I left Rio de Janeiro at around 4:30am for my first bus. Instant anxiety, having to buy and navigate a Rodoviaria (international/intercity bus station) by myself, still feeling sick, no Portuguese, and very little sleep. AWOO! Thankfully, I had written everything I'd need to say in Portuguese in a notebook, and the guy at the counter just read it, so I didn't even have to say anything! Dream come true. Grabbed my last Acai (or so I thought) and hopped on what I thought was the right bus. 3 hours in, I started thinking "What if i got on the wrong bus?". It was only a 6 hour bus ride, and about 2.5 hours in, we took a 40 minute lunch break. Hmmm. Either way, when we got to the next rodoviaria, I got off with everyone else and hoped for the best. After another fiasco trying to use a payphone to call my host, I luckily walked up and she saw my "baseball hat and blue jacket" and knew who I was. But who is SHE?
Here's a clue: This is what I first saw when I got into her car (Passenger side). She explained that last night was Girls Night Out and that's pretty standard.
Dr. Osias aka EAT SOME FIBER kept telling me to hit up Sao Paulo on my way to Florianopolis because he met someone from there one afternoon while traveling in Uruguay. I was kinda skeptical, since they had only hung out for a couple hours and she would be letting his random friend stay at her house, but I figured it would be a good way for me to see how the real Paulistas (Sao Paolo folks) live it up. He had me add her on facebook, and boom! Instant buddies.
Amanda (left), who works for HP in Brazil, lives with her mom, Nicia (right), younger brother Diego and extended family - Penny, Ohana, Dalai and Charlie (3 dogs and a cat) - all not pictured. We got to her house and I slept for about 5 hours. Later that night, we grabbed some food at a local bakery, where I thought I'd save money by order por quilo (by weight), only to find out that the all you can eat option was cheaper. AWOO! We joined her millions of friends at a casual karaoke bar (definitely your steez HFL) for Diego's 24th aniversario, where we drank and sang and people struggled to speak English to keep me involved in the conversation. Amanda and co are Karaoke FIENDS! They run this joint. We ended up coming here 2x and another place with a LIVE band (SICK!) but a much more limited selection. After 3 karaoke sessions in 10 days, my new specialty is The Calling - Wherever You Will Go. Ended up feeling sick after 2-3 beers at 1am, but somehow calmed the beast and stuck it out until 5:30am, when we got back home. Everybody just have a GOOOD time!
Amanda and Leandro (NING!) at BLA - the Live Karaoke Bar. He's shown drinking a beer, but he just ordered himself a R$35 JAGER BOMB (US$20!!!). A little pricier than PB Bar and Grill, but it gets the party started just the same.
Me and a SKOL, AmUnda, Bran and Gina. Bran and Gina (friends for years) decided to make out with each other for the first time later that night apparently just to make Amanda feel uncomfortable. BRASIL!Highlights of SP!
- Lots and lots of sleep at night and during the day
- Fighting allergies when the cat would sleep near me
- Learning the dogs' schedule of feeding and waking up
- Home cooking by Nicia (MUITO bom!)
- People like to drink in the car, regardless of the laws. Before we leave somewhere, we make sure we have a beer in our hands for the ride
- No one stops at red lights at night
- Horrible American TV shows (2 broke girls, are you there Chelsea?, I hate my teenage daughter) on 24/7
- Walking around the Ipiranga neighborhood by myself and feeling like the only non-Brazilian in a 10 mile radius
- Thumbs up MANIA: Everyone speaks to me in Portuguese, smiles, and throws me a thumbs up. I smile and throw up a thumb and they laugh. 100% hoping I'm not being made fun of (but how would I know anyway?)
- Running away from a mugger at the train station near the house
- Frozen acai and granola from the grocery store - still pretty good!
- McDonald's Chicken Bacon Onion (CBO) - old school fried mcchicken, with cheddar, bacon, special sauce, grilled onions and instead of sesame seeds on the bun, bacon bits. Gross!
Some pictures:
Ibirapuera Parque - Central Park of Sao Paulo
EVERYONE comes here to work out at night: walk, bike, run, skate (boards, rollerblades, roller skates), futbol, cricket, basketball, ANYthing you want.
Mini-Bellagio style fountains with lights
Nicia reppin' the Lakers (or the Suns)Video of the fountains doin their thang.
Liberdade Parque - Liberty Park
The museum and gardens at Liberdade Parque
Liberty Monument - Supposedly the remains of the first Brazilian emperor are inside, but sometimes it gets flooded down there.Santos, Sao Paulo - Weekend beach getaway for Paulistas, about 70 km outside the city
Casual (as can be) bar on the beach. 1 of about 98 on this kilometer of beach. With Gina, Amanda and Bola (her dad). Fun fact - Bola owns a bikini factory and offered me 4 pairs of Brazilian style beach shorts (big speedos!). I ended up taking a pair to use under my boardshorts, but I might consider a full on switch later on....psyche!
Diego, Amanda and Bola (their Dad) on a short ferry ride across the bay
Sunset at the beach in Guaruja, 1 city over from Santos
Island right off the beach in GuarujaSao Jose Festival - celebration of the patron saint of workers (I think?)
The procession following mass
Inside Sao Jose Church in SPPinacoteca Sao Paulo - Museum of Sao Paulo
Giant tree with Nicia.
Top view of the fish pond
Aquarium view of the thousands of fish in the pond
Biggest necklace I've ever seen - hand carved beads as big as a volleyball
Getting my pump on with the Flintstones weights. This was probably 80 pounds and I had to pose with it for like 4 minutes for Nicia to get the picture. GUNS of glory!Special thanks to Nicia, Amanda, Diego and Bola for hosting me for so long! I felt right at home and so comfortable that it was hard to leave. I really appreciate all your hospitality and I hope to repay it someday in California! Come visit!
Happy Good Friday and Easter everyone!
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