We stopped in a small town along the drive to almoçar (eat lunch, but lunch in Brazil is the main meal so it seems strange now for me to call it lunch.....beause almoçar is pretty much dinner at noon....just to explain here! haha!) It was at this really pretty, rustic restaurant which doubled as a furniture and decorations shop. They had the prettiest decorations and the best beef parmesan I have ever eaten!! Probably the best Italian food I've ever eaten! Everyone come to São Paulo and go to this place! It was goooood!
We arrived in São Paulo at around 4:00 in the afternoon. This is the view from my host parent's apartment!
The city goes on forever and ever and seems like it never ends! There are so many things to do in São Paulo and lots of history! It's overwhelming!
São Paulo is like the New York City of Brazil
At night we went to a really fancy restaurant for my host father's (Rodrigo) sister's birthday! This is my dinner!! Basil risotto with delicious grilled chicken! It wasn't cheap that's all I'll say! hahha!
This is my dessert....cream puffs with a delicious ice cream (I think it was Italian because I've never had ice cream like it and I have no idea what flavor it was!) ,with chocolate and nuts on top! And sometimes I wonder why have I gained 2 kilograms in Brazil!! hahaha!
Friday Paula and Rodrigo took me to to the center of the city and the places where people like to visit! We took the subway and it was soo cool! I didn't take my camera because there's a good possibility it could get stolen, especially because I am so American. Unfortunately people can tell that I'm foreign really fast even before they hear my accent so it's more dangerous for me to bring expensive things like cameras and cell phones. I thought I would die without it on the subway! It was so cool! In Sao Paulo, lots of people take the subway because the traffic is so horrible.
It goes like this on the Sao Paulo subway - a huge crowd of people gets on the train and when they get off, it's like a waterfall of people and everyone shoots off like a rocket, practically jogging to the next station or wherever they're going! It was so funny! In Campo Grande, everyone walks calmly without rush. But here I have a hard time keeping up and I am a fast walker! In Campo Grande people tell me to walk slower! hhahaha!
We went to the mercadão in the center of the city. It's an enormous, ancient building with lots of open stands which sell all kinds of fruit, meat, and special little things! There were so many things to see! I couldn't take it without my camera so I used Rodrigo's iphone!
O mercadão!
Here I am with more food! This is a famous sandwich sold at the mercadão of mortadela - like an Italian ham. It's made with french bread, parmesan and provelogne cheese, lettuce, arugla, tomatoes, herbs, a sauce like mayo or something, and of course, a mountain of smoked mortadela! It was so delicious but so huge!
We bought some fruit at one of the many fruit stands! There were tons of different kinds of fruits, half of which I have never seen before! We bought a few "banana kiwis"! Don't ask me how it's possible, but it's a yellow kiwi with a slight taste of banana! So weird, but delicious!
This is the "wall street" of Brazil!
Here is the famous Rua 25 de Março where everyone loves to go in São Paulo because things are soooo cheap! It is incredibly crowded and you're bombarded by Christmas decorations everyone and people trying to sell things! There are people shouting at every corner trying to sell bottles of water or watches or jewelry. But when the police come by they hurry and put everything away!
I was in heaven at Rua 25 de Março! I could stay there all day and look at all the things being sold and it's all so wonderfully inexpensive!
My store!!!
This is the "birthplace" of Sao Paulo! The first building here!
The banner in the background is saying that Sao Paulo was born in this place!
This plaque is saying, "Here, under the cross of Christ this city was born dedicated to the Apostle Paul by the Jesuits Father Manuel of Nobrega and Brother Jose of Anchieta with others. January 25 1554 AD"
Sao Paulo was born in 1554!! Yup, this city is old! Campo Grande is only 113 years old!
This is the Sao Paulo cathedral! So beautiful!
Friday night, Rodrigo, his son Caiu and his family and I went to a city called Guarduja that is across from Santos, only an hour away from the city Sao Paulo.
The view from the apartment in Guarduja!
Saturday we went on a ride in Paula's sister's enormous boat in the ocean!!!! It had a kitchen, grill, bathroom, bedroom, and deck! It was sooo fun! I especially loved going over the waves like a rollercoaster! Way too much fun! haha!
So beautiful!
Imagine living here!
The view of the city from the oean!
All of these ladies are part of my new family! Fernanda (Rodrigo's son's wife) with her adorable son Henriquo, me, Fernanda (Paula's sister) and I forgot the woman on the right's name but she is Paula's step-mother!!
Camilla and I before we went out on the jet ski! Camilla is Paula's niece, Fernanda's daughter! We had a lot of fun together!
First Camilla drove the jet ski and then I drove! She was surprised how fast I go! Haha! Let me tell you, riding jet skis at Bear Lake is fun, but it's even better riding in the ocean going over waves!! It really was so fun!
This was like a little canal. We went to visit Paula's sister's friends who live in community of enormous, ocean side houses through this canal!
This is one of the biggest docks in Brazil and is very important for the Brazilian economy!
There were even cruise ships!
Sunday we went to the beach and it was beautiful! The water is the perfect temperature and the sand is really thin and fluffy! I had a good time and hopefully I got a little more tan!!!
Before we left Guarduja, we went to eat at another restuarant alongside the beach.
It was a really fun trip!
Now I'm leaving Sao Paulo but I'm comig back in January! Can't wait! I have so much more to see!!
