Sao Paulo - a very European city.

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Sao Paulo could be seen as a very European City. But that is all it is. A city. Just like any other city. The skyscrapers are tall, and the people are busy. There are a couple of things that set it apart though.

I arrived here yesterday afternoon after a 6 hour bus journey from Paraty. I left the hostel with another traveller, Andrei, who is studying for his PHD in violence in Columbia at Sussex University, of all places! He got on a bus to Rio and I was left alone at the bus station. Setting out on my own has been a little intimidating but also very liberating. Maybe Sao Paulo wasnt the best of places to go but I wanted a day shopping to find a new camera before heading up to Iguazu. So I arrived at the massive and bustling Bus station, feeling very small and a bit out of place. Bus is the main form of transport here so the locals really know what they are doing, and I felt a little silly floundering about trying to find the correct bus company. I booked my bus for the next night to Iguazu and left the station on the Metro. Sao Paulos metro has 3 lines. It is clean, efficient and easyish to find your way. 10 mins and I was at my stop, Republica. I got off, up to street level and immediately had some problems finding my way. The directions I was given were not very clear. Luckily locals, especially poor locals, are eager to help. A street boy, of only about 7 or 8, tried to show me the way; jumping and pointing enthusiastically. He could have come straight out of the film Oliver. He had a gorgeous little face and black curly hair, but his clothes were in tatters and his skin very dirty. It broke my heart. I gave him 2 reais (about 65p) and he looked delighted. He bowed to me and ran off. The police here are so different to Rio. Every five mins or so of walking down a main street you come to a Police stand, which is raised for better visibility, and has a policeman/woman sitting in ready to help anyone that needs it. Its quite comforting when the city around you is so huge to know there is someone watching out for you. I washed some clothes and let them dry overnight. My socks didn´t dry, which was a bit annoying. So I put them in a plastic bag to dry later.

This morning i scoffed as much as I could at breakfast, packed, and set off at about 10am towards Avenida Paulista. As I walked to the Metro I passed a Centre for the Treatment of Cancer, which had a long line of people, with family etc trailing down the street. This really hit home. These people cant afford expensive treatments. They queue every day, or week, in the hope they can see a specialized doctor and get some help. I walked around a very European Shopping Centre then settled on a good old dodgy little market to get my camera. Managed to negociate (in Portuguese!!!) 50 reais off the price of a camera and an 8GB memory stick. I can get by in Portuguese, know some phrases and have bought a three way (english, spanish, portuguese) phrase/vocab book to help me along the way. (Don´t worry, I checked the camera etc works properly, and got a valid receipt and warranty) I then went to the Museu de Arte de Sao Paulo (MAPS), the most extensive collection of European Masters art in the Southern Hemisphere. I saw some Monet, Manet, Raphael, Van Gogh, Picasso, Rembrandt and Renoir amongst others. Luckily, entry is free on Tuesdays!!! Score.

I am now waiting to leave for my night bus to Iguazu, where i will spend 1 or 2 nights. I haven´t decided yet.

Love xxxxxxx

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