CHANGING THE WORLD ALWAYS NEEDS VOLUNTEERS
Belo Horizonte
Belo Horizonte (Beautiful horizon) owes its name to the astounding view of the hills surrounding the city. It was the first planned city in the country, built at the beginning of the nineteenth century. Its design is filled with tree-lined streets and modern as well as colonial buildings. This city is one of the first options tourists choose to visit, discover why!
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No one can ever get tired of the city: there is always something to do or somewhere to go. Belo Horizonte is filled with recreational and cultural sites and has several natural places to visit.
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Nature and Parks: In the Pampulha neighborhood you will find many modern buildings, but you can also find one of the most stunning sights of Belo Horizonte: an artificial lagoon called �Pampulha�. There are many parks in the city; the most famous are �Parque Municipal Am�rico Renn� Giannetti�, �Parque Ecol�gico da Pampulha� and �Funda��o Zoo-Bot�nica�.
Architecture: One of the richest architectural places is �Pra�a Rui Barbosa�. It was placed right in front of the old railway station, where you can see architecture of the last century. Each neighborhood of Belo Horizonte has its own features and entering each of them is like entering different communities of the city; �Barrio Prado�, �Barrio Preto� and �Barrio Santo Agostinho� are only some of the neighborhood you must visit.
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Museums & Unique Places: There are plenty of museums in the city, some of them are �Museu de Arte e Of�cios�, where you can discover the pillars of today�s Brazilian�s society, �Museu Giramundo� there are near one thousand puppets and some of �lvaro Apocalypse�s work, �Museu Mineiro� displaying Belo Horizonte�s history. Also, there are many cultural places you should visit such as �Pra�a do Papa� called like that after the Pope John Paul II visited in the 80�s, or the �Feira Hippie� where you can buy any kind of handcrafted souvenirs.
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Nightlife & Restaurants: Belo Horizonte is acknowledged for its bars and nightlife. If you are a bar fan, maybe you should consider traveling to the city in April, during Comida di Buteco festival and enjoy Brazilian�s culture and food every night. Many bars and restaurants can be found in S�o Antonio and Jo�o Pinheiro neighborhoods and Mercado Central. Youcan also spend the night in the �Parque Guanabara�, one of the first choices for family entertainment.
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The proximity to the Equator makes the city less humid and hotter than other Northern cities. The average annual temperature is 23�C. The city is not windy and the overall temperature is moderate. Hot season is from October to March, and cold season is from April to September. You can travel to the city all year round, but it is better to travel during the cold season (less rainfall).
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Belo Horizonte has two airports, �Aeroporto Carlos Drummond� (Pampulha neighborhood) and �Aeroporto Internacional Tancredo Neves� (Confins neighborhood). Only the second one has international flights. �Terminal Rodoviaria" is the most complete bus station of the region and it is placed in the center of the city. The city is well-served with taxis, buses and combis (private van services that serve the same routes as the city�s official buses).
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-Ecotourism: Parque Ecol�gico da Pampulha, Funda��o Zoo-Bot�nica, Pampulha and Parque Municipal Am�rico Renn� Giannetti.
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-Unique Places: Mercado Central, Pra�a do Papa, Feira Hippie, Parque Guanabara and Museu Giramundo,among others.
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-Entertainment: Restaurants, pubs, bars, Parque Guanabara, S�o Antonio and Jo�o Pinheiro neighborhoods.
TESTIMONIALS
I am a graduate student in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese at Indiana University. After completing a couple of semesters of basic Portuguese, I wanted to take my language proficiency to the next level by visiting a language school in Brazil. I was impressed by the quality of instruction. My teachers taught me advanced grammar concepts and provided me with written and spoken exercises to practice my new found knowledge. Group lessons provided a context in which to apply what I learned and individual lessons provided me with the opportunity to focus on particular topics. By the end of my six weeks course I was speaking Portuguese better than ever and I was more than satisfied with the results. I have returned to Indiana University where I am currently enrolled in a 500-level Portuguese literature class. I am able to understand and participate in all class discussions because of my experience in Brazil. My teachers there prepared me well!�''Portuguese course.�Robert Fritz
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''I study art history at the University of Delaware. As an art history major I have particularly enjoyed visiting the twin cities of Cachoeira and S�o Felix. There, I loved the character of Cachoeira and seeing the architectural restoration projects underway. In Salvador I have really enjoyed the �charme of the city;� it was really relaxed while maintaining the commotion of a big city. People in the city are friendly, welcoming and accessible.''�Portuguese course.�Angelina Meehan
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''What I really appreciated about the school was how many options it created for us. We had trips to historic sites, a surfing weekend, day-long excursions, and everything was ready for us, Jailson really took care of us. The school also arranged day trips to local festivals with tour guides who knew the layout of the city and made us feel at ease. In the classroom, the professors are easy going, fun-loving, and professional. They knew exactly what I needed to know to communicate in the city. Because of my Portuguese classes, I was able to chat with locals and experience the city in a different way''.�Portuguese course. Paul Nithan
''I spent the month of January in Salvador. As a singer, I took advantage of the city�s thriving music scene. and sang in various places around the city, including the Museum of Modern Art�s weekly Jazz music session. There I found the atmosphere lively and open and the musicians friendly and welcoming. Furthermore I also enjoyed singing at music clubs in Salvador�s Rio Vermelho neighborhood!''�Portuguese course. Marianne, Switzerland
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