Introduction

Welcome to the Gringoes.com email newsletter!
This newsletter pulls together some of the articles, photos, polls and other information that has been published on the Gringoes.com web site over the last week or so. Don't forget to visit the Gringoes.com site to checkout our article archive, useful information pages, classified adverts, services, forum and other pages. So read on and we hope you enjoy the newsletter. As always if you have any comments, such as what you'd like to see more or less of on the site or newsletter, don't hesitate to contact us at gringoes@gringoes.com.
Please note that although we are based in São Paulo, the site and newsletter are for the whole of Brazil. We are particularly interested in hearing from people outside of São Paulo city, specifically Rio de Janeiro and the Northeast, so if you would like to write about your experiences or any topic related to Brazil see our request for "Article Writers" below.
If you're interested to know the origin behind the site name, then read the "Dear Gringo" article here by Dr. G.


Brazil: A Spa that Takes Care of Body and Soul

By Marilyn Diggs
April 29, 2008
A shy knock on the door and a smiling face greets me with a tray holding a terracotta vase, herbs, grainy salt and a glass of thick juice. As I down the yummy antioxidant juice, I follow the instructions tied with a ribbon around the vase, to prepare for my herbal bath - an Afro-Brazilian cleansing ritual. So begins my back-to-nature activities to care for my body, mind and spirit in the Mantiqueira Mountains, just 3 hours from São Paulo.
A recommendation and a visit to the webpage convinced me to see the Ponto de Luz (Point of Light) hotel and spa for myself. Founded in 1994, it was the first holistic spa in Brazil and satisfied guests report it is the best. The owner, Ma Dhyan Bhayva, pioneered alternative therapies and today has professional therapists not only practicing millennium treatments like Oriental massages, but also employing recent technology such as the Beamer Light Pen (see photo below), a technique using colored light on meridians and chakras. Today, Ponto de Luz is associated with the ABCSpas - Brazilian Association of Naturist Clinics and Spas - and is known for its emphasis on relaxation and meditation.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


There´s No Business Like Oil Business - in Brazil Anyway

By John Fitzpatrick
April 28, 2008
Oil has seldom been far from the headlines in Brazil since the state-owned petroleum giant, Petrobras, announced at the end of last year that it had discovered large new offshore reserves of oil and gas. Should these reserves be recoverable then Brazil is set to become not only an oil exporter but one of the world´s biggest producers. The news was hailed by investors and share prices in Petrobras rose sharply. However, a comment by the head of the National Petroleum Agency (ANP), Haroldo Lima, on April 14 suggesting that there were further deposits of oil which could be five times greater raised the stakes even higher and pushed up the share price of Petrobras and other associated companies not only in Brazil but all over the world. You might think this would be good news for Brazil but it was not, since Lima not only jumped the gun but may have given inaccurate information and, at the same time, he completely mishandled the way major news involving publicly-traded companies should be communicated.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Article Writers - Gringoes.com Wants You!

Are you a "Gringo" or Brazilian interested in writing for our site? Have you...

Photo of the Week

The photo of the week is titled Whoo You Looking At? taken by Robert McCadden in Saquarema, Rio de Janeiro. Click here to see the photo.
Thanks to all those who've sent in photos based on our request, but we can always do with more. So if you have a funny or unusual photo depicting life in Brazil please send it to gringoes@gringoes.com with ‘Photo of the Week’ in the subject line. Ideally we are after photos that are of something a little different, not traditional shots of beaches and sunsets. Please send relatively high resolution images (0.5 Megapixel / 640 x 480 or bigger), and let us know where you took the photo and if you have a title for it.


Brazil Through Foreign Eyes

April 25, 2008
Meet John Graves from the USA who has recently travelled to Brazil. Read the following interview in which he tells us about some of his most memorable experiences from Brazil and gives some useful advice to newcomers.
1. Tell us a little about yourself, where are you from, what do you do etc.?
Oí, Tudo Bem? My name is John, I am 41 from the state of Wisconsin which I have lived my entire life. Living in Wisconsin has shown me the love of the outdoors; fishing, boating, hiking, camping, and winter sports, snowball fight anyone? I am a musician and enjoy listening to a diverse mix of music as well as creating my own. I am divorced and have two of the most wonderful kids, my daughter Isabelle is 9, soon to be 10 and my son Nikolas is 12, soon to be a teenager, Uh Oh! Currently I am employed as a test engineer and designer for an engine controller/fuel systems company.
2. When did you arrive in Brazil and what brought you here?
Well, the most wonderful love of my life, Luciana is what brought me to Brazil. She lives and works in São Paulo, which makes her a Paulistana! As a surprise to me, she came to spend the most wonderful Christmas together and since this was my very first international flight, she wanted to keep me company. On December 29th of 2007, I arrived in Sao Paulo at the Guarulhos Airport along with her!
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Brazil: Hidden Pousadas - Pousada da Amendoeira, Alagoas

By Alison McGowan
April 15, 2008
Pousada da Amendoeira is total tranquility. You wake up to the sound of the waves gently breaking on the beach and to the sun rising directly in front of you. All 6 individual bungalows face the sea and are set in a "v" shape so that all have some kind of seaview. "Rustic chic" in style, floors are of polished concrete, inlaid with bricks and antique tiles; furniture in turn is a mix of paint stripped French style and roughly hewn specially made wood furniture, a combination which somehow works. Beds are comfortable, showers are good and hammocks sway gently on the verandas and by the beach.
All this would be enough for a great stay on its own but what makes the whole pousada special is the wonderful personalized service from Adriana, Allan and the whole staff, together with little touches like the twigs which double as hooks in the bathroom, the bamboo lampshades, the fresh flowers in your room, the tables made out of treetrunks and the delicious home-made food.
Pousada da Amendoeira came highly recommended, so we were expecting good things. We were definitely not disappointed.
…click here to read the rest of the article>>


Discussion Forum

If you've not had a chance yet then pop over to our web forum, register, and start joining in the discussion about Brazil. There are many forum areas such as Living in Brazil, Teaching English, Visas and Documentation, and even a place to Vent Your Frustrations! If you've got some burning question about Brazil, or just want to discuss a particular topic, then you're bound to get an answer there.
There's also a forum which allows you to comment and give us feedback on Gringoes.com, either with your views about past articles, areas of the site, or to make suggestions for future articles and content.
Note that foul language, abusive posts and certain types of advertising in the forum will not be tolerated. Make sure to check the Read This First area first before posting. The forum is intended to be a constructive and lighthearted place for discussion about Brazil.


Forex

The US Dollar has fallen over the fortnight, from R$1.69 to R$1.66. The Euro has also fallen, from R$2.68 to R$2.57. The British Pound continues the trend, falling from R$3.33 to R$3.28.