A pit stop in São Paulo

You will rarely hear anyone enthuse over the continent's largest city. In fact, even people I've met on this trip that live in São Paulo have been hesitant to recommend visiting it. But the timing was right as we happened to be in the area on the weekend of the Formula One Grand Prix, so we added it to the itinerary anyway. The race had sold out (and was outrageously expensive regardless), but, fortunately for us, this year the organisers were borrowing an idea from Melbourne and opening up the parks around the track as a "fan zone". Here glimpses of the race were possible, but more importantly, the cacophony of the car engines and cheering crowds brought the excitement and a sense of the spectacle, and big screens allowed us to follow along. The atmosphere was electric, despite the day being a bit of a wash out, and the rain added extra drama to an eventful race anyway. The end result disappointed (damn Verstappen), but what a day!

Other than race day, it was mostly eating and drinking here. São Paulo is a big place (by population - surprisingly less so by area), but seemed to operate as a series of smaller, self-contained neighbourhoods, each offering a selection of great cafes, bars and restaurants. Highlights were the traditional Monday lunch of the locals (essentially beans and bacon), a proper Italian long lunch, and a Mexican celebration of the Day of the Dead (or All Souls Day). It was fun to just wander the streets exploring the landmarks and markets and taking in the vibe of the place. A superb metro made it amazingly easy and cheap to navigate and even the chaotic hustle and bustle downtown did not feel in any way unsafe. It is not a must-do on a South American itinerary, but it is a nice enough city with plenty to offer regardless.

PS. An accommodation highlight staying at a hotel inside the terminal at Sao Paulo airport for an early morning flight the next day. What a novelty to be able to wake up 15 minutes before boarding a flight!