29.11.10 - 01.12.10 Brasilia

After another gruelling 24 hour bus ride we arrived in Brasilia. Brasilia is radically different to any other city in Brasil, or any I have experienced for that matter. The city is only 60 years old. Before that it was just a vast open planalto. The city was the brainchild of the president Juscelino Kubitschek who promised he would build a new capital located inland within Brazil in just 5 years. Oscar Neimeyer (who else?) designed most of the government buildings whilst Lucio Costa was appointed as urban planner. The city plan is in the shape of an aeroplane. The fuselage is named the Eixo Monumental and is lined by most of the public buildings with a main bus station at the centre. Where the wings hit the fuselage sit the hotels then further down the wings the commercial sectors then the resdential areas. Streets have numbers not names. Addresses have names like 'Superquadra 405'. The whole place reminds me of a Stanley Kubrick film he never made. Very futuristic whilst at the same retro if not kitch. It's incredibly alienating, lacks colour, history or culture yet I love it. My favourite city in Brazil so far. I think I need therapy.

The city is not designed for walking which made our 4.5hr walk though the centre a real adventure. If anyone remembers the computer game 'frogger' - It was just like that! Well worthy on mention is the awesome Cathedral Metropoliana Brasilia and the Praca dos Tres Poderes (square of the 3 powers). No need to waffle on with shallow anecdotes here. I will let the pictures speak for themselves. Adios...

Along the Eixo Monumental. The enormous central park completely deserted. Not even landscaped. A rogue stranger ran into the frame of the shot. Think she was a tourist..

Cathedral Metrololitana Brasilia - Super cool....

The Bibloteca National

The Praca dos Tres Poderes and the National Congress Building

The Esplanada dos Ministerios. Aliens have landed

The Teatro National - Built in the form of an Aztec Temple

The Palacio da Justica