São Roque e Brasília

This past week I was able to visit two very cool places in Brasil.

First, São Roque.  

São Roque is a small town about 1 hour outside of São Paulo that is known (only here in Brasil) for it's wine and wine museum.  

Of course when I heard of this magical land of wines, I had to take a quick visit.  

Myself, two friends and a professor from school took a quick day trip to São Roque to enjoy some wine tasting and learn a little bit about how it's made.

Museu do Vinho

Always making Mom and Dad proud :) 

The other thing São Roque is known for is that it's the only place to go snowboarding and skiing in Brasil!

There is a small theme park in São Roque called Ski Mountain Park, where you can find "snowy mountains" and practice your extreme winter sports.

Since it doesn't snow in Brasil, or at least not enough for winter sports, some clever Brasilians created artificial snow hills from white rubber.

Just strap into your board, rub some soap on the bottom of it and slide your way down.

Brasilians are very crafty, they don't want to be left out of the X-Games. 

Oh... and don't forget the ski-lift.

Of course I had to ride it. 

Then Brasília- the capitol of Brasil.

 My friend Grant and I were invited to go for a quick visit to Brasília to stay with a Brasilian friend's family to see the city and experience typical family life.

Brasília is most famous for it's unique architecture and "planejado" (landscaping motives), most of which were designed by Brasilian architect Oscar Niemeyer.

One of the most famous landmarks in Brasília is the Catedral Metropolitana.

This beautiful church has 16 white columns supporting the stained-glass sides and inside holds the first cross of Brasília.

Another important landmark in Brasília (and Oscar Niemeyer project) is the National Congress. 

I did go on a tour inside this building, but didn't find it all that interesting, perhaps because I know absolutely nothing about Brasilian politics.

However, I thought the outside was pretty cool and I did get to see the inside of the giant bowl (right) which is actually just a really big conference room with stadium seating. 

A not so well-known church in Brasília is the Templo da Boa Vontage.

This religion is a mixture of Catholicism as well as Spiritualism and has something really unique to offer.

Below is a picture of the inside of the "Templo do Paz" (temple of peace), a large pyramid temple created by the Religão da Boa Vontage.

Inside this temple, people of all religious backgrounds can come to reflect, meditate and encounter a spiritual experience.

Right up my alley.

In the picture below you can see the black and white spiral on the floor, but above that spiral, in the peak of the pyramid, lies a pure clear crystal which is believe to have rejuvenating and cleansing spiritual properties.

So here's how it works:

Walk into the spiral on the dark black marble path:

Signifying the uncertainties, sins, and negative energies in life.

At the center of the spiral where the black marble meets the white, pause:

Feel the pure energy of the crystal above as it cleanses the spirit.

Walk out on the white marble path to the opposite side of the temple:

Signifying enlightenment and the path to God.

When you reach the alter on the opposite side feel the energy of Earth, Water, Air and Fire, the four basic elements God gave the Earth.

Then write your askings, thanksgivings or reflections down and put them in the Holy Sink (far left).

Such an interesting experience.

We also took a tour inside the Palácio Itamaraty which is the Ministry of External Relations in Brasil and home of the offices of some of the most important political figures in Brasil.

The Palace has three large party rooms, none of which can be photographed, and an open terrace all filled with beautiful artwork.

The tour guide didn't find this nearly as funny as I did. 

Also, on our last day in Brasília, the family took Grant and I on a hike about 5 minutes out of their backyard to see their cachoeira (little waterfall).

It was definitely little, but still beautiful and a perfect way to end the trip. 

The trip to Brasília was one of my favorites because the family we stayed with didn't speak any English which forced Grant and I to speak ONLY Portuguese for three days straight.

We felt that speaking English to each other would be rude since they couldn't understand.

Up until this point I have felt like I can get by in Portuguese but not really speak quite as well as I had hoped when I first came to Brasil.

After this week, I can confidently say I speak Portuguese.

Not fluently of course, but pretty damn good if I do say so myself.