Sao Paulo is like TT on steroids

I chose Sao Paulo because I wanted to see what it would feel like to be in a city with more than 17 million people. I just couldn’t image such figures and I saw the effects the moment my taxi left the airport. I thought I knew about gridlock from Los Angeles. I was wrong. All I could see from my taxi was a sea of vehicles turtling along the highways at 20 km per hour. Once in town the size of it all was a bit overwhelming. So I decided to take one of the walking tours offered by my hostel. Nothing like a walking tour to truly get the rhythm and history of a place. The personalised tour wove through Sao Paulo old and new, parks and churches including Cathedral da Se which seats a congregation of 8,000. Surprisingly, not once did I feel claustrophobic as we passed street performers, artisans peddling their craft which looked a lot like our handicraft and people on their way to lunch in the heart of the financial district. We stopped at the stock exchange and the Banespa building, which is an art deco replica of New York city’s Empire State building,with views that gave a sense of perspective to this metropolis. Before me unfolded diverse architectural styles inspired by the many immigrants who helped shaped the city and whose descendants have made Sao Paulo the top city for business in Latin America as ranked by America Economia magazine. Many multinationals are located here.

But my interests lie in the culinary experience and this is where Sao Paulo scored major points with me both in and around the city. You can find just about any kind of food under the sun here and in this respect it can be likened to London and New York. But did you know that Sao Paulo has the largest Japanese population outside of Japan? It does and there’s no shortage of sushi bars and great Japanese food. On weekends the Japanese community hold an outdoor market with crafts, clothes and cuisine to satisfy all types of tastes at bargain prices.

If walking is not your thing, Sao Paulo metro system makes getting around town very easy. It’s the cleanest and most efficient metro system I’ve travelled. Considering it’s a Latin American city, punctuality was the last thing I expected but I never had to wait around more than five minutes for a train at any given time. The maps were self-explanatory especially for me who speaks not a word of Portuguese. Something I really need to remedy since Brazilians keep talking to me in their native tongue because they assume I’m Brazilian. Most people speak and/or understand Spanish but I didn’t meet many people who spoke English.

Sao Paulo with its world famous museums (MASP Museum is home to one of the best Western art collections in Latin America), Formula 1 race track (Grand prix takes place in September), world class zoos, mega malls and trendy boutiques was just up my alley. But my favourite spot in Sao Paulo, however, was not in the city but just a two hour drive away (when there’s no traffic). Campos do Jordao is a German/Alpine village set in the Manttiqueira mountains with the best hot chocolate I’ve ever tasted. It’s so rich, it’s served in an espresso size cup and that’s all you need. Brazil makes it’s own chocolate and I sampled to my heart’s content.

So did I regret not going to Rio de Janeiro? Not in the least. I was not bombarded by beggars. Coming from the Caribbean, I’m spoilt for beaches.

I haven’t seen anything in South America to rival our white sandy beaches with crystal clear waters and beautiful coral reefs. Sao Paulo was just my cup of hot chocolate. If you have a sweet tooth and a taste for the finer things in life in a multicultural setting, Sao Paulo may just be your cup of concentrated hot chocolate.