The bus trip from Curitiba to São Paulo should have taken six hours. I arrived “only” nine hours later thanks to heavy rain when we left, as well as traffic and probably an accident or two.

Not bad, really, by Southern bus standards.

I was freezing cold on the bus because of the air conditioning, but I wasn’t worried about being late—I can find anything, anytime in São Paulo, the city of 24/7 Carrefour supermarkets and padarias.

The Polícia Federal climbed on board right before the bus left Curitiba’s bus terminal. I was half expecting a drug search, but instead they joked around and gave practical tips on how to “survive” São Paulo and party smart. I looked around—yep, the bus was full of young, hip travelers heading to shows and pre-Carnival blocos.

Believe it or not, I had totally forgotten about pre-Carnival. It was only on the bus to Blumenau that I realized I had accidentally booked myself into a weekend of parties—and Ivete Sangalo, the queen of Bahia and Carnaval, was performing for pre-Carnival in São Paulo for the first time.

I quickly adjusted my plans.

I had a long list of neighborhoods and museums I wanted to explore. I was super excited to be in São Paulo again because this city is like a treasure chest—I just have to dig into it. It’s huge, busy, artsy, grungy, and I’ll never see the end of it.

Forget it. In February, Carnaval takes over cities whether you want it or not. It’s best to go with the flow and join the party—you can’t pretend there aren’t millions of people in the streets and maneuver around them to do your own thing.

I had to join them.

And I needed a haircut, glitter, and Carnaval gear.

I headed to the historic center, sure I’d find what I needed around Rua Vinte e Cinco de Março, a bustling commercial area packed with stores and sidewalk stalls. I tried a few options and settled on a 20-reais silver top I would definitely not use for my LinkedIn profile.

I still managed to get a cup of delicious suco de limão at my usual place in Liberdade, and I also visited the Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil. I wandered through artworks by Joaquín Torres García, but it was the second exhibition, in a separate building, that really caught my attention—Corpo Manifesto. The work focused on structural racism, decolonization, and Black empowerment, delivered with a witty and visually fascinating perspective.

“Do you like it?”

I turned around—I was admiring a Brazilian atlas featuring Havaianas straps.

“Yes, it’s super interesting, and I think I get it. Oh…”

Yep—that was the artist himself, Sérgio Adriano H.

It turned out he had finished lunch with friends and decided to kill time in his own exhibition—because why not? It was raining, and it was the last day of Corpo Manifesto. We chatted briefly—his art and words made my day.

So I did do something cultural in São Paulo—just not what I had meticulously planned weeks before the trip.

And now, time to dive into Carnaval craziness!