People Everywhere

Whew! What a day....And its not even 4:00 yet here. Lat night I got a well-deserved good night's sleep. I hadn't had one in a long time, so it felt very nice to wake up whenever I felt like it.


I headed out to the Centro district this morning, Sao Paulo's hub and busiest area. I packed my bag with multiple cameras and lenses and headed out for a walk. The guidebook says to take the subway or a cab, but it appeared to be only about 1.5 miles, so I figured I would get my workout. After discovering how twisty SP's streets are, I got more of a workout than I planned.


Finally I hit Edificio Italia, SP's tallest building. It wasn't very impressive or tall, so I took a pass. From there I went to the Teatro Municipal, modeled after the Paris Opera, and then to Parque Anhangabau, which was arguably the prettiest area I saw. Pictures are below:













From there I wander to Catedral de Se, a beautiful building at the center of SP, and a hangout for migrant workers. The inside of the church was fairly plain, but the building itself was beautiful.












After the cathedral, I tried to hike to the Mercado, the central shopping and food area. I couldn't get my bearings, though, and wandered around aimlessly. I've heard so much about trying to blend in so you don't become a target that I was afraid to ask anyone directions.....and then it started raining. That was my cue to come home. I backtracked and walked for what seemed like forever.

This city is amazingly big and busy. Picture the mall on Christmas eve, and make it busier...and EVERYWHERE. Its very international, and the people watching is great. I honestly never felt unsafe, although I would get funny looks when I was taking pictures. I don't think Paulistanos are used to having tourists around. In most areas, there is a lot of trash sitting around, and lots of homeless people. It definitely makes you appreciate what we have in the US. One other thing I've noticed that surprised my was the amount of graffiti. Every inch of almost every building is tagged.....its interesting to look at, but turns otherwise nice-looking buildings into crummy looking concrete. (How did they get the graffiti on the outsides of that bulding?!)
















Tonight its time for some work and homework, and more movies on TV. I'm going to catch up on all my movies here - they show them in English with Portuguese subtitles. Tomorrow its off to the Art Museum and the Casa de Rosas and it's Versailles Gardens. I hope everyone is doing well at home! Congratulations to Pete and Becky - I think they're having a baby as we speak! Take care, and make sure to comment or send emails!