A Piece of Home -- the OTHER Home

This post was written a few months ago as a guest post for someone, but then they kind of disappeared.  Oh well, I can still share with you.  YOU, afterall, are my favorite readers :)

Welcome to Ribeirao Preto (pronounced Hee-bay-rou[n] Prey-toe)!  Although I cannot claim this city as my own, my husband can.  And we are here to show you a little bit of life from Brazil.

Life in Brazil is in many ways very similar to life in America, yet in other ways completely different.  Ribeirao Preto, or RP for short, is one of those cities where the similarities outweigh the differences yet Brazilian flavor is sure to be found.

Both countries have shopping areas; both have residential areas.  The biggest difference we notice between the two is the lack of parking lots (and the need to pay someone to “watch your car” while out and about) and tall gates around the homes in Brazil.  Where America is wide and open on the streets, Brazil seems to be tucked away. 

But walk into those stores and life is not much different…

… although the produce and products offered might take on a different size and shape.

What makes Ribeirao Preto different than other Brazilian cities?  It isn’t the public market, which every city has…

Like a full time flea market, people can rent stalls here to sells their goods.  Want beans of any color?  Come here.  Want some seasoning fresh from the local farms?  Come here.  Simply want cheap and sweet treats?  Once again, come here.  The prices are low and the variety is wide.

Or on Friday mornings you can visit the feira livre (free fair), what we would refer to as a farmer’s market.  Once again, it doesn’t set RP apart, but is a vital part of the city.

Feira livre is packed almost every week.  How could it not be?  Look at that fruit!  Those nuts!  And the best… that pastel and sugarcane juice!  These deep fried cheese pastries and juice squeezed fresh out of the sugar cane is the biggest hit in any Brazilian farmer’s market, not just RP.

And of course, this being Brazil and all, you can find futebol anywhere and everywhere you look, from outside on the street or inside in a fancy basketball court.

Ribeirao Preto, however, does have some things that make it unique.  It is rated as the 4^th highest quality of life throughout all of Brazil (which is the size of the continental US, to give you an idea).  Although we have not seen an official list of reasons why, we have our guesses.  Beautiful architecture and well-planned downtown-areas allow for the residents to enjoy the beauty around them as they are doing their errands.

If city scenes aren’t your thing there is ample green space to be found.  Curupira Park is the perfect place to go throw a Frisbee, unpack a picnic, or ride a bike on one of the many trails.  On the weekends it is packed, but come on a weekday morning and you can have the entire place to yourself.

  

Want some more wildlife?  Head over to the zoo which is free to the public and open all year round.  You will see turtles sauntering along all by themselves and probably a field trip or two – and of course, our favorite, Blue. 

In reality, though, it doesn’t really matter how pretty the parks are or how fancy the downtown is.  What makes a place a “hometown”?  The people you share it with – your family!  This is something that remains the same all through Brazil, America, and the world.  Home is where the heart is, and family is usually the in the center of that space.