote bag or backpack. In it you will find everything from sunglasses to hair sunscreen for, pocket mirror, lipsaver... They tend to set up camp with their friends, so they don't really need to travel light. Don't worry about the kind of bikini you will be bringing back from home. Doing a bikini boutique (or many) is a must for any self-respecting female visitor to Rio. You will find an assortment of styles, from almost naked to conservative, including one-pieces.
Boys go a little different. The T-shirt is only needed if you're coming to the beach by bus, otherwise shirts-off is the rule. To meet all your friends and flirt with the girls you have to cover a lot of ground. The idea is to travel as light as possible, so no tote-bag here. Boys are more likely to bring along a set of frescobol rackets, a volley or soccer ball, a bodyboard or surfboard. Break the backpack rule as you will bring along your camera, and you want to keep it away from the sand.
On the way to and back from the beach, Ipanema boys wear surfers' trunks. In the pocket there's just enough money for a soda or two, and maybe a bottle of sunscreen (they could always borrow from the girls, you know). Whenever they stop it's time to peel off those trunks, and stand in their Speedos. Brazilian girls and boys love a tan line, and you have to please the crowds. If you really want to belong, your Speedos should be as wide as regular CK briefs, at least 4 inches or so. Buy some at the local shops, like Blue Man. You may ask a group of girls to watch your shorts or backpack while you go for a swim, if you're looking for an ice-breaker.
Now three things you won't do if you're beach-smart. The first one is taking more sun that you're able to. Condition your skin by going to a tanning salon, wear a potent sunscreen, keep track of how long you stay at the beach, rent a beach umbrella, wear a sun hat. The red lobster look is not attractive, and it could actually spoil your vacation. The second is that taking off your watch to avoid a tan line, and leaving it laying on the sand together with your money while you doze off is a very stupid thing to do. The least that could happen is their accidentally being buried in the sand. The third is that wearing long sleeves, street clothes and dress shoes at the beach make you look really funny.
Enjoy the beach!
Visiting Brazil: Buzios (RJ)
It's anyone's guess how small or sleepy the fishing town of Búzios truly was when French starlet Brigitte Bardot stumbled onto its sandy beaches in 1964, but it's certain that in the years since the little town used the publicity to turn itself into Rio's premier beach resort. In the summer the town is packed; many Carioca celebrities own places here, and Argentineans continue to invade with a gusto not seen since the Falklands. Despite the influx, the town has managed to retain a good deal of the charm of its fishing village past.
Búzios (the town's full name is Armação de Búzios) sits on the tip of a long, beach-rich peninsula jutting out into the clear blue Atlantic. The sheer number of beaches close to town makes it easy to experience Brazilian beach culture firsthand. Geribá Beach is the place for surfing. Quiet and calm and very deep, Ferruda Beach is perfect for a lazy afternoon snorkel. Far from town are more isolated spots to steal a quiet moment with a special beach friend, while right in town on Ossos Beach you can sip a caipirinha at a beachside cafe and pretend for a moment you're young, rich, and beautiful. In this South American Saint-Tropez, everyone else certainly is.
Finally, on top of serious inquisitions into beach culture, there are more trivial pursuits such as diving, sailing, windsurfing, fine cuisine, and endless opportunities to shop. And at night, everyone comes to the busy, bar- and cafe-lined Rua das Pedras to stroll, primp, drink, and party.
A Bargain Basement Beach Town It's Not--For all its pleasures, Búzios is not cheap. Indeed, it's likely one of the most expensive areas in Brazil. If you're looking to stretch those traveling dollars, it might be better to head to a less well-known beach town further south, such as Ilhabela.
Ferradura Beach - A beautiful horseshoe-shaped bay, with calm and crystal-clear water, having numerous picturesque bars serving typical "Buzios Style" meals and drinks.
Azeda Beach - A small beach with calm and crystal-clear water. You get there either on foot by a small trail that begins in the Ossos Beach or by boat.
Geriba Beach - Wonderful open beach, frequented by many beautiful and famous people. Perfect for practicing sports like surf, moreyboogie and windsurf.
Stones Street - This style and charming street is a place where you can meet your friends, have a peaceful conversation or hold deep discussions. Meet interesting people, make new friends, or even simply appreciate the world going by. A place where people feel free and time is not noticed.
Brazilian Beer, you must know!
When Brazil was a dependency of Portugal, wine was much more popular than beer; the reason was that Portuguese were producers and exporters of wine, and thus wanted to secure the Brazilian market. Only after the Independence, in 1822, did Brazilians begin to import beer from Britain and other European countries.
Brazil have climatic conditions which favor the cultivation of all ingredients of beer; the tropical weather and the abundance of beaches helped Brazilians fall in love with beer.
Today, each Brazilian drinks an average of 47 liters of beer per year (source: Latin American Association of Beer Manufacturers ); first in ranking is Czech Republic (158 liters per year), followed by Germany (115), United Kingdom (97), Australia (92), United States (84), Spain (75), Japan (56), Mexico (50) and Brazil. The combined production of all Brazilian factories (included the exported beer) has been a little above 8 billion liters per year.
The biggest producer of beer in Brazil is Ambev; the name is short for American Beverage. Ambev controls more than half of the Brazilian beer market; there was ample discussion about the convenience of allowing the merging of two other large corporations which resulted in Ambev; Ambev convinced the government authorities with the reasoning that only with the merge would a Brazilian company stand a chance to compete in the international markets. In 2004, Ambev joined with Belgium group Interbrew, creating the biggest beer group in the world, as measured by volume produced.
Ambev produces the following beers:
Skol (market leader),
Brahma and
Antarctica. Skol is the undisputed market leader, while the other two brands fight with other competitors:
Kaiser (the Coca-Cola group had a participation in this beer - only venture of the group in the alcoholic market; Coca sold its shares to Canadian Molson),
Bohemia (the oldest Brazilian brand still existant; established in 1854) and
Schin.
There are several other brands, many local and regional, which don´t have much relevance in the national market.
Even with the clear predominance of Ambev, the competition for small shares of market is fierce. For example, just until 2002, Schin was a minor player; in 2003, the company invested massive cash in a publicitary campaign, which allowed them to gain a few points (worty milions of bottles and $$$) and fight over the second position in market share; as a result, 2004 saw a sharp increase in beer marketing.
Brazilians don´t complain much about beer propaganda; besides loving beer, they love the beautiful women that often appear on commercials. Don't get it, check out the beauties...
Brazil: South Region
Blond children with blue eyes and a strong regional accent make you wonder: Am I really in Brazil? This is the south. Since it was colonized mainly by German, Italian, and Polish immigrants, the facial features and cultural preferences of this region's inhabitants create a markedly European atmosphere.
In the state of Paraná, besides the city of Curitiba, a model in urban planning and lifestyle, you will be enamored by the Iguassu Falls, one of the largest waterfalls in the world.
In the state of Santa Catarina, you will witness the industrial progress and savor the regional delicacies of the Itajaí Valley's cuisine. In Florianópolis, on Santa Catarina Island and along the entire coastline, the beaches are themselves a feast for the eyes, with waters and sands to suit all tastes. The northern coast of the island, in Joaquina, hosts international surfing competitions. In October, the city of Blumenau attracts enthusiatic tourists from all over the country and even abroad for the Oktoberfest, a beer festival.
Pomerode in Santa Catarina, as well as Gramado and Canela, in Rio Grande do Sul, bear a striking resemblance to Bavaria, with their colonial cafés serving delicious German delicacies. The ruins of São Miguel, close to Santo Angelo, also in the state of Rio Grande do Sul, remind us of the 210 years of the Jesuit Missions presence in Brazil. The strong regional spirit in this state makes for a rich folklore of music and dance coupled with the traditional "churrasco", (barbecue) and the "chimarrão (mate tea).
Drew Barrymore enjoying the Brazilian nightlife
Hollywood stars are discovering the Brazilian nightlife... After Paris Hilton nights of fun in Sao Paulo, now it was Drew Barrymore who showed up in town. She was together with her Brazilian boyfriend, Fabrizio Moretti, member of the band The Strokes. The band played in a huge festival that happened this weekend.
Great waves, and lot to see at the beach...
In the land of soccer and samba, there is an entire beach culture that thrives. Brazil: just the word itself sizzles! When you think of Brazil, you think of women with olive skin bronzed to golden perfection. You think of the most beautiful and exotic women on the planet walking past you on white-sand beaches, where they strut in their floss-thin bikinis. Every week I will show a little bit of this unique brazilian beauty. Here is this week selection collect over different beaches of the Brazilian coast.
Surf Spots: Praia do Mole (SC)
This the "Fashion" beach nowadays, something Joaquina use to be years ago, the waves themselves are pretty good, with the left side producing good lefts during E,SE swells. On the right side there's a spot called Canto do Gravatá which wakes up during big South Swells, big paddle, big waves. You can surf good lefts and rights all along the beach, during summer and on weekends a lot of girls.
There are places there where you can eat and have some drinks looking at the ocean. The crowds are less agressive. Opened during Mullet fishing season. Close to Praia Mole, there's another excellent spot called Gravatá. Gravata is the best option on massive south swell.
.: Quality
Wave quality > World Classic
Frequency > Very consistent (150 day/year)
Experience Required > All surfers
.: Wave
Type > Beach break
Direction > Left and right
Power > Hollow, powerful, fast
Bottom > Sand
.: More Details
Crowd during the Week > Few people
Crowd on the Week-end > Very crowded
Hazards > not going to surf because of the girls on the shore ! !
Brazilian Top Model: Adriana Lima
Brazilian model Adriana Lima is probably best recognized as a spokesmodel for Guess?, Victoria's Secret and Armani Jeans. Becoming one of the world's top fashion models, Adriana later branched out to acting, playing a role in the 2001 short film The Hire: The Follow.
The blue/gray-eyed Brazilian beauty, whose trademark is a mole on her chin, stands at 5' 10" tall and has the measurements of 33-23-33. She was listed as one of Maxim's Hot 100 in 2003. As for her private life, Adriana was engaged to Lenny Kravitz (she appeared in his music video "Yesterday Is Gone") in the spring of 2002. Recently, she has been seen with the Prince Wence of Liechtenstein.
Sandra Alianco by Bella da Semana
She is original from Capitão Leônidas das Marques (Parana - South of Brazil) and only has 23 years old. She loves go to the beach, dreams to travel to Hawaii, and goes every day to the gym. No wonder why she is so perfect... Her name is Sandra Alianco, and she is the cover of
Bella da Semana. Check this out!
Shake, Shake, Shake
It appears that Paris Hilton learned something more during her brief recent visit to Brazil. During Fat Joe's presentation in New York, Paris showed some of the movements she learned (a la "E o Tchan"), showing that she is a fast learner.
Carnaval 2006
As you may known, Carnaval is a big thing for the Brazilians. Every year lots of people pick their customs (like in Halloween) and go to the streets to dance and celebrate the holidays. For those who never experience the Brazilian Carnaval, that is definitively something to do at least once in your life!
In Rio de Janeiro, it is very famous the parade at Sambodromo. Models and stars choose their favorite samba schools and give their best at the big night competition. Since we are getting close to the most expected brazilian holiday (wait, it is happening only in February?), now it is the time for choose your favorite.
Some of the stars already picked theirs:
- Juliana Paes will be one more time Viradouro's Queen of the percusion.
- Suzana Vieira chose Grande Rio,which also will have Cleo Pires.
- Salgueiro will have Carol Castro and Ronaldo's ex-wife, Daniella Cicarelli.
- Adriane Galisteu will represent Acadêmicos da Rocinha
- Finally, Luma de Oliveira will be one more time at Caprichosos de Pilares.
All in all, they will be all beautiful for this big party.
Adriane Galisteu, Carol Castro, Juliana Paes, Luma de Oliveira, Daniella Cicarelli e Cleo Pires
Deyse Krieger by Colirio Brasil
She is from Blumenau (SC), south of Brasil. Blumenau is known for its oktoberfest, and Deyse was one of the misses of the event. Now Deyse is in Rio de Janeiro, and was elected the cover of the month from
Colirio Brasil.
Graziella Bastos by VirgulaGirl
The post of this saturday is for the girl from Abre Campo - MG, cover of
Virgula Girl. Take a look and enjoy the post!
