Above left: A mural in Pinheiros, Sao Paulo; Above right: A mural in Liberdade, Sao Paulo
November 2-4, 2008- Sao Paulo, a metropolis of 17 million, caught me by surprise. Though it might arguably be South America's biggest city, I had not come prepared to see a large population of Asians here and more so to hear them speak Portuguese! I read later that many years ago, immigrants from Asia and other countries come here to work in factories and farms. There are now many generations of Asian-ethnic Paulistanos (Sao Paulo's inhabitants) here, and the Liberdade area is concentrated with Asian shops and restaurants. I confess, after so many weeks of eating South American food, I was glad for a change back to Asian food. The surroundings of the Praca da Arvore Hostel reminded me a lot of Singapore and made me homesick. It's strange to find such familiarity here in Brazil and a few times, I have to ask myself where I was just to be reminded.
Back at Sao Paulo and after checking-in at Praca da Arvore Hostel, I headed out to trendy Jardim Paulista for some window-shopping - there were a few lovely items that caught my eyes, like the long pretty dresses, scarves with beautiful prints and colorful bikinis, but alas, I am in no position to buy as a back-packer with a full and heavy pack. From there, I walked west to Pinheiros where the bars and samba/bossa nova clubs were supposedly clustered. I stumbled upon a fun Samba club on Rua Fidalga no. 308. There was a cover of R$20 for entry but it was well worth the charge. The Grupo Dose Certa, an 8-member band of 5 percussionists and 3 strings, entertained us live with local samba renditions - which almost everyone (it seems) knew the lyrics to sing along to. The rhythms and heart-pounding beats were easy catch on - and soon enough, I was head bopping and hands and feet tapping to the beats. Oh if only I understood the lyrics! It's true what they say about the Paulistanos - they work hard but they play harder!
Above left: The neighborhood of Praca da Arvore Hostel - for those of you familiar with Singapore, do you see the semblance to Singapore's East Coast (above left)?;
Above right: The morning crowd in the metro
Above left: The Se (center) in Sao Paulo; Above right: Teatro Municipal
Above left: Edificio Italia; Above right: A building next to the Edificio Italia
Above left: Brazil's Felipe Massa lost to England's Lewis Hamilton who was crowned the 2008 Formula One World Champion in Sao Paulo on Sunday, Nov 2nd (he was also the youngest to be crowned at 23 years);
Above right: The ubiquitous cops - it's a comfort to see them patrol every street corner in and near the center as crime is rife in this part of Sao Paulo
Above: In Liberdade - the Asian district
November 8-9, 2008- After a lovely and relaxing time at the Iguazu Falls, it was time to head back to Sao Paulo where I would catch a TACA flight to Lima, Peru, on Monday morning. The 18 hour bus ride from Foz do Iguacu to Sao Paulo was the longest bus ride yet for me and a torture on my back and bottom. Other than the numerous short stops at little towns to pick up passengers, the drive was uneventful. The only 'excitement' of the night was when cops at a police checkpoint stopped our bus and randomly went through boxes/luggage in the bus to search for contraband goods. It was a good practice - it helped to deter would-be smugglers and touters of pirated goods.
Above: A beautiful day - en route from Foz do Iguacu to Sao Paulo on Friday, November 7 '08
Back at Sao Paulo and after checking-in at Praca da Arvore Hostel, I headed out to trendy Jardim Paulista for some window-shopping - there were a few lovely items that caught my eyes, like the long pretty dresses, scarves with beautiful prints and colorful bikinis, but alas, I am in no position to buy as a back-packer with a full and heavy pack. From there, I walked west to Pinheiros where the bars and samba/bossa nova clubs were supposedly clustered. I stumbled upon a fun Samba club on Rua Fidalga no. 308. There was a cover of R$20 for entry but it was well worth the charge. The Grupo Dose Certa, an 8-member band of 5 percussionists and 3 strings, entertained us live with local samba renditions - which almost everyone (it seems) knew the lyrics to sing along to. The rhythms and heart-pounding beats were easy catch on - and soon enough, I was head bopping and hands and feet tapping to the beats. Oh if only I understood the lyrics! It's true what they say about the Paulistanos - they work hard but they play harder!
Above left: A specialty book shop and cafe in Jardim Paulista; Above right: A bar in Pinheiros district
Above: Samba clubbing on Rua Fidalga no. 308
Above: Grupo Dose Certa
Above left: At the Sunday market in Liberdade
Above: RAMEN in South America!! Pictured - Chashu Ramen in Shoyu stock (R$13 or ~US$6) @ Asuka Ramen restaurant on Rua Galvao Bueno 466 in Liberdade. Locals (me too!) swear by the place
1 comment:
There are lots of Japanese immigrants there... I could probably live there with more access to Japanese stuff than in Oregon! Imagawayaki looks really good.. Love the photo of the green field and blue sky... takes your breath away!
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