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Okay, so I have not seen this putty skin tone paired with gray eyes yet but it could happen! How happy I am to have taken a college history course on the Colonial History of Latin America last fall. I notice things here in Brazil I might not have otherwise. One is the lingering legacy of the Casta system, the result of eventual intermarriage of Europeans, the indigenous populations and Africans. There are a group of famous paintings called the Casta paintings by a Mexican artist depicting the various skin colors within a single family, the result of mixing of the three groups. Also, the Japanese community in Brazil is the largest of any other place on earth outside of Japan. Standing on a street corner, one notices every skin color, from Nubian black to Scandinavian white. And blue eyed Japanese featured men and women. Striking.
Also, did you know that after the American Civil War, a group of ten to twenty thousand confederate American refugees fled to Brazil, chiefly São Paulo, to live where they could still have slaves? They are known as Confederados. Business Insider wrote an article on this community in a May7, 2017, article. Wonder if this popular bar is a legacy of this group:
Yesterday I went on another free walking tour. This time we walked through the area near University of São Paulo which is marked by lots of street art, galleries and a gazillion bars. The graffetti art here so far is not as exquisite as that of Chile and Argentina. I liked the work of Beco Niggaz best. Here I am standing under one of his larger wall murals in Batman Alley:
The weather is so perfect for me. The days are 75-80 degrees. It has rained at 4 pm three days in a row but is clear by 6 and the sun returns to dry up the sidewalks and usher in pleasant evening temperatures requiring a light sweater. I branched out last night and went to a corner restaurant that was recommended by my walking tour guide. One person spoke English and explained the menu to me. I settled upon risotto with mixed seafood topped with grilled tomatoes. An excellent choice as it turned out.
Always I feel more secure when I have a map and believe I know where I am. But have yet to find an English language map so maps do not help. But, after the two walking tours, I have figured out the subway system from my hotel to the places I want to go. The subway is beautiful and the hotel, as well as the walking tour guides, assures me is completely safe. I’ve only today and tomorrow left in São Paulo before I fly to Salvador de Bahia on Sunday. Think I will spend my last two days here in the art galleries.