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Just took a university course half dedicated to the geography of Brazil. I went from being nonplussed to very interested in spending time there. As a geo student a lot of the cities are very fascinating to me by their design and planning. I would like to see Curitiba, Recife, and Manaus. And since a mine in my city was bought out by Vale, I am interested in travelling around Minas Gerais too. Only thing I find offputting is the petty crime I hear about from many travellers. I speak a bit of Spanish that I enjoy practicing, so being in South America in a non Spanish-speaking countriy is a bit strange to me as well.
If you have a basic grasp of Spanish and take introductory Portuguese, you will understand most of the basic vocabulary. It may be a bit confusing at first because many words are similar, but if you practice and are conscious of keeping them separate in your mind, you should be fine traveling to Brazil. People are very nice there anyways if Spanish slips out. Depending on where you go, some people understand Spanish very well.
Would you like to live in BRAZIL? Yes? No?
YES!!!! However, like many paradise-type countries the government there does not make it easy for the "average" guy or gal to expat there and become a resident. Now, if you're wealthy, of course it's a skip and hop to resident status. I guess that is the way of worldwide feudalism, the rich have all the fun. *sigh*
I love to visit but I don't think I could live somewhere so hot and humid. I love the culture, the music and the people and the Amazon is a wonderful , wonderful place to visit.
I am not so keen on the big cities which are either way too trendy and "beautiful people" or way too socially deprived.
The chasm between the rich and the poor is far too huge for me to be comfortable with it. Police corruption and violent crime levels is also something I would consider a turn off for a place to live in. If you are wealthy you can isolate yourself from it to a certain extent but I don't wish to be isolated from normal people and their lives.
I also find certain aspects of modern Brazilian society off putting such as a national obsession with plastic surgery. I have no desire to be surrounded by superficial vapid people. There is too much hedonism from certain quarters which maybe because of the weather come to the surface even more than in Europe for example.
That said I think Brazilian people are some of the friendliest and most gregarious I know and there are many appealing sides to this beautiful and varied country. Brazil is also a country to be reckoned with economically and is on the rise due to some amazing natural resources.
I will be a lot happier when there is more social justice ( especially for Tribal societies and Indigenous groups who are mostly sidelined for the commercial exploitation of the aforementioned natural resources ) and a little more wealth redistribution. Da Silva has made much progress in some areas but there is much still to be done and I feel he has been rather inneffectual in handling the endemic culture of police brutality and rampant corruoption ( police and the political elite literally getting away with murder).
Every point you have made could just as easily be here in the US. We have the same issues, chasm between the rich and poor, trendy cities verses depraved cities, hot and humid in the south and south east, 9 people were shot and killed on the streets of Chicago last weekend, and we certainly have political corruption and cops getting away with murder.
I'd move to Brazil for the food and beaches. Not to mention that the southern hemisphere is nearly pristine with only 5% of the world's pollution.
Every point you have made could just as easily be here in the US. We have the same issues, chasm between the rich and poor, trendy cities verses depraved cities, hot and humid in the south and south east, 9 people were shot and killed on the streets of Chicago last weekend, and we certainly have political corruption and cops getting away with murder.
I'd move to Brazil for the food and beaches. Not to mention that the southern hemisphere is nearly pristine with only 5% of the world's pollution.
Just drop the Google Street view icon a few times in random different neighborhoods around Brazil. Try Sao Paulo, Rio, and other small cities from north to south.. anywhere... do that 10 times. See what your impressions are. Then do the same in the United States.
The way people live tells a lot about the country, quality of life, safety, corruption...
I like to check random neighborhood street views around different countries. It is fun!!
Some places..(others feel free to correct/clarify/etc.)
Florinapolis - beaches, european-looking people, cooler weather than most of Brazil, known for blondes...
Curitiba - often touted as one of best designed city by world standards.
Sao Paulo - major melting pot. Immense Italian and Japanese population poured into this NYC-like major metropolis with an already hefty mix of typical Brazilian mixes of people.
Rio de Jainero - arguable one of the most beautiful cities in the world with beaches and beautiful mountain scenery all around.
Salvador - African culture in every niche and cranny of the culture here...amazing Carnivals, and immense history.
Recife - skyscrapers meet beaches.
Fortaleza - skyscrapers meet beaches once again!
Sao Luis - reggae capital in a colonial city. Large city as well.
Belem - Mouth of the Amazon River with it's own unique culture.
Manaus - city in the middle of the Amazan Jungle itself.
Brasilia - Capital of Brazil. Far from the beaches, in a zoned car-oriented city 'of the future', as they say.
Definitely !! Rio De Janeiro would be my destination. It does seem to have so much character in comparison to the other cities. The right place would be Florianopolis because of its rich population and lower crime but it doesn't make me want to go to Brazil. Florianopolis is, like a European city.. if i wanted to go to a European city, i wouldn't go to Brazil, i'd go to the south of France, or Italy.
There are others towns in Rio Grande do Sul and Santa Catarina a lot more "europeans" than its capitals.
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Of course ... duh...!
I would love to visit São Paulo, but I think I might go crazy living there lol.
