Sao Paulo

The 1st thing that I noticed in Sao Paulo was the Street Art, everywhere. (mas esqueci da foto da Vila Madalena!!) And when you take 2 hours to go wherever, there's plenty of time to enjoy it.

On the top of Torre do Banespa there is a really nice 360° view of the city, but you have to see it fast, because they only allow visitors to stay there for 5 minutes.

The Catedral Metropolitana is pretty, but nothing compared to the Mosteiro S. Bento. Of the museums, the ones worth to visit are the MASP, the Museu da Lingua Portuguesa and the Museu Padre Anchieta. There is also the Mercado Municipal, where its possible to find averything (but I still prefer the one in Barcelona). Other than that, the Avenida Paulista is ok, but thats pretty much it.

Dispite all those positive things, I just couldnt wait to go away. Hated it!! The city is really dirty, polution enough to make you sick... dont know, but it has a really bad vibe about it, the people individually are nice, but as population they're kind of agressive. And the smell of that river... jeeez! However, I always felt safe, as you see police every 50m, so it was ok to walk around taking photos of everything.

An evening at the fireplace

O que é, o que é?

Gonzaguinha

Eu fico
Com a pureza
Da resposta das crianças
É a vida, é bonita
E é bonita...

Viver!
E não ter a vergonha
De ser feliz
Cantar e cantar e cantar
A beleza de ser
Um eterno aprendiz...

Ah meu Deus!
Eu sei, eu sei
Que a vida devia ser
Bem melhor e será
Mas isso não impede
Que eu repita
É bonita, é bonita
E é bonita...

E a vida!
E a vida o que é?
Diga lá, meu irmão
Ela é a batida
De um coração
Ela é uma doce ilusão
Hê! Hô!...

E a vida
Ela é maravilha
Ou é sofrimento?
Ela é alegria
Ou lamento?
O que é? O que é?
Meu irmão...

Há quem fale
Que a vida da gente
É um nada no mundo
É uma gota, é um tempo
Que nem dá um segundo...

Há quem fale
Que é um divino
Mistério profundo
É o sopro do criador
Numa atitude repleta de amor...

Você diz que é luxo e prazer
Ele diz que a vida é viver
Ela diz que melhor é morrer
Pois amada não é
E o verbo é sofrer...

Eu só sei que confio na moça
E na moça eu ponho a força da fé
Somos nós que fazemos a vida
Como der, ou puder, ou quiser...

Sempre desejada
Por mais que esteja errada
Ninguém quer a morte
Só saúde e sorte...

E a pergunta roda
E a cabeça agita
Eu fico com a pureza
Da resposta das crianças
É a vida, é bonita
E é bonita...

Leme, Sao Paulo

First days of this trip were in Leme, in the state of Sao Paulo, with a friend. Leme is a small city, but trully adorable. Love everything about it, bright colors, nice people, being able to walk everywhere. Still, apears to be normal for people to go for a ride just to look arround, with no destination in particular.. just go arround in your car with some friends, 2, 3 times, passing by the same places. Its nice, though. And they have the alcohol instead of gas (that also makes the gas stations smell funny).

I stayed in the house of a friend, and immediately felt like part of the family. Mom did special typical food from Brazil's interior everyday, and also some dessert, all delicious. And dad, Sò Jorge, always telling stories, many really fantastical, mixing religion with fantasy and History. Some friends of the family took us to a restaurant in a village close to a waterfall (cachoeira) to have some river fish for lunch.

There is also an artificial lake, were they have the Santa's and Easter Bunny Home, that in Xmas time is decorated with artificial snow. Im dying to see the Xmas decorations in Rio, I've never been in a place where they have Xmas in the Summer.

The fresh fruit juices are incredible, as in all Brazil, I guess. And going to the market is a whole new experience on its own, so many fruits and vegetables I didnt know yet, only by name.. Also the coke they make in a factory here, Country Cola, is really way better than the one they are imitating.

Day 1: Lisboa - Sao Paulo - Leme

Objectives #1

"I also know how important it is in life not necessarily to be strong but to feel strong. To measure yourself at least once. To find yourself at least once in the most ancient of human conditions. Facing the blind death stone alone, with nothing to help you but your hands and your own head."

Christopher McCandless, Into The Wild