Region 7 | South and Central America | Fund Drive 2014

Oy, tude bem! This week we will explore Central and South America. Let’s get started! We’ll begin our journey with a preliminary stop in the great country of Brazil. Brazil showcases a vast array of unique flora and fauna, and is home to some 210 languages. Over 180 of these languages are indigenous. With Brazil’s overwhelming Portuguese assimilation language policies and rapid urbanization, only about 350,000 people speak an indigenous language, but there is a good chance you might hear one or two of them as you are perusing the streets of two of Brazil’s famous neighborhoods…

We’ll begin our tour acquainting ourselves with the historic icon “Cristo Redentor”. This 98 ft tall statue looks out over the bustling city of Rio de Janeiro, and can be seen from nearly every location in the city. Cristo Redentor represents the influence of Christianity on Brazil, and has become a symbol largely associated with the city of Rio de Janeiro. This statue is located on Corcovado mountain and is part of the Tijuca Forest National Park.

For all the times you’ve ever heard Sergio Mendes “Girl from Ipanema” and wondered why her nose was always in the air, you are about to find out, as we tour this famous Brazilian neighborhood. Ipanema is a word from the Tupi language which translates in English to “Stinky Lake”. This neighborhood is where the Bossa Nova sound that stormed the 1960’s.

While listening to the smooth sounds of Brazil’s jazz heritage on the beautiful shores of Ipanema, for a treat, you can enjoy the sweet chilled flavors of native brazilian fruit confections from Mil Frutas, a local ice cream parlor which features unique and exotic flavors of sorbets and ice creams.

Just down the road, we’ll be visiting one of the most famous beaches in the world, Copacobana’s Balneario coastline. Balneario stretches nearly 2.5 miles (4 km). Famed for white sands and clear blue waters, this area is perfect for lounging in the sun on a breezy Brazilian afternoon.

Last but not least on our trip to Brazil, we’ll take a sneak peak at the reconstruction of Brazil’s Estádio do Maracanã, the site where the 2014 FIFA World Cup and 2016 Olympic games are scheduled to take place. The Estadio do Maracanã was originally built to host the FIFA World Cup in 1950, where Brazil beat Uruguay for the championship title 2-1. Since the construction of Estádio do Maracanã, a neighborhood has cropped up around the sports arena. Both the stadium and neighborhood derive their name from the Tupi/Guarani word Maracanã (Green Bird) which originally applied to the river running through the area. Consequently, a population of indigenous people still live in this neighborhood in Rio. The river is now canaled, and sits with its people in the shadow the the stadium. As construction ensues to prepare for the upcoming influx of sports enthusiasts in the upcoming years, the people of Maracanã are concerned that they may be forced to relocate. We’ll visit Chief Carlos Tucano to learn more about Maracanã’s history and cultural predicament.