stand by
I went to the ticket counter to check-in for my flight to San Francisco - USA and I asked the agent I wanted to pick up my luggage in São Paulo. Without any questions the gentleman weighed my back-pack and put a ticket to Gurulhos, São Paulo airport. As the plane took off I could see down Praia do Flamingo and all its little bars on the beach. Only time will tell me if I will be back. After two hours on the air and the enjoyment of having the seat next to me empty I arrived to São Paulo I picked up my back-pack without any sweat and went out to take the metro. Since this trip is about planning just the 'minimo' I realized I had to take a bus for half hour to the metro station. No problem. Big cities and well structured airports make travelling a lot easier and of course asking around and/or pointing maps or signs are universally understood as 'I am lost. Can you please help me'. I sat in the bus and started wondering if somebody that was on the waiting list to get to San Francisco was given the ok to go that night. If not, somebody else was about to have the enjoyment of having the seat next to her/him empty for 6 hours. It was already dark and the bus made its way through freeways and big signs of 6 famous Brazilian futebol players. This bank is paying some good money, I assume, to these guys to seduce people to open new accounts at the bank. "Be part of the best team of the world".
As arrived to the Metro station I walked up to the terminal and bought my ticket. 2,10 Reais. Again, I was surprised with the organization and speed of getting a ticket and the system itself. I haven't been in a lot of cities that have Metro (subway) system but this one looked exactly the same as the ones I have seen. Maybe, they could use the air conditioning so passengers can forget, for the time of their trip, about the hot weather of this city. But that is just an observation. Thanks to the internet I knew where to get off and change subway lines, so after one hour ride I took again my two back-packs and emerged to the city. I asked a man for the location of the street I was heading to, so I started walking, checking always to my right, my left and behind me. Just to be safe, you never know, but I always believe nothing will happen. I ended up on a residential area, I only run into four people, at different times, and I didn't hesitate to ask them if the street I was looking for was on the direction I was going. One older guy was also travelling so he couldn't tell me, two other girls got scared and just kept walking, and later, one guy with his son confirmed me I was good. As I walked in to the Hostel, people were watching TV, another was using the internet, and a bigger group, which I later went out with were having drinks. I was to sleep there only for one night since they didn't have space for me next day. 'Tudo bom' (It is fine) I said. I paid, went in to the room that I was going to share with 9 more people, boys and girls, and I made my way to the patio where the drinking group were. The neighbors were complaining about midnight because of the noise so we went to a bar close to the hostel.
As arrived to the Metro station I walked up to the terminal and bought my ticket. 2,10 Reais. Again, I was surprised with the organization and speed of getting a ticket and the system itself. I haven't been in a lot of cities that have Metro (subway) system but this one looked exactly the same as the ones I have seen. Maybe, they could use the air conditioning so passengers can forget, for the time of their trip, about the hot weather of this city. But that is just an observation. Thanks to the internet I knew where to get off and change subway lines, so after one hour ride I took again my two back-packs and emerged to the city. I asked a man for the location of the street I was heading to, so I started walking, checking always to my right, my left and behind me. Just to be safe, you never know, but I always believe nothing will happen. I ended up on a residential area, I only run into four people, at different times, and I didn't hesitate to ask them if the street I was looking for was on the direction I was going. One older guy was also travelling so he couldn't tell me, two other girls got scared and just kept walking, and later, one guy with his son confirmed me I was good. As I walked in to the Hostel, people were watching TV, another was using the internet, and a bigger group, which I later went out with were having drinks. I was to sleep there only for one night since they didn't have space for me next day. 'Tudo bom' (It is fine) I said. I paid, went in to the room that I was going to share with 9 more people, boys and girls, and I made my way to the patio where the drinking group were. The neighbors were complaining about midnight because of the noise so we went to a bar close to the hostel.
posted by Jose Antonio at 5:58 AM
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