Locomotive Baldwin 22, of 1908, is one of the engines which will be available in the tourist trip in Minas Gerais State, starting from 07/11/09

New tourist train begins opeartions in Minas Gerais State between the historical cities of Tiradentes and São João del Rei – the old Estrada Real (Royal Highway).

> click here to go to article

LINKS:

• Minas Gerais and cities – WikiTravel
• Instituto Estrada Real (p)

Carved Wooden Signs

You can get about anything carved into wood here.   This store’s clients are Ranchers.

Faz. = Fazenda = Ranch.  It can also mean a farm, but in this region of Brazil when you say “I’m going to the Fazenda.”  you think cattle.

NEW BLOG: Brasilia, D.F.

Brasília is the most unBrazilian city in Brazil.   Liked by some; disliked by many.   I lived there for three months when I returned to Brazil in 1986.  I liked it.

Click here to go the Brasília Blog.

FYI:

Over on Gringo-Rio’s Blog he has posted information about the Brazilian Government’s new amnesty law.

> click here to go to Gringo-Rio’s Blog post on Amnesty

JARDIM BOTÂNICO

Video about the development of Curitiba’s famous transport system by the man who developed it – Jaime Lerner.

LINKS:

• Curitiba – Mayor’s Office
• Curitiba – Wikipedia
• Curitiba – WikiTravel
• Tourism – Port/Eng

GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes Is The Newest Airline Participant In The AAdvantage Program

Score three GOLs like the champions!

Traveling through Brazil or other parts of South America? Fly GOL Linhas Aéreas Inteligentes, the fastest growing airline in Brazil and South America, the newest participant of the AAdvantage program and earn AAdvantage miles!GOL initiated operations flying 6 aircraft back in 2001. Eight years later, GOL has grown its fleet to 107 modern airplanes which serve 59 routes – 49 domestic markets in Brazil and 10 international markets between Brazil and Argentina, Bolivia, Venezuela, Chile, Colombia, Paraguay, Peru, and Uruguay. Moreover, GOL’s domestic network offers flights to more cities in Brazil than any other carrier.

AAdvantage members can earn miles every time they buy and fly a qualifying fare on GOL’s entire network.

Do you want to score the hat trick?

> Click Here to go to AA site

> Click Here to go to Gol site

The Boston Globe article is a good read on the dilemma facing Brazilians returning to Brazil.

The YouTube presentation has two interviews: an American woman who has moved to Brazil with her Brazilian husband and a Brazilian man who would like to return to the States –  their comments and observations.

COMMENT:

Over the years I have been asked by Brazilians about going to the States (or UK) to work illegally. I always told them it was a bad move and that it was much better to stay here.   It was not what they wanted to hear.  They would tell me that they have an Uncle or friend their making big money (pre-meltdown) who had a job and a place to live waiting for them.  Rarely would the big paying  job be there; much less accommodations.   Many would not last past the first Winter. Most worked like slaves to make money, which they would send back to buy a house or an apartment with the idea of renting them out on their return while others would plan on opening a business on their return.  This was great if they were able to save money (most didn’t)  and take being away from their familes for three or four years (most couldn’t).

In all my time here I know one guy who was successful.  He worked practically 24/7 for two years, never spent a dime of his salary on anything but bare essentials.  When he came back he opened a business in the same field he had worked before going to the States.

The more typical cases were like the woman (college educated) who worked taking care of a rich family’s children in New Jersey.  They even took here on their vacations to Florida.  She came back, put money down on a new car, new apartment, but could not earn enough here to make the payments. In the end she was going to try to return to work for the same family and this time stay.

I remember meeting a guy here who had lived in San Francisco (used to be the capital for Goianos in the States) for five years.   I said “You must speak pretty good English.”   He replied, “No, but my Spanish is great.”  :-)

LINKS:

• Boston Globe

Touristic Train in Minas Gerais, Brazil

View Larger Map

Ouro Preto is the old gold town (late 1600s) near Belo Horizonte.   Easily reached by bus form Belo Horizonte and makes for a good day trip.

There is a new (for me) train available from Ouro Preto to the nearby old mining town of Mariana, founded in 1696 and Minas Gerais’ first capital.

> click here for train site

The links before have all the tourist info for the towns.

LINKS:

• Mariana (p)
• Mariana – Panramio photos and map
• Ouro Preto – Wikipedia
• Ouro Preto – Panramio photos and map
• Vale Train Site

JAC Motor Company of China

China’s JAC Motors to Build Vehicle Plant in Brazil

From:Dow JonesJuly 03, 2009

China’s JAC Motors (Jianghuai Automobile Co., Ltd) ) is to build a vehicle plant at the Acu port complex in Rio de Janeiro State, the Rio state government said in a statement.

The announcement came shortly after confirmation Wednesday China’s Wuhan Iron & Steel Co. Ltd, or Wisco would build a steel mill at the greenfield site in the north of Rio de Janeiro State.

JAC Motors is China’s leading bus chassis manufacturer. It produces 450,000 vehicles a year including light trucks and multipurpose vehicles.

click for full article

LINKS:

• JAC Motors