Sao Paulo

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I had read about Sao Paulo before I arrived and it wasn´t entirely reassuring: 10 years ago the murder rate was up to 700 a month and it is legal to drive through red lights at night in case someone tries to rob you. Stepping out of Praca da Arvore Metro station (the nearest to my hostel) didn´t reassure me either as the place looked pretty dodgy at 11 pm on New Years Day. I got a taxi straight away, checked in and went to bed.

In fairness, Sao Paulo is far nicer than its reputation suggests and my local area was quiet and safe. Ok, it is not as pretty as Rio and, if you are not a city person, then you might not be that fond of it. I am though and hence I liked it. The city has around 20 million people and it supposedly one of the biggest in the world This that can clearly be seen from any vantage point. Getting around is easy and safe though as it has a cheap and efficient Metro system.

As I spent the first day planning my travel to Foz do Iguacu, I had only two days to explore the city. The first I spent visiting Ibirapuera Park, which is a rather large park a few stops away from my hostel at Vila Miriana. Well, it is not quite a few stops as there is the small matter of a half hour walk from the Metro, but we´re talking in Sao Paulo terms. The park is really nice and similar to Central Park in New York in that it is surrounded by skyscrapers and it is used by the locals for jogging, cycling, sports, sunbathing etc. It is large and takes the best part of an afternoon to get round.

I spent day two in the central areas of the city. Firstly, I visited Torre Altino Arantes: a building styled on New York´s Empire State Building that houses one of Sao Paulo´s main banks. Entry to the building is free as long as you show ID and the lift to the 32nd floor leads you to a viewing tower from where you can see right across the city. This is perhaps the best place to appreciate the scale of Sao Paulo as tower blocks can be seen stretching out in all directions out to the horizon. The building is as good as the view and it appears no expense was spared in it´s decoration; including a 10-ton chandelier in the lobby.

Sao Paulo´s centre appears to be a commercial hub and lots of banks (and bankers) can be seen in the area. There are many other grand old buildings amongst the new, glass towers and this gives a good mix. There are a few open spaces too; such as Praca do Se. Se Cathedral sits at this square and it is the grandest building in the city. It was built at the start of the 20th century to replace a previous Cathedral, but it´s design makes it look a lot older. It is free to get in and provides a nice place to rest from the busy streets around it...oh, and some people pray there too.

That is about as much as I can say about Sao Paulo as I only saw a few places. I liked it though and felt safer in Sao Paulo than in Rio. It could be because I noticed that most people here carry bags on their chests rather than their backs and frequently check their pockets when they walk past others - me included! It helped to eliminate my paranoia as I realised I am not in the midst of some big rob-a-gringo conspiracy; but rather this is just the way of life here.

This morning I searched in vain for an ATM that would take my VISA card. It was the same in Rio: one day there I tried no less than 17 machines before getting money. HSBC is the best bet for getting money out in Brazil and I hope I will see one either on my way out today, or when I get off the night bus in Foz do Iguacu - my next destination - tomorrow.

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