Brasilia

Brasília.

Capital of Brazil.

The feel of Brasília is one that is extremely difficult to describe. Vast open spaces of fields or concrete, low cement buildings and short stubby trees, buildings like UFO's or communist resident blocks... I really felt like I was in the Twilight Zone. The city was built in 1956 (and it is obvious) and planned by urban planner Lúcio Costa and architect Oscar Niemeyer. The City is designed in specific sectors: Hotel, residential, business... etc. This makes it very difficult to get around without a car, not that you would want to anyway becauseof the incredible heat. Brasília is located in the interior of Brazil, and the local ecosystem is the Cerrado, a rapidly disappearing biome. The Cerrado has grown to adapt to the intense heat, wind, and fires. This is apparent in the short scrubby plants and trees, with thick and spongy bark. The herbaceous flora are stunning: bright colorful flowers grow everywhere and are especially evident in areas where there was a recent burn. The thunderstorm we experienced during our stay was the break of an almost 70 day (I think) record without rain. Incredible fires had been raging through the land and burned herds of cattle. Fire management is a must here. We also got a private meeting at The Nature Conservancy and a great presentation on their activities and projects. My favorite day was when we got to visit (briefly) the University of Brasília. I really love college settings- watching the student activities and interactions showed me how alike students are. We like to play games and jokes, eat out on the lawn, give protests and support causes. Walking through campus, I felt so at home.

Excited biology student visits The Nature Conservancy

The military building of Brasília (U.S. Pentagon equivalent). Across the street was a park that represented the various ecosystems and resources of Brazil.

First church built in Brasília, designed by Oscar Niemeyer.

The interior of the church is painted with bright colors and various shapes such as flowers and kites. It was so beautiful and peaceful, many of us took some quiet time for reflection and prayer.

Universidade do Brasília

Freshman initiation in the department of Engineering Physics. I got this information talking to some very grateful freshman in Environmental Engineering. They seemed pleased they picked the a different major than these unlucky boys.

Some posters supporting various events and causes. One of these below is about hazing.... Ironic.

Brazilian parliament- also fondly dubbed by the locals as the contact lenses!

Flags: Brazilian flag followed by the district of Brasília, then Rio de Janeiro!

Huge bridge- Our driver took us over it 3 times in a row just to make sure we knew this.

View from my bedroom- The lovely Fantasy Motel! Complete with some great hourly rates. Yes: our neighborhood was super shady.

The beautiful lights show by the Parliament square. Complete with epic music and a nice refreshing mist to cover the crowd.

The Day that Brasíla Trembled

Oh yes, we lived through an earthquake. Our driver called us in the middle of the night to tell us not to panic when we felt the aftershock- just leave the hotel quietly and quickly. Luckily it never came to that.