SÃO PAULO IN BRIEF

Hi friends! Today I’ll be recounting my trip to São Paulo, Brazil. Surrounded by forest-covered mountains, with pastel tower blocks emerging like benevolent ghosts from the trees that fill the metropolis and a population of kind, friendly people, this wondrous and oft-overlooked city totally stole my heart. I was there for 5 days, although I spent the best part of two of those asleep, and one stressful evening in a police station – more on that later. São Paulo is a buzzing, vibrant city, and it was difficult to decide what to include in my all-too-short stay – I’d happily have stayed about eight more weeks without running out of attractions. I think we managed a pretty good balance of tourism and relaxation, though, so here’s the rundown.

Miscellaneous details

Safety. I’m putting this first as you just cannot be too careful with your possessions in Brazil. Despite the caring nature of most of the populace, petty crime is common – my poor friend had her phone stolen right out of her hand on a quiet back street, hence the police station trip. Being typical millenials, we found it hard if not impossible to manage with just one iPhone between two, made worse by the fact my friend’s cards had been in the case! With this in mind, a paper map is safer than wandering around looking at your phone. If you use Uber (which is legal, safe and inexpensive in Brazil), go into a shop or café to use your phone, wait until the car is right outside then put it away before going outside, and do not use your phone in a car if your window is open, as people have been known to reach in and take them. As for public transport, a coworker of mine who grew up in the state of São Paulo assured me that the metro is safe, but in the same breath practically begged me not to use the buses, a warning I was happy to heed. A money belt (worn under your clothes) for your money, ID and phone is the best way to look after them – I use this one from Mountain Warehouse which blocks card scanners. If you are going to use a camera – assuming that, unlike me, you remember to charge it beforehand and/or bring the charger away with you (facepalm) – put it away after each use, so as not to display items of value and mark yourself out as a target.

Duration. As I’ve mentioned, three days of sightseeing was nowhere near enough. With a population of more than twelve million people, São Paulo is the most populous city in Latin America, and among the very biggest in the world. It’s absolutely packed with unique cultural attractions, and as it is generally overlooked by international tourists in favour of the coastal party city of Rio de Janeiro, you’ll be surrounded, for the most part, by Brazilians. If I were to return, I’d aim to spend around 7 days there, although I could easily have spent a couple of weeks there on a less breakneck tour.

Language. Everywhere else I’ve been in Latin America, people have been happy to speak English, Spanish, or Portuguese, but as international tourism in São Paulo is not a particularly big industry, almost no one speaks anything other than Brazilian Portuguese. It’s definitely worth researching a few key phrases before you go, and make sure to listen to and practise the pronunciation beforehand as well, as the accent is pretty bizarre – to a non-native speaker, it’s not remotely obvious how words are pronounced. If you have a decent level of Spanish, or even French or Italian, you should be OK reading, and pick up basic spoken Portuguese quickly.

What to do

Museums. Brazil has a rich history, documented in museums that are far more detailed than those I mentioned in my last post on Colonia del Sacramento. If you only have time for one, make it MuseuAfroBrasil, which covers Black history and culture in Brazil. One of the things my travel buddy and I loved about this museum is that it is not solely about slavery, though it is of course included – it covers many aspects of Black Brazilian culture going back centuries, including religion, ceremony, and art, showing the true depth and wonder of the Black experience in Brazil. It’s really powerful, and informative on Black history in a way that no museum I’ve ever visited in Europe has been. It’s also right next to Parque Ibirapuera, a vast expanse of trees and grass and lake that’s the perfect spot for a picnic and a moment of peace in the middle of the frenzy that is São Paulo. If I’d had more time, I would have gone to the Museu de Arte Sacra de São Paulo, which is dedicated to religious art. There are also several museums about the various immigrant communities, such as the Museu Histórico da Imigração Japonesa no Brasil – I was surprised at the apparent prevalence of Japanese culture in São Paulo!

Guided tours. Taking the free guided tours is a great way to learn about the city from locals! We took one of the Theatro Municipal, which is offered in English, Spanish and Portuguese at different times, and one of the area we stayed in, which is called Vila Madalena. The area tour in particular was really useful as we were shown all the best areas of street art, and took some great pictures! We both agreed we probably wouldn’t have found some of the stops on our own. The walking tour guides also gave us discount coupons for several shops, which leads me nicely to my next suggestion…

Shop. São Paulo is full of cute, unexpected little shops and stalls. Hit Avenida Paulista for both large shopping malls and street stalls selling things like jewellery and incense – I got a gorgeous ring for R$10 that, several weeks after returning, has yet to turn my finger irreversably green – as well as street food. In the Beco do Batman area, where you’ll find streets plastered with vibrant graffiti art, there are also several small shops run by the artists selling clothes, posters, prints and original works of art and other souvenirs – it’s a great feeling to support these local artists! As for big brands, don’t miss out on a pair or two of Havaianas, Brazil’s famous make of flip flops – I’ve never owned a pair before, but I’ve heard they’re very long-wearing, and with the discount coupon my pair cost about £6, rather than the £25+ they would’ve been in the UK. Score.

Swim. I didn’t manage this in the end, but we had an idea to take a trip to the beach at São Sebastião and Ilhabela, a few hours away by coach. It looks absolutely dreamy. Alternatively, the rooftop pool at Hotel Unique has an incredible view, and cocktails, so win-win really if you can afford a night there!

Eat, drink, and make merry

Everyone knows Brazilians love to party and São Paulo only confirmed this to me! My main reason for visiting when I did was to attend the Brazil edition of Time Warp festival and it did not disappoint. I chatted with a group of people who’d driven for SEVENTEEN HOURS to be there – dedication. Being a European company, though, we made a point to head to a samba show at Bar do Baixo to hear some local music and soak up the atmosphere. The music was infectious and the caipirinhas flowed – these were probably the strongest drinks I’ve ever tried and I could barely finish mine, especially as we’d also managed to inadvertently order shots of an unknown but firey spirit! A word to the wise – pointing randomly at the menu because you don’t understand any of it and can’t be bothered to get up Wordreference is not a good strategy, especially if you’re a bit of a lightweight like me and in a country with a legendary alcohol tolerance. There were also lots of interesting-looking little bars in the Beco do Batman area. Food-wise, my suggestion is this: go to the least glamorous, most homely looking buffet restaurant you can find, and have a bit of everything. In terms of street food, if you fancy something smaller, I highly recommend you try coxinhas, which are Brazilian chicken croquettes – I’ve never eaten anything else quite like these, and they’re delectable. Suco de açaí is another must. Açaí berries grow best in Brazil’s humid, almost swampy conditions, so guzzle it while you can because it won’t be the same in Europe. It’s very, very sweet, so if you don’t have much of a sweet tooth share a bottle with someone else.

I really hope I’ll be back in SP before too long, and that’s despite having spent a sizeable chunk of my visit in a desperately under-air conditioned police station. In fact, I was pleasantly surprised at the efficiency with which the man dealt with our report, and full of admiration for his total lack of condescension at our most clichéd of tourist incidents. Minor disasters aside, that’s all I’ve got for my whistlestop guide to São Paulo – til next time, companheiros.