On Wednesday, we woke up to very grey skies and wondered if we would be able to see and do everything we had planned. I had been wanting to get to know an area of the “Centro” (the old downtown) called 25 de Marco (translates to the 25th of March) for a few weeks. Named after the main avenue that is the focal point of the several blocks that surround it, 25 de Marco is like a Chinatown of sorts, without the Chinese influence. It is block after block of little stores selling purses, shoes, costumes, fabric, party supplies, toys, and junk – mostly at low prices – as well as vendor after vendor on the street trying to sell massagers (for your back!), pen drives for the computer, “brand-name” T-shirts, etc. I also wanted to take Jen to the Municipal Market, which I had visited once on our trip in October – also in the Centro, the market is in a gorgeous old building with domed ceilings and stained-glass windows and is full of stands and vendors selling fresh fruits, vegetables, cheeses, and meats.
Anytime someone mentions a trip to “25”, as it is known, others ask to join in – as I’ve mentioned, traffic and driving (not to mention parking) in Sao Paulo is not pleasant, so people are eager to go places when someone else is behind the wheel. So, despite the impending rain, two friends (who have been to “25” and could show us where to go) joined us for the drive into the city. Because it was Wednesday, we couldn’t leave too early, as it was my “Rodizio” day – when I explained this to Jen, she asked me why I hadn’t mentioned it in my blog yet. Rodizio has a couple of different meanings – one is a style of eating that basically translates into “all you can eat”, as in “Rodizio Sushi” and “Rodizio Pizza” restaurants; the other “rodizio” refers to driving. Because of the ridiculous number of cars on the roads in Sao Paulo, they have devised a system in an attempt to reduce the traffic congestion that occurs here. Depending on the last number on your license plate, you are assigned one day out of the week when you cannot be on the major highways (nor can you cross them) between the hours of 7am and 10am, and again between 5pm and 8pm. If you are caught breaking this law (the roads and intersections are monitored) you face points off your license, as well as a fine. People find ways to get around this – if they own more than one car (most families have at least 2 cars), they make sure their license plates are different so their rodizio doesn’t fall on the same day – they just drive the other car. You can also take the long way and find back roads to get to your destination, or just plan your schedule around the restricted times. Luckily, Matt’s office sits just on this side of the “line”, so it doesn’t affect him, and I don’t go anywhere early on the days I am restricted.
After sitting in traffic for over an hour, we finally made it to 25 de Marco – of course, it started to rain as soon as we got there. Despite the damp weather, we walked around for about three hours, stopping to buy typical Brazilian fast-food (coxinha – chicken wrapped in a potato batter and deep-fried; pastel de carne – a fried meat pie; and a bauru – a baked ham and cheese sandwich) and ate along the way. “25” is not the cleanest place, and is crawling with people on the hunt for a good bargain – I’m told that in the days leading up to Christmas it is impossible to walk the streets because it gets so crowded. After everything on our shopping list was crossed off, Jen and I made a quick stop at the Mercado Municipal so she could get a glimpse of all of the beautiful produce and other goodies that are sold there. We could have stayed longer, but needed to get back to pick up the boys from school – so we paid the R$ 26 parking fee (very steep for just a few hours!) and headed home. It was fun to have the chance to explore a new part of the city with my sister, and we both agreed that it is a must-see for visitors.
During the days that Jen had been with us, Matt was away on business in Texas. He got home Wednesday evening, bringing with him a suitcase full of things I had asked him to purchase. So, for the third time in less than a week, it was like Christmas again! He had stocked up on taco seasoning, flour tortillas, new DVDs (yoga and cardio workouts for me and a movie for the boys), candy, and random cleaning supplies. It was great to have him home! With Matt home to stay with the boys, Jen and I had originally planned to go out to dinner at a “chic” (which here they pronounce “sheeky”) restaurant in a very chic part of the city. After our long day out, we decided to hang out at home and drink caipirinhas while we worked on a little project of making stirrers and appetizer picks out of glass beads we had bought at the market. The finished products turned out so great that Jen wanted to go back and buy more beads – since our schedule wouldn’t allow for another trip to “25” I promised her I would load up on the needed supplies and take them to her when I visit in July.
Since her arrival, Jen had been on the hunt for a new purse – anyone that knows her knows she is a sucker for purses and shoes. Being in Brazil, there is no shortage of either of those items. She had something specific in mind, as well as a price limit. However, sticking to a budget is not easy in one of the most expensive cities in the world. Thursday was a beautiful day and we headed out to Moema, a great area of the city that is residential mixed in with a great collection of shops and cafes – it was also quite a contrast to “25”. After walking and window shopping for a while we stopped for lunch at a sidewalk café, having to stop our conversation every few minutes for the noise of the planes that passed overhead.
This was something else that had impressed Jen – the fact that there is an airport smack-dab in the middle of the city. She couldn’t believe how the planes passed just above the buildings, and when coming in to land almost looked like they could scrape the tops of the cars on the highway with their landing gear. When she was still planning her trip and buying tickets for her flight here, I had mentioned to her that it would be great if she could fly into Congonhas Airport, as it is only 10 minutes (without traffic, of course) from my house. Once she saw how the planes come in for their landing, and how they take off at such a sharp angle, she swore she would never fly into that airport, and also made me promise not to encourage anyone else to do so!
Once we had our fill of delicious food, we resumed our hunt for the perfect purse – and we found it! Of course, it was much more expensive than what Jen had planned to pay, but it was marked down to almost 50% of the original price of R$ 840. The purse was unique, made of braided leather, and gorgeous. We decided to look at a few other stores for something more reasonably priced, but her heart was already set on it. I’m not sure who was happier, Jen or the salesclerk, who did a happy dance when we returned to make the purchase. With her new bag in hand, and her budget blown Jen decided to skip any shoe-shopping, but helped me pick out a new pair. Like two giddy school-girls we left feeling very accomplished – did I mention how great it was having my sister here?!?
No comments:
Post a Comment