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Bulletin 9 – 15 September 1997Telecom Amazon Adventure UpdateUpdate from AndrewWell, my adventure is almost over, and I'll be returning to New Zealand later this month. Talking to you in the audioconferences and email has been lots of fun – it's made me feel home is not so far away. I've seen lots of things on my travels, but the best thing has been the interesting people I've met. I like the people here very much – most of them are friendly and very helpful. But, there's poverty and other problems in the big cities, that can make them dangerous and scary if you go to the wrong places. Of course this isn't just limited to South America - it can happen in many other cities as well. Mostly, I will remember my time in the rainforest. I saw lots of animals and now better appreciate that rainforests are precious and special places. I realise it’s important to protect the rainforests – maintaining large areas that remain undisturbed and unpolluted for the people and wildlife that live there. Protecting the rainforests is also protecting ourselves because they are important for the well-being of the world's environment, and they contain many things that haven't yet been discovered. Future discoveries might include new medicines and other beneficial products extracted from rainforest plants. I've also learnt about the native cultures here. The Amazon Indians have their own unique stories, traditions, skills and an intimate knowledge of the rainforest. It is important to preserve these. My last audioconference will be from the city of Brasφlia. Brasφlia isn't on the Amazon, but it is the Brazilian capital and is where many of the decisions affecting Amaz⌠nia's environment are made. It's also an interesting place because of its unusual buildings and design. The entire city was built in just three years! I'll be telling you about the city's history and what it’s like to visit there. Brasφlia is also the location for the New Zealand embassy in Brazil, which I'll need to visit to cast my vote in the compulsory retirement savings referendum. This week's audioconference will be the last for the Amazon Adventure, but the Internet site will still be available and will continue to be updated. You're welcome to keep in contact by email and if you wish to send in letters, pictures, and stories you can still do so by sending them to Danielle at the Telecom Education Foundation. Tchau (a Brazilian goodbye) Andrew. Another world“The impression is that I'm arriving on a different planet.” That’s what Russian Cosmonaut and first man in space Yuri Gagarin said about Brasφlia. And it’s the impression most visitors have. Brasφlia is unique . . . unlike any other city on earth. It is famous for its unusual buildings, built in a futuristic style which makes the city look like background scenery for an episode of Star Trek. In 1987 UNESCO (United Nations Education, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) added Brasφlia to their list of World Heritage sites because of its modern architecture and layout. Most cities begin as small villages, then
grow to become towns – and eventually grow big
enough to become a city after many decades. But Brasφlia
was different. In 1957 it was a vast empty plot of land .
. . and three years later it was the site of a brand new
city, and Brazil’s new Brasφlia is special because it is a planned city. This means that, even in its earliest stages, it was designed to be a big city - with roads, apartment buildings, office buildings, parks, shops, and all the other things cities need. It was intended as a showpiece to demonstrate Brazil’s place in the developed world – as a forward-thinking country capable of great achievements. The city was proposed by the Brazilian president, Juscelino Kubitschek, and its design was produced by a team of famous Brazilian architects and planners. The architect was Oscar Niemeyer; the urban planner was Lucio Costa; and the landscape architect was Burle Marx. The city was built by a huge workforce of hundreds of thousands of people. The city is set out in the shape of a giant jet airliner. The government buildings and monuments make up the plane’s fuselage, with the congress and supreme court buildings located at the front of the plane (forming the cockpit). Apartments and other residential blocks form the plane’s wings. At the front of the plane there is a big artificial lake called Lago do Paranoß. Living in BrasφliaBrasφlia sounds as if it would be an interesting place – but it is heavily criticised by people who live there. They say the city isn’t a very nice place to live because it seems sterile and boring. The city is very spread out, meaning that it is often too far to walk from one place to another, and there are few trees to provide shelter from the hot sun. Brasφlia lacks the fun and excitement of Rio de Janeiro (Brazil’s former capital city) or the cosmopolitan feel of S„o Paulo (Brazil’s largest city). Some people say that Brasφlia’s jetliner shape merely represents the fastest way to get out of the city! The Brazilian government had difficulties getting people to move to Brasφlia. It doubled the salaries of public officials and workers to convince them to shift there. Many government officials choose to live in Brasφlia during the week, but spend their weekends and holidays in Rio de Janeiro or elsewhere. Unfortunately, the city’s poor can’t afford to travel. They live in several small satellite towns around Brasφlia. These satellite towns are known as “anti-Brasφlias” because they aren’t modern or futuristic – they merely represent the huge gap between rich and poor which exists in Brazil. The Brasφlia LegendThere is an interesting legend about Brasφlia – a prophecy that it may be the capital of a new civilisation, and that its people will be the “Rulers of the Third Millennium”. If you take a close look at the lines on a map, you will notice that Brasφlia is located between the 15th and 16th parallels (imaginary lines running parallel to the equator). In 1883, an Italian priest called Joπo Bosco prophesied that this would be the location for the capital of an advanced new civilisation. Many religious and spiritual cults have chosen to base themselves around Brasφlia and claim they are the new civilisation described in Bosco’s prediction. Some towns are full of people who claim to be mediums and spiritualists. Some people even claim that the area is regularly visited by aliens and UFOs. Amazon activityImagine you are an explorer, exploring an area of the Amazon jungle for the first time. Write an “Explorers log”, diary or journal about your adventure - the sort of things you did, saw and discovered, the dangers and problems you faced and how you overcame them. Keep a record of your progress throughout your journey and make up a map of your route. Take “pictures” (drawings or ‘made up’ photos) of what you saw and did. Make a presentation of your expedition to the annual meeting of the “World Explorers” club. Amazon fact
Amazon booksRichard Orr's Nature Cross-Sections, Moira Butterfield, Viking Publishers. Red Gold: The Conquest of the Brazilian Indians, John Hemming, Macmillan, London. This book covers the history of Brazil and the Amazon from its first discovery by the Europeans (1500) through to 1755. The Amazon, Pamela Bloom, Fielding Worldwide Travel Guides, USA. This well written guidebook is full of interesting background information and travel tips and is an excellent introduction to Amaz┘nia's plants and animals. Kingdom of the Sun God: A History of the Andes and Their People, Ian Cameron, Random Century, London. This fascinating book traces the history of the Indian cultures which grew up in the Andes, including the Incas, and their history following the Spanish conquest. Explorers Mystery Quiz - Bulletin 9Answer the Explorers Mystery Quiz questions below correctly and be in to win a Panasonic cassette recorder for your class. You will find the answer to this week’s first question on your Explorers and Adventurers Mystery Trail poster. You might need to do a bit more research to answer question two. Fax your answers to the Telecom Adventure Line: 0-4-498 5575. Entries close at 5pm on Friday 19 September 1997. The classes whose students correctly
answer the most Explorers Mystery Quizzes during the
Explorers and Adventurers programme will go into the draw
for a grand prize in December. So This week’s questions Question OneHow many species of birds have been identified in Amazonia? Question TwoWho led the first expedition of the Amazon in 1540 and 1541, starting at the Napo River (in what is now Ecuador) to the Atlantic Ocean? Last week’s winnerThe winner of last week’s Explorers Mystery Quiz was Room 5, Aranui Primary School, Christchurch. Last week’s answersAnswer One
Answer Two
Wrapping up an adventureOur Amazon Adventure finishes this week. Hasn’t it been great taking part in Andrew’s adventure and seeing Amazonia through his eyes? To wrap up the Amazon Adventure, we’ll be putting out an additional fax bulletin next week that’ll include a farewell from Andrew, the answers to this week’s quiz questions and an introduction to the next adventure – Space exploration. |