Bom dia! Welcome to Brazil. I’m so glad you’ve decided to join us for this trip. If you arrived here today not expecting to travel, you may want to check out these posts first … so you’ll know our plans:
I Wasn’t Prepared to Hear It …
Day 1: Rise and Shine … Let’s Go to Brazil!
Day 1 – PM: Leaving on a Jet Plane … to Brazil
After a smooth night of flying (which included watching Argo and a few welcome hours of sleep), we arrived in Sao Paulo a few minutes ahead of schedule. Sailing easily through Customs and Immigration, I was tired but faced a glorious blue-skies day.
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On the drive from Sao Paulo, we saw hillside after hillside dotted with “settlements” — a step up from a favela (slum).
Finally … We made it to Campinas. This is one of the main roads. Traffic runs in one direction, but the divider down the center of the road separates the affluent part of town (on the right) from the poor. A first-time visitor traveling with us, still tired from the long overnight flight, felt a little overwhelmed by the clash of cultures. Has it hit you yet?
Over the next few days we’ll learn a lot about this culture clash, but today Renaissance Man wants to be sure to point out the Disque Denuncia bumper sticker on the city bus. It means “Dial and Denounce” and offers a way for citizens to anonymously report incidents of child abuse. It’s a program begun in the last few years … and the path through which many of the children we serve come to us.
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At last … Our home away from home. The folks here are wonderful! For 15 years they have lovingly housed Hope Unlimited guests, always willing to let us check in early whenever possible. Today it was possible. Thank goodness!
A quick photograph to document the view from the 8th floor … then a shower and a short nap.
Then, feeling more rested, we walked to lunch. I was having fun “seeing circles” — my shape of the year.
No one had to twist our arm to get ice cream. This wonderful open-air ice cream shop is a favorite of every visitor we’ve ever taken to Brazil. I’m certain you’re gonna love it, too! Just select a container, try as many flavors as you like, add a topping (or several), then pay by the weight. That’s a common thing in Brazil — paying by weight. My all-time favorite flavor here is LIME. It’s not sherbet; it’s ice cream. Delicious!
As we walked back to the hotel, I couldn’t help but notice the mosaic-style sidewalks. They are a well-known feature in Brazil, and every sidewalk seems to have a different design. Can you imagine the work that goes into these?
“The rolling dead.” Very appropriate name for those dang motorcycles. My brother was killed in a motorcycle crash 14 years ago. Those things just scare the poo outta me! When Spring rolls around, I always look 3 times before moving into another lane on the highway. It’s actually better if the cycles are loud so that you can hear them coming up alongside. Those that are quiet are the ones I’m most afraid of!
Quite a difference in the “day and night” of Sao Paulo. The beauty and fun of the area in which you are staying vs. the area where getting out with your life and limbs intact is a gift from God. Those poor children who are born into the latter…they really have it rough. Thank goodness for organizations like yours that work to make a difference in their lives.
I like that idea of “by weight” in paying for stuff. That seems to make more sense to me!
Have fun, be careful, and I wish you all – especially the first-timers – well!