RIO DE JANEIRO VS PETRÓPOLIS
Autor: MARCELO DE ALMEIDA | Publicado: 2011-08-30T12:47:00-07:00

Most people around the world have heard of Rio de Janeiro at least one time or other but almost nobody has ever heard mention even a word regarding Petrópolis. The reasons for this are that Rio has a multitude of fun in the sun types of beaches, and it´s a metropolis of around 11 million people who carry with them the sensuality of their tropical heritage; after all, Rio has a long history of hosting both ‘exuberant carnivals’ and soccer matches. It is in this chaotic city where one can witness steep sided rock-slab mountains marching straight out into the open blue sea, along side tourists who people speak all of the international languages. With these exceptional qualities, who wouldn´t have heard about such a marvelous place.

&nbsp;On the other hand, ‘little Petrópolis’ has no ocean, it merely sits on top of a rugged high plain which stands above the ‘Guanabara bay’. From the city of 'Petros' the watery expanses which bathe Rio de Janeiro, gleam in the setting sun as though they were part of a series of large lakes. From up at this altitude one could never imagine just how hot and muggy sea level can get, for the air currents up at 3,000 feet are mostly fresh and cool.

&nbsp;I often set off to visit view points where I can see a wide panorama of mountains, valleys, the city of Petrópolis, as well as Rio de Janeiro, all in one shot. From certain points it becomes quite clear the way in which the ocean breezes confront the dry winds of the high interior plains of ‘Minas Gerais’ just north of here. These ‘Sea Mountains’ act like a barrier against the humidity of the South Atlantic Ocean; so much so that there are days when the forming cloud bank will engulf the frontal mountain escarpment, spilling into the lower canyons, and scenting the air with a seaweed type of smell. We literally smell the ‘Guanabara bay’ through the heavy fog. However, if you take a car ride north, further into the mountains, all signs of the sea will disappear. Rio de Janeiro, on the other hand, has no such escape.
&nbsp;Visitors to ‘The Marvelous City’, as Rio is often called, are regularly drawn to its endless beaches, which during the summer team with human creativity. There are all sorts of street venders walking the talcum powder sands offering everything from ice cream to beer. One will be able to easily take part in volleyball matches, ‘Capoeira’ dancing and in general laid back conversation on all subjects. ‘Cariocas’, as the citizens of this city are called, pride themselves in being easy going and open.

&nbsp;Petrópolitans, on the other hand, do not make friends in such a short time, and are often referred to as cold and tense. When questioned about this difference most Brazilians explain that cities with large ‘European populations’ tend to be serious, especially, they say, when the climate is cold and grey. An example of this is in the south of the country which was settled mostly by ‘Germans, Italians and Poles’, and which together with the endless rain, tend to exude an unfriendly attitude as well. It´s useless to say then, that most Brazilians shun the south of their country in favor of the ‘sunny Northeastern coast’.
&nbsp;So it is that Petrópolis sees eye to eye with other ‘cold climate Southern cities’ despite sharing a taste for ‘the tropics’ together with the hot region of the country in which it is situated. But Cariocas often speak romantically about their ‘Imperial City’, since it belongs to them, grouping it together with it´s two sister cities, ‘Teresopolis’ and ‘Nova Friburgo’, as ‘The Cidades Serranas', or 'Mountain Cities' of ‘Rio de Janeiro State’ are called. Most of these metropolitan beach dwellers have never visited their mountain region though and believe solidly that they would die of hypothermia were they ever to venture up into ‘the serra’. Consequently, it is usually only those Cariocas who feel a draw towards what they consider to be representative of their European roots, that are actually willing to take the risk of getting stuck in fog, spending a cold night in some ‘piney cabin’, and stretching the patience of ‘the mountain city´s’ residents when they attempt to lay typical Rio de Janeiro charm on the Petróplitans.

&nbsp;But then, what would this little city be without the Cariocas? One thing is certain, were Petrópolis alone in the world, it would not pass as anything more than a regular old industrial dead end surrounded by trees. This is not to say that it has no mind blowing landscapes, nor rich architecture. It also has nothing to do with the beauty of it´s residents, nor the exuberant vegetation and colorful birds of it´s ‘Atlantic Rain Forest’. No, it´s rather that Petrópolis owes it´s existence entirely to Rio de Janeiro, for without Rio it would never have had such a favorable location in which to offer all of those traits which Rio cannot possibly provide. Basically these three mountain cities were made to be everything which Rio was not. Up here we can feel like we´ve taken a journey down to the southern states, or north into the dry high plain interior of ‘Minas Gerais’, with its baroque churches, or maybe even abroad to some forgotten part of Switzerland.
&nbsp;When tourists get off the plane at one of Rio´s two major airports, they are confronted with a reality which is at once third world and first, making Rio something of an unfinished land. The city is bustling and dirty. The sun is usually blazing hot, and the residents are always racing around from place to place in hopes of stretching out the hours of their day. Visitors often question what time the Cariocas have to hit the beach, but the truth is that this city has outgrown it´s beaches and beach mentality. Consequently, we would need to divide the metropolis into four parts: ‘North, South, West and Central’. Both the South and West Zones still follow the traditional concept of living in reach of the sea, but the other two parts never even remember that they are a section of a famous beach city. The ‘North Zone’ is built mostly of houses, slums and high-rise projects, while the center consists of bay side buildings and the old port.
&nbsp;I use to have the habit of comparing each of these parts with a world city I´d been to. ‘The north’ reminded me of ‘greater Los Angeles’ because of it´s flatness, openness, lawns and smog, and its total dissection by passing freeways. ‘The Central Zone’ seemed associated with downtown San Francisco due to it´s geographical style of cramming endless skyscrapers between the mountains and the bay, together with its long bridge and constant ferry boats which connect Rio to the city of ‘Niteroi’ on the opposite side of the water. Then we would have the Hong Kong-like ‘South Zone’ where the buildings climb high up into the mountains as well as wall off the beach front, forcing all the residents to bump into each other through the crowded streets. At last we would arrive at the modern ‘West Zone’ which Brazilians themselves have ‘nicknamed’ Miami Beach. This part of the city is built on a wide and flat expanse of land stretching kilometers inland and prides itself on its modernity. All of these beaches have tall buildings accompanying them and a slender set of lagoons just behind. Beyond this western coastal strip we mostly find houses.
&nbsp;Petrópolis also has a ‘North and South Zone’, but in this mountain city everything is smaller and almost not worth dividing up in such a way because in fact Petrópolis is made up of its very own districts; ‘five’ in total. The first is the ‘historical part’ where the majority of the German residents and imperial structures are still found. This is the foggy, drizzly and damp side of town where moss grows on railings, and cobblestone streets never dry off. It is also the most elevated part which contains the beautiful ocean views.
&nbsp;‘The Second District’ was built mostly by Italian immigrants and is partly historical in itself. This is considered to be the most dramatic side of town since the mountains here push 7,000 feet up into the sky and the rivers spill down cascading waterfalls. Obviously this section of the city would have inherited the name of ‘Cascatinha’ or little falls. 
Then we go further down the steep mountain valleys into the third district where one may see the land begin to empty out some. From here on Petrópolis becomes a sunny interior place where vegetable cultivation and horse ranches become the norm. This district is classed together with the’ fourth and fifth’ as being the healthiest climates in the country because the air humidity goes down while the temperature goes up.

&nbsp;So it is that as we cross the ‘Forth district’, making our way north into the ‘fifth’, we reach the place where the wealthy citizens of Rio ‘now’ invest in weekend getaways and retiree villages. This is the land of the Itaipava Beer I spoke so highly of in Serendipity´s Matterhorn. The ‘oldest brewery in Brazil’ may be ‘the Bohemia’ of the First District of the city, but Itaipava is the new part of the city, brewery and all, which now competes against all that is traditional and old about the first district. 
As you might have guessed, the population of Itaipava is considered more friendly and open then Petrópolis´. Hmm... Isn´t that what Brazilians say, that rain, cold and Europeans ‘together’make- a serious group, while heat and a more ‘typical Brazilian population’ produce fun in the sun and smiles? Perhaps they are right, however, we mustn´t forget that the population of the Fourth and Fifth districts add up to only a fraction of the other three so that nobody is having to step on anybody´s toes in order to get from one place to another.
&nbsp;This is roughly the same situation that the ‘Western Zone’ of Rio de Janeiro experiences regarding the new and the old, the crowded and the empty, the clean and the filthy, the rich and the poor. This is one of the things these two cities do have in common: the one side cannot understand the other and therefore teases and taunts it´s adversary about not qualifying as being the true heart of each of their respective cities. "You don´t live in Rio if you can´t see the ocean." they say. "Petrópolis is ‘Pedro´s city’ and you must be able to take walks around the Imperial Museum if you want to feel the soul of The Imperial City."
&nbsp;Now, what should I say about dress codes? Let´s see, Cariocas think nothing of slipping on a pair of flip-flops and heading off to the store for a beer, making small talk with anyone they find along the way. This is nearly unacceptable by Petrópolitan standards, where taking pride in dressing up forms part of their public profile. Petrópolis city dwellers will often spend over an hour fixing themselves up just for a short stint, since their climate most certainly allows for over dressing in leather shoes and sometimes even complete with a scarf. On the other hand, for a ‘hot climate Carioca’ this makes no sense because clothes are not compatible with heat. Consequently, whenever a citizen of Rio de Janeiro moves their residence up into the Sea Mountains, they are frowned on by the locals for not taking clothes seriously, or even for their choice of radiant colors; Petrópolitans prefer the quieter shades. I´ve even noticed how much more brightly painted Rio´s buses are in comparison with the Imperial City´s transportation system. Perhaps all these colors are attributable to the ‘Portuguese maritime fishing culture’ where boats and houses were often set in gay hues.
&nbsp;Of course, residents within the three mountain cities remind me that today things are not as they once were. Supposedly Petrópolis used to have so little contact with the rest of Southeastern Brazil that it was easy to secure such rigid traditions, but that since the advent of internet and modern transport systems all these rules are now changing fast. This may be the case, however, I believe that some traditions fit so well into a city´s environment that in such a case as that of Petrópolis, they will never fully adopt Rio de Janeiro´s characteristics, nor would Cariocas ever truly want them to. 
So if ever you find yourself on Copacabana beach down in Rio de Janeiro, be sure to ask a Carioca for their opinion on the Imperial City; and when they tell you that Petrópolis is an island lost in the Southeast of Brazil, you´ll understand why...