The transition has been more of a shock than I anticipated. I was totally overwhelmed by the size of Sao Paulo and very unaccustomed to seeing so many shops, cafes, restaurants. Dar-es-Salaam and Sao Paulo are almost complete opposites. Replace the dusty roadsides and wooden structure stalls on the sides of streets selling roasted corn, earrings, fruit with skyscrapers, high heels and over groomed pooches and you might be just about half way there. Suddenly everyone was wearing western cloths again, kids were skating, there were restaurants and shops everywhere. The women were so stylish I had serious fashion envy.
I arrived late at night after a long flight, plane seats are so unforgivably uncomfortable, it's a sin. I had two to myself near the window over the wing (I always ask for a window seat and get the wing) and I still counldn't get comfortable. I'm not very tall and I struggle to have sufficient leg room or any space to fidget, I have no idea how 6 foot something giants don't become positively suicidal on airplanes. I had caught a cold from the flight to South Africa from Tanzania two days before which didn't help at all since when I did get close to sleeping I couldn't breathe.
My forward planning failed me so I got an expensive taxi to the hostel, not knowing that there would have been the option of getting an airport bus. I checked into a place called Gol Backpackers, greeted by an alternatively dressed girl at the reception desk who was listening to rock music and passing her night shift on facebook. I fell asleep only to wake up thinking it was morning at about 3am, I didn't check the time difference but I soon realised that there was a 6 hour difference between Sao Paulo and Dar-es-Salaam. Never mind, I never get to enjoy being an early riser, it's not in my nature so I'll make the most of it while it lasts.
I made a couple of friends over breakfast and we went to the park in the afternoon. It was really nice to see people were cycling, skating, and sitting down enjoying being outside. I know this sounds strange but it was even a shock to see that. There was a distinct lack of that in Tanzania. I guess people were sitting around, leisurely but in zones I tended not to frequent. I would see men sitting inside tyre rings on the sides of the road or on dusty grass verges, under trees. Open public spaces like squares and parks lined with cafes were not common in Dar, market areas were busy, sprawling, over-crowded. People sat on the sides of the street in the shade, but it wasn't quite the same. Consequently, I found it refreshing to see people skating around this park instead of pushing heavy carts laden with mangoes and pineapples. We sat down in some dappled shade and watched the world go by.
First impressions of Sao Paulo - the sheer size of it is overwhelming. It's a very impressive city. I'm going to be backpacking a bit from now on, so actually I am truly 'on the road'. I'm excited but also I know I'll get frustrated not having my own bathroom, and down time. Having to share dorm rooms can be fine but annoying, hanging out with other travellers is great but also restricting. I have lived overseas in the past to learn languages and I think it's better to try to integrate a bit and not feel too much like you're going with the easy option and sticking with people from the hostel. I want to try and converse with some locals and get a feel for the places I visit. It's exciting to be back in Latin America, even though I've never been to Brazil, I lived in Mexico for a little while and it feels like more familiar territory than Africa.
Here are some photos of the walk to the park in Sao Paulo:
High rise buildings everywhere!
An impressively big sculpture, commemorating something I'm sure, I just don't know what...
Obelisk
Clouds
View of part of the city from a lake in the park
There was a Afro Brazilian Museum and Planetarium within the park, I would have been interested to take a look around but the boys were in a hurry to get back to the hostel and I didn't have my own map, save it for another day.
Looks good from the outside, love the slanted pillars and overhanging lip
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