Brazil!

After the 2.5 hour delay, we finally landed in São Paulo. The flight was very smooth and since I was up before 5 am yesterday, I slept very soundly on the flight.

Coincidentally, a Korean Air flight landed about 10 minutes before our flight and we had to share the baggage claim belt. For the amount of people and the size of the airport, you would think they would have more belts and space. But alas, there wasn't. I also did my good deed for the day and helped a Korean mother with 3 carts of luggage, a stroller, and a toddler through customs.

After retrieving our bags, we found the pre-paid taxi service - Guarucoop and went to our hotel. We are staying at an Ibis Budget in Paulista which is a part of the Accor Hotels (includes Novotel and Sofitel). Finding triple occupancy hotels was actually difficult as it appears hotels have either a double bed or 2 twin beds. I had weighed staying at a nicer hotel and making one of us either sleep on the floor or sleep head to toe.

Instead, we have a double bed with a twin bunk bed. Allison took the bunk and the bathroom is split with a toilet room and the shower stall that faces right into a full length mirror. We have found the setup very humorous especially since there is a opening for your face on the shower door.

After some rest and some showers, we got on the subway which was 50 meters from our hotel and headed to Luz terminal. We wanted to see the Pinacoteca Museum which showcased the history of art in Brazil. The galleries were very open and sun-filled. My guidebook noted it was a "sunlit joy to be in" which it was. Also, today was free admission today, so we enjoyed the museum even more. For the win!

The museum is also in the Parque de Luz and by mid-afternoon, we were very hungry. So we ate in the museum restaurant that had outdoor seating surrounded by very tall palm trees, gazebos, and sculptures. There were various street performers and several very large cops that seemed to keep an eye on us.

Luz Terminal

We eventually left and walked through the Luz Train terminal that had old school charm and headed back to Paulista. Paulista is the business district with some shopping, so we strolled the streets and even popped into a church.

Paulista

We headed back to the hotel for a quick nap and are now heading out to dinner to meet my friend Eduardo at a tapas restaurant called Venga in Vila Madalena.

Eduardo went to Georgetown with me and actually we worked at the same company right out of college. Eduardo left a few years later, but we went through the training program together. I realized Eduardo lived in Brazil when he posted a pic on Facebook about a month ago.

Eduardo and I were in the same school - School of Foreign Service (SFS). We were the same major - Science, Technology, and International Affairs (STIA). And we were the same concentration - Business, Information, and Communication (BIC). Yup, I know - doesn't sound pretentious at all. ;-)

Can't wait to catch up and explore São Paulo with an old friend!