Happy New Year 2008 - Fireworks in Poços de Caldas
Every New Year's Eve they put on a fantastic fireworks show in downtown Poços de Caldas, in the park behind the Palace Hotel.
This year was probably the best ever. The spectacular show went on non stop for 30 minutes. There was lots of bangs and smoke as the skyrockets lit up the night sky over Poços de Caldas.
At the same time, and throughout the day, people let off "bombs" all over town.
Here is a collection of photos of some of the fireworks.
The park behind the Palace hotel is lit up beautifully at night.
Thousands of people gather all around the park. This photo was taken an hour before the fireworks began.
They set off the fireworks on the sidewalk between grassy areas in full view of everyone behind the Palace Hotel.
So the show began with a bang at midnight!
It was an amazing spectacle! Happy New Year, Everyone, Everywhere!
Note: This post is repeated in our Blog "Fogos" at
http://fogosnoaguas.blogspot.com/
Go there and see what happened with fireworks in Águas da Prata!
Photos by Urso Branco
Welcome
Christmas 2007 - Poços de Caldas at night
Poços de Caldas had many fine light displays. Here is a collection of some of the displays in downtown Poços.
These lanterns are made from recycled pop bottles.
These white lanterns are also made with recycled pop bottles.
These large lanterns in the trees are also made from recycled pop bottles.
Poços de Caldas puts on a marvelous display for Christmas both daytime and nighttime.
Photos by Urso Branco
Christmas 2007 - Águas da Prata
This year Águas da Prata Christmas Decorations are mostly done with lights at night.
Here are some of the displays.
This group of photos was taken in the Praça das Bandeiras near our house.
There was a group of carollers singing joyously.
They set up some amusements and games for the kids.
The Mayor, Sr. Jordan with a guest.
The Praça das Bandeiras.
Reindeer.
More Reindeer.
Another view of the Praça das Bandeiras.
The Groto near the Church.
A light tree in front of the Prata Restaurante.
The Chales, closed for the night.
Another light tree in the Praça Basilio Ceschin.
They set up a modest display in the Old Train Station. Here it is in daylight.
Here is the same display lit up at night. Very lovely!
A house display near our home.
The same display in the daytime.
This was our small but pleasant Outdoor Christmas Decorations in Águas da Prata for 2007;
Photos by Urso Branco
Christmas 2007 - São João da Boa Vista
We arrived in São João da Boa Vista the day they were setting up their Christmas Decorations so they are not all complete here.
They have opened up the new Bus Depot in downtown São João da Boa Vista and here is their Christmas Tree inside the market.
The Angels around the central park are much nicer than last year because they have a dash of colour. Very Pretty!
Here is Santa near our Banco do Brasil.
Along Avenida Santa Gertrudes they have the same motif they had last year, many Santas and elves.
Santa has carts full of presents for the kids.
There are many of these overhead Santas along the Avenue.
They were installing the decorations in the park. Lots of large gift boxes and Jolly Snowmen.
It snowed while we were there! See! He is unrolling the snow for the roof. *SMILE* At least we don't have to shovel the stuff!! All we do is roll it up and store it for next year!
They have extensive decorations in this park including Reindeer.
There are several of these Jolly Snowmen all around the park.
This is new! Me! Urso Branco! Handsome eh?
This tree has many dolls and toys on it for decoration. Look at the dolls in the windows behind the tree. And there is Me again, waving at passers by! *SMILE*
This is the Old Woman's Shoe. (Click the photo to see the Child's Nursery Rhyme)
More Jolly Snowmen.
This is interesting. See the truck in the wreath. The sign beside it is for a truck service station, Posto Diplomata!
São João da Boa Vista had many delightful and creative Christmas Decorations.
Photos by Urso Branco
Christmas 2007 - Poços de Caldas - The Palace Hotel and Santa Claus
There are many different Christmas displays in the city of Poços de Caldas.
This is a photo of the giant tree of lights in front of the Palace Hotel in central Poços de Caldas. It must be lovely when lit up at night.
These illuminated angels are all over downtown Poços de Caldas.
Here is Santa on the balcony of this hotel.
Here he is in a store front.
But I met him live, having a break, sitting with his friend. He looks like he lost a bit of weight. *SMILE*
They are now showing Christmas windows in the stores this year. But notice the window scene then look at the man standing there. Short pants in winter? *SMILE*
There are many posts this year about the Christmas decorations in rural Brasil. Read them all and enjoy them.
Photos by Urso Branco
Christmas 2007 - Poços de Caldas - Bus Stations and Bridges
These are the Christmas Decorations in the Bus Stations of Poços de Caldas this year.
We begin with the Rodoviário, Highway Bus Depot on the edge of town.
Here they have a more modest display than in the past two years.
This large wreath is over the doors to the Bus Depot.
This is something very new. Santa in a hangglider.
They have a small nativity scene in the fire pit.
Every column in the depot has one of these lovely displays.
In the downtown bus depot they have this large tree loaded with Poinsettias. It is all made from recycled 2L pop bottles.
Here is Santa in his own bus.
All the bridges in downtown Poços de Caldas have these displays on them.
This closeup shows the details. They are also made from recycled 2L pop bottles.
This all gives Poços de Caldas a very festive appearance.
Photos by Urso Branco
Christmas 2007 - Poços de Caldas - Green
Poços de Caldas has several colour themes throughout the downtown area. This one shows the standard green they used in the past two years.
But these are different. Notice the lovely little green trees with red Poinsettias in a planter box. These are ideal for a limited space.
This is a closeup showing the decorations and the details of construction. Very clever and imaginative. They are made fro recycled 2L pop bottles.
These are interesting lights hanging in the trees. They are made from the bottoms of recycled 2L pop bottles.
These ones look like large raspberries. They are quite ingenious.
This tree is loaded with them.
Here is a string of different coloured lights. They have light bulbs inside and are lit up at night.
More lights.
Here is another tree near the City Hall.
Look at the details.
These are the green trees they had last year and the year before. They put one on each corner of the intersection just a block away from the white trees.
They also have those balls with lights in them.
They not only use recycled pop bottles but the recycle the trees for the next year.
Photos by Urso Branco
Christmas 2007 - Poços de Caldas - Red
The flower of Poços de Caldas is the Poinsettia. Here is a Poinsettia Tree, also made with 2L recycled pop bottles. There are also white banners on the tree saying Merry Christmas in many languages.
This is quite a large tree as you can see from the people walking past it.
It must have taken a lot of work to create this beautiful Christmas Tree.
This is one of several small red trees on some street corners.
Photos by Urso Branco
Christmas 2007 - Poços de Caldas - White
This year Poços de Caldas had a variety of colour schemes in the downtown area. These are the White Christmas Trees. These are quite different to see. They are constructed using recycled 2L pop bottles just as they did in the past 2 years.
The tree is all white with golden and green poinsettias.
This is a close up of the poinsettias.
They are on many major street corners in central Poços de Caldas.
This one has golden streamers from the Poinsettias. Notice how fine the white bottles were cut to give a snowy effect.
These are two smaller white trees in the park where local artists sell their work.
These white trees are very lovely to see on the streets.
Photos by Urso Branco
Christmas 2007 - Poços de Caldas - Blue
This year Poços de Caldas had a variety of colour schemes in the downtown area. These are the Blue Angels. They have white wings and are blowing silver or blue trumpets near a fountain.
This is a closeup to let you see some detail of the angel.
These two angels are near the bandshell. An appropriate place for musicians eh?
This is the Poços de Caldas City Hall with two of the angels at the front door. Notice these angels have blue trumpets,
Even their halo is blue.
Here is a closeup of the details of construction. They are made from recycled 2L pop bottles.
Notice the wings are made of bowson a wire frame.
This is an interesting departure from the normal practices we saw last year and the year before.
Photos by Urso Branco
Christmas 2006
This year they reused many of last year's decorations but they also created new styles using the same plastic bottle techniques.
The style of the tree is quite different.
There is a river through the middle of Poços de Caldas, right under the downtown Bus Terminal. Notice the Poinsettia decorations on the bridges over the river.
The trees are in the same locations as last year but they look quite different.
Once again, look at the detail.
São João da Boa Vista has a different idea about Outdoor Christmas Decorations. They like Bells, Angels, Santas and Santa's helpers.
This doesn't have anything to do with Christmas Decorations. I just thought my Canadian friends would like to see a bit of "Canada" in Brasil.
São João da Boa Vista had Santas playing on the signal lights supports.
Here is Santa's Villa (Vila do Papai Noel)
What is in those huge Gift Boxes?
Look at all the Santas in the windows.
The street poles and the boulevards had wonderful decorations too.
For my Canadian friends. I wondered if they had left off the "H".
Santa waves to all who pass by.
Águas da Prata had a special tree that we will examine in detail. It is in front of the Police Station on the highway.
Look at the way it is constructed.
Finally we see a small bottle Christmas Tree on a house just around the corner from our place. It looked pretty at night with lights inside.
That is a brief introduction to the artistic work of Brasileiros in constructing there own Outdoor Christmas Decorations.
We look forward to seeing what they come up with next Christmas!!
Photo by Urso Branco
Christmas 2005
The first section shows six colourful Christmas trees in the Praça da Bandeiras in Águas da Prata. They are constructed from the bottom of soft drink bottles.
Note the bottle bottoms can be displayed from either side to create a different effect.
Sometimes they use the "natural" colour of the plastic bottle. Other times they are painted.
In Poços de Caldas, at the Rodoviario (Highway Bus Terminal) we found the bottles used differently.
They cut the plastic bottle and create amazing likenesses to Poinsettias. The trees are large and handle weather in Brasil easily. There is no worry about rain or Sun.
Notice the artistic detail using the plastic of the bottles cut and curled to make the beautiful flowers.
There is a firepit (unused) in the Rodoviaria that they turned in to a creche. The next four photos show the marvelous detailed work.
Back to one side was a small tree with a different style of plastic decorations.
Here is an amazing Christmas tree made from live potted Poinsettias. Most of the decorations are made from Ponsettias because the Poinsettia is the flower of Poços de Caldas.
The plastic bottle trees are seen all over downtown. 
Look at the details in the trees.
This is a plastic copy of the Poinsettia Tree.
They have these illuminated Angels on downtown streets.
Up high in the trees they have these large balls made from the same soft drink bottles and they have lights inside them. They make a spectacular sight.
To make downtown complete the street lamps wear Santa Hats.
The Bus Company gets in on the act by making a Santa Bus and parks it at the downtown Bus Terminal.
Photos by Urso Branco
