Where to start with São Paulo? We spent three days in the city and I think I changed my opinion on it at least thirteen times but with a place this big, it's really no surprise!
My immediate impression wasn't the best as for the first time since landing in South America, I didn't feel particularly safe. Though police can be found on every corner, they seem to incite more fear than comfort and on multiple occasions we witnessed them pass by a potentially dangerous situation without stepping in.
Currently, the city is in a worse state than ever as the people are rioting against hosting the upcoming World Cup. It seemed strange at first that they'd be protesting when so many others would consider it a privilege but having seen the country and spoken to the locals, it's perfectly understandable why they feel that the money should be allocated elsewhere.
The city itself is simply bursting at the seams with over twenty million Brazilians calling it home. However, a heartbreakingly high proportion of this population have no actual home, instead living out on the streets and settling for any sort of surface to lay their heads. The poverty here is blatant and hectic, with swarms of people trying desperately to sell anything they can get there hands on, from socks, to massage toys, to stolen bottles of water. The noise whilst everyone competes to be heard is incredible, and street vendors will literally grab you by the arm to grab your attention. In a way, this chaotic frenzy creates a carnivalesque feel, even if there's seemingly not much to celebrate.
In the poorest parts, the town is physically crumbling down and there's an overpowering stench of sewage carried in the air. That said, once our senses adjusted, we came to like even the of grimiest of areas. Though the streets were in utter turmoil, it was liberating to lose ourselves among it and in those mad moments, we couldn't help but feel a fondness for those who embrace it every day whilst appreciating our own lives for what they were.
Shortly after accepting São Paulo to be this crazy place, we stumbled across a much quieter part of the city. We were pleasantly surprised to find some beautiful neighborhoods with both quaint little buildings and modern architecture. We dedicated one whole day to exploring the Art of the city, heading first to the MASP Museum on Paulista Avenue. The exhibition showcased the works of some of the world's best painters, including Monet, Picasso and Matisse, amongst other lesser known but no less impressive Latin American artists.
Later, we swapped the classic for the quirky, seeking out São Paulo's best and most outrageous street art. The Vila Madelena area is particularly interesting with almost as many walls covered in brightly coloured paints as left plain. We visited the famous road, nicknamed Beco do Batman, which was nothing more than a small alleyway before artists re-designed it to be a street art masterpiece, with murals on either side from one end to the next.
Later, we swapped the classic for the quirky, seeking out São Paulo's best and most outrageous street art. The Vila Madelena area is particularly interesting with almost as many walls covered in brightly coloured paints as left plain. We visited the famous road, nicknamed Beco do Batman, which was nothing more than a small alleyway before artists re-designed it to be a street art masterpiece, with murals on either side from one end to the next.
On our final day in São Paulo, we climbed the Banespa building for a three hundred and sixty degree view of the city from over a hundred metres high. Of course, we already knew it was big but this view really brought it to life. From our position on the small platform of the Altino Arantes, it felt as though we were staring down into the canopy of a ginormous concrete jungle which stretched further than any of our eyes could see.
Our feelings about São Paulo were therefore mixed but whether we'd liked the city or not, we'd have always had a brilliant time there because of the hostel we stayed in and the people we met. The owner, Erik, was an ex-professional football player turned hip hop artist who raps in a Brazilian punk band and plays the trombone. He also makes an insanely good breakfast and just as we were starting to think he was the coolest guy we'd ever met, we came across David - a doctor from Porto Alegre who is also a qualified hairdresser and make-up artist, as well as an unbelievably good cook. Sadly he was travelling Brazil with his husband (as well as another friend) otherwise I think we'd have snapped him up straight away! Anyway, he completely spoilt us, setting up a hair salon in the front room and treating the whole hostel to an incredible homemade pizza party, complete with caipiroska cocktails and sparkling wine.
The final member of this little crew was Claudio, another absolute gem of a human being and another bloody brilliant chef. Primarily though he's a philosopher, and he spent his days finishing off his latest book as well as every bottle of wine in sight. Interestingly, his English improved considerably after a glass or five of his special 'Spanish water' so I only hope it has the same effect on his writing.
There's no doubt that parts of São Paulo are unsafe but for every bad Brazilian, there are hundreds of others like Erik, Claudio, David and co. who will do anything and everything to look out for you and ensure you love their country. And if you're lucky, they'll feed you amazing food whilst they're at it too!
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