BAHIA SPOTLIGHT: CHAPADA DIAMANTINA (DIAMOND PLATEAU)

Português: O rio da pratinha entrando na grande gruta... aguas cristalinas! Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brasil.  English: The little silver river entering the great grotto... crystalline water! Chapada Diamantina, Bahia, Brazil.

Chapada Diamantina

Chapada Diamantina is a region of Bahia state in the Northeast of Brazil.
The Chapada Diamantina has a dramatic landscape with high plains, table-top mesas, and steep cliffs or towers known as 'tepuy.' Before the arrival of the Portuguese in the 1800s, the only local inhabitants of the region were indigenous Indians from the Maracas and Cariris tribes.

 Chapada is a Brazilian word that means a region of steep cliffs, usually at the edge of a plateau. Diamantina
refers to the diamonds found there in the mid-19th century.

The Diamantina Tableland Region

Chapada Diamantina.

The geographical center of Bahia is the Diamantina Tableland region. In this mountainous region with a diversified topography, 90% of the rivers of the Paraguaçu, Jacuípe and Rio das Contas basins have their source here. There are thousands of kilometers of clear waters that spring from these mountains and descend in cascades and waterfalls to plateaus and plains, forming beautiful natural pools.

FESTA NOSSA SENHORA DA BOA MORTE FESTIVAL

Fest Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte (Order of Our Lady of the Good Death)

The Festa Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte A.K.A. Boa Morte Festival is an incredible event to witness!  The Irmandade da Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte means Order of our Lady of the Good Death.  It is a Candomble sorority that has been going strong for nearly two hundred years.

Once every year the sisterhood of Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte holds an event where the Virgin Mary is marched through the town while festivities celebrating this colorful event take place.  (read below for more info)

I have witnessed the Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte Festival and it was very impressive.  People from all over the world come to this small town called Cachoeira to witness this event.  Click this link if you would like to attend this wonderful event.

This article can be found @ Wikipedia here.

The Order of Our Lady of the Good Death (Irmandade da Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte) is a small but renowned Afro-Catholic religious group in the state of Bahia, Brazil.

Founded in the early 19th century as a Church-sponsored beneficent Sisterhood for female African slaves and former slaves, it became one of the oldest and most respected worship groups for Candomblé, the major African-based religion in Brazil. Presently reduced to about thirty members (from 200 or so at its height), most of them over fifty, it still attracts worshipers every year, especially at its August festival.

History of the Festa Nossa Senhora da Boa Morte A.K.A. Boa Morte Festival

The history of the Irmandade da Boa Morte ("Sisterhood of the Good Death"), a religious confraternity devoted to the Assumption of the Virgin, is part of the history of mass importation of blacks from the African coast to the cane-growing catchment area around the port of Salvador, Bahia, known as the Recôncavo Baiano. Iberian adventurers built several towns in this area, one of them being Cachoeira, which was the second most important economic center in Bahia for three centuries.

BRAZIL: BEST TIME TO VISIT AND TRAVEL

Disclaimer:

Before I list the seasons and different regions in Brazil it should be noted that the Equator runs through the Northern region of the country.  Most areas are very nice ALL YEAR including the Northeast (which includes Bahia), the Amazon, even Rio de Janeiro to the South.  Typical four season models do not apply.

Brazil Travel: main destinations

Amazon (the rainforest)
Pantanal (for bird and animal life watching)
Iguassu Falls (the world largest waterfalls)
Rio de Janeiro (the capital of fun and beach life)
Salvador da Bahia (musical and beach life in an afro-american style)
Bahia, Fortaleza, Recife: hubs for TOP WORL tropical beaches
Sao Paulo (the business and industrial heart of Brazil)
Brazil's South (Florianopolis, Santa Catarina and other south destinations)

IEMANJA/YEMAYA FESTIVAL IN BAHIA, BRAZIL 2011

Here is some footage of the Procession for Yemaya recorded February 2nd, 2011 in Salvador, Bahia - Brasil.

Truly Magical Event. Pretty cool to witness.

If you are interested in visiting Bahia, Brazil to witness events like this live go here: www.bahiabraziltours.com

Yemaya is an orisha, originally of the Yoruba religion, who has become prominent in many Afro-American religions. Africans from what is now called Yorubaland brought Yemaya and a host of other deities/energy forces in nature with them when they were brought to the shores of the Americas as captives. She is the ocean, the essence of motherhood, and a protector of children.

AMAZING FRUITS OF BRAZIL

Amazing Fruits of Brazil

Article by Sharif Ali 

Mulher Jaca

Brazil loves and appreciates its amazing variety of tropical fruits.  They love it so much that they name many of the beautiful women of brazil here after them, lol!  Check this out and you will see why Brazil girls are named after the tropical fruits.

Mulher Melancia

Bahia's Own Mulher Morango

This list isn’t extensive…if I tried to name everything the list would go on for days.  Seriously there is more variety found here than anywhere else on the planet.  Some enterprising people have picked up on this and started marketing some of the wonder fruits found here to the world, kinda like Tahitian Noni.

Mulher Melao

People here in Bahia use natural remedies as often as possible versus prescription drugs.  Perhaps I could do a list on herbs and leaves found here and their healing properties.  I will have to research that one as the list will be extensive!  Anyone interested in that info please send a paypal donation to me at admin@mooraboutbahia.com.

Without further ado, here is the fruit list!

Abacaxí  (Pineapple)

Brazilian pineapples are the best I’ve ever had.  They are so sweet and juicy its ridiculous!  They are sweet even when green but even better ripe (bright orangish-yellow in color).  Beware though, do not eat the fruit near the stalk or bottom.  Doing so will lead to severe vomiting, and diarrhea and an overall painful feeling that will leave you wanting to die! I am not joking! Believe me we found this out the hard way.

WORLD TRAVELER: INTERVIEW WITH DJ ETC LIVE FROM BAHIA

An interview with DJ ETC live from Salvador, Bahia in Brazil. Listen to his parting take on the country and his advice for the Brothers and Sisters out there interested in widening their horizons and traveling abroad.

www.mooraboutbahia.com

www.bahiabraziltours.com

AYAHUASCA TEA CEREMONY: JOURNEY WITHIN

Talk to someone who has experience with Ayahuasca and you will understand very quickly that although the ingredients of the tea are pretty easy to explain, making an effort to describe anything beyond that borders on impossible. Brian Wilson (Urban Shaman aka “Wannabe Woodsman”), an American living in Brazil and your guide for the tea ceremony should you partake, does a great job of articulating this powerful medicine.

1st a Little Info on Ayahuasca

Ayahuasca, in its physical form, is a healing plant mixture boiled, strained, and drank in sacred ceremony by shamans in the Amazon rainforest for thousands, possibly tens of thousands of years. There is tons of research available explaining the long-term benefits of working with the brew, including a permanent increase in seratonin levels (leading to more happy, fulfilling lives), release of various physical ailments (some considered incurable in Western medicine), and release of psychological and mental-related illnesses (such as schizophrenia). Spiritually, this plant is in its own Universe, beyond comprehension levels of most and limited by mere language.

How to Adapt to Brazilian Culture

By marsala5, eHow Member

I want to do this! What's This?

User-Submitted Article

How an American survives living in Brazil.

Difficulty: Moderately Easy

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Patience
• An open mind
• A tiny bikini

1. Get used to kissing strangers.

LOCAL CULTURE: INDIGENOUS TRIBE IN BAHIA

This place was always called Bahia...One of the names for the tribes that still exist today is Baenã.  They don't look like the Indians you see on t.v. in the U.S. either.

check out this link for the complete article: http://pib.socioambiental.org/en/povo/pataxo-ha-ha-hae/print

Introdução

The indigenous peoples today known generically by the ethnonym Pataxó Hãhãhãe are made up of the Baenã, Pataxó Hãhãhãe, Kamakã, Tupinambá, Kariri-Sapuyá and Gueren ethnic groups. Inhabitants of the south of Bahia state, the contact history of these groups with non-indigenous populations has been shaped by land expropriations, forced relocations, the transmission of diseases and killings. The land reserved for them by the State in 1926 was invaded and largely converted into private farms. The slow and tortuous process of regaining these lands began in the 1980s only: a successful conclusion still appears to be some way off, with the reserve remaining under judicial consideration.

Direct contact

Follow the latest news and events concerning the Pataxó Hã-hã-hãe, and other groups, on the web a: http://indiosonline.org.br and http://webbrasilindigena.org

Location and population

The population inhabits the Caramuru-Paraguaçu Indigenous Reserve, 54,099 ha in size, in the south of
Bahia, in the municipalities of Itajú do Colônia, Camacã and Pau-Brasil. This area is currently being kept under judicial consideration. Some also live in the Fazenda Baiana Reserve, 304 ha in size, in Camamu municipality in the far south of Bahia.

In May 2005 the population living in the

BASIC INFO ABOUT THE CAPITAL OF BAHIA, SALVADOR

posted on Salvador - eTrip Tips Wiki

Salvador  

From eTripTips Wiki

Salvador is the capital of the state of Bahia, Brazil. With a charming Old Town (a World Heritage Site), a vibrant musical scene and popular Carnival celebrations, it is considered one of the birthplaces of Brazilian culture.

History

Founded in 1549, Salvador was the capital in the heyday of the slave trade. The legacy remains today in its large black population, and the resulting culture in many ways outshines the rest of Brazil -- in music, many of the greatest names from the mid-20th century to the present hail from here, such as Dorival Caymmi, Gilberto Gil, and Caetano Veloso. In literature, the late Jorge Amado was also from the region. It's a vibrant, exciting city, and its people are quite friendly.

Orientation

Salvador is located on a peninsula which shields the large Baía de Todos os Santos ("Bay of All Saints") from the Atlantic Ocean. The city is the third largest in Brazil, sprawling for dozens of kilometers inland from the coast. Most visitors head for the coastal neighborhoods that cluster around where the bay meets the ocean.

A 100m cliff runs along the entire bayshore, dividing the city into Cidade Alta, up on the cliff, and the Cidade Baixa down by the bay. The former features Pelourinho, the old city center that packs historical sites, colonial architecture, museums, restaurants, bars, hostels, artesanal shops, and music/dance/capoeira academies into a convenient, if tourist-swarmed, set of winding cobblestone streets. The latter features a commercial center with lots of bus traffic coming in from all over Salvador.

Outside of this area, there are many beach districts that stretch from the tip of the peninsula northeast along the Atlantic coast. The Barra neighborhood at the tip of the peninsula is the main alternative jumping-off point to Pelourinho, and a little further to the northeast are the hip neighborhoods of Rio Vermelho and Amaralina, which feature a nightlife less geared to the foreign tourism industry. A decent bus ride beyond these is the neighborhood of Itapuã, which has an energetic beachside nightlife and relatively few foreign visitors. Northward from there are kilometers and kilometers of gorgeous beaches, all accessible by bus.

The bayshore coast north beyond Pelourinho features a more tranquil

BRAZIL & SEX TOURISM

Brazil is a very alluring, sexy place.  The people, land, and the culture are all very enticing and sensuous.  I mean for example where else can you hop on a boat and be at an exotic, tropical island in about 30 minutes?  My wife and I for example can have the whole beach to ourselves where we get to feel like we are the only people in the world.

I'd be lying if I didn't acknowledge this simple fact.  The first thoughts that come to mind when people around the world think of Brazil are exotic and sexy.  Maybe you can throw soccer in there too, lol.

There is an industry built off of international visitors, mainly from Europe, North America, and Australia, who come here for sex.  They come from other places too but those are the main areas.

I am not knocking this activity or promoting it.  I just thought I'd

باهيإ MOOR INFO: RELOCATION INFO FOR MUSLIMS IN BRAZIL

Hey I recently shared some resources I have come across over the past few years living abroad with a brother living in the UK.  Just wanted to make a blog post for anyone else with similar concerns.

Select: All, Read, None

ShowAllUnread

Between You and Bilal Mubarak

Bilal Mubarak February 10 at 10:21am

As salaam alaikum brother, how is brazil? is there a strong muslim community there? would you recommend brazil?

IT'S TIME FOR AMERICA TO WAKE UP...TO THE RISING GIANT IN THE SOUTH

Is Brazil's Economy Getting to hot?

BILLIONAIRES

Is Brazil’s Economy Getting Too Hot?

Image via Wikipedia

Last night 60 Minutes featured a segment on Brazil entitled “The World’s Next Economic Superpower.” Eike Batista, Brazil’s richest man and the world’s eighth richest man (profiled by Forbes  in March) told Steve Kroft that it’s time for Americans to “wake up” to the economic giant to their south.

Many Americans have already been awake to Brazil for at least some time.

Just today, General Electric demonstrated its interest in Brazil when it announced a plan to buy subsea pipeline manufacturer Wellstream Holdings, which derives a “substantial portion” of revenues from Brazil, for $1.3 billion.

THE ART OF CAPOEIRA IN BRAZIL

A lot of people were exposed to Capoeira, the Brazilian martial art, thru this guy right here, Eddy Gordo from the game Tekken (and also the movie Tekken).  The way that Capoeira in Brazil developed has made the martial art a worldwide cultural phenomenom.  You can now find Capoeira schools all over the world.

There is a great Brazilian movie called Besouro that was filmed right in the Mecca of Capoeira, the state of Bahia.  Bahia is where Capoeira was created and also where the culture is strongest.  Back to Besouro, check  it out.  It's like a Capoeira Kung Fu movie (complete with high-wire special effects made popular by Kung Fu flicks) where actual figures from Brazilian/Bahian history have there stories told in super hero fashion.  The main character is definitely larger than life in the movie.  If you are a fan or practitioner of Capoeira you have to check out this film. 

article found here:

Capoeira in Brazil

Capoeira (Portuguese pronunciation: [kapuˈejɾɐ]) is an Afro-Brazilian art form that combines elements of martial arts, music, and dance. It was created in Brazil by African slaves by mixing the many fighting styles from many of their tribes, sometime after the sixteenth century.^[1] It was developed in the region of Quilombo dos Palmares, located in the Brazilian state of Alagoas, which was the state of Pernambuco before dismemberment,^[2] and has had great influence on Afro-Brazilian generations, with strong presence in the states of Bahia, Pernambuco, Rio de Janeiro and São Paulo.^[2] Participants form a roda, or circle, and take turns either playing musical instruments (such as the Berimbau), singing, or ritually sparring in pairs in the center of the circle. The sparring is marked by fluid acrobatic play, feints, takedowns, and with extensive use of leg sweeps, kicks, and headbutts. Less frequently used techniques include elbow strikes, slaps, punches, and body throws. Its origins and purpose are a matter of debate, with theories ranging from views of Capoeira as a uniquely Brazilian folk dance with improvised fighting movements to claims that it is a battle-ready fighting form directly descended from ancient African techniques.^[3]

Etymology

The word "capoeira" had a probable origin as a derisive term used by slave owners to refer to its practice as chicken fights (the word literally means "chicken coop" in Portuguese). Another claim is that the word "capoeira" derives from the Native-American language Tupi-Guarani words kaá ("leaf", "plant") and puéra (past aspect marker), meaning "formerly a forest."^{[citation needed]}

Afro-Brazilian art form

Capoeira in Brazil is a direct descendant of African fighting styles, and was incorporated with Brazilian dance form distilled from African slaves in Brazil which is in essence from various African and Brazilian influences.^[3]

BUSINESS IN BRASIL: IT TOOK 3 MINUTES TO SELL TRUMP ON BRAZIL

This piece contains two stories.  One is obviously about the potential investing in South America, in particular in Brasil.  The other shows how persaverance and believing in yourself can pay off big time.  Business in Brasil is booming and everyone wants a piece of the action.

Much like Brazilian girls, Brazilian property is steaming hot and has been for some time now.  Brasil has definitely become the hottest emerging property market in Latin America, having just received what during the boom came to be known as the emerging market seal-of-approval, investment by Donald Trump and the well known Trump Organization.


An example of this seal of approval is Panama, during the boom Panama’s construction boom was the hottest in Latin America, and the world, at which point Trump graced it with a Trump Tower, a massive multi-purpose (commercial, luxury-residential, hotel, condos, casino(s)) sky-scraper in Panama City, which we have all no-doubt heard about.

NEW RICH CLASS: BRAZILIAN YACHT MARKET ON THE RISE

This Aug. 10 photo shows Marcio Christiansen, CEO of Ferretti Group Brazil, at the company's show room in Sao Paulo.

If the rising wealthy class in any indication, business is doing good in Brasil.
By BRADLEY BROOKS

SAO PAULO — Marcio Christiansen reeled off tales of the growing ranks of rich Brazilians who visit his luxury Ferretti yacht showroom, where clients sip espressos on an oversized sable sofa and electronic music bubbles in the air.

One man paid $2 million for a ship, Christiansen said, after succumbing within 30 minutes to his kids' pleas of "Buy it, daddy, buy it!" Another toured the sparkling 53-foot yacht on the showroom floor, then asked to discuss it over lunch.

"The waiter comes over to take our order and the client asks to borrow a piece of paper from his pad," said Christiansen, CEO of Ferretti's Brazil group. "He starts working out a contract on it and we've agreed to it before I've asked for a sandwich."

BUSINESS IN BRASIL EXPANDING THROUGH ASIA

Source

BNDES eyes opening of Asian office

By Michiyo Nakamoto in Tokyo and Joe Leahy in São Paulo

The Brazilian Development Bank, which is larger than the World Bank, is considering opening an office in Asia to support the international expansion of the country’s leading companies.

The plan reflects a boom in trade between Brazil and China and comes as the bank, known as BNDES, this week signed an agreement with the Japan Bank for International Co-operation to jointly invest up to $3bn in infrastructure projects.

BRAZILIAN BANK IS THE LARGEST LENDER IN WESTERN HEMISPHERE

BNDES, Largest Lender in Western Hemisphere

Source

By Sarah de Sainte Croix, Contributing Reporter

RIO DE JANEIRO, BRAZIL – With disbursements totaling over R$178 billion last year, pundits are calling the BNDES (Banco Nacional do Desenvolvimento, or Brazilian National Development Bank) the most significant lender in the Western hemisphere. However, some economists have criticized the bank’s lending policies as being inconsistent with its own goals and priorities.

Luciano Coutinho, president of the BNDES, photo by Bel Pedrosa/World Economic Forum (www.weforum.org).

According to the BNDES website, “The Brazilian Development Bank is the main financing agent for

BRAZIL RANKS AMONG TOP DESTINATIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL EVENTS

A recent article by IstoÉ Dinheiro (www.istoedinheiro.com.br), a leading Brazilian business magazine, highlighted Brazil as one of the top destinations for international events. Below we reproduce fragments from the online article introduced by the printed edition as of June 29, 2011:

"The world discovers Brazil

The country is one of the hottest destinations for international events. Last year, the sector generated R$ 84 billion and is expected to triple in size by 2014

By Flávia Gianini - São Paulo

The market for concerts and events in Brazil is already comparable to that of

BRAZIL & CHINA WILL LEAD GROWTH IN ENTERTAINMENT & MEDIA

A recent article in the Brazilian newspaper Valor Econômico - the country’s leading business daily -, as of June 14, highlighted a study by PwC that points Brazil among the highest-growth markets in the entertainment and media sectors worldwide in the next five years:

"Brazil, China to Drive Global Media Growth

By Gustavo Brigatto - São Paulo

Brazil and China will lead all markets in growth in the entertainment and media sectors in the next five years, according to a PwC study. During that period, Brazil’s compounded annual growth rate (CAGR) is expected to be 11.4%, with Chinese CAGR slightly higher at 11.6%.

By comparison, the growth rate in the U.S.—the world’s largest entertainment and media market, with US$ 443 billion in revenues in