Sao Paulo, Brazil

Arriving in Sao Paulo at 6am after an 11hr overnight flight direct from London, we tumble straight into a taxi and in the usual English manner attempt to explain to the portugese speaking driver the address of the hotel we’ve made a reservation at in the city, after a few frustrating attempts we resort to thrusting a piece of paper with the address in his hand and sure enough he understands immediately “Ah, Rua Jesuino Arrunda.” he repeats and nods his head. We’re sure it sound just the same as we’d been trying to say but it becomes quite apparent that in Brazil the level of English isn’t the same as we’ve come to ignorantly rely on in Europe.

An hour and a half later, after some of the craziest driving we’ve ever encountered (causing us to swear we’ll never hire a car to drive in the city) we arrive at the hotel. Modern, clean and stylish even by our home standards we get the first inkling that maybe this city isn’t the backwater dangerous place we’ve been lead to believe with horror stories back home.

A few hours later, refreshed with a few hours sleep and a good shower we hit the streets with Max, Rob’s coach, American but a virtual veteran of Brazil after several other visits. He show us the pleasures of the local fruit juice and coffee houses and we idle a while just viewing the local area before he leaves us to enjoy the evening. We grab a couple of beers before trying out a local sushi house and are served some of the best sushi at least I’ve ever eaten. We have time to reflect on the last 24hrs and try to absorb where we now are. The local neighbourhood is relaxed and friendly with no feeling of threat as you walk around, a far cry from what I’d imagined and its difficult to even grasp that we’re a quarter of the way round the world in the middle of South America and not just in a city in Portugal or Spain.