São Paulo, Santo André, Curitiba and surroundings

 

São Paulo

Arrived at the International Brazilian megalopolis of darkness when already formed by the master, drank a coffee taste to say the least strange, we got to look at housing. In four and quatt'otto thanks to a flyer advertising the solution we had in his pocket: after almost two months we had our back in a hostel, escorted by a driver who did not move in his city and that we did wander around the neighborhood for a good half hour. Carried out the usual practice of check-in we were placed in a dormitory crammed full of Brazilians, it seemed to us strange, but then, as we have explained our flatmates, we understood that it was quite normal

The next morning we awakened to take advantage of the breakfast included in price (since the evening before we had even dined) and after to be well filled stomach, we packed the backpacks and we left the hostel. Just doing it breakfast, chatting with some guys, we discovered that in the city center (nell'Avenida Paulista) there was a hotel of a well-known international chain that offered rooms at a price lower than what pagavamo nell'ostello. Reached hastily, this infamous hotel lady behind the counter gave us the bad news: no free rooms at the moment ... thank goodness! The only solution was to make a reservation for the next day and get down with great difficulty, to hunt for a place nearby where to park for a night. Backpacks on their shoulders we crossed a million times the road from side to side in search of hospitality and finally after half an hour we were unable to find a hotel undergoing renovation that offered us a room. Began a series of tight negotiations aimed at obtaining a well-deserved discount seen the condition of our home and partially met at the end we reached an agreement: problem solved, we could begin to visit the city. Given the vastness of the metropolis we have focused in the center and increased in meters after five minutes we were already in place by himself, where the name Cathedral. From there, with information drawn from a tourist map, we began our visit. Despite being called "old town &", has very large and historic buildings are not really there are many: buildings, skyscrapers and even skyscrapers. We crossed the pedestrian walkways at our disposal through markets, luxury shops, a huge city park and the spectacular municipal theater and then back from the point from where we started. We returned to our squalid room not too late to be able to prepare to meet Rodrigo, a Brazilian boy who had met in Mexico City. E 'come to retrieve them with his car directly at the hotel where we began a short tour of São Paulo by night and then enter a characteristic clubs where live music played. The evening is spent in a glass of caipirinha and excellent Brazilian jazz.

The next morning we again made the backpacks to move to Formula 1, the hotel where we had made the reservation on the day was incredible, and in three days we stayed in three different places, but without changing the city. After again discarded backpacks in the new hotel, we followed the advice of our friend Rodrigo going to visit the largest park in São Paulo. The day was just an absolute Sunday afternoon and most of the park was being a jazz festival, we spent the day among a crowd of people walking through tree-lined avenues and flower beds green, focusing from time to time in some bar to sip a frozen drink. In the late afternoon, before returning to our hotel, we turn again to the metro head towards the bus station, a huge building which holds the worldwide flow of people every day we spend in it. After purchasing the tickets for the next destination and checked the times, we have returned nell'Avenida Paulista something to munch and putting directly under the sheets in the company of mother tv.

Curitiba

Wake up early morning, after a delicious breakfast we climbed nell'autobus to begin our descent towards the south of Brazil with the first stage where we waited Curitiba Angela, our Brazilian friend who had kindly invited us to his house.
After six hours of travel fast we got it right and we immediately contacted by telephone Angela to let our arrival. Not even time to hang up the phone and our friend had already deteriorated in front of the station, with a aimé car lot, but very very small. Did not come to terms with the shipment back to Zero Parallel with the huge backpack that brings us into the back: it was not easy finding the right attitude but thanks to a game of jamming the operation was successful. Arrived at the home of Angela, we met with his family: his mother, the grandma many centuries of Japanese origin and with a tremendous Furacão black barboncino not stopped barking for a second. Not even time to wash and we were still in the car to go to dinner in a restaurant of her mother Angela. It was a restaurant specializing in soups and there are certainly facts miss the opportunity to try them all.

The next morning was planned a long day with Martha, the mother of Angela, we would have guide for the city of Curitiba. Super breakfast table with plenty of each well of God and then climb in the car and head towards the botanical garden. The park was a huge green space, and characterized by a structure of metal and glass that acts as a greenhouse for a variety of tropical plants and not. From the garden we moved towards the city center through the pedestrian street to get to the historic University of the state of Parana. Lunch was provided in the company of Juliana, a friend of Angela who was released from work just to get to know us. Juliana, who spoke good Italian, has advised us to eat our lunch in a restaurant Mineiro, which suggested a typical local cuisine. After two steps we digestive directed to the Museum of Contemporary Art designed by Oscar Niemeyer, and under the expert guidance of Juliana we admired the many works on display inside. After the museum began an exhausting "Via Crucis" along the immense and numerous city parks in which we have pursued a relentless woman top half of us but with an energy that we envy (we refer to demonietto Martha, the mother of Angela ). Now devoid of strength and conviction to go home, we gathered at the foot of the television tower as well Marta had thought that we could not lose a vision of Curitiba from above. Climbed up on top, actually the game worth the candle, and after a brief visit and an amazing sunset we ripigliato the lift and recovered in the car we were finally heading for home. Arrived at the base, we discovered that our evening would not have ended with a shower as the father of Juliana had already taken measures to encourage us to dinner at a Churrascaria, a typical Brazilian restaurant specializing in grilled meat. Not even time to get out of the shower and we were back in the car: when you get in Churrascaria we gathered in front of the entire family of Juliana who welcomed us with a big smile and a Italianissimo "welcome." Yeah, why is the father that the mother of Juliana studied Italian and also had many relatives still in Italy. Like any self-respecting Churrascaria no limitations in the amount of food and we wanted to try every type of meat, we like eating animals, however, came to a solemn conclusion: of all types of meat tested the picanha ago from the owner .. . superb! And dying with the brain out of oxygen because of the complex digestive process, before we leave fattoci accepted an invitation from the father of Juliana, which provided for the next day by another visit to the city of Curitiba, this time in the immediate periphery .

And so was the next morning in good time (too well) our guide was waiting for us in his office which would match the shipment at a time of Campo Grande, the village where José was born, the father of Juliana and juliana where yet still concentrates a large number of Italians. The visit continued climbing along narrow and winding mountain roads to reach a delightful cottage owned by José. Down again in Campo Grande, we have taken advantage of our hospitality guide we also offer a sumptuous lunch also based picanha. The day ended with the meeting of the President of "International Trevigiani" Curitiba after which we returned to Angela's house to retrieve the luggage and head towards the Rodoviaria (bus station) to embark on to Foz de Iguaçu.

Santo André

After yet another night bus in a vain attempt to crush a nap we arrived in Santo André a city of medium-large in the suburbs of São Paulo. The reason that led us to here was the visit of an international collaborative project that the Province of Treviso is implementing with the Prefecture of Santo André, which is why we had already contacted Mrs Miriam Blois on-site manager of that project and we set an appointment in the afternoon on that day. But back to us, once disassembled started out of the usual search for an accommodation which unfortunately was not very easy because most of the hotels that were in the city were of a standard too high compared to our availability. We wander around more than half an hour to board a taxi sieving the city looking for a place to come back home, in despair, the first hotel we had seen. In addition to the damage of lost time there was also the insult of having to pay a taxi driver salatissimo account: unacceptable! Systematic room right time to "stretch" the face to make at least presentable, we divided the time of the Prefecture. Other taxi and within minutes we were punctual to and we have submitted to the reception and we did initially accommodate a conference room for a welcome coffee and after a few minutes you are presented with the Brazilian delegation and began a nice discussion on the meaning and development of project and then dwell on many other topics, not least on our tour. The project was inserted into the topic of urban management, particularly in traffic, seen as vehicular traffic, cycling and walking. Also for this reason we had the opportunity to make a national tour on board a car for the Prefecture to realize the real situation of the urban structure of Santo André. Set the appointment for the following day we returned to the hotel for a shower and do it again in the street to take a look at the city center. We paused to dine in a traditional mall and then head into the main street: Miriam Blois gave us the address of the clubs where they served the best caipirinha in the country and we certainly could not miss the opportunity to leave us.

The next day in the late morning we direct the appointment or rather we find the facts to 11:00 in front of our hotel to begin a national tour on board a vehicle in order. Our guide was a psychologist who had been entrusted with the management of traffic in Santo André, at his side sat the driver, a madman unleashed anyone gain from that and was identical to Charles Bronson. The visit was extended for about three hours through city parks, major arteries scroll, cycle lanes being built to finish in the clearing of traffic through a series of cameras positioned in the nerve centers of the city, it was possible to monitor the Traffic also noting any infringements of traffic: tough! In the late afternoon, after the visit we made to accompany the bus station to buy the ticket later in the evening that would have enabled us to reach Rio de Janeiro. Back at the hotel, washed and fast facts backpacks, we boarded buses nell'ennesimo night in a little more than six would arrive in Rio de Janeiro.