The sound of helicopters follow you in this city. Why? Because the rich prefer to fly by chopper than sit in the traffic jams. Ian and I had stupidly left our pilot licences at home so we took our chance on foot, led by our trusty guide, Kleverson. Although some of the buildings in this city are reminiscent of 1960s Croydon - and many of the old colonial beauties have been torn down - at street level you can feel the city´s energy and there is something that gets your attention on every corner. From a great height the views across its endless suburbs are breathtaking. There are between 20 and 28m people here, a stat that is hard to grasp. I expected Sao Paulo to bewilder me but instead it has been quite enchanting, even - and especially - in the loudest thunderstorm I have ever witnessed (which prompted an enterprising array of street traders offering waterproof ponchos). A terrific graffiti exhibition at the Museum of Art, for example, reflects the vitality of urban life here. It has helped that we´ve had Gary and Kleverson to warmly host and guide us. Every question answered...
THINGS I DIDN´T KNOW BEFORE TODAY:
Even the cleaners here have cleaners
Elderly get priority in all the queues
Laptops are called `lappy-toppies´
No-one ever looks good in a waterproof poncho
MORE PICS OF SAO PAULO:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/14099398@N00/sets/72157623245215423/
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