Belem, Brazil

February 24, 2008

Wow! What a country of contrast Brazil is! On one hand you have high-rise condominiums with fantastic views while on the other hand the shadows of these buildings fall on fevelas (sp?) ...the slums of Brazil.

My day in Belem offered the same contrast. I signed up for a tour called “Arts and Culture of Belem”. I wasn’t at all sure what this would entail, but decided to go for it. As it turned out, this tour offered me a great view of part of Brazil that I didn’t think existed.

We visited an opera theater, three museums, a botanical garden complete with a “Borboletario” (butterfly aviary!). Each visit was more exciting and impressive than the last!

The Da Paz Theater, opened in 1878, was built in neo-classical style. Like other theaters we have seen this fancy show place boasted cane-bottomed chairs....designed to be cooler in these hot and humid climates. Seating 1,100 patrons in an auditorium that has fantastic acoustics, the list of performers that have performed on this stage is staggering. Even our guide, an opera singer in an earlier life, told us of his time on that stage....and, indeed, he gave us an impromptu concert as we sat in the rear and he projected a very believable rendition of “Ava Maria”. It was an amazing building and so nice to see.

Our next stop was to the Museum of Sacred Arts, where we saw the most unbelievable collection of religious iconography. I simply could not believe that I was still in Brazil. What a magnificent collection of silver chalices, (many imbedded with semi and precious stones), sculpture, crucifixes and other amazing religious imagery. And best of all, this great collection was presented in as professional manner as I have ever seen. Dark halls with sensitive mountings and the most incredible and focused lighting all worked together to give you that spine-tingling feeling that you are seeing something very special. I was really blown away! Although there were many memorable items in that great museum, I will never forget a collection of small...about 12 inches high....crucifixes. Our guide challenged us to examine these sculptures very carefully and we would, if very observant, see something quite amazing. No one, it seems, had such a good eye and we were all impressed when he told us that the “blood” that dotted the bodies of the Christ figures on the various crosses was the tips of larger rubies that were imbedded within the wood of the sculpture...a very cleaver way for someone at sometime to smuggle these precious stones out of somewhere without detection. I wonder how many other such statues I have seen that were likewise equally precious and I didn’t realize what I was looking at.

Next we visited an old fort that was built along the edge of the river eons ago. It was impressive on its own, but within the confines of this fort was yet another museum....this time a small archeological museum. Here we learned about the early inhabitants of the region seeing their tools and other aspects of their lives. Most peculiar were the “chastity stones”...that were apparently laced onto the bodies of young women to protect them from would-be suitors! Also impressive was a collection of large pottery jugs that once held the bones of the dead. These vessels were so beautiful...and so contemporary in sprit that if you hadn’t told me I would have thought that they were made by modern craftsmen....amazing. And once again, like the religious icon museum, the presentation of this collection was exceptional!

We took a brief stop in a botanical garden where we saw the most beautiful landscape you can imagine. Sensitive and creative fountains, paths, butterfly house and aviary all worked together to make a most enjoyable stroll through nature...and again, I kept reminding myself that I was in Brazil....where was the graffiti, the dilapidated buildings? Where were the lean-to houses and the filthy streets and alleys? It was such a breath of fresh air...beautifully presented. And once again I spotted something I will never forget....red ibis. The most amazing colored birds I have ever seen...difficult to describe because of the intensity of the sharp corral? scarlet? Blood-orange? color you have ever seen.

Our final stop was at a gemology museum that was housed in a former prison. Throughout Brazil we have visited old prisons that have been converted into “shopping malls” complete with tourist junk. I assumed this would be another such adventure. Was I ever wrong! This old prison, which operated as a jail until only eight years ago has been converted into a museum of the gemstones of Brazil. Again, like the other two museums, what a presentation of a collection. Who did that lighting? Unbelievable! And then other “cells” had been converted into shops, but unlike the previous similar facilities, these shops were first rate jewelry stores offering very beautiful and very expensive “bobbles”.

So, as I boarded the bus to take the 35-40 minute ride back to the pier where we had to catch a ferry boat tender back to the ship, I was feeling better about Brazil...that there was some “art and culture” in this place.

My enthusiasm was short-lived.

Our tender encountered very turbulent currents and the cheap white plastic chairs that were on the ferry started sliding across the wet floor. People were thrown all over the place like pick-up sticks. The legs of the chairs buckled and those that had not been removed from their chairs from sliding were bolted out from collapsing chairs. It was a bit chaotic to say the least. Back on board we learned that one friend had been stabbed as his camera was stolen and at least two or three others were robbed of their cash. I quickly came back to the reality that I was in Brazil!
But at least when I think back to my experience in Brazil I can remember the exceptional collections I saw in Belem and the extraordinary manner that they were presented. It gives me hope for the rest of the country!