InC - The Echo October 2013

International Club of Rio de Janeiro

www.incrio.org.br October 2013

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President’s First Word

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October Cafezinhos

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Happy Hours

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InC Opportunities 2014

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Introducing the candidates

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Charity Focus

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Charity Focus

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Machu Picchu

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Events

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Adoption process in Brazil

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Magic of Itatiaia National Park

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Our Calendar

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Those who make the InC happen

first word Dear Friends, if you are someone who wants to be a part of something bigger and planning ahead is something you enjoy doing, than October could be a very important month for you!

Great opportunities are opening up, as the International Club Rio begins to focus on 2014.

many activities? The answer is, we are all volunteers, and we all do what we do, out of love. We are a non profit organization and all our earnings* go to Charity. The expat life has some peculiarities

that you might think are difficult to reconcile with a commitment, but the truth is, we all travel several times a year, have kids, pets and a generally busy existences. We do what we can and cover for one another. Flexibility is the name of the game. Being organized and reliDoes your wish list include more fun weekable is the other side of the coin that hold toends away with lots of new friends? How about gether the commitment. If you have new proexcursions around Rio with other expats and ject ideas, but may you feel that your PortuBrazilian friends, discovering the special things guese skills make you feel insecure, don't worry, Rio has to offer. Maybe salving your social con- we will try to find a skilled speaker to buddy science by helping the underprivileged commu- with you. nities by sharing your English language or professional skills? We could get you involved with We try to keep the tasks "bite size" and give you some fun thing like gardening and or giving a the opportunity to define your own time limits. helping hand with the children from the age of Maybe your interests lie in the creation of toddlers to teenagers.. events, in the area of fundraising, charity or

As 2013 moves into it's final months, this is the perfect moment for you to determine an action plan and together with the InC, be part of designing 2014!

Here is how you can tune in. Between now and the General Meeting at the end of October, please come and talk to me personally or send me an email president@incrio.org.br telling me about what you would like to experience. In this copy of the ECHO you will find an article outlining our Board and the committee positions that are available but before you go to it, let me tell you about some of the things the bios and task descriptions don't say. You may

have asked yourself, how is it that the InC works so well and can offer so

welcoming newcomers and organizing cafezinhos. Maybe excursions are your thing, or writing and interviewing speakers. Maybe you enjoy fun cooking or arts and crafts. Let us know and like the Christ Statue , we too, welcome you with open arms.

If you can identify with some of the things I've just described, and you would like to be part of something bigger, while making friends along the way, please join us in organizing some of the fun things we do and join us for an incredible ride in 2014.

My best to you all, Bonnie Kobert Harrison President, International Club Rio

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*see our Financial statement 2012 on the website or click here.

Please take a moment, and think about next year. Imagine seeing yourself doing the things you dreamed about when you first heard that you were coming to live in Rio. Now that you are here, how does it feel living in one of the most beautiful cities in the world where the Christ statue, overlooking our glorious bay, welcomes you with his wide open arms? Ask yourself, if you are doing the things you dreamed of or are you just moving from day to day? Do you want to see more......do more......do you want to be a part of something meaningful and special? If so, this is the moment that can bring a change to your life!

Cafezinhos

Cafezinho Zona Sul Tuesday October 8 @ 9.30am At Vanete Barr’s house in Ipanema RSVP Vanete vanetebarr@mac.com

Cafezinho Barra Tuesday October 22 @ 9.30am At Helen Robertson’s house in Barra RSVP Helen Robertson_44@yahoo.com

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Happy Hours The American Roots Project with River Country

Thursday October 10 @ 7pm Saloon 79 Rua Pinheiro Guimarães 79, Botafogo

The American Roots Project, designed to showcase traditional American music in Rio de Janeiro’s live music scene, is the brainchild of performers from Rock in Rio 2011 who were part of Rock Street, including Peter Warner and Steve Yolen, both of whom are former Presidents of the American Society Rio. As performers, they are well known to the many hundreds of people who have shown up at the Society’s annual America’s Day events, where the River Country Trio has been a featured attraction.

The trio has become a quartet with another American musician joining in, so it now goes by the name River Country, and it’s the anchor for the American Roots Project, where fans can get a regular shot of rhythm ’n’ blues, as well as gospel, folk, classic country, Tex-Mex, rockabilly, bluegrass, newgrass, country jazz, folk-rock, and…well, you get the picture.

Saloon 79, whose proprietor Tony Rocker (could he have a more perfect name than that?), has decorated his establishment as an American-style bar and grill that showcases the best in live American music, five nights a week, and has American style food as well.

For the Happy Hour, Tony has coaxed River Country into an early show. Of course, those who want to stick around for the regular show, starting at 9pm, are more than welcome to do so, and to get even more of River Country and American Roots music.

RSVP necessary : events@incrio.org.br

Sunday Sunset Happy Hour October 20 @ 4pm Hollandaise in Barra Avenida Lúcio Costa 5.750

First

for drink

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Opportunities 2014 Events Director The position of the Events Director is available for this coming year, and we are looking for a dynamic, fun loving person with good organizational skills who would enjoy coordinating some of the teams at work.

Raffles - Tina Wagner needs a couple more people who would like to help her with the task of selling Raffle tickets at our busier events. The task is very rewarding in that the money raised is such a great help to our charities.

In 2014 we will be hosting one major fundraiser.

Vanete Barr, who has quite a bit of experience with organizing such events is working on plans for an exclusive end of the year event. Jackie Stern and Helen Robertson have already signed up to help with this exciting project and we hope that you also would like to join in and help make this happen. We are in the planning stages and looking at all sorts of options and venues for an end of the gala. If you enjoy planning something glamorous as well as great fun, this is the group you will want to join.

Cafezinho Coordinator in Barra.

We have two Cafezinhos each month Jane Wood heads up the Zona Sul team and makes sure our Cafezinho hostess has everything she needs. We have a vacancy available for someone to coordinate the Cafezinho for the Barra area.

For organizing a Speakers Series and a General Meeting, Melissa Mello e Souza is the committee leader responsible for scheduling the speakers for the General Meeting and the Speakers Series.

Please join her if you enjoy getting the ball rolling.

Happy Hour Coordinator in Zona Sul. We are orginazing two Happy hours each month, Susan Loveland, Helen Robertson and Bonnie Kobert Harrison help coordinate the Sunday Sunset Happy Hour in Barra. We have the same position available in Zona Sul.

Contact Bonnie Kobert Harrison if you are interested in joining one of these teams. president@incrio.org.br

In 2014 we will be hosting four Wine and Cheese events. These are fun Saturday evening events where couples can meet friends while enjoying some nice food and drinks accompanied by great music. Here is an area where a team is being formed. If you enjoy organizing a medium size party, this is where you can add your special touch.

We will also be continuing our Gourmet Cooking Class and Candlelight dinners with our French Chef, David Mansaud. Bonnie Kobert Harrison, Susan Loveland, Helen Robertson and Robyn Thompson are the team that insure the smooth running of these very special evenings.

Fundraising Director The main function of this director is to coordinate the teams who make Fund raising events happen. These evenings and weekend events, besides being great fun, have the purpose of raising funds for our many charities. If working with sponsors and putting a party together are things you enjoy doing for some very good causes than this is the job for you.

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Introducing Bonnie Kobert Harrison - President I became fascinated with Brazil as a teenager when I was a foreign exchange student here in Rio. I later married my Brazilian boyfriend from that time and have kept a permanent base here ever since. I raised three children who are, now all adults. In 2000, I married an English expat, Victor, who lived in Holland, and we stayed in Alkmaar until 2011. I am very happy to be back. Rio is still my first choice amongst the cities of the world, but I recognize how difficult it is for expats here. I speak fluent Portuguese, and this will be my second term as President of the InC. I am a professional artist and was the founder and President of the Brazilian Bonsai Society from 1994 until 2000, which was also a non profit organization. My goal is to make the InC a soft place expats to fall. Providing information and lots of fun activities where we can all bond and friendship can grow. I am originally from Hamburg, Germany, but I grew up in Chicago. As an adult I also lived in Frankfurt, Washington DC and Alkmaar in the Netherlands but most of my life was spent here in Rio enjoying the sunshine.

Adiane Miranda Mitidiero - Vice-President Married with Giovanni and mommy of 3 little amazing kids, Johanna (6), Luca (4) and Luigi (2). I know that you must be thinking how brave I am, but I have the most precious help of my mother, who lives with us since my first pregnancy. I’m Brazilian and Italian and, as many Brazilians with a multiethnic blood, I lived in 4 different countries and about 20 different cities. I moved to Rio de Janeiro 2,5 years ago. I have a Master degree in International Law and a MBA. I am a lawyer that now are having much fun as entrepreneur. I have already been volunteer in different NGO as teacher for teenagers, or fighting against the death penalty. I like to be useful. I love to dance and taught Brazilian Forro in France. As you can see diversity is part of my life and for that reason I’d like to be part of the Board of InC and contribute to create a more understandable Rio for many cultures.

Tina Wagner - Treasurer I was born in Brazil, and at the age of 26 I met my American husband while he was working in Rio. It was love at first sight and 4 months later we were getting married. My first job in the US was working for a Brazilian Bank (Bradesco) in New York City in the Line of Credit Department, but I missed the warm weather, so my husband and I compromised by moving to Florida. I enjoyed the weather in Florida and we called it home for the next 30 years. I first worked in real estate, first as an agent and later as a broker, on the west coast of Florida for about 5 years. When we moved to the east coast of Florida, I met an immigration attorney that needed someone that could speak Portuguese to manage his office in Orlando. I accepted the invitation and for 20 years I managed his law firm. While living in the States, God blessed us with 3 adopted children from Brazil. Our daughter Katy is 22, Karla is 16 and Jackson is 13. When we decided to move back to Brazil, our oldest daughter preferred to stay in Orlando, FL, so now, every now and then we have to fly to Orlando to see her, and sometimes she comes to visit us. Because my husband loves sailing, we decided to keep our 40 ft sailboat in Jacksonville, FL, and that's where we spend our vacations when we go to the US.

Susan Loveland - Secretary I am from the United States, and enjoying my very first international living experience with my husband Mike, who works at one of the major Oil companies. Raised in Kentucky, I earned an MBA in Human Resources from Indiana University, and moved to Houston to work for several years in that field. After the arrival of our children, I embraced the stay at home mom lifestyle to raise our three daughters, volunteering for a host of activities with a special interest in church and my daughters' schools. Mandeville, Louisiana, just north of New Orleans, was home for the last 18 years until the adventure of Rio presented itself as an alternative to the "empty nest". I enjoy travel, cooking, exercise, and reading; and both Mike and I are grateful for the opportunity to meet other expat families through the International Club.

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Introducing Liliana Perilla Rojas DDS - Membership Director I was born in Bogota, Colombia where I studied dentistry at the Universidad Javeriana. I lived in Canada where I had a full scholarship for the Dental Public Health Program, at the University of Toronto. After that I lived in Florida for 12 years, and in July of 2012 I moved to Rio with my husband, Carlos Mendoza, and my two beautiful girls Paola and Erika Mendoza who attend Escola Americana. I would like to continue being the membership director at the INC because this position has allowed me to meet people from all over the world.

Raf Kiss - Communications Director I’m originally from Belgium, and moved to Brazil in January 2009, not for a few years but as a permanent move.

I have a background in accounting, computers and venture capital, but here in Brazil I became a tourist guide (mainly motorcycle trips, hiking, trekking and climbing…), and in November 2012, I launched AngloINFO Rio de Janeiro, a website for expats in Rio de Janeiro and one of the 100+ AngloINFO websites worldwide.

I love the outdoors (hiking, rock climbing, rappelling, rafting…) and that is one of the main reasons why I find Brazil, and Rio de Janeiro in particular, one of the best countries for me to live and work in.

Marian Denardo - Fundraising Director The basic requirement of this positon is that you have a big heart and enjoy going out into the community, looking for volunteer opportunities and placing members where they would be most effective.

Marian has been in Rio for about a year and has only recently joined the InC but has brilliant qualifications that will most certainly help her with the task at hand. I ask you to join me in welcoming her and helping her along the way as she adopts to her new Carioca life style.

Tuesday October 29 at 10.30 Location will be announced later (keep an eye on our communicatons)

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Charity Focus Following on from Ricardo Calรงado's presentation about Villa dos Sonhos at the last General Meeting, we will be promoting a Christmas gift sponsorship for the children who are part of Onda Solidaria.

This was a very popular program last year with our InC members.

In total we had 31 children who were sponsored by individual members and the children received their presents at the annual Onda Solidaria Christmas party held in Duque das Caxias. ( An hour or so outside of Rio) This year promises to be an even bigger and better party!

Ricardo is planning the party for Sunday, December 8 and I encourage you all to choose a child to sponsor from our Christmas tree. It is something that your whole family can be involved with and you will make a big difference to a child's Christmas!

Of course, we are all invited to the party and you will have the opportunity to meet these children and see their smiles of joy.

We will have the names and details of the children at the October General meeting and at all of our events through November.Typically we ask you to buy them a toy, and some new clothes and a pair of shoes. These can be delivered gift wrapped to the General meeting in November or to any of the InC events in November. There will be collection points in Barra and Zona Sul if you can't make it to the InC events.

We usually give the gifts to Ricardo prior to the Christmas party so he can organize delivery to Duque das Caxias. I will have more details for you closer to the date.

If you have any questions please contact Robyn Thompson at retho55@hotmail.com

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Charity Focus

Our wonderful InC volunteers continue to do some great work around Rio. Tuesday and Thursday mornings you will find a group of ladies heading out past Recreio to help with the babies and toddlers at the orphanage - Abrigo Pedra da Guaratiba.

These children enjoy the personalized attention from the volunteers and their help makes a big difference to the staff's ability to look after the children.

Our teachers in the Speakeasy English program are continuing to teach English every Tuesday and Wednesday afternoon in Rocinha and Cidade de Deus. Classes for teenagers run from 2:00 pm to 3:00 pm. It is a fun hour with lots of laughter, games, music and role playing. I never knew that Bingo was so popular here!

Thursday mornings and afternoons are a fun time too at Rocinha. The volunteers there are teaching English to two large groups of pre-school children.

Again we use music and games to help them learn and we are currently teaching them "Jingle Bells" in Portuguese and English for them to sing at their Christmas concert on December 15.

Over in Botafogo, we have a dedicated team who are teaching English to the staff at Refazer on Wednesday mornings. They also stay on after the class to help with computer data entry for the institute and other administrative tasks.

If you would like to join our team of volunteers, please contact Robyn Thompson at retho55@hotmail.com October 2013 The ECHO

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Machu Picchu The name Machu Picchu evokes a sense of mystery for most people, conjuring up images of a long lost city in the clouds, surrounded by high mountains, and harboring secret treasure and the remnants of a preternaturally intelligent native civilization. In this case, the image is pretty close to the truth, and our recent vacation to Peru was a very special experience.

Machu Picchu was ―discovered‖ by Hiram Bingham, an American professor at Yale who was the real life inspiration for the Indiana Jones character in the movie ―Raiders of the Lost Ark‖. Just over a century later, Peru is a popular tourist destination with Machu Picchu as the highlight of any trip. Located high in the Andes, it is possible to reach the site via train and bus, staying in luxury hotels the whole way; but the more adventurous way to see it is to arrive the way the Incas did—via the Inca Trail.

The history of the Inca civilization is not a long one, but in the 16 th century they dominated the South American continent, peacefully absorbing other tribes and building an impressive network of roads, buildings, and agricultural terraces. The Incas are renowned for their fine stonework, much of which has withstood earthquakes and floods while more modern construction has not. Nature worshippers, many of their structures display an incredibly advanced knowledge of natural phenomenon including the movements of the sun, moon and stars. All of this becomes familiar when you hike to Machu Picchu along the original Inca rock pathways, passing through diverse habitats of cloud forest and tundra, viewing sacred sites and breathtaking scenery all along the way.

Although there are some alternate treks, the traditional Inca Trail is 26 miles (42k), usually covered over 4 days with arrival at the site early the last day. The Peruvian government controls access; permits are mandatory and no more than 500 people including guides and porters are allowed at any time. Reservations must be made as much as 3-6 months in advance, usually coordinated through a trekking agency. We made reservations in April for late August, a great time to go because it is less busy but still not the rainy season, which runs from November to April.

After a bit of research, we reserved with Llama path, a Peruvian company that bills itself as a sustainable tour operator with porter welfare and ecological conservation as priorities. They might have been a little more expensive than some agencies, but the service was flawless, and it was a joy to see the pride the Andean porters or ―chasquis‖ (famed Inca messengers) showed in their company and their work. Because we wanted to have a more personal family experience with our three 20-something daughters, we booked the private ―Imperial‖ tour—regular tours can contain up to 16 people—and were able to travel at our own speed, with our own guide, plus 10 chasquis and a personal cook.

And it was the service that made this a unique trip. Yes, we were hiking for hours every day, at altitude. But we were only responsible for carrying our daypacks with water, camera, sunscreen and jacket, although honestly at times even just this felt quite heavy! The chasquis not only carried all our other gear—sleeping bags, mats, tents, clothes, food etc., but they also set up and broke down camp every day. Each morning we were gently wakened in our tents with a cup of hot coca tea and a basin of warm water to wash up. Other than the bathrooms (indoors, but smelly holes in the ground) and the lack of showers, we honestly felt pampered. The meals were incredible. Peru is a foodie paradise, but we never envisioned we would enjoy dishes like quinoa pancakes, mushroom ceviche, guacamole, fried trout, and stuffed peppers out in the wilderness. Every evening relaxing before dinner, we enjoyed ―happy hour‖ with popcorn, hot tea and on the last day, incredibly, a beautifully decorated iced cake! And sleeping in a tent is not a problem when you are exhausted from walking all day.

Trekking on the Inca Trail is rated as moderately difficult. It covers a range of topography from rolling hills to steep inclines and declines, though not ―technical‖ climbing. Sturdy hiking shoes and walking poles (especially for downhills, can be rented) are desirable. On the second day the trail rises to almost 14,000 feet (4200+ meters) on a punishing stone staircase up to the scarily named ―Dead Woman’s Pass.‖ Imagine climbing uneven rock steps for 2 straight hours. But then picture a 360-degree panoramic view at the top, an eye-popping display of snow covered mountains and lush green valleys. Our guide told us the trail is full of surprises, and this was true. It seemed that every hard effort was rewarded with a lovely view, an unusual plant or flower, a winding river, sparkling lake or fascinating ruin. At one of our favorite rest stops, we sat on a grassy terrace looking out over a gorgeous mountain range, sharing our space with just a family of llamas.

While the trail was difficult, it is doable for anyone in reasonably good shape and health. Our guide said no one on his trips has ever failed to finish, and he has guided people as young as 8 and as old as 82. His constant advice to us was to hike our own hike, not worrying about others, going ―poquito a poquito‖. A good motto for any challenge.

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Machu Picchu It is traditional to try to arrive at the Sun Gate entrance above Machu Picchu at sunrise on the fourth day, which requires waking up at 3:30 am to wait in line at the park entrance to hike in at daybreak. Not sure if it is darkest before the dawn, but it is definitely coldest. The last few hours of hiking were filled with nervous anticipation, but after finally hauling ourselves up the last steep ―Gringo Killer‖ stairs, we arrived at our destination. Under a completely clear blue sky, Machu Picchu lay nestled below, a jewel surrounded by green mountains, the exact mysterious city of our imaginations. Often, trekkers are disappointed to see a thick cloud cover, but we watched the sun move across the mountain faces quickly illuminating the ruins as we hiked down to the site.

Machu Picchu itself is fascinating with its flawless stonewalls, intriguing sun temple, rock structures and green terraces. It seems to radiate a sense of peace and majesty that is difficult to describe, and one can’t help but admire the ingenuity of the Inca architects and builders. Unlike the Inca Trail, it is actually quite crowded, and at lower altitude, so also quite hot, especially as the day goes on; but this does not really diminish the experience. Although we were tired from the early start, we were reluctant to leave this beautiful place, but when we finally did, we carried away a tremendous sense of accomplishment made all the more special by having journeyed together as a family.

Those going to Machu Picchu take a short flight to Cusco, a vibrant city with both Inca and Spanish influences. Cusco is at over 11,000 feet so tourists are susceptible to altitude sickness. A good solution is to acclimate more gradually by visiting the Sacred Valley first, then return back to Cusco for a few days before starting your trek. Although we purchased Diamox, a drug that helps with altitude sickness, over the counter here in Brasil, we did not need it, and instead drank a lot of the popular hot coca tea to keep our energy up.

We can recommend David MayhuireRamos, davidm14499@hotmail.com, for private transport and wonderful guided tours in the Sacred Valley, and also the Tambo del Inka hotel in Urubamba. Enjoyed feeding llamas and alpacas, watching local weavers, and shopping at open-air markets. In the little village of Chinchero, we attended Mass in a chapel filled with flowers next to little Peruvian ladies in traditional dress, and later enjoyed a local fair where we appeared to be the only tourists. And yes we sampled the local delicacy of roasted guinea pig.

In Cusco we loved the Aranwa Boutique Hotel, which is so full of antiques and art that we felt like we were sleeping in a museum. Cusco is a fun place to wander with lots of museums, colonial churches, Inca walls and ruins nearby and lots of inexpensive shopping. We recommend the outdoor dining at Pachamama and the Fallen Angel bar where the tables are fish tanks made from antique bathtubs.

And again we very highly recommend Llamapath and James Palma Herrera, james_jeykof@hotmail.com, our guide, who leads other treks, and gives tours of the Sacred Valley and surrounding area—smart guy and excellent English. We learned so much from him about the beauty of the Inca culture.

Finally treat yourself to a splurge after the hike in Aguas Calientes at the Machu Picchu Pueblo Hotel. This hotel is a little slice of paradise.

Feel free to contact me with questions at susanloveland54@msn.com. Boa Viagem!

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Events

Sneak Preview – ―Getting the Show on the Road‖… with Special Guest cellist David Chew Friday October 4 at 7.30pm at Jubilee Hall – Botafogo Come join us and celebrate the talented musicians and dancers of Art & Social Transformation who are leaving to tour across the United States. You are invited to a Sneak Preview of ―Getting the Show on the Road‖ featuring Brazil’s favorite music and dance: Bossa Nova, Samba, Frevo, Maculelê (African/ Brazilian music and dance) performed by the talented youth of Art & Social Transformation.

Free show and refreshments!

Everyone is Welcome!

Donations gratefully received.

Special Guest Performance by: celebrated UK cellist and leader of the Brazil Symphony Orchestra -

David Chew.

Please RSVP to: franziska.lohl@gmx.de to put your name on the list at the security gate.

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A few ex-pat families have indicated the desire to adopt children here in Brazil, but are not sure how to go about it, so I decided to help these families to go through this maze that is required in any adoption process. I have three adopted children, so I know that sometimes adoption can be frustrating when dealing with bureaucracy, especially when there are children in shelters waiting for a family that they desperately need.

Brazilian law states that any person (married/single/divorced, etc.) can adopt as long as he/she has the minimum age requirement which is 21 years old. The child needs to be at least 16 years younger than the prospective parent, and not over 18 years of age.

For those who are Brazilian citizens or have a permanent residency status, the requirements are the same and are as follows: 1. Attend a meeting that takes place at the Juvenile Court (downtown Rio) in order to be officially register to adopt and also to receive instructions of the steps that follow. After this meeting…

2. Provide the following documentation: - ID cards and CPF; - Marriage license or birth certificate (if not married); - Proof of residency; - Proof of income; - Medical report of mental and physical well being; - Letter of Reference from two individual (cannot be related to the prospective parent); For those who are here on a temporary visa, the requirements are the same as for an ―International Adoption‖, even though the prospective parent is living here. For such, the Brazilian government needs to see that this child will have the proper immigration status from the prospective parent’s country of origin.

If you are not sure how to go about it, I recommend hiring an immigration attorney in your country of origin to file the necessary paperwork on your behalf. Because each country has different requirements, I can only assist those who are from the United States because I am familiar with the American adoption requirements.

Once you have obtained a formal approval from your country’s authorities stating that you are eligible to adopt or bring a child from another country, the Brazilian government will consider you as a prospective parent for adoption, and at that point, I will help you finalize the adoption process here in Rio. Contact: Tina Wagner tinabwagner@yahoo.com

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Magic of Itatiaia History Itatiaia National Park is the first and so also the oldest National Park of Brazil. It was inaugurated in 1937 and covers almost 30.000 hectares of the larger Environmental Protection Area of the Mantiqueira mountain range. Getting to the Itatiaia Park from Rio de Janeiro is a +/- 200 km drive via the BR116 (Rio – São Paulo).

can continue following the road until reaching a bridge over the Campo Belo river, which is the end of the line for your car.

Typical trail in Itatiaia.Rocky and sometimes pretty steep, but well maintained and safe.

From that point you can start a few short hikes to see the various waterfalls in the area, or the longer ones (20-30km) into the higher parts of the park.

If you only have a day or afterVeu da Noiva (bride’s veil) noon, it’s advisable to do only the waterfall in Itatiaia short hikes. The longer ones are serious hikes and require equipHow to get there? ment, food and water, since you Coming from Rio de Janeiro, Folwould be spending the night in low the BR116 (Dutra) and take the exit for Itatiaia, right after the one of the shelters higher up in “Graal” restaurant. Follow the indi- the mountains.

The trails in the lower part of the cations to the National park and park are rocky and sometimes you arrive at the gate… The enpretty steep, but well maintained trance fee is 11R$ per person and safety equipment is in place. (about 7 Usd).

In some parts there are stairways There is no entry fee for the car. to make the climb easier.

They will give you a badge that you need to return upon exiting the park. They want to make sure Food After seeing the Veu da Noiva and that everybody is accounted for.

Once inside the park, you just fol- Itaporani waterfalls, and the low the road, which climbs steadily Piscina da Maromba, it was time for some lunch.Don’t worry if you to an altitude of about 1.100m.

After about 4km there’s a visitor’s didn’t bring any food yourself, because the park is home to a rescenter/museum, where you can taurant, not far from the parking see the history of the creation of the park, old photos and an inter- near the Piscina da Maromba.

At 40R$ (about 26 Usd) per peresting exposition about all the son (without drinks and tip of plants and animals in the park.

Interesting, but not surprising, to 10%) it is certainly not cheap. Ok, it’s “all you can eat”, but seriously, find out that there are even Pumas (OnçaParda) in these forests. I can buy veggies for a whole week for that kind of money. AnyNear the center, you can stretch your legs for a short 15-20 minute ways, at least the food was delihike, descending to the “Lagoazul” cious and it is one of the first Once past the visitor’s center, you times that I had 3 courses in a

restaurant in Brazil, including dessert.

One thing I never saw a restaurant doing before, was that after making the tab, the waiter told me that he would write the price INCLUSIVE a 10% mark-up on the back of the note, and that I was “free to pay that extra 10% if I thought that the service was good”… OK, the service wasn’t bad at all, but this restaurant already charged “tourist” prices, which I found extremely high, so I took the liberty of not paying the extra 10%. I still paid almost double of what a comparable lunch in a “non-touristic” restaurant would cost.

Birds

This little guy came to sit right beside me to have his picture taken. It was one of the most colourful birds around there, and is known in Brazil as “Saira de Sete cores” – Do you see the seven colours?

The great thing about this restaurant though, wasn’t so much the food, but the fact that they had a few bird feeders hanging just outside near the deck, and it was a coming and going of the most colourful birds I had ever seen (outside of a zoo that is).

I know that at this point I’m supposed to start proclaiming a list with the names of all the birds I saw there, but I’m everything but an ornithologist, so I can just tell you that I saw various species of hummingbirds (also known as Colibris (where I come from) and October 2013 The ECHO

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Magic of Itatiaia “Beija-flor” in Brazil), very colourful little birds called “saira de sete cores” (7 coloredSaira) and other ones, one of which I’m pretty sure was a woodpecker (in the colours of the Belgian – or German – flag)

Hummingbirds - Extremely hard to get a good photo of these guys…

Besides the birds, there were a few other animals we had the honour of spotting. There were squirrels, monkeys, butterflies, It was the first time ever that I some crawling creatures like liztried to take pictures of hummingards and centipedes, but unfortubirds in flight and I have to tell nately (or luckily, just the way you you… It isn’t easy. These guys are look at it) we didn’t see a puma. so fast that, by the time the autoAll in all, the Itatiaia National park focus did its job and Ipressed the is a great place to visit for anyone button, the feeder was in the picwho wants to get a feel of the ture, but no bird :) I probably Atlantic rainforest. It gives you an spent half an hour taking picture idea about what most of the south after picture, but in the end I did -east and south of Brazil must go home with a few decent ones have been like before the (all lucky shots of course). “smartest species on the planet” started to destroy it.

Woodpecker (Pique a pau) in the colors of the Belgian flag

By Raf Kiss AngloINFO Rio de Janeiro

October 2013 The ECHO

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Our Calendar

Mauro Marcondes Rodrigues Peter W Hartshorn Daniel de Souza Lisa Mosse Gudrun Potrz Pat Pendy Cavalcanti Berta Thompson

Sunday

Monday

1 6 9 9 11 15 15

Amel Aouacheri-Drouet Michael Royster Mary Mitchell Laura Basaloco-Lapo Ginny Philps Annabel Ross

16 17 19 21 24 27

Tuesday

Wednesday

Thursday

Friday

Saturday

1

2

3

4 Getting the show on the Road (AST)

5

6

7

8 Cafezinho Zona Sul

9

10 Happy Hour Saloon 79

11

12

13

14

15

16

17

18

19

20 Happy Hour Hollandaise Barra

21

22 Cafezinho Barra

23

24

25

26

27

28

29 General Meeting

30

31

October 2013 The ECHO

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Those who make it happen E x e c u ti v e B o a r d 2 0 1 3 President Bonnie Kobert Harrison president@incrio.org.br Vice President

Mike Royster

mr.royster@uol.com.br

Treasurer

Tina Wagner

treasurer@incrio.org.br

Secretary

Susan Loveland

Membership Director Charity Director Fundraising Director Communications Director Events Director

susanloveland54@msn.com

Liliana Perilla Rojas

dentijet@gmail.com

Robyn Thompson

cc@incrio.org.br

Anna Whyte

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Jolanda Maltha

webmaster@incrio.org.br

Melissa Mello e Souza

melissamsouza@globo.com

Communication Team

Coordinators Webmaster The Echo InConnection

Jolanda Maltha Brenda Ledesma Denise Luna

communication@incrio.org.br

Facebook page

Victor Harrison

Facebook Group

Naomi Cohen

General Meetings

Jackie Stern

jdb@amcham.com

Hospitality

Jane Wood

janeandleswood@yahoo.com

Tanya Matheus

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Welcome Coordinator Cafezinho’s

Jane Wood (Zona Sul) Carolyn Stacey (Barra)

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Ac t i v i t y C o o r d i n a t o r s Book Club Bridge Concert Information Fun Cooking Club

Robyn Thompson Coca Caputo

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Margarita Mari Lucia Helena Assad

lhassad@uol.com.br

September 2013 The ECHO

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