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A long weekend in So Paulo

A long weekend in So Paulo

Old Nov 27, 2016, 3:57 pm
  #1  
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Join Date: Jan 2008
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A long weekend in So Paulo

Despite the fact that I’ve been reading Flyertalk for nearly ten years, I’ve never written a Trip Report. I meant to write one earlier this year when I went to the Shetland Islands (the short version: it’s amazing! go!), and then a few weeks ago after a trip to the Villa D’Este. But I didn’t. (Maybe I still will?) I recently spent a long weekend in So Paulo, and in planning my trip, I was surprised to see that there isn’t much (or much terribly recent) on So Paulo. Subsequent posts to this trip report will involve some flights on AA’s 77W in business class (which included one of the weirdest interactions I’ve ever had with an FA), the Hotel Unique, art and stuff, and (mis)adventures with Uber. Below you’ll find the introduction which covers such vital topics as why on earth are you going to So Paulo? And what luggage will accompany you there?

In part, one could maybe classify this as a Tier Point run (I’ve decided to credit my One World flights to BAEC going forward), and although I didn’t maximize the TP earnings with any connecting flights, I'll reach BA Silver (OW Sapphire) with the flights from this PNR. On the other hand, it was a chance to get out of town (home being New York) at a time when the getting out seemed good.

I had no real immediate desire to visit Brazil, but earlier this year I noticed that ex-EU prices to South America in J were rather cheap. What good are ex-EU flights to South America going to do me, a resident New Yorker, you might ask? I already knew that I would be going to Italy in early November, and miraculously enough, there was Business SAAver availability on AA to Milan. (Quite possibly because it’s such an incredibly mediocre business-class seat, but for 50,000 miles and $5.60 it was an acceptable value.) So I booked the reward ticket to Italy, and figured I would take advantage of the €1,500-ish round-trips to EZE, using New York as a stopover and then heading back to Europe in early 2017. I dallied in booking and one day, poof!, the fares to EZE disappeared (there’s a lengthy thread over in the Mileage Run forum), and I realized I was really quite disappointed (effectively, I could fly back from Italy to NYC, take a long weekend in South America, and then fly back to Europe for not that much more than just buying a straight ticket from Milan), so that when reasonable fares reappeared— albeit only to Brazil, not Argentina— I booked without much thought.

Then I realized that, oops!, as a U.S. citizen I needed a tourist visa. Hmmm, I really didn’t think that through. I’ve never had to deal with getting a tourist visa before, and it was looking as if it would an extremely irritating procedure. For example, the address of my driver’s license doesn’t match my current address (that’s not an issue with NY State: I had updated separately with the DMV when I moved and that was enough), and I was very annoyed with the hassle of getting a new license. But then I realized that it was only the visa services that had that requirement, and if I went in person to the Brazilian consulate here in New York, a driver’s license wasn’t on the list of required paperwork. So I filled out a form online, popped over to the consulate, spent about 25 minutes waiting (and $160, harrumph), and picked up my visa two days later. It was perhaps the friendliest bureaucratic experience I’ve ever had. So, aside from the cost of the visa, which is billed as a reciprocity fee to match what the U.S. charges Brazilians, if you live in the service area of the New York consulate I would not let the visa requirement dissuade you from going to Brazil!

With visa in hand, I began contemplating hotels and pretty much saving any mention of restaurants, bars, and sights to Evernote and setting up a Google Map where I plotted things, thinking that I’d choose a hotel most convenient to the biggest cluster of activities (I ended up staying elsewhere.) I would only have two nights in So Paulo (bookended by overnight flights), but I’d arrive around noon on Thursday and not depart until 11:30pm on Saturday, thus giving me pretty much three full days. That’s not a lot of time, but it’s not nothing, particularly since I had no real idea what So Paulo had to offer…

The other element of planning involved deciding which luggage to take. I like luggage. I like buying bags. (Suitcases and travel bags, not “purses” or the like. God, not purses.) I’ve become a huge fan of Tom Bihn over the last few years, and with this trip in mind, I bought an Aeronaut 30, thinking it would be perfect for a trip of this duration. I inaugurated the A30 on a two-night trip to Chicago, and the bag is certainly plenty big and wonderfully organized. But a couple of months ago, on a lark, I walked by the Rimowa store and came home with the now-discontinued Salsa Business Trolley. I wanted something small— give me the smallest bag you have!— primarily to be able to wheel around my TB Aeronauts. I’m not a minimalist by nature, and I’m also extremely good at packing (defining “good at packing” as someone who can fit an absurd amount of stuff into a very small space; I have in the past had problems exceedingly weight limits with even small bags. Ask me about the 125lb bag I checked one time!), so a fully packed Aeronaut 45 can be uncomfortably heavy for me to carry. The itty bitty Rimowa (with a bag bungee) served its job perfectly at helping me wheel the A45 to Italy a few weeks ago (and note, I checked both it and the A45), and when it came time to pack for this trip, it kept calling to me.

I almost always check a bag. The trip to Chicago with the A30 was my first carry-on only trip in a very long time. I enjoy taking lots of toiletries, and pilfering good toiletries from hotels (thank you, Fairmont Hamilton Princess for keeping me in Le Labo!). I’m happy to let the airline do the not-always-so heavy lifting. I get two free checked bags no matter what. But it seemed like this trip would be easiest with just a small carry-on. AA has not always impressed me with the speed of luggage delivery, and the idea of walking off the plane without waiting around for a tiny bag seemed strangely appealing so this meant somewhat rethinking my packing strategy. (I mean, the volume or amount of stuff I take on trips almost always meets carry-on requirements, so it was more of a mental adjustment. I’m going to be one of those people. I don’t know what those people even means, aside from being someone other than my usual traveling self.)

I test packed everything (all my clothes plus swimwear fit into an Aether A30 Packing Cube), first into the A30 and then, on another lark, into the Rimowa. It all fit. (Of course it all fit.) (The Rimowa’s capacity is about 25L, and being a Salsa, weighs very little.) Somehow, the A30 felt heavier? And, in backpack mode, seemed more awkward with my ‘personal item’ (a Tom Bihn Packing Cube Shoulder Bag) as a cross body bag. My partner surveyed the situation— and first tried to convince me to take the A45, which seemed ridiculously huge— and then, wisely it turned out, suggested that after a long flight, and not knowing if there would be vast distances to walk at GRU, that perhaps the ease of wheels would be appreciated on this flight?

So, I ended up cheating on Tom (seriously: the idea of not using a Bihn bag as my primary bag seemed wrong). But, to use the parlance of our times, the itty bitty RImowa sparks serious amounts of JOY. So tiny! So cute! So zippy! Maybe I was going to hate SP, but gosh, I was going to love the luggage I used to get there! (OK, small quibble: I wish the Rimowa had o-rings. I love o-rings. Curses to you, Tom Bihn, for making all bags without o-rings seem now somehow to be missing something important.)

Next installments: AA’s oh-so-delightful flight attendants, the joys of Google Translate, and hotel happiness.

And perhaps it has already become clear, but this trip report is being brought to you by the Power of Parentheses. (There never was a digression I didn’t like.) Onwards!

Oh, and since I can't figure out (yet) how to get photos to appear throughout the post, rather than at the end:

Photo 1: My ugly couch (I do so want a 2-seat Vitsoe... but travel seems to beat furniture in the budget tug-o-war) plus the Itty Bitty Rimowa and all its contents. (Ignore the Tom Bihn Daylight Briefcase in the back: that didn't go with me.) The pizza-shaped pouch is one of my favorite things, and has cables, adapters, and all that jazz. The purple thing inside the Rimowa is the Aether A30 cube, with the clothes seen below.

Photo 2: I am nothing if not organized, and I use an app called Stylebook to keep track of my clothes. This was my packing list. As you see, I'm not really a minimalist (a caftan for lounging around is non-negotiable in my travel world), but at the same time, it's plenty of stuff and dresses take up so little space.
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Last edited by turnleftbrighteyes; Nov 27, 2016 at 4:07 pm Reason: added links and stuff
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Old Nov 27, 2016, 5:53 pm
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Getting carded on AA

And I’m off!

The flight to Brazil doesn’t depart until late, which gave me plenty of time to putter around before heading to the airport (more on that, below.) The exit for LGA was a mess, but once we passed that it, it was smooth sailing to JFK. The Admirals Club (and Flagship Lounge) are currently under construction at JFK, and the agent there suggested I’d be better off at the club in the C Concourse. That club has two advantages over the temporary AC space: 1) there are a decent number of seats, and 2) there’s Campari. I didn’t know, however, that it closed around 9:30, so it was back to the main AC— which was right next to the departure gate— for the remaining time. It had, by that time, cleared out at least and the sole advantage there is that all drinks are free. (I suppose to make up for its general crumminess?) Also, no Campari.

Photographic evidence that I didn’t chicken out at the last minute and check the Itty Bitty Rimowa, but in fact wheeled it onto the plane with me (accompanied by a small Tom Bihn Shop Bag, into which I put the Packing Cube Shoulder Bag and a red Tall Yarn Stuff Sack, which had the slippers for the plane.

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I feel extremely strongly about having slippers on a plane— I’m not kidding about not really being a minimalist!— and chastise friends and family who somehow think it’s appropriate to wander around a plane in socks. Yeeerggh. That’s not water on the lav floor, people! You want a HARD-SOLED SLIPPER for plane purposes.) Anyway. Having slippers— or in this case, Minnetonka moccasins— really does improve the traveling experience, and they are sturdy enough that you can wander off the plane in them as well and not look completely insane, although they are not really appropriate street shoes.

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One of the motivations for picking Sao Paulo was that there is an AA direct flight on the 77W, which is one of the better business-class configurations in these parts. I managed to get seats in the forward mini-cabin on both legs. On the outbound I was very happy to have 3J, which is very private, and I think the sight-lines, or better said lack thereof, were better in 3J than in 3A or 3D. The small Tom Bihn bags fit easily into the side storage compartments, and the Rimowa took up a hilariously small amount of space in the bin above.

It probably will not shock most readers if I say that the in-flight service on AA is inconsistent and unpredictable. Sometimes very good, almost always at least professional, and then sometimes… While not the worst in-flight service I’ve had on an AA flight, this was definitely not AA’s finest crew. (And while the numbers I have at my disposal aren’t large enough to really extrapolate anything meaningful, I have had the lousiest service on the 77W in business class.) I very much got the impression that the crew serving my area would rather have been anywhere else, and dealing with things like meals and drinks was an irritating distraction from more important matters. I didn’t get a tablecloth, and none of the three FAs passing by before the meal service noticed anything amiss. They first tried to give me the wrong meal (but, hey! at least they remembered to give me a meal this time, unlike a previous trip where I had to ask them if I could please have food), and his gruff ‘I read the sheet wrong’ as he removed it did not suggest a strong commitment to good service. Drink orders came very late, and then not at all, and I definitely wasn’t getting any answers as to what wines there actually were (the actual wines on board versus those printed in the menu haven’t exactly matched up in recent flights, hence my attempts at asking.)

So in other words: just a bunch of very small, probably petty, small things, but enough small things to know that this was not going to be the best of flights, service-wise.

Since there had been so little service to the dinner service, eventually I wanted a nightcap. I got up at some point to use the lav, grabbed some water from the self-serve bar, but didn’t see anyone to ask about getting a whisky. (I was hoping that perhaps a small splash, a fingerful really, would be enough to help me sleep. Perhaps this is heresy, I don’t find the 77W seat to be all that comfortable, actually…) Unsuccessful, I went back to my seat, thinking I’d try getting up again soon. And then, the fasten seatbelt light came on.

I guess I forget that on AA, the ‘remain seated’ thing doesn’t really mean that (BA, for example, tends to be fairly serious on that front, but then again, the light is usually turned off pretty quickly.) And being a polite, strangely rule-abiding person, I stayed seated. And waited. And waited. And 45 minutes later, with no water and no drink, and I was getting mildly grumpy because I at least needed to hydrate before sleeping, and I did want to try to get some sleep.

So I did the unthinkable. I rang the callbell. (Picture this statement in 48-point bright pink italicized Comic Sans for maximum effect. Wait. Comic Sans IS an option on Flyertalk. Whoohoo! No magenta, though. Comic Sans is best deployed in a tacky, and partially unreadable, color.)

Yes, yes, I know there are any number of threads about whether one ought to ring the bell, etc. etc. But, gentle reader, I did it. And another FA (not surly No-Giver-of-Tablecloths or No-Answerer-of-Questions-re-the-Wine) appeared. “YOU RANG THE BELL?” (Well, yes.) And I asked, politely, if I could please have a water and a very small (emphasis on the very small) Glenlivet.

The response was not, “Of course, madam” (or, I guess, “ma’am”? BA says madam? AA, ma’am?), but instead, HOW OLD ARE YOU? I was very confused, because I thought perhaps this was some banter, the likes of which I wasn’t expecting at this point from this particular AA crew. YOU WANT A WHISKY? (If you’re reading the all-caps like DEATH from a Terry Pratchett novel, then yes, you too have probably rung the callbell on AA.) HOW OLD ARE YOU? (Again.)

I was confused. Why would he be asking my age? I am 41 years old, so let’s just say the idea that perhaps there was a question as to the legality of my consuming a soothing, warming Glenlivet did not even cross my mind. I mean, I haven’t been under 21 in, well, 21 years. Given that I am 41, I look like what a 41 year-old looks like (natch). I’ve got some frankly saggy jowls in my Mobile Passport photo (there’s another digression about the wisdom of not looking too good in your passport photo, and then ANOTHER digression about how I apparently can’t get a decent angle to take a better picture for the Mobile Passport thingie, but that probably is another story.) And frankly I didn’t expect to have to mull the state of how well I might be aging (or not) from the confines of 3J on the way to Brazil. So I remained confused. And then I said, “I’m 41.” “YOU’RE 41?” “Yes?” “REALLY?” “Well, um, yes?” “YOU LOOK SO YOUNG.” If you say so? “HOW OLD DO YOU THINK I AM?” Oh, this is a trick question… either 23 or 60? He claimed to be 62. I would not have guessed that.

Also, even when I was under 21, I remember drinking on planes. This would have been in the 90s, and in the 90s there is no way I would have flown a US-carrier internationally, so I suppose that’s why the drinking age thing ever crossed my mind. I have fond memories of buying super cheap tickets on Virgin Atlantic ($200 all-in round trip!) and enjoying a gin and tonic, two glasses of wine, dinner, movies, and breakfast; it was cheaper than hanging out at college for the weekend, plus I got wine and gin which I could not (well, officially) gotten at college. Those were the days. I miss the 90s. Good times.

Anyway. I did eventually get a whisky, and a water. I’m not sure if the ‘fasten seatbelt/remain seated’ sign ever did get turned off.


Exfoliate and Moisturize! Or, a skincare digression:

I can attribute the events above either to a FA who desperately needed glasses or to my success in preflight ablutions. I’ve been playing around with various preflight skincare routines for quite a while, and apparently I have stumbled across the perfect combination. And, there is nothing about these products that a man cannot use (I thought about posting a separate thread over in the Women Travelers subform, but really, good skincare knows no gender boundaries.) So, herewith, the Pre-Flight Fountain of Youth:

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Sunday Riley Ceramic Slip + Sunday Riley Good Genes (aka, the Sunday Riley Flash Facial): mix a couple of pumps of each, and wait 15 minutes. Both of these products are stupendous on their own. Stupid expensive? Well, they are not cheap but the value is there. And the rest of it is cheap(er) stuff, so there’s that satisfaction of mixing high and low.

That is to be followed by layers and layers of moisturizing products. I spritzed with Muji Light Toning Water, followed by Muji Essence, followed by The Ordinary Hyaluronic + B5 serum, topped by La Roche Posay’s Hydreane moisturizer. (I sometimes put a few drops of Sunday Riley Juno oil into the moisturizer, but I didn’t this time, as it occasionally makes me shiny. Since I was getting on a plane, I didn’t want to use any makeup at all, so didn’t want to worry about shine or grease.)

And another bonus tip: the SKII Facial Essence Masks are fantastic for post-flight revivals. Not only do they make you look like a serial killer Jason (only for the duration of the mask-wearing; a product that gave a serial killer visage would probably not sell so well), but they are the best for pepping up my skin after a flight. Plump like a baby seal, they make you. These masks are not cheap ($17 for a single in the US), but much cheaper than a proper facial (and without the hassle of going to a facial). The 10-pack is the best deal, particularly if there’s a sale at Sephora. Anyway, I used one in Sao Paulo— and had the fun of answering the door while wearing one when a very persistent maid wouldn’t take ‘do not disturb’ for an answer— and I am using one now to recover from the mostly-sleepless return flight.

The Trip Into Town

Leaving the plane, I ran into Mr. MY AGE-DAR IS SERIOUSLY MALFUNCTIONING, and we laughed about the whole thing. I briefly contemplated handing out one of the AAplause certs, but thought the better of it, although when am I ever going to use those things? (I should have given the whole bunch to the delightful crew on a trip to London earlier in the year.)

Immigration was incredibly fast and easy. Before heading into town, and suitably cowed by reports of Sampa’s terrible traffic, I stopped at the Suplicy cafe upstairs for a restorative coffee. (I passed on breakfast on the plane.) There’s free wifi in the terminal, and I was also pleased to see that Project Fi worked without any issues. Based on advice read here on FT, I decided to use an Uber to my hotel. I had to wait about 10 minutes for my car to arrive.

I don’t speak Portuguese but in anticipation of this trip, I tried learning a little bit using the Memrise app. I was definitely grateful that I tried to learn a little bit of Portuguese, although I have some questions about some of the vocabulary foregrounded on Memrise. Vocabulary such as “you are a genius” and “I like oranges” wasn’t terribly helpful, and I realized that I didn’t actually learn the phrases for “I don’t speak Portuguese” or “how much?”! (If I were ever to create my own language learning program, I think the first phrase I would make people master would be “Sorry. I am a foreigner, not an idiot. Please help!”) But, I think a little goes a long way in at least buying some degree of sympathy, and for the most part, people responded well to my poorly uttered “muito bem,” “obrigada,” and the like. I’m trying!

Michel— my absolutely delightful and charming Uber driver—didn’t speak English. Well, he had a few more English words than I have Portuguese, but that’s really not saying much. But, my early attempts at asking him in my broken Portuguese “are you from Sao Paulo?” and the like seemed to work. We ended up chatting, of a sorts, using Google Translate all the way from the airport to the hotel (it took about 70 minutes.) Of course, Michel typing on his phone while driving down the highway wasn’t maybe the most ideal driving circumstance, but on behalf of all Paulistas, he made a very good impression. And Uber was easy and seamless (not dealing with cash was great), and based on my good experience from the airport I mostly used Uber for my entire stay. But, stay tuned, as of course not all go so smoothly…

My biggest piece of advice, I think, for anyone thinking of going to Brazil would be to learn at least the basics of Portuguese and have Google Translate to hand. Part of the fun in traveling is meeting new people, and even that little bit of effort made my trip better.

Next up, the Hotel Unique.

Last edited by turnleftbrighteyes; Nov 27, 2016 at 7:28 pm
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Old Nov 27, 2016, 6:21 pm
  #3  
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Hotel Unique, So Paulo

I had a tough time deciding where I wanted to stay. Since I had no real goal for my visit, or no real knowledge about what to do in SP, I wanted a place that would be nice enough to hole up in for the whole weekend in case I hated the city. (It could happen.) That meant, primarily, that I wanted a nice bathtub. I live in a frankly crummy walk-up apartment in New York, with a cracked and chipped tub; the only thing I really miss about living in Vienna was the incredible soaking tub in my otherwise sad studio. A decent bath is one of my main standards for judging hotels. (And toiletries. Which I guess falls in the bath department.) Location was also important. I can be a somewhat lazy traveler, and I was afraid that if I was too far afield, that would just encourage me to stay at the hotel. The hotels in Jardins seemed to be most central as a tourist; the Hotel Unique had interesting design on its side but was off near Ibirapuera Park. Would I be put off having to takes cabs everywhere if I stayed at the Unique? Would I see more and eat better if I was in Jardins near Rua Oscar Freire with the other luxury hotels?

The other hotels I seriously considered were the Emiliano, Fasano, and the Renaissance. The Unique, Emiliano, and Fasano are all about the same price (at least for entry level rooms). One of the things I like most when traveling is enjoying a good bath, which means the Emiliano was out (only suites have tubs), and at the Fasano I would need to book at least a Superior (or maybe it’s Deluxe? the second room category). At the Unique, all rooms had separate tubs and showers. I ended booking a rate that came with a space-available upgrade, but I figured that even if I didn’t get upgraded, the room I booked at the Unique would be satisfactory, whereas I would only have been happy with a higher (and pricier) room at the Fasano. I could have booked a decent suite with club access at the Renaissance, but I decided an Americanized hotel experience was not what I was after. In addition to the room upgrade, the rate I booked at the Unique included a food credit, breakfast, and a 3 pm late checkout. I ended up being very happy with my choice and thought it was a good value for the quality of the stay.

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The Unique falls in the boutique/design rather than 5* luxury category, and it was a young, stylish, and I think mostly Brazilian crowd. Service was outstanding, and all the staff I met throughout the hotel, bar, and restaurant were absolutely lovely and extremely helpful.

I ended up getting upgraded two categories, to a premium level room (the trade-off there was maybe that I was on a lower floor with no view), but it was a very comfortable stay. The bathtub met my satisfaction completely: I spent several hours total in the whirlpool bath, and a window opens up so that you can see the bed and TV (which I didn’t watch, but one could) from the bath. Toiletries were Bulgari Green Tea (fine, but nothing exceptional and I’ve no plans to rush out and buy the shower gel), and there were two full housekeeping services a day, which I appreciated considering the amount of time (and towels, and bath products) I was using. Various chocolates and treats were left in the room during the course of my stay, and as someone who likes to hydrate, I really appreciated that.
The bedroom looking towards the bath; there’s a separate rainfall shower beyond:
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A premium category room (not pictured, the nifty round window):
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You can also spot the complimentary Havaianas one gets instead of slippers.

Coconut water!
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A minor quibble was that the steam room and sauna were not always on— a sign cited environmental friendliness—and it was a bit irritating to have to ask to have them turned on and then to wait 20-30 minutes for them to reach the proper temperature. But, once hot, they were hot and large enough. (I get annoyed by too small or too cool saunas and steam rooms, and plenty of supposedly good hotels fall down on that front.) There are two pools: a rooftop pool off the Skye bar that gets all the press, and an indoor pool, complete with a slide. Neither pool really seems geared toward serious swimmers, which was actually perfect for me. (If you want to do laps, maybe look elsewhere?) I happily floated and paddled around the indoor pool, and then enjoyed a good schwitz once the saunas heated up. There aren’t a lot of seats in the indoor pool, but the expectation seems to be that if you want to lounge, you want to be on the roof.

Breakfast was excellent (R$70 if not included in your room rate; if I had been paying, I would have found the value to be just fine.). On weekends it’s a very generous buffet, during the week it was table service, and I drank my fill of watermelon juice and had many a pao de queijo. Best of all, breakfast was served until 11 am. (I’ve slept through many a hotel breakfast that stopped at 9:30 am. I barely get up by 9:30 on a regular workday— I have a very short commute—so I tend not to want to do so on vacation.) All of the food I had the restaurant was excellent, and my first night— when I realized I was fading fast and was not up for a late night— I ordered room service, and the anchovy starter was probably the single best room service dish I’ve ever had. There’s a 24-hour menu, and the full Skye restaurant menu was available during dinner and lunch hours, too. So one was not going to go hungry.

And my concerns regarding the location were unfounded, or better said, I really enjoyed the proximity to Iberapuera Park, which worked out particularly well as the So Paulo Biennale is currently happening. There’s also the Modern Art Museum (MAM), and cabs and Ubers were cheap and plentiful to the rest of town. But all that stuff, plus the exciting return trip, to come!
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Old Nov 27, 2016, 8:17 pm
  #4  
 
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enjoying this report and your writing style. thanks for sharing, keep it up and please consider reporting your other trips.
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Old Nov 28, 2016, 8:26 am
  #5  
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Thanks, @theshaun! Nice to hear someone has enjoyed this. I will keep plugging away at this one, and get my act together to report on some previous trips.
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Old Nov 28, 2016, 9:50 am
  #6  
 
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Nice TR, thank you for sharing turnleftbrighteyes ^
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Old Nov 28, 2016, 10:44 am
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Really enjoying your trip report and writing style. Your luggage and skin care recommendations caused some damage to my wallet. I had to buy the SK2 masks.
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Old Nov 28, 2016, 11:03 am
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Thanks, Madone59 and Silvergray, for your kind words!

Also, everyone act quick! The Ordinary's HA+B5 serum is on mega-sale right now for ONE US DOLLAR. (It's a Canadian company so also available there, in the UK, and the EU.) Even paying for shipping, that is a steal. It's a pretty close dupe for the Skinceuticals HA serum that sells for $78 or Glossier's Super Bounce ($30).
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Old Nov 28, 2016, 6:29 pm
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After arriving, I decided to enjoy a fairly leisurely afternoon, which involved immediately taking advantage of the nice whirlpool bathtub. (The champagne welcome drink, which got refilled before i headed upstairs to my room, helped too.)

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I apparently lingered too long in the tub to get a proper lunch it seems most restaurants close around 3ish and reopen around 7 or 7:30 for dinner but there was a light menu available upstairs at the rooftop bar. I tried something Brazilian with rice and shrimp (no photo, no memory of what its called) that was very good, and enjoyed a local craft bear. Do people surf near Sao Paulo? It was crisp and refreshing, and paired nicely with the warmish (but not too warm, and I hate heat) weather.

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At the rooftop bar of the Hotel Unique

Suitably fortified, I realized that I was in luck, and the 32nd Sao Paulo Bienal was open until 8pm that night, so I didnt completely waste the day. I do something art related, which means that actually, I frequently avoid doing art related things when traveling for pleasure. I was in Italy a few weeks ago and did not step foot inside a museum. I frequently miss exhibitions (world-class ones at that!) that are happening just a few blocks from where I live. And I know nothing about Brazilian art. So all this is to say that I am not one of these people that chases after contemporary art shows: Im not a contemporary specialist anyway. Its true now, and it was true during the Renaissance: most stuff at any given time isnt great. Maybe technically proficient, but youve got to wade through a lot of mediocre stuff. But Im sure youre all terribly interested in my critical assessment of the state of contemporary art? Ill move on.

But, Im in Brazil, this thing is happening not far from where Im staying, and it gives me an excuse or a destination of something to do. So I ask downstairs if I can walk there Google Maps says its about 20 minutes away and the friendly doorman points me in the right direction.

I dont exactly take the most direct route (Google Maps came in handy), but Iberapuera Park was lovely to wander in. There were lots of skaters (my inner 90s child wanted to Gleam the Cube!), and I saw some Niemeyer architecture that is just very, very nifty.

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In Iberapuera Park: I just liked the graffiti.

The Bienal was much larger than I was expecting (in fact, I went back the next door, and realized I missed an entire floor.) And it was really, really cool. Again, I wasnt expecting to like anything and figured Id maybe be in and out in 30 minutes (I tend to dart into museums for about 45 minutes at a time luckily I get in free to museums everywhereto see a very limited amount of stuff before visual fatigue sets in.) But, this was really, really cool. The Brazilian art here made sense. There were international artists some I know, more that were unfamiliar to me as well, but it was mostly the Brazilian works that really stood out. In this context they made sense. There was a certain smell that wasnt just Fresh New Exhibition Paint Smell, and the large windows were open so there was a light breeze, that to me seemed rather unique to this place. A lot of these works incorporated wood, or natural materials. I was particularly struck by one work, which was effectively a sound installation, by the Brazilian artist Vivian Caccuri. I wont bother attaching a photo because you really had to be there and experience it, but it involved a wall of subwoofers and speakers, some candles, and some noise. I stood there probably for 10 minutes and again, even though I do artsy stuff professionally, I DO NOT DO THIS TYPE OF STUFF. Ive got the attention span of a gnat and it all seemed right. (Did I mention, I usually really, really hate sound art?)

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One view as you walk into the Bienale.

I ended up spending about 3 hours there, which is again pretty amazing for me. I took a cab back to the hotel, and realized that I probably wasnt up to any major dinner plans. (I toyed with going out for Japanese.) This is where being within walking distance to some casual restaurants would have been handy, but I figured Id be decadent and order room service and lounge in bed, and it ended up really being some of the best room service Ive had. Anchovies, a pizza, and some wine hit the spot and so ended my first day in Brazil.

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Old Nov 28, 2016, 7:55 pm
  #10  
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Day Two: Museums, Malls, and Fine Dining

Since I’m assuming the general reader is not interested in my deep thoughts on Brazilian museums, I’ll spare you my lengthy musings on contemporary museological practice and just recommend the Museum of the Brazilian House, a small design museum with an excellent restaurant. There were lovely examples of mostly Brazilian design going back to colonial periods in the 17th century, including a ‘sanitation chair’ and some truly fantastic 1930s Art Deco design. It doesn’t require a huge time commitment, pairs nicely with a good lunch, and is close to Shopping Iguatemi, which is apparently one of the best malls in the city.

I live in New York, so I had forgotten how convenient malls— large, enclosed shopping centers— can be. All that capitalism in one easily navigable space! Plus several actually good restaurants, a food court (with gelato, although good luck pushing your way in to order), and the usual suspects of international luxury (Tiffany’s, Rimowa, Ralph Lauren) with things like Zara, Forever 21, and Brazilian brands.

My reactions, after walking through a single mall in a single Brazilian city, so obviously this is a valid statement: people really like swimsuits and really like swimsuit cover-ups here. Also, very glittery clutches and tiny purses, frequently shaped like fruit. (I should have bought the watermelon-shaped bag, but it’s one of those things that I think only makes sense in a place like Brazil.) It’s a good thing I wasn’t staying at a beach resort, because I would have been woefully underdressed and really boring. (My swimsuits are from Patagonia and Lands’ End. If you need any more evidence that I am really a middle-aged lady, and not some underage kid trying to get sauced on AA’s dime, just check out my practical and full coverage Lands’ End swimwear.) Plus, there were a lot of things that are caftan-adjacent, and I have been dutifully working on my caftan body. Maybe I can move to Brazil and live out my Golden Girl retiree fantasies, and swan about on a lanai in awesome caftans and bedazzled swimwear in my later years?

To further this goal, I went into the Melissa store, a Brazilian brand that mostly specializes in jelly shoes. I’m still not sure if the shoes I bought are just awesome or just awesomely tacky, but one pair is cool and sparkly and the other pair is from a collaboration with Vivienne Westwood. I paid less than $50 for both, and since they retail for quite a bit more (seriously, Zappos?), it’s like I practically justified the cost of the plane ticket here. Plus, I was later asked for directions while wearing one of the pairs, so in two short days I was passing for a local. Perhaps a dour Paulista who needed a little more bedazzling in her wardrobe, but a local nevertheless.

[And I am editing to add: I bought two pairs of shoes. And I would buy 2 pairs of Havaianas (as gifts), and got a pair free from the hotel. Flip flops are small, yes, but I'm returning to the U.S. with FIVE more pairs of shoes than what I came with. AND THEY ALL FIT, easily, INTO THE ITTY BITTY RIMOWA. It is truly a magical suitcase.]

Another easy and efficient Uber ride deposited me back at the hotel, where I enjoyed the pool and sauna for a bit, and mulled over dinner. I had a long list of recommended places from some acquaintances of my partner. I don’t eat pork or red meat, so some parts of Brazilian cuisine were not appealing to me. I mentioned a few of the suggestions to the concierge at the hotel, who responded ‘oh, those are all really good choices’ (i.e., I am serious about food) and I decided to go with a Portuguese restaurant that was known for its cod, A Bela Sintra, on Rua Bela Cintra.

The concierge got me a table at 9, and when I got to the restaurant, I was kind of amused to see that I was definitely there on the early side. I was also very pleased to see that there were no attempts to squeeze me into some small or poorly situated table as a single diner, as sometimes happens. And it’s a good thing the table was so large, because the amount of small appetizers and various things that started appearing was hilarious. I had already eaten several things (cod croquettes, very tasty garlic bread) so this photo doesn’t do the spread full justice. And the starter, a duck comfit salad, was absurdly good. The photo can in no way convey crunchy, fatty, delight of this dish, and I would have happily continued eating that all night. There was a huge selection of various cod preparations, and while my main course was good (and also rather generously sized), the duck comfit was the winner of the night. A very rich custard and petit fours meant I wished I had worn a bedazzled caftan to dinner, and another fine Uber ride had me back to the hotel and in bed before most people in city, it seems, would have finished their appetizers.

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All that stuff: brought for one person.

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I really, really am working on that caftan body.

Last edited by turnleftbrighteyes; Nov 28, 2016 at 8:03 pm Reason: How could I forget about the shoes!?
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Old Nov 29, 2016, 4:04 pm
  #11  
 
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Very good trip report, turnleftbrighteyes!! My friend spent the summer in So Paolo and absolutely loves the city. I'd love to get to go! Funny about getting IDed... as an American studying in London, totally understand flying foreign carriers to be able to drink. Keep it up, looking forward to the rest!
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Old Nov 29, 2016, 4:37 pm
  #12  
 
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Very enjoyable trip report Thanks for sharing
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Old Nov 29, 2016, 4:56 pm
  #13  
 
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Thank you so much for this TR. I know the feeling of overwhelming guilt one gets when hitting the call bell on AA, too. Ain't it sad?

Loved your post! Can't wait to hear about your next flight experience....

Best,

putongo

Last edited by putongo; Nov 29, 2016 at 4:57 pm Reason: I hit enter before editing... sorry!
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Old Nov 29, 2016, 5:47 pm
  #14  
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Day Three

For my third, and final, day in Sao Paulo had some ambitious plans: I would get up early(ish), possibly head to the Modern Art Museum in the park, maybe go to Nagayama for lunch (my only regret about this trip was that I didnt have any Japanese food), make a quick visit to the sauna, and take advantage of the 8pm closing at the Instituto Tomie Ohtake.

That ended being a bit much. The beds at the Unique are very comfortable (and the hotel even has a pillow menu), and so I barely pulled myself out of bed by 11 to make breakfast. The weekend buffet is an excellent spread, and unlike at some other places, there was no sense of being rushed out, staff gave us warning when the buffet items were being bused away, and they continued to offer coffees and juices well past time.

At that point, my natural laziness began to win, and I decided to make the most of my 3pm late checkout and spend the next 2 hours in the sauna, steam room, and pool. I realized I still had some F&B credit leftover, so had an excellent tuna not-nioise-but-almost salad (really, the food at the hotel was extremely good), left my luggage with the hotel, and decided to take another leisurely walk through Iberapuera Park and check out the Modern Art Museum.

The park was bustling on a Saturday afternoon (why dont I spend more time in Central Park at home?). Skateboarding is still very much a thing here; again, this made my Inner 90s Skate Betty incredibly happy. I followed the sounds of live music, and discovered there was a small band playing outside the MAM. The coolest bit is that the museums Louise Bourgeois Spider is visible from outside the museum, so made for a super nifty backdrop for the band. That is some fantastic integration of art and public space! There was lots and dancing, a general very good mood, and I was extremely happy I decided to just spend a leisurely afternoon wandering around rather than trying to run off and see sights.

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The MAM was fine, the caf there was fine, and the little gift shop was also quite nice. (I bought some earrings by a Brazilian designer, Andrea Pronotti. (I should have gone to the Mercadinho Chic for shopping.) I had plenty of Reales leftover, and jewelry makes for a lovely souvenir. The packaging was also lovely: a simple round box, but it nevertheless seemed very Brazilian and very modern. And the Bienale was still open, and I ended up spending another 90 minutes or so wandering around again. The Vivian Caccuri work held up to a second visit. Im not entirely sure why yvind Fhlstrom was so heavily represented, but Ill spare you once again the art talk.

At that point, it was after 6 pm, leaving me with less than 3 hours. Too early to go back to the hotel and to the airport, not long enough to do much else. So I decided to walk (!) to the area around Rua Oscar Freier, possibly grab a drink at the Fasano, and just compare the other area of town I had considered staying.

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The Christmas Tree by Iberapuera Park.

Google Maps quoted a walking time of about 30 minutes, which seemed fine. It was still light, there were plenty of families and people around. And while there werent a lot of people walking, I never felt unsafe. Theres a noticeable difference in pedestrian traffic from other cities Ive been, but there always were a few people about, including some dog walkers and joggers. I passed through nice looking neighborhoods (there was a consulate or two), and I figured, worst case scenario, Id call an Uber from along the way. Plus, I dont really understand places unless I can walk them by subway or even by car, they all seem too disjointed. I need the slowness of being powered by my own feet.

I walked by several restaurants that had been on my list of recommended places, and by the Fasano, which oozed slick luxury hotel with pretty, shiny people. The big triumph was visiting the Havaianas store, where I bought gifts for family (traveling is always the best way to take care of pesky holiday gift-giving requirements.) And then I took yet another perfect, easy, and seamless Uber back to the hotel to prepare for leaving the city.

At the hotel, I decided to enjoy one last drink at the hotel. Rather than going to the Skye bar upstairs, I stayed at the downstairs bar, which is pretty overlooked and very quiet. But its a pretty impressive sight, nevertheless:

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I will soon wish that I had had several more caiprinhas before getting in the Uber, but thats for the final installment of This Long Weekend in Sao Paulo.
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Old Nov 29, 2016, 5:53 pm
  #15  
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Thanks lostinlondon, palermo, and putongo. Putongo, glad you survived your own AA call bell experience!
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