So as soon as my program in Palmas had ended I was ready to leave the city and go to my next destination. Originally, I was told I would stay an extra week in Palmas before going to my next sight. I was not willing to spend more time than necessary in Palmas because I there was not much to do or see and it was extremely hot there. I spoke to the person who usually did my travel arrangement and she managed to get me a earlier flight out of Palmas. I would stay in Brasilia for 10 days before going to the next place. I was fine with that plan, Brasilia in my book is a more better place to get stuck. 
My time is Brasilia worked out great actually. I was able to go back to IABC and get the rest of my stuff since I would be spending my last two months in Brasilia. While in Brasilia I was able to bond with the girls I would be living with during the last few months in Brazil. I also had the opportunity to explore Brasilia and learn more about the city. Several months ago when I was living in Brasilia with Pr. Jairo and Gilza but I was living in the southwestern part of the city but now I was living basically in the center of the city.
This time around in Brasilia I ended living in an apartment. The apartment is very big and modern. There are some drawbacks though. It is, located on one of the main streets in the center so it’s pretty noisy. I also have a very pitiful room. It looks and feels like a prison cell because it is rectangular and only has a bed and a closet because there is no room for any more furniture. When I brought back the rest of my stuff from IABC I had to store them outside my room because I did not have enough space. On the positive side though, I have my own bathroom.
Even though my room is like a cell and I am constantly serenaded by car horns and car before going to bed, I love the location and the ambiance of the area. This area though in the heart of the city has a country-like feel. There are a lot of trees and parks. I love walking so I have ample of opportunities to go walking and exploring at any time of the day without having to feel the full effects of the sun. Also, in the center the apartment buildings are grouped in blocks. Several apartment buildings make up a block and each block is separated by a row of commercial buildings. Everything is really well organized.
So while I was here in Brasilia, I was able to visit some of the city monuments which were not really that beautiful and interesting never the less. Here are the some of them.
In the distance you can see the Brazilian Twin Tower or the National Congress Building!
Here's a close up view.
Here is the Cathedral. Inside it is not that beautiful. But it has perfect austics. Really cool. The building is circular inside so if you something even a whisper close to the wall the person standing at any distance away as long as they are beside the wall will hear it.
I'm not too sure of the name of this monument but it's near the cathedral.
This is the famous Brasilian JK Bridge. It was named after the President that constructed Brazil is over the lake. The rich people in Brasilia live one side of the bridge. As you cross the rich side you can see the large house and even some on the lake.
So let me give you a brief history on Brasilia. Brasilia was constructed in the late 1950’s but was officially inaugurated in 1960’s by President Juscelino Kubitschek also called JK (jota ka). The area where Brasilia currently occupies was bare unoccuppied land so the city was constructed from the ground up. The construction of the city was carefully planned and carried out by the architect who won the contest President JK had for the design of the new capital. The city was constructed in the shape of an airplane. Pr. Jairo and Gilza live at the back part of the airplane and while I was staying on the southern wing of the plane. One of the big things that was constructed was the lake. This lake is really huge and runs throughout most of central Brasilia. The lake was constructed to offset the dry winters of Brasilia.
So here are some cool things about Brasilia. Residential buildings cannot be higher than 6 stories. That is a law in Brasilia. Another thing is pedestrians have the right to use the life sign or senal da vida whenever they cross the road. That means, whenever they go to a pedestrian crossing or as Americans say cross walk, they just have to lift their hands in the air and the cars have to stop so they can cross. If the drivers don’t stop they can be prosecuted but I have noticed that most cars really stop. It’s really cool. Another thing, on Sundays, the main road in the center Eixão is closed to all vehicular traffic from 6am-6pm. This street is right in front of the apartment so I have a large area to go walking.
Well my vacation time is up and now I'm off to Cuiaba. It is supposedly the hottest place in Brazil. I'm going to need help to survive this city if it's hotter than Palmas. I'll keep up dated in future blogs.
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