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Old 10-23-2014, 01:46 AM
 
Location: Macao
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Anyone been to PORTO ALEGRE in Brazil? Thoughts on this city?

I've personally dismissed it as a city I wanted to visit. But, re-examing it, it looks like it has a lot to offer. A good size city, a lot of activity, near the coast, etc.

What do others think about this city? Moreso if you've visited, but even if you've just spent a lot of time thinking about a possible visit?
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Old 10-23-2014, 06:22 PM
 
Location: Brazil
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I've lived there for 4 years.
It's E-X-T-R-E-M-E-L-Y H-O-T during brazilian summer, with no kind of wind or rain and a scorching sun until 9PM.
During winter its very cold, remembering brazilian houses doesnt offer heating sistems.
People are known by not being very much sociable for brazilian standars. Social life there means much more family and relatives, while other friends are not considered as important as it uses to be in Brazil.
They're also known for being beautiful, charming and elegant, what is true.
You dont find the same amount of brazilians of other states there as you usually find in others brazilians metropolises, being the city basically inhabited by gauchos.

For tourism, other towns like Gramado, Canela, Bento Gonçalves, São Francisco de Paula, etc are much more visited. Porto Alegre itself is not much touristic.
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Old 10-25-2014, 11:21 AM
 
Location: Macao
16,284 posts, read 42,972,532 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Falcon View Post
I've lived there for 4 years.
It's E-X-T-R-E-M-E-L-Y H-O-T during brazilian summer, with no kind of wind or rain and a scorching sun until 9PM.
During winter its very cold, remembering brazilian houses doesnt offer heating sistems.
People are known by not being very much sociable for brazilian standars. Social life there means much more family and relatives, while other friends are not considered as important as it uses to be in Brazil.
They're also known for being beautiful, charming and elegant, what is true.
You dont find the same amount of brazilians of other states there as you usually find in others brazilians metropolises, being the city basically inhabited by gauchos.

For tourism, other towns like Gramado, Canela, Bento Gonçalves, São Francisco de Paula, etc are much more visited. Porto Alegre itself is not much touristic.
Gauchos....cowboys?

Heat...I found that to be true in Rio/Sao Paulo as well. Seems like a Brazilian phenomenon through and through! Winters however, that would certainly be a southern Brazil thing! That's kind of worst of both worlds though!
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Old 10-25-2014, 02:21 PM
 
3,289 posts, read 3,764,961 times
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It is an interesting city to visit if you are in the area.

It is true that there are very few tourists there, also true that it is very hot in the summer and interestingly, very cold in the winter.

In the winter you can visit Gramado which is a quaint little local touristy place in the mountains.

People are very nice and you get to see the chimarrão (mate tea) drinking culture, it is a common social practice there. You also get to live the authentic churrasco culture, people love having little grills built into their walls and grilling steaks on the weekends.

There are many places to visit- museums, large parks, waterfront areas.

I would recommend it. I think more tourists should visit the city.
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Old 10-25-2014, 08:45 PM
 
Location: Brazil
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiger Beer View Post
Gauchos....cowboys?
The original meaning is something like that, reffering to the inhabitants of the Pampas. But it also means the inhabitant of the Rio Grande do Sul state.
So in this case: locals.
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Old 10-25-2014, 09:16 PM
 
Location: Macao
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rosa surf View Post
People are very nice and you get to see the chimarrão (mate tea) drinking culture, it is a common social practice there. You also get to live the authentic churrasco culture, people love having little grills built into their walls and grilling steaks on the weekends.
This is interesting! Mate tea! That is so Argentina! Which makes sense, as I've long suspected that Porto Alegre might share a lot more in common with it's southern neighbors (Uruguay and Argentina) than of what we traditionally stereotype as Brazil.

Interesting about having grills built into their outdoor walls as well.
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Old 10-26-2014, 12:04 PM
 
3,289 posts, read 3,764,961 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Tiger Beer View Post
This is interesting! Mate tea! That is so Argentina! Which makes sense, as I've long suspected that Porto Alegre might share a lot more in common with it's southern neighbors (Uruguay and Argentina) than of what we traditionally stereotype as Brazil.

Interesting about having grills built into their outdoor walls as well.
The thing is- Rio Grande do Sul was part of the open pampas area back in the day when there were no borders. So, the culture of drinking maté is customary in Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, and quite a few areas of Southern Brazil. There is no nationality attached to it (even though some, especially Argentines, try. lol). The gaucho cowboy culture is also very prominent in RGDS- they have rodeos in many of the more rural areas and dress like gauchos (red bandana, bombacha pants, etc...)

One of the most common sayings in RGDS is Tche Loco!, or Tche Barbaridade!. Also, there is more of a connection to Spanish speaking cultures in the state from what I have seen. At least to Uruguay. Probably more so for people from smaller cities close to Uruguay.

I hang out with alot of Brazilians from all over the country- I've noticed that people from Rio Grande do Sul and Paraná are definitely more comfortable with and interested in Spanish. My friends from Sao Paulo and Rio- not really. Even though they have alot of Mexican friends. It is very interesting.

The grills are actually built indoors into the walls! Many houses and apartments have them, from the most basic, to middle class, to rich. I spend alot of time in Porto Alegre, so I have attended many indoor churrasco get togethers.

Last edited by rosa surf; 10-26-2014 at 12:54 PM..
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Old 10-26-2014, 01:26 PM
 
1,685 posts, read 2,824,508 times
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southern brazil is more like argentina or uruguay than like the tropical samba dancing brazil

Look at a brazil map (see where parana, santa catarina and rio grande do sul are) and that is the south

Sao paulo is industrial rich brazil

while rio and up is brazil as the stereotype knows it.
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Old 10-26-2014, 07:36 PM
 
Location: Macao
16,284 posts, read 42,972,532 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by rosa surf View Post
the culture of drinking maté is customary in Paraguay, Argentina, Uruguay, and quite a few areas of Southern Brazil. There is no nationality attached to it (even though some, especially Argentines, try. lol).
So true! Yes, the Argentines definitely do try to make mate drinking as an Argentine thing!
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