I was fully aware we were going to São Paulo, yet it was still weird to actually wake up in São Paulo. It’s summer! People speak Portuguese! Streets are busy! Quite a different atmosphere, trust me.
The last time I woke up in São Paulo, back in March 2021, the city was locking down and I was flying to Paris instead of Toronto because there was no other way out of South and Central America after Air Canada cancelled all flights (not to mention the new $2,000 mandatory quarantine hotel upon arrival).
Now, 100% of São Paulo’s adult population has been fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and everything feels pretty normal, all things considered—masks indoors, but no more temperature checks, capacity limits, etc. “But, but but… OMICRON!” Yeah, I know, I have Twitter on my phone, thanks. We’re wondering about it too. I’m sure it’s going around, but summer is just starting in Brazil, and like most people say here “COVID? Já pegou…” (“Already got it”).
I’m not in denial but I wouldn’t feel any safer in Canada right now. We left home double vaccinated and negative, we’re outside most of the time, and we follow basic hygiene principles. This is pretty much the best we can do. If Omicron is that contagious… well, we can’t really hide from it. I hope we’ll be fine, and we’re taking it one day at the time.
Meanwhile, we had very practical priorities before Christmas. The three of us needed a haircut, especially me—I refuse to get my hair cut in Ottawa because I survived too many ridiculously expensive bad haircuts, my last one had been in France in August. We also wanted to buy Brazilian SIM cards for our phones, and I was considering getting a few new t-shirts (again, didn’t shop at all in Canada these past two years).
The good thing is, we’re familiar enough with São Paulo that we know where to go and where we enjoy going.
First, we headed to the Galeria do Rock, that weird old-style shopping mall selling t-shirts of bands we actually listen to (hint, they’re all from the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s). Mark found a Squid Game t-shirt, I opted for Green Day’s American Idiot.
We found our way to Rua Vinte e Cinco de Março, a popular shopping street jam-packed with vendors selling everything you may or may not need, from live crabs to fitness gear. We walked all the way to the historical Mercado Municipal de São Paulo where stalls are a bit more standard and official—think plenty of cheese, bacalhau (cod fish), and colourful tropical fruits. The guys took the subway back, I walked to punk-ish Rua Augusta for my haircut.
Once the phones and SIM cards sorted out, we spent the following day wandering around the upscale Jardins district. São Paulo is huge, like really huge. We feel we know the city well, but I’ve only explored a tiny part of it—just imagine, the city is divided into 32 boroughs, each divided into 96 distritos, themselves containing one or more neighborhoods.
Basically, pick a street, go straight, and you’re likely to end up in a place you’ve never set foot in before, or someplace you’ve only partially explored. Case in point, we walked through Jardins a few times but I swear the streets we took were new to me. No jam-packed markets in Jardins but quiet residential streets and plenty of exotic, mysterious trees. São Paulo is arguably the only place in the world where you can explore a jungle without leaving the city centre and stay completely safe because you’re surrounded by people a million times richer than you—welcome to Jardim, home of the people who hide their mansion between giant walls, where trees are both giant and mysterious, and where an average of seven CCTV cameras are watching as you walk past.
Back to Avenida Paulista, São Paulo’s big central avenue, we enjoyed pre-Christmas frenzy in shopping malls and in the street. It took us a while to realize the big present-shaped structures along the avenue didn’t just light up and play Christmas music—they spit out fake snow too! I got PTSD just looking at them, but people seemed to find them very entertaining. Only thing is, when it rains, the entire avenue turns very soapy—and of course, it did rain because well, this is São Paulo.
Next stop, Florianópolis for Christmas.
Do you know what is this weird looking green fruit?
I believe they are figs (the ones on the tree) or a version of figs.
and those in that trash can are coconuts, but I guess you weren’t referring to them.
Brasil is so great in summer and yes it is the fruits the food and everything that makes you love it, but at the best are the people …. and YES IT SUMMER.
biking today as it was almost 10 celsius in front of Manhattan, felt a bit cold.
Thank you for your help identifying the mysterious fruit! I think you’re right but you’re probably more knowledgeable than I am.
I agree, seeing people just… you know, being people and hanging out, is awesome. Ouch, biking in the cold and downtown NYC… feels like living dangerously!
They’re incredibly big!
Everything is big here (… I’m talking about produce, *obviously*). But you should see Chile, the biggest fruits and veggies I’ve ever seen.
I’m going to go with the helpful hint, figs… because I have to admit that I’m not a huge fan of fruits and most of them are a mystery to me 😆 Veggies, I eat anything, any kind. Fruits? Meh… I’m only good at picking bananas from trees!
Ahah… I like them and I’m always curious to taste “exotic” fruits (I’ve only been to one exotic place, though)
Hey ! There is a bunch of criminals who crossed at the red light !
I *told* them to hurry up!
Nice !
I think you would love the markets and the clothes 😉
Outdoor markets are awesome! I love them!
I miss them so much in Canada…