Tuesday, 14 October 2014
There is a sad story about Brazilian football. Brazil was the host of the 1950 World Cup, and they built the Maracana Stadium, the biggest stadium in the world at that time in Rio de Janeiro, just for the 1950 World Cup. Brazil made it all the way to the final with Uruguay on the other side. Even a draw would have meant the World Cup for Brazil, but unfortunately Uruguay won 2-1 and apparently when Uruguay scored the second goal there was complete silence on the Brazilian fans' side, they were a country united in mourning. I wonder how they feel about the recent World Cup. I should ask, except I can't speak Portuguese! I will ask the next English speaking Brazilian I find.
After this I took a cab to the Praca Nosa Senhora do Brasil, which my research revealed was one of the most beautiful churches in São Paulo. It was built in 1940, and has Portuguese Baroque architecture of the 17th and 18th centuries, with the famous blue and white tile decor beloved to the Portuguese everywhere around the interior of the church. The altar contains an 18th century statue. To me, it was a very beautiful church and it was worth my visit.
My final destination was Parque Ibirapuera, São Paulo's largest park. It was conceived in the 1920's when the mayor at the time decided to create a public green space for the city. It took a few decades, until 1954, to finally inaugurate the park and open it to the public. The famous landscaper, Roberto Burle Marx took on the project of shaping the park, while the renowned architect, Oscar Niemeyer, designed several pavilions and halls within the park, the most notable of which is the gravity defying auditorium. Oscar Niemeyer is a famous architect in Brazil, and is renowned for his many gravity defying buildings, sometimes described as poetry in concrete. I sat down in the park for a while and bought coconut water to drink. Reminds me of home. I noticed many men here running in the park shirtless, and they are hot! I noticed that most of the men and women in São Paulo are hot, like gym fit hot, but so far, unfortunately, only from the chin downwards. Forgive me my shallowness, I am sick today!
Then back to the hotel. The sun here sets early, at about 6.00 pm it starts getting dark, but it rises really early too, by 6.00 am it is bright and sunny. The weather is hot, like Malaysia, but less humid so it's not too bad to walk around. I went out for an early dinner although I was not hungry, and got back to the hotel at about 7 pm, where I discovered I had a fever and yellow phlegm. Yuck. At least it's not blue or purple.
More medication (although it does not seem to be working) and early to bed. I think I accomplished quite a lot today for a sick girl!
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