Ola! After a relatively un-adventurous flight, bar the guy I sat next to, who had bad BO – this was further aggravated when he decided to peel off his socks – eeeeeeeuh, I arrived safe and sound, with my impressive 13kg load, all still in tact, in Sao Paulo, Brazil.While I was grateful for the Portuguese I had picked up in Mozambique in December last year, I quickly realised, that ola and obrigado, could only get me so far. Language and my inability to speak Portuguese and Spanish, will I suspect, prove to be my biggest difficulty. However armed with my Portuguese/English dictionary and my Spanish phrase book, coupled with my natural charm, I feel confident that I will win my way into the hearts of all those I meet.
My first two nights were spent at Pousada Dona Zilah, a very quaint little place in the heart of Jardine Paulista, one of the wealthiest areas in Sao Paulo. With its sparse furnishing, dodgy electric cables and cold showers, I was grateful to have a room to myself.
As luck would have it, or maybe it’s my natural ability to sniff out retail therapy hotspots, the first area I found, was a street lined with exclusive, designer shops. Likened to Rodeo Drive, one thing is for certain, the chances of finding a bargain in this area, are zero. After holding back with much restraint, I returned to my hotel, feeling somewhat disheartened.
Fortunately the hotel was able to make a few last minute calls and Fred, the part time musician, part time tour guide and part time jack of all trades, was able to come to my rescue. Despite having other commitments, Fred met up with me for a quick espresso and pointed me, armed with a map, towards a few hot spots in Sao Paulo.
The metro is super-user friendly and I was able to get myself from A to Z with relative ease. My first stop was in area called Barra Funda, where I found the memorial to Latin America. An area of wide-open spaces and huge concrete buildings, it gave an insight into the history of Brazil. After spending about an hour wondering around, I set off for my next stop, the Itau Cultural centre, which is in Sao Paulo’s famous Paulista Avenue; likened to Wall Street, this area is where all the major deals are signed and sealed.
The exhibition, which was titled, self-portrait and spread over four floors, appeared to be themed around blood, drugs and masochistic sex. Needless to say, I left the building feeling somewhat disturbed but definitely enlightened...
After getting lost, only a few times, I made my way back to my Poussada to grab my companion for the evening, an old and trusted Marion Keyes novel and I set off to find somewhere to eat. After browsing through an all Portuguese menu, I settled on the delicious looking salad that the table next to me was having.
Compliments of the restaurant, I was given a platter of breads, tomato tapenade, aubergines and garlic drenched olives - and my main meal was yet to arrive! I’m not really too sure what I ate, lettuce, rocket and tomato were definitely involved, then imagine a mixture of tinned white asparagus, with the texture of an artichoke but as large as a leek and you’re kind of sort of there. Eating solo is interesting, if it hadn’t been for Marion and a table with two Americans, who I admittedly listened in on their conversation, I might have felt rather lonely.
After sound night’s sleep, I set off to explore a bit more of Sao Paulo. Built by a very rich chap and with the intention of showing off the best views of Sao Paulo, the Museum of Modern Art is a spectacular building, which showcases the best of Brazil’s art, from 14th Century paintings to 21st Century photos.
After spending a good part of my day on my own, Fred the tour guide managed to free up his diary and took me down town. An area steeped in history, down town has a number of beautiful churches and magnificent buildings. The architecture ranges from modern to old and the views of Sao Paulo are awesome – especially when looking down from the top of a 36 floor building. The down town trip is one of my highlights so far, I ate fried coconut, took incredible photos and saw a part of Sao Paulo that not many tourists see.
Thanks go to Fred, for not only showing me the real Sao Paulo, but for also hooking me up with a cheap bus trip to the airport. I paid a smidgen of the price offered by my poussada! I suspect I may have been ripped off quite a number of times already.
Here ends my trip to Sao Paulo and civilisation as I know it. By the time you hear from me next, I will have canoed up the Amazon and will be about to embark on my four day hike up the Inca Trail – this is definitely going to be my biggest challenge of my trip.
