to São Paulo.
Given that it is the largest city in Brazil, with a size comparable to New York City - it must have tons to see, right? Everyone in Belo Horizonte kept telling me how São Paulo did not even feel like part of Brazil, with such a rushed culture, Starbucks dotting every street, and large immigrant populations from Japan and other countries. I was curious to explore this city, and so I did.
- Day 1 -
I had previously met him in Boston and he told me that if I ever went to São Paulo, I would be able to stay with him. Little did he know I would take him up on his offer.
Once I arrived, I set down my things and raced out the door. After all, São Paulo is gigantic - I don't have a minute to waste, right?
It was a public holiday so my friend and his roommates suggested I go to Parque Ibirapuera, a local park that apparently compares in size to Central Park in New York. I decided to jump onto the avenue and use Google Maps to the best of my ability. However, I am absolutely horrible with Google Maps (I never know what direction I am actually going) so I resorted to running into random shops and restaurants to ask people where the park was located.
I ended up first walking 10 minutes in the wrong direction, but then I turned around and immediately found myself on Avenida Paulista. This is the main avenue, or perhaps, the "42nd Street" of São Paulo. Everything seemed to be closed but there was some Zumba class happening nearby. I took a Snapchat because #YOLO and then I continued on my journey to the park. I ended up walking about a half hour down this one avenue (Brigadeiro Luis Antonio) before I finally reached an entrance to Parque Ibirapuera.
My friend warned me I would get lost in this park, and well, I did. I found tons of ponds, playgrounds, and museums spread out throughout Ibirapuera which kept me entertained while I was essentially alone. My friend had some work to do at home so I was essentially solo-ing today. After walking around and taking in the beauty for about an hour or two, I stumbled upon the Museum of Modern Art. I paid the 3 Reais entrance fee (which is less than a dollar) and walked in. The theme of the exhibit had to do with "wombs" and "femininity" so there were plenty of abstract paintings and sculptures depicting these themes.
While I was admiring the artwork, I heard someone speaking English. In Brazil, English-speakers are far and few between, so I was naturally curious to who this person was and where she was from. She was trying to explain to her two Brazilian friends what a pedicure was so I awkwardly jumped in and explained it to them in Portuguese. Then I introduced myself and the girl, who I learned was Australian, introduced herself to me as Alison. Then she looked and me, noticed I was alone, and said "Do you want to join us?" I thought, hey why not, and I did.
We walked through the rest of the exhibit and then Alison demanded we take pictures jumping up and down by a wall with street art outside of the museum. The results were pretty hilarious.
Afterwards, we walked through the park and more and more people kept joining our group. Alison told me she had only arrived in Brazil a week ago but she was already wildly popular. After 10 minutes, we legitimately had a gang together, strolling through the park and intimidating everyone in our path (not really).
After relaxing by the pond and talking about life, Brazil, and all other topics under the sun, It was time to have dinner. A friend and I went to a restaurant called "America" which was generally an American-themed restaurant that vaguely-resembled Denny's. I order a veggie burger, which I thoroughly enjoyed, then we decided it was time to explore a new part of São Paulo - Beco do Batman.
Beco do Batman is a famous alleyway in São Paulo filled with street art. People, especially tourists, usually come here to take photos with the art in the background.
Afterwards, we went down Avenida Europa, which is lined with luxury cars from all around the world. I was tempted to buy one, but of course, I do not necessarily have the funds to put a downpayment on a Mercedes Benz or a Lamborghini. Looking at the cars was enough for me.
Lastly, we stopped in front of the Museum do Futebol and then it was time to head back to Luan's. I had just endured a long day with tons of activities, so naturally, I passed out the second I hit the mattress.
-Day 2-
Today was Thursday. I woke up refreshed from my long slumber and decided to run to Starbucks for breakfast while planning my mode of attack for the day. As I was in Starbucks on Avenida Paulista, I took out my black notebook along with a guidebook of São Paulo and scribbled in the names of places I intended to go before leaving the city. The list was pretty lengthy, but I was determined to do everything on it. Next to each item, I put a check box so I could check them off as I visited the places next to them.
My first destination was the Museum of Art of São Paulo (MASP). This is one of the most famous attractions of São Paulo and it is essentially a red modern-style building located on Avenida Paulista. It took me only about 5 minutes on-foot to reach the MASP, looming over me with intimidation.
The first floor of the MASP was art relating to Brazilian culture, mostly indigenous. There were native tools, etchings, pottery, and anything else you can imagine. I personally found it interesting since I did not know too much about the native tribes that existed in Brazil before colonization.
On the second floor, the artwork was more Euro-centric. There were hundreds of paintings and sculptures pertaining to European cities, Christian figures, and foreign idols. I was surprised to find this collection here in Brazil as it seems so far removed from Brazil itself but I did enjoy looking at the different pieces of artwork.
I then returned to Avenida Paulista en route to the metro station. My next goal was to head downtown to the center of the city. I was abruptly stopped by a news reporter who shoved a microphone in my face and asked me inquisitively "Is your father bald?"
I began to mouth the word "Não," but then I decided to play along. "You know, he is getting a little bald"
The reporter, excited, asked me more questions. "Are you worried that you too will be bald one day?"
"I try not to think about it, you know? I'm only 20 years old"
The reporter and her cameraman then thanked me for participating and ran off. I did not know if I was actually on the news or on some Brazilian version of "Jaywalking" but at least I made my debut on Brazilian television, right?
I continued back onto my trajectory and descended into the depths of São Paulo's Subway system.
When I bought my fare with the nice attendant, she kindly gave me as well as directions to the center of the city. I would have to take the train to Paraíso, then transfer to Line 1 and go to Sé. It actually was not too complicated and I quickly found myself in the sprawling city center - standing in Praça da Sé.
Praça da Sé is a beautiful square in the middle of São Paulo but is also a bit dangerous so everyone told me to be a bit cautious. Looming over Praça da Sé was Catedral da Sé (behind me in the photo), one of the most noteworthy cathedrals of São Paulo.
I stepped in and I was immediately amazed by the beautiful architecture of the cathedral.
I continued to the back and suddenly found a staircase I had not seen earlier. A nice man handed me a pamphlet and I walked down. It turns out, the bishop was holding a service in the basement! I was honored to have witnessed this service, and even though I did not recognize all of the chants and prayers in Portuguese by heart, I definitely enjoyed the experience.
After leaving the cathedral, I continued onto the Bank of Brazil Cultural Center. We have a version of this in Belo Horizonte as well but apparently the one in São Paulo is the "main" headquarters. I took the elevator up to the top floor and walked through an exhibit on architecture and airships. It was only one room, and then I was done. I thought I was mistaken because there were essentially no other exhibits on any other floors. I walked back down to the lobby and a few employees were hosting a musical on the history of Brazil. I stayed for a few minutes and listened, but then my stomach got the best of me and I ran next door to grab lunch.
Lunch was at a Portuguese Café and I settled on ordering Acerola juice and a mozzarella tomato sandwich. I chose the perfect table near the window on the second floor so I could overlook all of the hustle and bustle happening below in the city center.
Having relaxed a bit, I decided it was time to get-going again and find Edifício Martinelli.
I tried using Google Maps again to find this building but I ended up getting lost so I resorted to asking random people on the street for directions. I walked in a 20 minute circle but then I realized that the tower was literally across the street from the café.
Once I arrived at the edifício, a nice woman directed me to a line where I waited with about 10 other eager tourists. We filled out our basic information on a clipboard and then we were directed into the elevator to head up to the top of the building.
Edifício Martinelli was the first skyscraper to be built in São Paulo, in 1929, and offers panoramic views of the city. Once I reached the top, I was amazed by the view in front of me.
I met a few other tourists and they asked me where I was from. I told them I was from Hawai'i but living in Belo Horizonte. In fact, they were from Belo Horizonte as well. One of them (Janine) used to work in my office and knows all of my co-workers. Small word much? We decided to take a picture to show my co-workers and then she offered to take me to the Central Market. I couldn't turn that offer down!
After descending from the skyscraper, we walked past the São Bento Monastery and headed down Rua 25 de Março which is famous for cheap glasses, purses, decorations, and well - anything. After finding a purse for Janine, we continued onto the Municipal Market.
Here at the market they had everything. Fruits, spices, artesenal goods, antiques - you name it. We passed by a fruit vendor and he offered to let us sample some of his hybrid fruit. He gave us kiwi bred with banana, French grapes, and many other interesting combinations. I had never seen, let alone tasted fruit so interesting and different in my life!
We then decided to sit down, drink a coffee, and enjoy some typical dessert. I ordered a Quindim which is a traditional dessert made from egg yolk and sugar.
Janine and I parted ways after the market and I headed to Liberdade, the Japanese neighborhood, to enjoy a traditional dinner. Liberdade is essentially a Japanese enclave within São Paulo. There were Japanese products everywhere, signs in Japanese, and the restaurants were Japanese galore. I walked into a random restaurant and sat myself.
It was hard to decide what to eat, but I ended up settling with a Yaki Soba and a passion fruit juice. I was the only one in the restaurant so I decided to talk a bit with the wait staff while my food was being prepared. They asked me about life in Hawaii and threw around the Japanese I learned back in high school but partially forgot.
I devoured my Yaki Soba the minute it came, and then afterwards, the kind waitress offered me a complimentary tea to finish my meal.
Upon leaving the restaurant, I promised the wait staff I would be back! At that point, however, my only thought was on sleeping. It had been a long day and I had ticked off a great chunk of the list I had devised earlier in Starbucks.
-Day 3-
Santos is a beach city about an hour from São Paulo and also Brazil's busiest port. I have two friends who are from here but unfortunately live elsewhere at the moment and could not show me around. I was determined to explore anyways!
After my hour-long bus journey through the fog and the rain, I arrived at the bus station in Santos. I had no idea where I was in the city so I asked a man at the information booth to kindly give me a map. I quickly scanned it to find my first point of attack. The place that called my attention was the coffee museum.
I walked down Santos' cobblestone streets and breathed in the salty air on my way to the coffee museum. Once I arrived, I paid my entrance fee of 3 reais and walked on in. Here in the museum there were two floors of coffee-growing artifacts, historical information pertaining to coffee and the slave trade, and also information and artifacts relating specifically to the history of Santos. It was very informative and at the end, I had the opportunity to drink some coffee in their café.
Upon leaving the museum, one of my friends told me the best place to hit next would be Parque Municipal Roberto Mário Santini. I took an Uber from the main square and ended up in front of the park which was conveniently on Santos' shoreline.
The park had an amazing view of the city skyline along with the beach and a secret island crowded with palm trees.
There was also a sculpture here which was engineered in a way that which you could hear the sound of the waves through it.
After exploring the park, I picked up a quick lunch from a hole-in-the-wall pizzeria across the street and took a local's advice to head to Mirante Niemeyer.
Mirante Niemeyer was located in a neighboring city, São Vicente. São Vicente is famous for being Brazil's first city. At the mirante, which means "lookout" in Portuguese, I gazed at the amazing view of the city down below. I noticed a restaurant next door with glass walls and it conveniently had an even better view of the coastline. I decided to buy a cheap drink and sit by the wall in order to enjoy the landscape.
After delighting in the wonders of São Vicente, I called an Uber to take me back to the bus station. The Uber driver told me he lived 20 years in São Paulo and he has been dreaming of moving to Santos and traveling all throughout Brazil. On a side note, I dream of traveling more throughout Brazil too. It is truly a large country with so much to see, and I have barely scratched the surface.
After returning to the capital, I decided wholeheartedly I wanted to eat dinner at Bixiga, the "Little Italy" or "North End" of São Paulo. I went to a restaurant called Lazzarella and ordered a colorful antipasto along with Penne all'Arrabbiata. One word to describe the meal when it came: amazing. It was easily the best Italian food I had ever had outside of Italy.
-The Rest-
Saturday and Sunday, my last two days, were a bit slower than my previous three. I decided I had seen a lot of the city and it was time to relax a little. On Saturday I met my friend Camila from Belo Horizonte at Livraria Cultura, apparently the largest bookstore in Brazil. It's located on Avenida Paulista and has three floors of literary wonder. I ended up buying 2 books from the travel section (of course) - she bought 6.
That night she went to a folk show with her friend Michelle and I went down Avenida Paulista and Rua Augusta with some other friends I knew to explore the nightlife there.
The next day I rested up and did some last minute sightseeing. I went to Casa das Rosas (House of Roses) on Avenida Paulista. Then afterwards, I met Camila and went to the antique fair under the MASP. Avenida Paulista on Sundays is truly remarkable. The entire street is closed off to traffic and instead it is filled with people walking, biking, and enjoying the beautiful weather. In addition, there are public music shows at every corner, food trucks, and artisan fairs. After enjoying the fair, I sadly departed for the airport. It was an amazing trip and I definitely was going to miss São Paulo, but who knows? Maybe I will be back one day.
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