CHANGING THE WORLD ALWAYS NEEDS VOLUNTEERS
Brasilia
Near the center of Brazil, Brasilia stands as the country’s capital. The creation of this city comes from the idea of cutting with the International Division of Labor of the twentieth century. It was founded in 1956 with a bird design in mind, but nowadays the city got expanded and the wings got a little distorted. In 1987, it was declared Cultural Heritage by the UNESCO.
Since the architects wanted to make the city attractive, there are plenty of recreational places and marvelous buildings, for all kinds of people. Furthermore, the professionals took advantage of all the green zones surrounding the capital and designated several ecotourism sites.
Ecotourism: Brasilia took advantage of the natural environment of the zone and created many ecotourism zones, the more impressive are the “Jardim Zoológico”, where besides enjoying the natural view and observing animals living in an almost natural environment, there are recreational activities you can do. The zoo is 140 hectares long and has 300 different species. The botanical garden “Jardim Botánico” has 526 hectares to visit, where you can see and learn about several types of native and foreign species. Another amusing place you must visit is “Parque Chapada Imperial”!
Amusement Parks & Recreational Sites: The city has lots of amazing places but the one all families choose is its great amusement park. If you visit Brasilia, you cannot avoid visiting “Nicolândia Center Park”. There you will find restaurants and cafes, where you can rest a little, and wonderful games; the Ghost Train, Magic Carpet, Super Frisbee, are some of them. If you are more of a quiet person, you should visit “Parque da Cidade”, a peaceful and serene park where you can go trekking or hiking, ride a horse, or appreciate some artificial lakes or the flora of the zone.
Museums & Unique Places: This city was the host of the 2014 World Cup. You can visit the football stadium “Estadio Nacional - Mané Garrincha”. It is located at the North of the city. In the museum “Memorial Dos Povos Indígenas”, you will find information about the native cultures of the region. There are many unique places in Brasilia, but you should definitely visit the “Eixo Monumental”, the “Complexo Cultural da República”, the “Palácio do Planalto”, the “Ponte Juscelino Kubitschek” or “Ponte JK”, and the “Catedral Metropolitana de Nossa Senhora Aparecida”, among many others.
Food & Fun: If you are a movie fan you must visit “Fundação Cultural de Cine”: its designer created a unique cinema room. Watching a movie here is a whole different experience. In this lively city there are many places where you can eat and have a drink. It is very common to find pubs and pizza shops, but you can find all kind of restaurants, from Brazilian’s typical dishes to Arabian’s.
The proximity to the Capricorn Tropic makes the city cooler in winter and hotter in summer. The average annual temperature is 22°C. Hot season is from October to March, and cold season is from April to September. You can enjoy the city all year round, but it is better to travel during the cold season (moderate heat and less rainfall).
Brasilia has one international airport, “Aeroporto Internacional Juscelino Kubitschek” located at the South. At the Western part of the city you will find the bus station, “Estação Rodoviária". The city is well-served with taxis and buses; near the stations there are also cars you can rent.
-Ecotourism: “Jardim Zoológico”, “Jardim Botánico”, “Parque Chapada Imperial” and “Parque da Cidade”, among others.
-Unique Places: “Estadio Nacional - Mané Garrincha”, “Memorial Dos Povos Indígenas” museum , “Complexo Cultural da República”, “Palácio do Planalto”, “Ponte JK”, and “Catedral Metropolitana de Nossa Senhora Aparecida”, among lots of others.
-Entertainment: “Nicolândia Center Park”, “Fundação Cultural de Cine”, restaurants, pubs, dance clubs, parks, etc.
TESTIMONIALS
I am a graduate student in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Indiana University. After completing a couple of semesters of basic Portuguese, I wanted to take my language proficiency to the next level by visiting a language school in Brazil. I was impressed by the quality of instruction. My teachers taught me advanced grammar concepts and provided me with written and spoken exercises to practice my new found knowledge. Group lessons provided a context in which to apply what I learned and individual lessons provided me with the opportunity to focus on particular topics. By the end of my six weeks course I was speaking Portuguese better than ever and I was more than satisfied with the results. I have returned to Indiana University where I am currently enrolled in a 500-level Portuguese literature class. I am able to understand and participate in all class discussions because of my experience in Brazil. My teachers there prepared me well! ''Portuguese course. Robert Fritz
''I study art history at the University of Delaware. As an art history major I have particularly enjoyed visiting the twin cities of Cachoeira and São Felix. There, I loved the character of Cachoeira and seeing the architectural restoration projects underway. In Salvador I have really enjoyed the “charme of the city;” it was really relaxed while maintaining the commotion of a big city. People in the city are friendly, welcoming and accessible.'' Portuguese course. Angelina Meehan
''What I really appreciated about the school was how many options it created for us. We had trips to historic sites, a surfing weekend, day-long excursions, and everything was ready for us, Jailson really took care of us. The school also arranged day trips to local festivals with tour guides who knew the layout of the city and made us feel at ease. In the classroom, the professors are easy going, fun-loving, and professional. They knew exactly what I needed to know to communicate in the city. Because of my Portuguese classes, I was able to chat with locals and experience the city in a different way''. Portuguese course. Paul Nithan
''I spent the month of January in Salvador. As a singer, I took advantage of the city’s thriving music scene. and sang in various places around the city, including the Museum of Modern Art’s weekly Jazz music session. There I found the atmosphere lively and open and the musicians friendly and welcoming. Furthermore I also enjoyed singing at music clubs in Salvador’s Rio Vermelho neighborhood!'' Portuguese course. Marianne, Switzerland
