Category Archives: Daily Journal

Since it is now spring in Brasí­lia, many trees and shrubs are in flower. Among these are Flamboyant tree (Delonix regia), Brazilian skyflower (Duranta erecta), Silk Oak (Grevillea sp.), Golden shower (Cassia fistula), and Bougainvillea (Bougainvillea sp.). Continue reading →

Among the many sights in Brasí­lia are the Avenue of the States with the flags of all the states of Brazil and the Federal District. I didn’t have a tripod for my camera, and I must have moved the camera during the long night exposure. Hence, my photo of the flags turned out to be something of a surrealistic, though beautiful, interpretation of the Avenue of the Flags. Not far from the Avenue of the Flags is the Palí¡cio do Congresso Nacional (the Brazilian National Congress Building). In the photo, one can see the Towers of the National Congress, with the Federal Senate of Brazil housed in the semisphere to the left of the towers and the Chamber of the Deputies of Brazil housed in the hemisphere to the right of the towers. The Federal Senate represents the states of Brazil, with 3 representatives from each state plus the Federal District. The Chamber of the Deputies of Brazil represents the people, with the number of representatives proportional to the population. A short way from the Palí¡cio do Congresso Nacional is the Palí¡cio do Itamaraty (the Foreign Ministry Building), surrounded by an aquatic garden and beautifully lit at night. Then, to the west of these sights is the Brasí­lia City Park and Fountain Square, an incredible light and sound fountain in the middle of the park. Continue reading →

As one would expect in a capital city, Brasí­lia abounds with monuments, sculptures, and public artworks. “Meteoro” (Meteor) by Bruno Giorgi is located in the reflecting pool in front of the Palí¡cio do Itamaraty (home of Brazil’s Foreign Ministry). “Dois Candangos” (Two Laborers) by Bruno Giorgi is located in front of the Palí¡cio do Planalto (the workplace of the president of Brazil) and was created to honor the immigrants who built Brasí­lia. “Justií§a” (Justice) by Alfredo Ceschiatti is located in front of the Palí¡cio da Justií§a (home of Brazil’s Supreme Federal Court). The Juscelino Kubitschek Monument, honoring the former president of Brazil who conceived the idea of building the city of Brasí­lia, is located in the Praí§a dos Tres Poderes (Square of the Three Powers – since it is located adjacent to the buildings housing the judicial, executive, and legislative branches of the Brazilian government). Continue reading →

One sight in Brasí­lia that I especially wanted to see was the Cathedral Metropolitana de Brasí­lia (Metropolitan Cathedral of Brasí­lia). Unfortunately, the cathedral was under construction and I was only able to photograph the top of the cathedral. Also, I was only able to visit at night when the cathedral was locked up, and so my photos are all night photos that don’t show all the details of this beautiful structure. The cathedral was designed by Oscar Niemeyer and completed in 1970. It is dedicated to Our Lady of Aparecida, proclaimed by the Roman Catholic Church as the Queen and Patroness of Brazil. In front of the cathedral stand statues of the four Evangelists: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John (Sí£o Mateus, Sí£o Marcos, Sí£o Lucas, and Sí£o Joí£o). Continue reading →

While I was exploring the Dom Bosco Ecological Park in Brasí­lia, I noticed a group of young people walking a tightrope they had strung between two trees. I was mesmerized. Continue reading →

On my first day in Brasí­lia I saw quite a few different birds in the Dom Bosco Ecological Park. Not having any previous experience in photographing birds, the photos I took are not of the best quality, but perhaps I can learn by trial-and-error. I’m also not familiar with Brazilian birds, so my identifications might be incorrect. Continue reading →

I arrived in Brasí­lia in the afternoon of 30 October 2010 after a slight delay in Sí£o Paulo because of the weather (it is, after all, spring and the beginning of the rainy season in Brazil). With only a few hours of sunlight left in the day, I visited the Ermida Dom Bosco (Dom Bosco Chapel) in the Dom Bosco Ecological Park on the shore of Lake Paranoí¡. The chapel was built in honor of the Italian saint Dom Bosco who, in 1883, had a dream in which he saw a utopian city in the New World located between the 15º and 20º parallels. That dream would later inspire the construction of Brasí­lia, the capital of Brazil. From the chapel, one can see the esplanade of the ministries of Brazil and the Juscelino Kubitschek Bridge, named in honor of the Brazilian president who conceived of the idea to build a new capital for Brazil. There, on the shore of Lake Paranoí¡, I witnessed my first sunset in the Southern Hemisphere, and what a glorious sunset it was. Continue reading →