What a cultural shock to come face to face with a city so vibrant and yet so crumbling in her infrastructure.
On arrival at Terminal 1 at the São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport, it was evident that the terminal facilities were dated and tired. Fortunately my plane landed at 05:20 hours and was spared the long queue at immigration. But the luggage reclaim area was small and chaotic. I made a mental note to myself that patience is a virtue in this country since the words organization and efficiency are not common in everyday life.
After experimenting with a hotel near the office and decided that the facilities in the area were limited and the food at the restaurants nearby was dire, I've moved to a hotel in the Paulista area. The place is at best 3* but its location is a redeeming feature. Other tourists on Tripadvisor rate this hotel 4.6 out of 5 but they must have a different reference point. Cost of living is high in São Paulo, and 4* hotels are way above £100 per night. It's a case of living within one's means.
A few of us joined the São Paulo free walking tour. It was a huge group. Of course it was not free because the tour guide set expectations for tips: 15 to 20 BRL. That was an interesting way of being introduced to the city, far better than riding an open top bus and listening to recorded material. The tour focused on the landmarks of the city, but here, I want to capture the everyday life of São Paulo, seen through my own eyes.
There is so much graffiti in São Paulo that street art is in itself worthy of a separate blog. It's a pity that street art has adopted a global flavour in characterization and subject matter and losing the local context. Look at this one: I did not see people in São Paulo dressed like this.
Street vendors are rife in the city. Some sell from stalls erected by the municipality. Some simply sell from the pavement. It is common knowledge that there are politics, violence and corruption in the way street markets are organized in Latin America. For those selling a few bits and pieces from the pavement, it is pretty obvious that they are trying to eke out a living. Officially, the city of São Paulo is home to 11 million residents. According to statistics, 35% live in extreme poverty and 27% live in mid-level poverty (both defined in terms of multiples of the minimum wage).
Away from rampant social deprivation, São Paulo was alive with music and people out on a Saturday afternoon enjoying themselves. In almost every public square, there were musicians and dancers playing for onlookers and tourists.
Another aspect of life that struck me is the proliferation of juice bars in the city. The mangoes and the papayas are so sweet in this country - they are almost like nectar. Other tropical fruits are also available: guavas, passion fruit, watermelons: they are so refreshing for breakfast.
Talking about shopping in São Paulo, I'd only seen the budget end of shops. The merchandise on sale are rather poor in quality. Conspicuous consumption is absent in this city. I passed a street of local shops selling everything under the sun; even from a distance it can be said that price rather than quality is the primary consideration.
To end on a more positive note, there are sides of São Paulo that are much like any other big city: the business and financial centre that is flush with money, the traffic jam, the parts that the ordinary people live, and the occasional subway station in pristine condition.
And to end this short blog, as my next free walk beckons, I am posting a photo of Rafa, who entertained us with his funny and sharp introduction to the old town of São Paulo. Bravo to this young man who has hit on an excellent business model: Free Walking Tour, appealing to the self regulation of tourists who are free to contribute whatever they like. And since Rafa does such a good job, most people could not deny him a decent tip
On arrival at Terminal 1 at the São Paulo–Guarulhos International Airport, it was evident that the terminal facilities were dated and tired. Fortunately my plane landed at 05:20 hours and was spared the long queue at immigration. But the luggage reclaim area was small and chaotic. I made a mental note to myself that patience is a virtue in this country since the words organization and efficiency are not common in everyday life.
After experimenting with a hotel near the office and decided that the facilities in the area were limited and the food at the restaurants nearby was dire, I've moved to a hotel in the Paulista area. The place is at best 3* but its location is a redeeming feature. Other tourists on Tripadvisor rate this hotel 4.6 out of 5 but they must have a different reference point. Cost of living is high in São Paulo, and 4* hotels are way above £100 per night. It's a case of living within one's means.
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View from the hotel window |
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Street art near Luz subway station |
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Stalls near Republic subway station |
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Street vendor |
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Street vendor with just a few pieces |
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Homeless people sleeping rough near the Cathedral |
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Demonstration outside City Hall by homeless people |
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Street entertainment |
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One of the many juice bars |
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Fruit stall at the municipal market |
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Crates and crates of oranges at the fruit market |
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One of the shopping alleys that sell fake goods |
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Municipal market, thronging with tourists |
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Local bazaar |
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Gleaming office buildings at Paulista Avenue |
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Sao Paulo's own stretch limousine |
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A brand new subway station |
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Everyday life |
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Our tour guide, the one and only one Rafa |
