Sao Paulo
I had been to Sao Paulo in 2005 and didnt like it much! Now, after nearly 3 days here, it is starting to grow on me. Sao Paulo has 20 million residents and is the New York of South America. The economic centre, where the folks work incessantly and where the rich take to helicopters as their form of commute. Luis at the hostel informs me that there is a shopping mall with a parking lot meant for helicopters.
Day 20 Sat 18/9, Sao Paulo
Woke up at 6:00, had breakfast and went out wandering the neighbourhood. I walked around a cemetery located a block from the hostel, looking at the tombs and the sculptures, a lot of them interesting. Off then to a street fair in Benito Calixto square. I found some music CDs I liked; if it were nearer the end of my trip, I would have bought a few.
Back to the hostel to rest. As I walked in the door, I get a call from my travelling friends in Sao Paulo. Off to meet them in metro stop Sao Bento. It had 3 different exits and we missed each other. I decided to go to the Mercado Municipal, a giant market (oldest in Sao Paulo, maybe Brasil?). I get directions from some friendly college students, and head to the nearest juice stall. Who should I run into, but the girls I missed in the metro stop. We spend a nice afternoon sampling some wares, helped by Paula’s expertise. It is good to have a local show you around! We then head to Praca da Luz, Estacio de Luz. It is now dark and Paula decides it is too dangerous to be in Centro when it is dark. Time to head home. The girls decide to meet later to go out, while I, being the old man that I am, decide to stay in the hostel and get some sleep!
Day 21 Sun 19/9, Sao Paulo
I walk all the way down Avenida Paulista. It is full of shops, banks, skyscrapers on either side of the avenue. It is full of people even on a Sunday morning! I make my way to metro Paraiso and head to Tiete, the rodoviaria (bus station where I got in from Parati). After walking around looking for a bus company that sells tickets to Campo Grande, I was informed that I was at the wrong place. Apparently they have 3-4 bus stations in Sao Paulo. Off to Barra Funda, where I book a ticket to Campo Grande for Monday night – a 12 hour ride. Thankfully, most of it will be night and I’ll be asleep.
Then head off to Liberdade, where I stroll around the Japanese street fair in the Japanese neighbourhood. Sao Paulo has the largest Japanese population outside Japan; a lot of Japanese folks immigrated to SP during WW2.
I had forgotten my camera (again!) and off to the hostel to pick it up and rest a bit. Off then to Ibirapuera along Avenida Brasil. It is lined with some nice buildings and houses. I pass some rich neighbourhoods. It is a good hour to Parque Ibirapuera, which is the equivalent of Central Park. I walked around the park for a while, watching adults & children walk, run, play football, basketball etc. There is even a section where you can hang up your hammock and rest!
I love parks; everytime I am in a park, I am moved in various ways. All the parks I have been to in the many different cities all blend, bring to mind various images! Sometimes I am happy to enjoy the life-force, the fun that people have. Sometimes it brings to mind mortality, for some reason and I feel nostalgic for some long lost world, which probably never even existed 🙂
Off to Avenida Paulista again on the way to the hostel. Stop by Galeria dos Paes, where there are many food items to entice me. I get a cookie and a croissant, drawing another smile from the lady with my broken Portuguese. I have another such moment with the lady at the check-out. I tell myself that it is my irrestible charm that draws the smiles from these pretty Brasilian women. So soothing my ego, I head to the hostel for a chat with Luis and James, a shower, some time with the computer and a nice night of sleep! Another nice day in Brasil comes to an end.
Day 22 Mon 20/9, Sao Paulo
Start my day, after breakfast, with a stroll in the cemetery. Then head back to the hostel to check out. Store my luggage in the hostel and head out.
Walk around a bit more, stopping at Parque Trianno (sp?) (near MASP), and continue all the way to Vergueiro. Met Amanda (she was part of my tour group in Rio) and had a nice lunch with her. A self serving pay-by-weight place, it had some really good food! This time, we had no trouble meeting at the metro stop – Sao Joaquim is much smaller!
A 2 hour aimless stroll to do some shopping, get some dinheiro and walk around the neighbourhood, taking unknown streets to Paulista.
Back to the hostel at 17:30 and then it is time to pack and walk uphill the 9 blocks to the metro. Luis was worried if I would make it. I had taken the metro and it shoud take only 30 mins at the most. I understood his concerns only when I saw the crowds on the street and on the metro. Wow! It puts Mexico City and NYC to shame, the crowds. Battered and bruised, I make it to the bus station at 19:00. Of course, the bus is late by 30 minutes. It is a long trek from Rio. Board the bus at 20:30 and off to Campo Grande!
14 hour bus ride. I was scared since I have a small bladder and need frequent breaks. It was muc better than I feared. A toilet in the bus that I didnt use, since they made 5-6 stops! I arrive in Campo Grande a bit tired. Luckily the guy from the hosel is there to pick me up!
Day 23 Tue 21/9, Camp Grande, Mato Grosso de Sul
It was unbearably hot and I was tired. I took a walk for about 20 minutes and was exhausted by the end of it! Outside of the indigenous museum, there isnt a whole lot to do in the city, so I took it as a day of rest. A rest from rest, so to speak. It is hard work being unemployed. I booked my ticket to Brasilia, surfed the web, wrote some emails and read my book.
Tags: Travel
Damu