after returning from nissan, adrian and i….
-LAUNDRY: laundry here is insanely expensive. one place wanted $25 to wash/dry one load, another few wanted $15 (and it would take about 36 hrs).
-BRAZILIANS ARE NICE (TAKE 1): after giving up on the laundry, we visited the IPPUC (curitiba’s center for innovative urban planning initiatives). the staff there was very friendly….offering us a stack of books from their library, pamphlets/brochures to take home, internet, coffee, etc.
-OPERA HOUSE: the curitiba opera house is very cool. surrounded by a small pond and trees, the structure is made of a metal wire-frame with glass in-between. it kind of looks like a birdcage in a beautiful little park (isolated from the busy city life).
-LIGHTHOUSE OF KNOWLEDGE: just up the road is one of the famous lighthouses. they’re small public libraries with computers and other services. this one actually had an authentic lighthouse (the motor used to turn the light-reflector was in disrepair, though). the idea is that the building is easy to see and can cast the light of knowledge over the city.
-BRAZILIANS ARE NICE (TAKE 2): from there, we hiked a couple kilometers to the free university for the environment. the road is a bit confusing, so a 3rd grader led us to the park — she was really mature. the cool wood building is nestled in another beautiful landscape with a cliff face, pond and trees. the building was closed, but from my understanding, it is more of a hippie community center, where everyone is both a teacher and student.
-BRAZILIANS ARE NICE (TAKE 3): next, we checked out the federal university (first one in brasil), then walked to the theater across the street. there was a concert about to start featuring elba ramalho. we decided to try to get tickets to see him (we later learned elba was a woman). while in line, a man walked up and offered us 2 free tickets! apparently he got them for free from work and couldn’t go. the audience at the concert was really enthusiastic: clapping at the start of the songs (before the band told them to), waving their hands (literally everyone raised their hands when elba told us to), singing, etc. it was a fun experience.
