🇬🇧 How to expand your horizons

One of the best things about the lifestyle of cultural nomads is getting to know new places, new cultures, new flavours, etc. Curiosity moves us. We love art and culture and to live new experiences.

In this text I will give some tips for those who have never done it and want to start expanding their horizons. Especially for those who live in a small town, without much choice, and want to try something different. Of course, the tips are also useful for those who live in big cities and don't have the habit of going to places they don't know, eating in different restaurants, etc.

• Travel to nearby cities on weekends. Here on the site there are tips on how to make your own travel itinerary.
• Include several restaurants in your schedule. Follow my social media profiles for suggestions.
• Try making different recipes at home. Here on the site there are some great recipes. Follow the tag / column "Savouring the world".
• If you don't usually go out alone, do it. Go see a movie, theatre, museum, or music show on your own to get started. These are very safe activities to do on your own.
• Read books in styles other than what you usually read. There are several texts with book recommendations on this site.
• Go to film festivals and events that feature films other than what you usually see or explore the streaming channel options that no one talks about.
• From time to time attend orchestra and opera performances.
• Follow my Spotify profile to listen to music from all over the world.

Follow my social media profiles for more tips and new posts on this website. The links are in the sidebar.

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Nycka, the Nomad

🇬🇧 What to wear in Brazil in winter

If you have plans to live in Brazil or visit, this text has tips on how to choose what to wear in the country in the winter that is starting. Although winter only officially starts at the end of June, in Brazil the coldest time tends to be from May to August. The tips are also useful for Brazilians planning to travel or move to another city in the country.

Due to its continental dimensions, the climate is not the same throughout Brazil. Don't expect every place you visit to be hot and sunny. Temperatures throughout the country at this time are below 30°C. In the south, below 20°C (at least in capital cities and in the Serra Gaúcha), and you can experience some nights of negative temperatures in some places. Today in Curitiba the temperatures are identical to those in Stockholm. In the mid-season (spring and autumn) Curitiba's temperatures are generally similar to those of Stockholm and Helsinki, lessening the impact of the move for Swedish and Finnish visitors. Not that Curitiba is a tourist city. It is a beautiful city, possibly one of the best capitals in Brazil to live in, but in two days any tourist can see everything that is most interesting (from a tourism point of view) in the city.

I recommend that you research the temperatures of the cities you are going to visit or live in before traveling.

In most of Brazil it is hot all year round, but those who live in hot regions feel the winter because temperatures at this time drop a lot compared to summer temperatures. The experience of visiting and living in a place is different, I've talked about it before, and this is just one of the differences. So unless you come from a place where it's very cold year round, you'll need winter clothes like wool sweaters or leather coats and closed-toe shoes like boots. No need for down coats or snowshoes. But... wellies are a good choice for rainy days. As far as I remember, only in the northeast rains are common in winter, but there is always a risk of rain in other regions. If you come from a very cold place, try the local temperature to see if you need winter clothes. If you are coming as a tourist, I recommend bringing some winter items to avoid problems and I will explain this further later. If you are going to colder regions of the country, heavier coats are recommended, especially if you are coming from a warm place.

If you are going to buy knitwear, the less synthetic materials in the composition, the better. This is a point that makes me recommend to tourists to bring winter clothes. In most Brazilian stores the knits are of low quality, with a lot of synthetic material in the composition, they protect little from the cold and they look old very quickly.

Many Brazilians, when traveling south from the warmer regions, wear countless layers of clothing. It's a silly mistake that takes away mobility. Choosing the right pieces is possible to dress well with a maximum of 3 layers of clothes in southern Brazil and cold cities in other regions. In other parts of the country I recommend two layers only if there is a risk that you will get hot if you use only one.

For personalised guidance and to develop your style, hire my 360° personal branding service.

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Nycka, the Nomad

🇬🇧 How to travel to South Africa with cats and dogs

Yesterday we talked about how to get a temporary residence visa to live in South Africa as an entrepreneur. Today we talk about how to travel to South Africa with your cats and dogs.

• A veterinary import permit is needed to import Dogs & Cats into South Africa.
• Cats are not routinely quarantined on arrival in South Africa. The cat must however have a valid import permit and a correctly completed health certificate, signed and stamped by a government veterinarian of the exporting country. If these documents are not available at the time of the cat’s arrival in South Africa, the cat will be kept in quarantine until the required documentation is presented at the quarantine station.
• Dogs and cats must have a valid rabies vaccination. In the case of a primary rabies vaccination the vaccination must be given not more than 12 months and not less than 30 days before the date of import. In the case of a booster rabies vaccination the vaccination must be given not more than 12 months before the date of import.
• Vaccination against rabies is not required for cats/dogs imported from Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom and Northern Ireland but vaccination against rabies for cats/dogs imported from these countries is advised. This will ensure that the cat/dog has sufficient immunity against rabies on arrival in South Africa to prevent it from contracting rabies in South Africa.
• Puppies/Kittens under three months of age do not need to be vaccinated for rabies. But puppies/kittens less than 3 months of age can only travel to South Africa if the dam/queen of the puppy/kitten has been vaccinated for rabies more than 30 days before and less than 12 months before the birth of the puppy/kitten. These puppies/kittens must be vaccinated for rabies after arrival in South Africa at 3 months of age and proof of the vaccination must be presented to the South African Veterinary Authorities.
• Quarantine of 14 days will be imposed on some dogs, depending on the country of origin of the dog. Dogs from the following list of countries below do not need to go into quarantine on arrival in South Africa. The dog must however have a valid import permit and a correctly completed health certificate, signed and stamped by a government veterinarian of the exporting country. If these documents are not available at the time of the dog’s arrival in South Africa, the dog will be kept in quarantine until the required documentation is presented at the quarantine station.  

 

Europe. 

Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland,  France, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania,  Luxembourg, Malta, the Netherlands, Portugal, Poland, Spain, Slovakia,  Slovenia, Sweden, Switzerland , UK, Norway and Hungary.

North America 

Canada and United States of America

Australasia 

Australia and New Zealand

Africa

Botswana, Comoros, Malawi, Lesotho, Namibia, Swaziland, Zimbabwe, Mauritius.

Asia

Israel

South America

Argentina

• Before a quarantine booking for a dog can be confirmed, the importer must sign an indemnity form. Copies of the indemnity form can be obtained at the Import Export Policy Unit, the permit office and from the two quarantine stations. The original signed indemnity form needs to either be handed in at the quarantine station were the dog will be quarantined or the original signed indemnity form needs to be posted or couriered to the quarantine station. Faxed and scanned copies will not be accepted. Bookings at the quarantine stations will only be confirmed on receipt of the original signed indemnity form.
• If you are importing a dog from an island please contact the Import Export Policy Unit to find out if your dog will be quarantined on arrival in South Africa.
• All dogs and cats imported into South Africa must be permanently identified with a microchip (tattoos will not be accepted). The microchip must be able to be read by an ISO 11784 or ISO 11785 scanners.
• Dogs that will be quarantined on arrival in South Africa may only be imported into South Africa via OR Tambo (Johannesburg) or Cape Town International Airports. Dogs that are being imported from countries not subject to quarantine and cats can also be imported into South Africa via Durban International Airport. Dogs and cats will not be allowed to enter South Africa via any other airport.
• All dogs and cats imported into South Africa must be registered, as manifest cargo and can not fly as excess baggage. The Directorate Animal Health does not have veterinary officials at the passenger terminal of OR Tambo (Johannesburg) and Cape Town International Airport to check the paper work of dogs entering South Africa via the passenger terminal of the respective airports. The dogs and cats can only disembark via the cargo terminal of the respective airports.
• If the airline will allow it the dog or cat may travel in the cabin with the owner but the animal must be registered as manifest cargo and the airline staff must take the animal from the owner on landing so that the animal can be off loaded from the plane via the cargo terminal.
• On arrival at the airport the original Veterinary Import Permit issued by the Directorate Animal Health and the original Veterinary Health Certificate signed, stamped and certified by Veterinary Authorities of the exporting country must be presented to the veterinary officials at the airport before the dog or cat can be released. The documents can either travel with the animal or the person collecting the animal must present the documents to the officials at the airport. The latter is only for animals that are not going into Quarantine on arrival in South Africa. The paperwork of animals going into quarantine must travel with the animal.

Testing of Dogs

• Before dogs can be imported the dog needs to be certified free from the following five diseases by means of blood tests. The dog’s blood can either be tested in the country of origin or the blood sample can be sent to South Africa for testing.
• Brucella canis
• Trypanosoma evansi
• Babesia gibsoni
• Dirofilaria immitis
• Leishmania
• If the Veterinary Authorities of the exporting country can certify that the exporting country is free from one or more of the above mentioned five diseases then the dogs exported to South Africa do not need to have blood tests done for the disease that the exporting country is free from.
• The Directorate Animal Health require the following test or tests to be used for the above mentioned five diseases:
• For brucella canis: serum agglutination / rapid slide agglutination test
• For trypanosoma evansi: card agglutination test and giemsa blood smear
• For babesia gibsoni: Immunoflourescence  antibody test & giemsa blood smear
• For dirofilaria immitis: microfilarial filtration test
• For leishmaniosis: Indirect fluorescent antibody, or ELISA, or Direct agglutination test, or Western blot/membrane immunoassay.
• If the samples need to be sent to South Africa, these must be sent by air, accompanied by a copy of the OVI master import permit for the import of diagnostic specimen, under cover of an air waybill/courier waybill for testing.

Applying for a veterinary import permit

• The required permit application form can be obtained from the Permit Office of the Directorate Animal Health.
• To obtain a Veterinary Import Permit you need to deposit the permit fee into the Department’s bank account.
• Please take note that no application will be processed without proof of payment.
• In cases where quarantine of animals is required, the importer must contact the Quarantine Officer at the port of entry.
• The Quarantine Officer will make the reservation for accommodation at the Quarantine Station and must complete the applicable part of the application form.
• An Indemnity Declaration (in respect of imported animals or birds undergoing quarantine) must also be completed and attached to the application form. This Indemnity Declaration form can also be obtained from the Permit Office.
• Following receipt of the completed application form, a Veterinary Import Permit will be issued and sent directly to you.
• A Veterinary Health Certificate will also be sent to you with the Veterinary Import Permit. This needs to be completed, in English, by a veterinarian authorised thereto by the Veterinary Administration of the exporting country, within 10 days of departure.
• The following must be presented to the South African Veterinary Import Control Officer at the Port of Entry:
1. Original Veterinary Import Permit
2. Original Veterinary Health Certificate
3. Any other documentation specified, e.g.: Indemnity Declaration, Rabies Vaccination Certificate, etc.
• The Directorate Animal Health, Sub-Directorate Import Export Control in Pretoria will be able to assist you should any further information be required.
• Please state on the application form whether the permit will be collected or mailed to you.
• Please also note that it takes three (3) to four (4) working days to process the permit if approved.
• In cases where the permit is going to be collected, please confirm with permit office telephonically whether the permit is ready before you come to collect.

Dogs & Cats from Neighbouring Countries

• Dogs and Cats entering South Africa from Namibia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Lesotho and Swaziland do not need an import permit. These dogs and cats need a health certificate that certifies that the dog or cat has been vaccinated against rabies in the last 12 months but more than 30 days before the date of departure. The cats and dogs need to have a health check within 7 days of export.
• This does not apply for dogs entering South Africa from Mozambique. These dogs can only be imported into South Africa with a veterinary import permit. The dogs need to have the necessary   blood tests (see testing procedure above) done prior to export and must be flown from Mozambique to either Johannesburg or Cape Town International Airports were the dogs will be placed in Quarantine for 14 days and will be re tested according to the normal protocol for dogs in quarantine. The dogs may not enter South Africa by road. An import permit is needed to bring cats into South Africa from Mozambique but cats can enter South Africa by road and do not need to be placed into quarantine.

Dogs & Cats from other African Countries

 

• Dogs being imported from other African countries must have a veterinary import permit and cannot enter by road via one of our neighbouring countries. The dogs need to have the necessary blood tests (see testing procedure above) done prior to export and must be flown to either Johannesburg or Cape Town International Airports were the dogs will be quarantined for 14 days and will be re tested according to the normal protocol for dogs in quarantine.
• Dogs and cats from Malawi do not need a veterinary import permit. These dogs and cats need a health certificate that certifies that the dog or cat has been vaccinated against rabies in the last 12 months but more than 30 days before the date of departure. The cats and dogs need to have a health check done within 10 days of export.
• Cats from other African countries need a veterinary import permit and a veterinary health certificate that has been stamped and signed by a certifying veterinarian in the country of origin. This must accompany the cats. Cats must also have had a rabies vaccination less then a year but more than 30 days before the date of export. These cats can enter South Africa by road.

Although I collected information from the official website, I recommend you to keep updated with it consulting the local authorities. There’s no reason to leave your pets behind you when you move to a different place.

For more information about how to live elsewhere, wellness for cats and dogs, and other useful tips for those who have or want to have the world like home, follow our social media profiles and include this website on your favourite feed reader.

Nycka, the Nomad

🇬🇧 7 Days in Brazil. Destinations to try.

For those who have never traveled in Brazil or for foreigners who do not know Brazil, today two travel itineraries for a week in the country are suggested. Since Rio de Janeiro is too cliché, I excluded the city from the itinerary. But if you're traveling longer, include it, because the city is truly gorgeous and worth a visit.

First script suggestion:

2 days in Sao Paulo, staying near Ibirapuera Park or Paulista Avenue. 1 day in Belo Horizonte. 1 day in Ouro Preto which is very close to BH. And 2 days in Salvador. You will see different profiles of big cities, beach and historic city. As it includes a beach in the northeastern region, I recommend this itinerary during the Brazilian summer (December to February).

The other I would say to go to Sao Paulo (2 days, as in the previous suggestion), 1 day in Porto Alegre, 4 days in Serra Gaúcha, being 1 in Gramado, 1 in Canela, 1 in Bento Gonçalves and 1 in Garibaldi. This is a trip to be enjoyed in the winter (June). And be prepared for cold near zero degrees Celsius, even if snow is unlikely. It is a more cultural and gastronomic itinerary, with 2 big cities and 4 pretty towns.

Both routes can be enriched with visits to good restaurants, as good food is not lacking in both routes.

For Brazilians who have never visited the south, and also for foreigners accustomed to the idea of tropical Brazil, the second itinerary may surprise you, not only for the cold.

Quentão, a typical winter drink, in the south is made with wine, and is delicious. If you meet someone from Rio Grande do Sul on the Internet and will meet them on the tour, ask them to prepare a chimarrão, which is also a mandatory experience. I have lived in the capital of Rio Grande do Sul for 4 years and still don't know how to prepare. I drank only the ones prepared by other people. Drink it all and don't move that metal straw like you're drinking juice, because gauchos hate it when people do. In the south there is also a type of typical bread, which we can easily find in the bakeries and supermarkets of the region called cuca. It's worth a try because I've never seen it in the rest of Brazil. I really like guava cucas, but I haven't found them in Curitiba. The ones I see here are always made of crumbs.

And, if you plan to eat acarajé, my favorite Brazilian food, typical of Bahia and perhaps easy to find in Salvador, but also possible in São Paulo and Porto Alegre (at Redenção brique on Sundays!), know that "spicy" means with pepper. I ask you to put in just a little, because Bahians usually use chilli. I like pepper, but I like to taste the other ingredients.

Keep following the magazine's social media profiles for more travel, gastronomy, culture and other tips. By reading the previous texts you can get some other suggestions for both scripts that I have suggested to you in this text. When companies contribute, I can make very complete itineraries for short trips in Brazil - and also in other countries - with a complete guide on where to sleep, where to eat, what places to visit, etc. according to what is interesting for people. who want to travel to appreciate culture, gastronomy, art, etc.

Nycka, the Nomad

🇬🇧 Tour in Curitiba

Today I'm going to talk a little bit about tourism, because this pandemic made me talk less about it for a long time, but now a lot of people can travel, so let's go!

I'll start by talking about the must-see points to visit in Curitiba, in southern Brazil.

Curitiba is a city with almost two million inhabitants, and leaving São Paulo by plane you can reach the city in about an hour.

The city is full of parks that are worth a walk, a picnic, a walk with your pet. My favourites are Parque Tanguá and Parque Barigui. But there are several others. The Botanical Garden, the city's postcard, is also a good place for these activities. It's very beautiful and makes nice pictures. The Japan Square, which is in the region where some of the best hotels in the city are located, is also a beautiful place for photos.

In Curitiba it rains a lot. So it is recommended to have closed places in the script.

There are several museums in the city, the most famous being the Oscar Niemeyer Museum, also known as the eye museum. The famous architect Niemeyer designed the main building of the museum, like an araucaria, a type of pine common in the region, stylised, but people call it the eye museum because the shape also resembles that of an eye. The Guido Viaro museum, in addition to works of art, also has a weekly meeting to debate films, usually old ones. They post the schedule on the museum's Facebook page. In the center, there is the contemporary art museum, which is good for a quick visit, as it is a small museum, like the Guido Viaro.  And there are several others.

If the museum's films interested you, the Cinemateca de Curitiba, before the pandemic, also had a program of cult films, international film festivals, etc. Sesc Paço da Liberdade also has a cultural program. In it you need to register.

For an overview of the city, I recommend the panoramic tower. You can see the city from above and on the floor there is a map of the city in bas-relief. It's also a quick visit. It is very close to Barigui Park.

Another postcard of the city and stage of some shows is the Ópera de Arame. Don't wear thin heels to go there, as the access is via a bridge where your heel can get stuck. Right next door is the Paulo Leminski quarry, which has hosted concerts by great artists, such as the band Iron Maiden.

Another cultural reference in the city is the Guaíra theater, where concerts, theater performances and an opera festival take place. It's a very beautiful space.

In open spaces, pets are welcome. Public transport, as far as I know, does not accept the transport of animals, but tourists can use transport apps to walk their pet around the city, create itineraries that can be done on foot or on roller skates, or rent a car (I never rented one car to walk with a pet, but I suppose it is possible). If pet friendly companies in Curitiba are interested in going through our evaluation, the magazine is available to check the pros and cons of each one according to our criteria and disclose it to our readers.

Nycka, the Nomad

🇬🇧 About tourism and the social and economic power of this industry

I am Brazilian, I was born in a city with around three hundred thousand inhabitants but which is not a tourist destination. Today I live in a city with just under two million inhabitants in the south of my country, which is also not a famous city as a tourist destination for foreigners.

I see many benefits in encouraging tourism. I think it's an industry that can change the reality of some cities in this world. Why? I have four main reasons:

1. I believe that with tourism, local businesses have to improve their products and services in order to please people with a higher level of need than local citizens. As they improve, they can sell their products and services abroad, open stores in other cities and different countries, export their products, and so on. Yes, tourism can help other local industries and shops.
2. Tourism can attract money from people all over the world, so that a city is not dependent on the money of the people who were born in it.
3. With tourism, a city can attract people from other places who want to live there, start a business or work on their own.
4. Learning is, in my view, a life mission that we must all embrace. And having different references helps a lot to learn. Especially if those references are of a higher standard than the one we have. Lowering our standard for something is violence against ourselves. And keeping a standard for life doesn't help anyone learn.

This text was originally written in Italian in 2019 because, in my opinion, Italy is the richest country in the world in terms of tourism. I don't think it's an accident that some of the most important luxury companies in the world are Italian.

But everything has a positive and a negative side to this life and excellent places need to know how to deal with people of low professional level who seek a kind of paradise in these places. This happens mainly in larger cities, but smaller cities can also have people in this situation. What can be done to reduce the number of people living on the streets? And to reduce the number of low-skilled workers?

We know that artificial intelligence is a reality. Many things that men do, in 2030 maybe they can be done by machines. How to prepare people for this?

Nowadays, to live in the city, we must always study and learn. This digital world where technology has become very important demands this lifestyle. People too lazy to study and learn have nothing to do in cities that encourage economic growth.

Companies that don't offer anything special are of little value to people who have this need to learn all the time.

How is your commitment to learning, dear reader? And how much time do you spend traveling or talking to people from different countries, different cultures to learn? Are your consumer's choices consistent with this lifestyle?

Nycka, the Nomad

🇬🇧 Path

I have lived in 4 cities so far and today I am going to talk about some interesting points about each one.

I was born in Montes Claros, in the Brazilian state of Minas Gerais. It is not a tourist city, but it does receive some commercial flights from Belo Horizonte, which means that if you leave another state you have to make a connection in BH to get there. There is also road transport. But the roads are terrible. I never went there by plane, so I can't say which is the best option. If you are or have been, tell me!

In Montes Claros, the parties and restaurants usually focus on the so-called “avenida sanitária”. Lately it seems that some good restaurants have appeared outside that small stretch of Avenida Deputado Esteves Rodrigues (which has the ugly nickname I mentioned above).

The city currently has 2 malls. As I remember it has 2 parks (municipal park and Sapucaia park).

The people are very hospitable and the local hotel websites are terrible. The last time I went there I stayed at the home of a young medical student through Couchsurfing and I loved the experience. We even had a meeting of the few members of the city's Couchsurfing at the mall!

The most typical dish of local cuisine is rice with pequi and carne de sol. Montes Claros sun meat (carne de sol) is NOT what gauchos call beef jerky. The carne de sol is also served as a snack, in fried cubes, often accompanied by manioc, in the bars. In the city it is also possible to find pequi liquor, pequi oil, etc. The oil helps to give pequi taste to rice for us who live far away. I was sent one once, but it “froze” in Curitiba at room temperature in the summer, outside the refrigerator. 😂😂😂😂 I had to leave the bottle in the sun every day to use a little bit that melted.

A very beautiful place to go is also the Pampulha lagoon, which is on the way between the airport and the city center.

And if you have good contacts or rent a car, tours of the region's farms can yield beautiful photos. I, in particular, love the cerrado images. Of course it is beautiful to see green vegetation like here in the south, but the landscape of the cerrado is unique.

The local architecture also enchants me. The cathedral is a beautiful church. The oldest houses in the center, close to the mother church, on João Pinheiro street, where my paternal grandmother lived for many years, bocaiúva street… and to give a contrast, a stroll through the neighborhoods São Luiz, Melo and Todos os Santos (I would include Ibituruna too, if you are in the mood), with more modern houses and some beautiful ones.

Uberlândia, in turn, is more accustomed to business tourism. The city is better structured to receive tourists and receives more commercial flights daily. The road that connects the city to São Paulo is also quite decent, so arriving by land is relatively quiet.

In gastronomy what catches my attention in Uberlândia are the pamonhas. In Montes Claros I only knew sweet pamonhas without filling. In Uberlândia and throughout the “triângulo mineiro”, even Patos de Minas, there are salted pamonhas and stuffed with cheese, pepperoni and more that creativity demands.  😋

In college, the interesting places to go out were in the center and it was very safe to walk around the center. I lived near the central terminal and sometimes came back from the club, at the other end of the center, on foot with my friends and it was quite safe. I cannot guarantee that it remains so. Twenty years go by.

”In my time” the city only had one mall that you can call a mall: the Center Shopping.

And there is the Sabiá park (which I never went to). And restaurants / bars have some good ones in various parts of the city.

The city's public transport system is integrated and is better than Curitiba's, mainly because it has a central terminal and the way the central terminal works (you can leave the terminal for up to half an hour without paying for another ticket). I don't know if it's the same at the other terminals in the city.

Porto Alegre is a city that I don't recommend visiting in the summer. Most people living in Porto Alegre leave the capital in January. Only the ones who need to work remain in the city. Anyone who can (middle class and above)  go to the coast because the city is unbearably hot! I would recommend escaping to the Serra Gaúcha in the summer. Few people, because it is out of season, and a super pleasant temperature. But Porto Alegre is a very beautiful city, with parks that are worth a visit like the Parcão and the Parque da Redenção (go on a Sunday. It is full of people around the park and there are craft and food stands on the street in front of the  arc). The gaucho barbecue is very famous. I'm not super fan of beef, so my opinion about it doesn't matter so much, but it's not bad. There are also “galeto” in the region.  I don't know how to explain it, I never ate, but is a young chicken. My gastronomic experience in Porto was eating steak from a very good restaurant close to home, acarajés from the park Redenção (on Sundays), and pizzas. Besides, I usually made food at home.

Watching the sunset on the gasometer is mandatory. Also in the central region there is the house of culture Mario Quintana, the municipal market and the “most beautiful street in the world” (Rua Gonçalo de Carvalho), in the Independência neighborhood.

The most “tourist” regions of the city, I believe, are two. Cidade Baixa, which has many bars and the famous Opinion bar, where, “in my time”, all the international metal shows took place, except the Live’n’louder festival, which was at Gigantinho. The neighborhood is also very close to the Grêmio and Inter stadiums. The profile of the local bars is very popular for students, some “dirty feet” and more alternative bars. And there is the other region, for those who want something more bourgeois, which is the Moinhos de Vento neighborhood, where most of the good hotels and good restaurants are located in the capital. Each of the 2 parks I mentioned is in the vicinity of one of these neighborhoods.

In Curitiba, you can take the tour bus and visit the main sights of the city. Of the points in the tour bus itinerary my favorites are the barigui park, the lookout tower (Oi tower) which is close by and has a beautiful view of the city and the botanical garden.

A cute spot that is worth visiting outside the tourist bus route is the Japan Square. It is also worth visiting the Largo da Ordem, where there was a craft fair on Sunday morning. Also include a tour of museums, such as the Oscar Niemeyer museum, known as the eye museum; Guido Viaro museum and a red museum at the beginning of street Desembargador Westphalen, in the center. The last two are always free. Niemeyer is paid, but has a free day.

Most of the good restaurants are in the neighborhoods Batel, Água verde and Bigorrilho (also called Champagnat). Most of the good hotels are in Batel.  The typical dish of the region is barreado, a shredded cooked meat with flour, sooo boring (for my taste, which I prefer more spicy and rich in flavors).

The public transport system is very good and integrated. Once I tried to visit the main sights of the city by taking a normal bus with a friend, but I do not recommend it, because in one of the stretches we had to take an “Interbairros” line that took a huge turn to get where we wanted.

Nycka, the Nomad

🇬🇧 Travelling for vacation

I know it's not a vacation time for most, but I want to talk about it and a lot of people, especially entrepreneurs and freelancers take a vacation when they want to. And nothing stops you from reading it now and starting planning your next vacation, even though you've barely returned from the last.

Which destinations are most interesting? It depends on the interest of each one. I like trips with a cultural emphasis. I like to enjoy silly beach from time to time, but between a beach place that is only beach and eventually activities in a resort and one with cultural options, to know the history of the place and other peculiarities, I prefer the second option. And it would go easy to places without a beach or winter holidays with this cultural (and gastronomic ênfase) emphasis.

Theoretically, every place would have some cultural and historical aspect to present. In practice, many governments focus so much on other things, such as beaches, that it is as if they did not. And, of course, the type of cultural aspect also matters, which creates the relevance of that for each one.

I am fascinated by an art profile that is common in Europe. My interest in other regions is low. For a month long vacation, I would go there. Italy, Armenia, Holland, Estonia, Norway, Ireland, Scotland, Greece… As a bonus, some incredible landscapes. I would travel Scotland and Ireland by car or motorbike laughing from ear to ear for that part of the natural beauty.

For those who fell here on the parachute I will remember that I am Brazilian. And I have known most of the places in Brazil that interest me. For foreign or Brazilian readers who are not used to traveling around the country, I suggest a trip through Brazil on long vacations. Passing through several regions, accessing various facets of this beautiful country to perceive contrasts and all the cultural wealth that we have here.

Do you know the movie Fast 5? There are many scenes that supposedly happened in Brazil, but the scenarios were not Brazilian. Many Brazilian films, in turn, have a ridiculous tendency to show the poor and ugly side of the country. I hate that, because it creates some pretty ridiculous paradigms in relation to the country. And I prefer to observe what is beautiful.

For shorter vacations I would think of New Zealand, Colombia, Vietnam, Japan, Mexico, Egypt / Morocco ...

I also take into consideration whether it is easy to go to a place with dogs and cats or if it is too much work. Both from the point of view of authorization for the animal to enter the country and in the availability of hotels where I can stay with mine without worrying about arranging scratching posts, pots and other basic necessities. And no weird rules. Accepting pets requires preparation for a super personalized service. At this point, I must warn readers that Brazil has a terrible structure. In the capitals it is possible to find nurseries for animals and pet sitters. So you can outsource your pet care. There are some hotels that accept dogs, but many have absurd rules. I still haven't found a good hotel for traveling with cats in the country.

If you are thinking of traveling around Brazil and want some tips, subscribe to my channel on Patreon and participate in the weekly question and answer sessions. And follow my profiles on social networks, because sometimes I notice sessions by stories.

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Nycka, the Nomad

🇬🇧 Tips for going to the beach in Brazil

It is summer in the northern hemisphere and here in Curitiba it is hot today and it doesn't even seem that days ago it snowed in southern Brazil. Certainly in many parts of the world the weather is also inviting to go to the beach or the pool. So let's talk about how to go to the beach or the pool in Brazil, and if you live in another country and want to comment on how it works there, your comment is welcome. If you live in another country, Brazil has many spectacular beaches, which are worth a visit.

Let's start with the choice of swimwear.

For men, some wear nylon shorts, but I find this horrible because we get sun and with these shorts the person will have white thighs and tanned legs. And ... ok, on a daily basis we rarely see men with shorter shorts, but in any case someone is going to see this dreadful image at some point. Spare us that kind of view of hell and wear swimwear. The smaller the sun marks, the better.

A good part of women in Brazil, and I include myself among them, wants to sunbathe without leaving visible marks of tan.  There are women who are very keen to have visible bikini marks, but they are usually ordinary women from lower social classes. I suggest having at least two bikinis of different models to alternate, so as not to make any strong mark. A small, low panties and two small tops with thin straps or strapless are also a good option. I understand that, for example, thin-straps or strapless bikinis are inappropriate for those who have large breasts, which need support. I hope you are also aware of your body and look for suitable bikinis for it.

On the feet, flip flops. It is good to have at least two different models, preferably with very thin straps, so as not to have strong marks on the feet.  And don't wear makeup.

I never tried to use sun blocker, but it seems like a good option to keep the skin a more uniform color. I don't know the effect of it on skins that pick color easily, like mine. But anytime I will test.

I never traveled to the coast alone. Possibly if I were, I would look for a hotel facing the sea or with a private beach and leave all my belongings in the room, going to the beach with only my bikini and flip-flops, with nothing to hinder me from entering the water.

Going in a group, a bag with sunscreen, towel, glasses, a hat and some money or card is a good idea. A sarong or shorts to go to a restaurant or go out after the beach is also very useful. In Brazil it is common to see street vendors on the beach offering a variety of products, and having cash on hand makes it easier for impulse purchases of such products. There are also kiosks and restaurants on the beaches or close to them, in coastal cities better structured to receive tourists, and a good business structure that can meet the needs of a tourist.  Even swimwear you can buy in these cities, if you wish. But there are coastal destinations without such facilities, so check before packing.

In the case of clubs, many accept visitors. It is good to check if the clubs in the city you intend to visit accept visitors and how to access them. The tips on how to dress are the same. It is worth checking the structure of each club, if you go alone, to see if there are lockers with keys for you to leave your things while enjoying the local structure (swimming pools, sports courts, sauna, etc.). Hey, finnish people, I only went to a public sauna once (at a club in Brazil) and people were wearing swimsuits. You can shock someone if you go naked. Take care.

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Nycka, the Nomad

🇬🇧 Meeting Epica

Some stories from our lives exist to be shared with our grandchildren and others. This looks like a movie, but I lived it a few years ago.

I went from Porto Alegre to Curitiba to see a show by a Dutch band called Epica with a friend. That was in 2005. On the bus, we met three guys who were going to the same show. We arrived in the city around 6 pm, we were going to the venue and the idea was to take the first bus the next morning.

When the show was over, with several hours left to catch the bus to go home, my friend asked me what to do. I suggested we could take a cab to follow the van that was transporting the group. She looked at me like I was crazy. 😁 When the van started to pull out of the parking lot, I saw a cab outside. Our opportunity to do exactly what I said. I talked to my friend, we took the taxi and asked to follow the van. The boys on the bus were with us. The van driver realised after a while that we were following him. And he tried to trick us. But the taxi driver was very good and told us “don't worry because there is only one hotel in that direction”. And we went to that hotel without ever losing sight of the van. We arrived together. We talked to the musicians, got autographs and took pictures. We stayed in the hotel hall all night. We slept on the couch. In the morning, we meet the musicians again. At night I had not seen the bassist. My hair was red at the time. In the morning, after he had coffee, he went into the hall, he saw me, we took a photo. The others also saw us and the singer Simone Simons, a beautiful woman, was scared and surprised to learn that we stayed there all night. She's one of the sweetest famous people I've ever had the chance to meet.

After a while, we left to take the bus and return home.

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Nycka, the Nomad

🇬🇧 Meeting artists - part 1

A lot of people are curious about what it's like to meet famous people and artists, so I'll tell you a little about my many experiences here. Today I will share experiences from when I lived in Uberlândia.

First, one night I was in a local pub with a friend and after hours of dancing we decided to sit down. She wanted to know the time and at that time (1999) I still didn't have a cell phone. I looked around and saw a male arm with a watch next to us. I called the man to ask the time and it was Fernando Pires, from Só para Contrariar, a pagode band from the city that was a national success at the time. He was friendly, but he joked the question wanting to know if it was time for us to sleep. Our contact was just that. I spoke to my friend again and we continued at the party for a few more hours.

Later, I had the opportunity to meet Shaman, a Brazilian metal band, at the time of the release of their first album, Ritual, with other members of the band's fan club in Belo Horizonte and São José do Rio Preto. I traveled to see the same show 3 times! The first time in Uberlândia. It was not exactly the same show because in Belo Horizonte it had the participation of Marcus Vianna (violinist) and in São José do Rio Preto the opening was made by Shadowside, which is a good national metal band. On none of the occasions did I speak to Ricardo Confessori. 🙁 But the Mariutti brothers are very friendly and André was very professional in assisting us.

Although I lived near the hotel where musicians from outside usually stayed in the city (the Parthenon, which today I don't know what it is), those who stayed there were usually musicians from pop bands and I'm not a super fan of any pop band. So my experiences with famous artists between 1999 and 2003 came down to these.

Follow the blog to know the stories from 2004 onwards. I've told you before, but only in Italian, the story of how I met Epica. I will tell you in English and Portuguese this week because it is one of my favorite stories.

Contribute to my music-related texts to be even better by paying me a coffee (https://ko-fi.com/nycka). Brands of musical keyboards (professional) are also welcome as sponsors. And follow me on social media, that this story of Epica, for example, I already told there, and that's why I ended up writing here only in Italian, but there were people who asked me what Simone Simons is like this week so the next text is  about this.

Nycka, the Nomad

🇬🇧 Travelling to colder places

How can those who live in a warm place prepare to live in a cold place or travel to a cold place?

Okay, it's summer in the northern hemisphere, and maybe that's why I should write about it today. And also for the warning of the possibility of snow in southern Brazil this week.

I was born in a city where people wear winter clothes when the ambient temperature is close to 20° C. In Curitiba, the coldest capital in Brazil, this is a normal summer temperature. Yes, my dear foreign readers, not all of Brazil is that tropical country that many imagine. Here in the south it is quite different. In almost everything, by the way.

First of all, the great advantage of moving to a colder place is that we solve the cold with proper clothing. In the case of Brazilians going to countries where snow is a normal phenomenon in winter, I recommend taking a few high quality winter pieces if you are going to move in winter. Just enough to leave the house without freezing to buy more suitable clothes at the best local stores. No fast fashion! Buying online from stores in the country where you will live several months before traveling can be another option if your trip is planned. I never tried until now. If you can change in another season, it is a wise choice because of the temperature adaptation issue. The temperatures in Curitiba in the spring and autumn are very similar to those in several European countries. Finnish summer does not differ much from here, but as in summer there we are in winter here, some difference would be noticed when changing in these seasons.  And even more difference would be noticed by those who live in regions where temperatures are above 20° C all year.

For cooler destinations without snow, good knitting and other good national coats will do the trick. In any case, it is forbidden to save on winter clothes if you really want to protect yourself and maintain elegance.

For those who travel for tourism or work and go in the winter, I suggest, if possible, arrive a few days before to have time to adapt to the cold. That's what I did when I left Uberlândia to visit Gramado for the first time. In fact, it was my only trip from a warm place to a cold place, other than just going back home. I have already traveled from Curitiba to hot cities like Recife, Fortaleza and Rio de Janeiro without problems of climatic adaptation. So I don't even write about adapting from a cold place to a warm place.

So, if traveling to cold places is in your plans, invest in quality winter clothing from brands in countries where winter is more severe. And if possible, take time to adapt to the climate. If you are going to study in Norway, for example, and classes start in September, arrive in early August or even earlier, to be reasonably accustomed when classes start. Advance is also recommended if the temperature difference is not huge, but it is bigger than you are used to.

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Nycka, the nomad. Passionate about winter clothes since the 90s

🇬🇧 A liberating choice

I was born in a country town and grew up having to have company for everything. Even to go to the bathroom in bars or restaurants, the girls had to have company. So, I moved to Uberlândia and on the first day of school I had to have lunch alone in a restaurant because we hadn't gone to the supermarket and my roommates studied all day. My mother used to say that anyone who has lunch alone is a whore. I took a book with me, but during lunch I realized that there were many people having lunch alone, including women. And none of them looked as whores. They were more likely students like me and professionals who worked in the neighborhood. I lived in downtown, very close to the central bus terminal. Weeks later, at a party, I kissed a boy who I later learned that a friend of my flatmates had wanted to kiss him for some time. I know that if you think the same way my mom do you’re thinking badly of me now. Worse for you. After that they started to invent all kinds of excuses for not going out with me. And then I started going to the cinema alone, got other companies for parties and went on with my life. Still in Uberlândia, I traveled to see Shaman in 2 shows, on the tour of the album Ritual, one in Belo Horizonte and another in São José do Rio Preto. Alone! In BH I stayed at an aunt's house and in São José I stayed at a hotel. In both destinations I met people from the band's fan club before the show. When I went to Porto Alegre, then I started doing everything myself. It was almost a year without company for nothing, except for one or two MBA class parties. And I keep having fun, going out, going to parties, shows, cinema, restaurant, etc. with or without company. But if it is to have company I prefer good company. Life is too short for bad coffee. I am less and less tolerant of mediocrity.

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Nycka, the Nomad

🇬🇧 How I choose hotels

Today I’m going to talk a little bit about how I choose a hotel, especially in a destination I don’t know yet.

On every trip I create my own script, and I've already given tips here on the blog on how you can make yours. With the script I can identify the places where I want to go in that destination (tours, professional appointments, etc.) and the approximate location that the hotel should have. With that in mind, I discover the hotels in that region, to lose little time with travel, I see on the website of each hotel what they offer, and choose what seems to me to offer the best stay for a price that fits my budget.

Sometimes I just see what the best hotels are in a destination with rates that fit my budget and choose one, but even here I analyze the location enough not to be in a place far from everything. I did this when I went to Recife and stayed in a good hotel, close to the Boa Viagem beach, relatively close to the event I went to and the taxi ride to the Recife shopping mall was not very long. Unfortunately, I didn't have time to enjoy the beach or visit street shops in the city, which has one of the best cuisines in Brazil.

On these business trips I look for a hotel that has a wonderful bed and an even better shower. If it has a hot tub, I will love it. I stayed in a hotel in Fortaleza that had one in the bedroom. After a tiring day, a hydromassage bath is just too good. In those cases things like sauna, swimming pool and gym are not things that I value because I won't even have time to enjoy them. But when I travel with time to rest these things and others count positives for the hotel.

Another thing I value is the hotel's breakfast. Dishes of regional cuisine or made with ingredients typical of the region conquer me easily. I think one of the best things about any trip is to taste the flavors of the region. I like it when you have waffles, jellies, honey, pies, and some savory options like breads, cheeses and ham, things that can please the palates of anyone in the world, but with a good variety of local treats.

In the destinations I already know, I can choose hotels where I have already stayed or try other hotels. It depends on the experiences I had, the purpose of the trip and how much my quality standards have changed since the previous experience.

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Nycka, the Nomad

🇬🇧 First time travelling by plane

In the previous text I commented that I only traveled by plane in 2005, even though I left my hometown in 1998. Now I will tell you how that first experience was.

I lived in Porto Alegre and was a leader in the Buddhist organization that I belong to. An event for leaders appeared in São Paulo and I was one of the 5 people from all over the state that got a place for the event. As there were only 5 places, the trip would be by plane. At that time - late 2005 - I had already been to the city's airport many times to see international bands arriving to do shows. But the boarding part I had no idea what it was like. There was a chill in the belly, a fear of doing everything wrong, of going to Conchinchina do Norte instead of São Paulo, or of arriving in São Paulo and not having anyone to receive me and direct me... and I didn't know who  were the other 4 leaders. If I had known, if I had asked, perhaps I could have arranged to go with one of them to the airport, hopefully I would find one more experienced in air travel than I (which was not difficult).

On the day of the trip I went to the airport alone, and there I ended up meeting the 4 leaders, and I knew 3 of them, because everyone ended up buying tickets for the same flight. Do you know all that nervousness, all the catastrophic scenarios that were being painted in my mind? They disappeared as soon as I met the leaders. Our seats were separate, but that's fine with me. The trip from Porto Alegre to São Paulo is very fast. The flight was super smooth. And I got a taste for it.

Traveling is good, but spending less time on the route is even better. The activity was great and the return was very smooth too.

Comment on your first experience traveling by plane.

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Nycka, the nomad

🇬🇧 I don’t go backpacking

I don't go backpacking. Sometimes people ask me for tips on this type of travel and cheap trips, but it's not my thing. I have a travel experience that led me to prefer comfort and privacy above all when I travel.

When I was studying business administration, I took a vacation trip to Porto Seguro, a beautiful city on the Brazilian coast, in the region where the country was discovered by the Portuguese. I had already been there on another occasion. This time, I went with my family on an excursion. And I regretted it a few hours after we left home. I lived at the time in Montes Claros, about 850km from Porto Seguro. We went by bus. And before the bus reached Salinas, 280km from the origin, it broke 3 times! The third was night, and we were there on the road, in the middle of nowhere. I cried. I asked to be dropped off in the first city so I could take a bus back home. We hadn't made a quarter of the trip and there were so many problems that it seemed impossible to reach the destination. That was the last time the bus broke down.  But the accommodation proved to be as bad as the route. We stayed in an inn where many people shared the same room and had no private bathroom. This is totally unacceptable to me.

The trip had fun times, but staying in a hostel or anywhere I have to sleep with strangers and sharing a bathroom with a lot of people is something I prefer to avoid.

At that time, I even went to concerts on the beach at night, which I had not gone from the previous trip. But ... traveling is only worth it with some comfort and a lot of privacy.

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Nycka, the Nomad