Our first impression of Sao Paulo is that it is one of the great megalopolis of the world with 20 million inhabitants. We are staying in a fashionable part of town, in a chic hotel not too different from the Four Seasons of New York, including the $800+ room rate and a lot of high rises. The room is very nice, stylish & contemporary.
The country
side was fabulous! It included pine forests, national parks, small farms to banana plantations and lots of jungle in the lower elevations. There is a lot of road building going on and none too soon. There are more trucks than cars. The pictures tell a story. Sao Paulo itself is at about 2,000’ in what was originally highland jungle. The preserved countryside around it is lush and beautiful.
As we are in a fashionable part of the city, busy and safe at night, we walked a few blocks to dinner at one of the great Italian restaurants of the city. My Bresaola with arug
ula, and Penne Bacalao was rivaled by Carol’s Polenta with mushrooms and Fettuccini alla Vongole. We ate well!
Note:
The spread between the $800+ room rate and the way Brazilians live is anecdotal evidence that the exchange rate feels like 3 Reals per $, not 1.59.
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