Brasília is a jigsaw puzzle for tourists

Brazilian and foreign tourists who wish to attend the matches of the 2014 FIFA World Cup™ in Brazil’s capital, Brasília, shall have to face the myriad of abbreviations that indicate the different regions and also the addresses in the capital. For example, SHTN, Trecho 01, Lote 1b, Bloco C is the address of an important hotel which is located in the North Tourist Hotel Sector (Setor de Hotéis de Turismo Norte, or SHTN).

It seems quite a daunting task, except for the city planners who drew the city and also for Brasília’s taxi drivers, who are able to read this code system at incredible speed. In a nutshell, the Monumental Axis divides the city into the North and South sides. All letter codes ending in N are on the North side, while those ending in S are on the South side of town. We shall now look at some of these abbreviations and what they represent:

CLN/CLS/CLSW – Local Commerce: North, South and Southwest, located along the wings

SCN/SCS – Commercial Sector: North and South

SCEN/SCES – Sporting Clubs Sector: North and South

SDCN/SDCS – Cultural Disclosure Sector: The North side includes the National Theatre, while the South side includes the National Library and the National Museum

SDN/SDS – Entertainment Sector: North and South

SHN/SHS – Hotel Sector: North and South

SMHN/SMHS – Medical and Hospital Sector: North (HRAN Hospital) and South (Base Hospital)

SQN/SQS/SQSW – Superblocks (Superquadras, or residential sectors): North, South and Southwest. 

However, apart from the abbreviations, which are incomprehensible even to the residents, foreign visitors need to have some basic Portuguese to read the signs showing the tourist spots. They are highlighted in brown, which is the international Brazilian color for tourist attractions, but the information is always written in Portuguese.

Another problem is the positioning of the signposts: the tourist attractions are not always announced with the necessary advance notice, considering the speed of a car, and many times you only see the signpost right in front of the location to be visited.

Tourists, only with a guide
The English couple Christopher and Jessica Townsend was visiting the capital for the first time and commemorated the fact that they had a tour guide. “We are on an excursion, for this reason we did not miss anything. But so far I have not seen any signs in English, apart from some explanations inside the museums”, said Mr. Townsend. Mrs. Townsend criticized the lack of signposting: “Brasília is a beautiful city and there is a lot to see. However, anyone who comes over without a tour guide remains unable to see much”.

Carla Machado, from the Brazilian state of Pará, admits that she is completely lost. “To get here (to the Plaza of the Three Powers) I had to ask several times. I have not yet been able to grasp the logic of Brasília”, Ms. Machado admits. The business administrator also added: “If I am lost, being able to speak Portuguese, just spare a thought for the foreigners who visit our capital!”

The Press Relations Department of the Government of the Brazilian Federal District says that there is already a project in place for new signposting for the World Cup, which shall be put in practice when the event is closer. However, they have not revealed details of the project.