All the guide books recommend you learn some Portuguese/Spanish as applicable before venturing out to South America.
Yeah yeah yeah - I’ll get by on a phrase book in Brazil, then do a Spanish course when I get to Argentina.
When they say not many people speak English, they mean No-one speaks a word…..
In a way this is good - how annoying is it on your weekend away in Paris when you deliver your painstakingly-rehearsed line to the waiter only to be replied to in perfect English with only the addition of a condescending sneer to acknowledge that they understood your initial attempt.
So I’m learning Portuguese - VERY FAST. And every time I successfully buy a bus ticket, order my lunch, or navigate my way to the next sight having asked directions, it is a major achievement. That said, all the effort put into these day-to-day tasks means not much else gets done, but that’s ok…no hurry!
And if I’m being honest, I’ve often found my way somewhere in spite of the given directions, not because of them. Not always because they’re plain wrong, but more likely because the answer you get to your carefully prepared speech is an incomprehensible garble to my untrained ears. Can’t you hear I’m foreign and struggling? Please slow down and enunciate just a little bit…
Until I open my mouth, I’m also enjoying the relative anonymity, in amongst such a diverse community of shapes and colours and ethnic backgrounds. And they’re not the slightest bit geared up to tourists - no gauntlet of traders to ignore every time you step outside the door (I give you good price…) which makes being a tourist in some countries (I’m looking at you, Egypt) so exhausting.
Apologies are due for lack of pictures - as well as not wanting to have my camera out all the time walking round a city on my own (picture a big arrow with flashing lights pointing towards my head that says TOURIST!!! ROB ME!!!!!!) Sao Paulo is….not very photogenic…. Yesterday I went on a walk round the historic buildings in the centre of town, and was appalled to see all the old churches covered in graffiti, beautifully landscaped parks obscured by equal quantities of rubbish and sleeping homeless people (??!) and the one graffiti, rubbish and hobo-less view I got (of the Teatro Municipal and the statue of leaping horses in front), the Theatre was covered in scaffolding and building works. I’ll le them off that, but I wasn’t going to risk my belongings to take a snap of that… If the sun ever comes out again I’ll take some of the beach when I get there. Promise. For now, you’ll have to make do with a google image search. Things I’ve seen: Ibirapuera Park, Museu Arte de Sao Paulo, Teatro Municipal, Catedral Metropolitana (where I managed to arrive in time for a celebratory mass on the anniversary of the Cathedral’s opening. Impressive, huge cathedral, but the dullest setting of the mass I’ve ever heard. One of the monks spoke English, and chatting to him afterwards I complemented him on the beautiful building. He replied: it’s no Westminster Abbey…)
I think I’ve passed the São Paulo test - so my reward is getting the bus to the coast for a few days on the beach at Ubatuba (Oooba-Toooba, honestly) before braving the next craziness of Rio, to give my shoulders a rest from lugging around a day bag and poor blistered feet some down time from all the getting lost in this vast signpost-light city (after all, they have to carry the shoulders AND the bag). I’m just annoyed that rain is forcast… it seems that Brazil isn’t immune from the curse of the bank holiday weekend.
Ciao ciao for now!!
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