EDITOR’S NOTE: Retired Ismaili journalist just returned from a visit to Brazil, Argentina and Peru which also included a trip to Machu Picchu, the fabled “City in the Sky.”
Sultan Jessa is sharing his experiences with readers of the Ismailimail.
STORY AND PHOTOGRAPHS BY SULTAN JESSA
Rio de Janeiro – BRAZIL: The very mention of Brazil immediately conjures images of carnivals, beautiful and shapely women sun bathing, beaches with golden sand, soccer and exotic bird and wildlife.
If you have a bucket list, it is time to include this progressive South American country which is steadily cruising along to become an economic super power.
In recent years, Brazil – one of the world’s biggest democracies has emerged as an influential Latin American country.
Brazil is a country with absolute and breath taking beauty.
Despite the country’s shaky economy, Brazil has made major strides in its efforts to raise millions out of abject poverty.
There is no denying there is still a wide gap between the rich and the poor.
However, the discovery of major offshore oil reserves could propel the country into the top league of oil exporting nations.
The country’s main exports are manufactured goods, iron ore, coffee, oranges, mangoes and other fruits and a wide variety of agricultural produce.
The country has been the largest producer of coffee for many years. Another huge industry is the manufacturing of sleek commercial jets. Brazil’s population is inching towards hitting the 200 million mark.
With the total area of 8.55 million square kilometers, this country has been investing millions in attracting tourists from around the globe.
The staging of the elaborate and expensive 2014 World Cup Soccer put the limelight on the country and very soon Brazil will again steal the international spotlight when it plays host to the prestigious Olympic Games in 2016.
Christianity and soccer are the main religion in Brazil. The country is revered for its soccer prowess.
Not many Brazilians are eager to talk about the country’s humiliating defeat against Germany in the last World Cup.
Brazil, the sixth most populated country in the world after China, India, the United States, Indonesia and Russia predominantly has a young population with more than 60 per cent of Brazilians under 29.
One eye popping fact about Brazil is that during the slave trade more than 11,000,000 Africans were uprooted from their continent and taken to this South American country to work on coffee and sugar plantations when manual labor was in high demand.
Today, the quality of life in faceless or shanty towns is showing signs of slow and painful progress.
Shanty town dwellers are being encouraged to carve out an agricultural way of life.
The major concern for Brazil is the exploitation of the Amazon rain forest.
This is also a global worry since the wilderness is a vital regulator of the climate, which in turn affects plant and animal life.
Brazil is making slow progress in its efforts to raise millions out of poverty.
Social conditions are still tough in slums which can be seen along with sky scrapers in big cities like Rio je Janeiro and Sao Paulo.
Some of Brazil’s biggest tourist attractions are the Amazon rain forests, the Amazon river, unique and fascinating plant and animal life, the fabled Copacabana Beach and other extensive beaches, the Sugar Loaf Mountain, the statue of Christ the Redeemer and, of course, the Iguassu Falls which is taller than Niagara Falls and twice as wide, with 275 cascading falls spread in a horseshoe shape over nearly two miles of the Iguassu River.
These falls were shaped from a volcanic eruption that left a large crack in the earth.
During the rainy reason from November to March, the rate of flow of water going the falls reaches 450,000 cubic feet (12,750 cubic meters) per second.
Most of the tourists come from Argentina, the United States, Italy, Portugal, Greece, Hong Kong, New Zealand, Poland, South Africa and Turkey and Canada.
Securing a visa for Brazil for Canadians is a frustrating and a long procedure.
The visa office demands a current financial statement from the bank.
This is absolutely ridiculous.
Brazil, the largest Portuguese speaking country in the world, was a Portuguese colony until 1806.
The word Brazil comes from brazil wood, a tree that once grew plentiful, along the coast.
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A really nice text on Brazil. Mubarak Sultan Jessa for your fact finding mission to Brazil! Original reports , sight seen, can be valuable resource for readers and would be immigrants in their study and for future plannings.
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very beautiful tourism report by Sultan Jessa, in the past during Olympic-Games in Beijing, China Tourism Administration introduced :Religion tour in Beijing 10 Mosque 10 Catholic-Church 5 Buddhism Monastery and 5 Taonism Monastery
this open the door of UNESCO-TOURISM and facility WORLD INTERFAITH HARMONY DIALOGUE
in CHINA there are 30000 Mosquee
welcome to development a new cooperation in China-DREAM, the best way is China Ministry of Culture online
yours sinceraly Rosa Dalmiglio
Date: Sat, 8 Nov 2014 17:22:43 +0000 To: rdalmiglio@hotmail.com
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