Public Library of Rio das Ostras Expands Book Collection

[Article from Secom Rio das Ostras, published here. Photos by Deork Daniel. My translation.]

The branch will receive about 1,300 books, including works by renowned authors such as Edgar Allan Poe and Jules Verne.

With a collection of more than 40,000 books, including editions in Braille, the Public Library of Rio das Ostras is further expanding their collection. Selected by the National Library Foundation (FBN), the branch, managed by the Culture Foundation of Rio das Ostras, will receive about 1,300 books, literary classics, works on history and anthropology, and biographies. Among the authors are names which are national and international references such as Aesop, Edgar Allan Poe, Jules Verne, Darcy Ribeiro, Ruth Rocha, and Ana Maria Machado, among others.

The Foot Washing Well in Rio das Ostras

[Original article written by Angel Morote and published here. My translation]

Note the small distance between the stone well and the
Municipal Guard tent. Surveillance of the historical
site did not occur.

Vacationers, tourists and revelers line up to use the historic well.

The historic well of Rio das Ostras is now known as the "Foot Washing Well." Vacationers, tourists and inconsequential revelers use the well, originally from the eighteenth century and located in the Plaza José Pereira Câmara, to wash feet or face, bathe and even to wash their dogs. According to history, the well was built by slaves in the mid-eighteenth century, and was known as the Well of Stones of Largo de Nossa Senhora da Conceição, serving as a landmark for construction of the town of Rio das Ostras. Historical manuscripts say that the well was used by villagers and sailors who crossed the Bay and docked at the pier of morro do Limão [Lemon Mountain], where the Yacht Club is currently located, so the crew could pick up drinking water.

Farmer's Market

What: Farmer's Market
When: Saturday mornings
Where: Rua Martins where it meets RJ-106 (Rodrigo Amaral Peixoto)

Yoga School - Nucleo Maha Vidya Yoga

What: Nucleo Maha Vidya de Yoga
Where: Rua Flamengo #668 in Centro
Cost: Currently R$100 per month for two classes per week. Please confirm independently as prices may change.
Website: http://mahavidyayogaereflexoes.blogspot.com/
Contact: Phone (22) 9814-0631 & (22) 8801-9029  Email: maha.vidya.yoga@hotmail.com

The Wooden Bridge is Fixed

The wooden bridge (ponte de madeira) which crosses the river Rio das Ostras between Centro and localidade Colinashas (The Hills) finally been rebuilt. As of today, it is once again open for both vehicle and foot traffic.

Restaurant - O Bartrô

 

What: O Bartrô Bar e Bistrô
Where: Rua Jandira Moraes Pimentel, 449, Centro
Hours: Tuesday through Saturday for dinner, Saturday and Sunday for lunch
Phone: (22) 2764-7782
Website: www.bartro.com.br

Beaches - Praia do Cemitério

Located just to the north of Praia do Centro, just around the point on the other side of the Iate Clube, this small beach is great for swimming. The waves are gentle, the water is shallow and it is much less crowded than Praia do Centro.With it's picturesque wooden pier, it's said to be the best location in town for watching the sunset.

Beaches - Praia do Bosque

Located just to the south of Praia do Centro, this beach has bigger waves and rougher sand than Centro, but not as bad as Praia das Tartarugas. The beach runs from Praça São Pedro in Centro to the rocks at the point of Turtle Beach.

Movie Theater - Cinemagic

What: Cinemagic Movie Theater
Where: Inside the Holiday Shopping mall in Centro on Rodovia Amaral Peixoto
Website (with schedule): www.cinemagic.art.br//rio_das_ostras/

Restaurant - Macaxeira Tapiocaria

What: Macaxeira Tapiocaria
Where: Avenida Beira Mar in Centro, second shop from the corner near the Praca São Pedro
Hours: 3pm to about 10pm, Tuesday through Sunday

Dizalli Book Store

What: The Dizalli book store.
Where: lower floor right hand corner in the shopping center on Rua Rego Barros #141 lj 10 in Centro
Hours: Daily from 10am to 8pm, closed for 1 to 2 hours at noon for lunch.
Phone: (22) 2771-2920
Email: dizalli@bol.com.br

Jazz and Blues at the Clamshell

Once a month on a Saturday night the city of Rio das Ostras hosts a free Jazz and Blues concert in the Praça São Pedro at Praia do Centro in the Clamshell ampitheater.

Big names in Jazz from all over come here to play. The quality of music is fantastic and with so many kiosks, restaurants and vendors available it is a fun night out for everyone.

They seem to fall on the third Saturday of the month, but I haven't been able to confirm this yet. Anyone have a reliable source for the schedule? Please leave a comment.

Praça São Pedro

The City of Rio das Ostras re-inaugurated Praça São Pedro on Wednesday, November 1st, 2008 in Centro.

The Concha Acústica (acoustic shell) has an 85 m2 stage and amphitheater seating. The square also has wooden decks, a playground, and a grove of native vegetation.

Beaches - Praia das Tartarugas

Meaning "Turtle Beach". Found between Praia do Abrico and Praia do Bosque, this beach is so named because it shelters the largest number of sea turtles in the city. It also has a large rock at the point which is shaped like a turtle when viewed from above. The Tamar Project, which is dedicated to protect the turtles, monitors this beach to help preserve the species which were in danger of extinction.

Beaches - Praia do Centro

Located right downtown, this beach has very calm waters and seems to be the best one for small children. It is the embarkation point for tour boats that travel the coast and also hosts the "banana-boat". It is about 2km long and ten to twenty meters wide.

Art Classes at Casa de Cultura

What: Various art classes
Where: Casa de Cultura
Cost: R$30 per month for unlimited classes
How to: Sign up at the front desk of the Casa de Cultura. You will be given a tour of the workshop areas and meet any instructors who happen to be on campus at the time. Jorge Pinheiro is usually on hand and speaks enough English to help you get started.

Casa de Cultura and Archaeological Museum

What: House of Culture
Where: Rua Dr. Bento Costa Júnior, 70 - Centro, next to Praça São Pedro (the clamshell stage at Pria do Centro).
Phone: (22) 2764-7676
Hours: Mon - Fri: 9am to 6pm, Sat - Sun: 2pm to 6pm

Where to Buy Havaianas

There are loads of stores in town which sell "Havaianas" for cheap. I found out from a friend recently that they're probably "Paraguay", which has become synonymous with "counterfit" and "garbage", so I asked here for the lowdown on the good stuff.


Turns out there are two places in town where you can be sure to get real, quality Havaianas.

Teatro Popular de Rio das Ostras

Rio das Ostras has a little theater above the library. They have no website, but occasionally Blog Fala Rio das Ostras posts an up coming (or current) show. The theater seats about 100 people, but when the crowd overflowed the available seats during our last visit they just busted out more chairs and squeezed another fifty or so in the room.

The theater is on Av. Amazonas in Centro, on the same street as the flea market and in the same building as the local library (go up the ramp on the side of the building).