Staying in São Paulo

At the end of January, we took a trip to São Paulo, Brazil. There’s something special about Brazil and Brazilians, for me. I could feel it even before we boarded the plane from the US. Everyone is so warm, friendly, and talkative. I think I made four new friends before we left the ground.

I hadn’t been back to Brazil since a study abroad trip in 2009, but I dusted off my rusty Portuguese and managed to get around and even had a few fun conversations.

This was a trip for Bryan’s work, so it was a little out of the ordinary in that we got to stay in a fancy hotel we normally wouldn’t stay at, and I spent more hotel time than usual. But it was also the time right before Carnaval, so one of Bryan’s colleagues took us to the pre-Carnaval rehearsals, and it was so amazing to see it all in action!

São Paulo is a big sprawling city. Some say it’s not the prettiest:

But the JW Marriott is always pretty! We were there during rainy season, but we did catch a few moments of sun:

And you can’t go on a trip to Brazil without talking about the food. First, there was the hotel breakfast buffet featuring every fruit imaginable:

My other favorite Brazilian foods are feijoada (a black bean and meat stew), moqueca (a fish stew with coconut milk), and rodizio (an eating extravaganza with every type and cut of meat— we tried a new one called Assador and it was really good).

We visited Bolinha for a classic feijoada lunch:

The Japanese food is also incredible, because Brazil has the largest Japanese population outside of Japan. We had the best sushi meal at MAK.Okuwa, but I forgot to take a photo!

The pre-Carnaval party was definitely my favorite part. It felt like a bucket list travel experience. The samba schools go through all of their routines in the Sambadrome. There’s music, confetti, and incredible costumes, almost like the real deal.

The next day, on a Sunday, we visited Paulista Avenue. They close the street to cars and there are lots of shops, museums, and markets to stop in. We got there and had brunch at mug.sp just before a huge thunderstorm, so we ran into the MASP art museum just in time.

There are a lot of great museums in São Paulo. I also visited the Afro Brazil Museum where they showcase inspiring Afro Brazilian art from throughout history. My only warning is that all the signs are in Portuguese, so it takes a bit of effort or a lot of Google Translate.

São Paulo also has a famous area for street art, called Beco do Batman or Batman’s Alley. This artist was my favorite:

And, of course, Batman himself:

At first glance, São Paulo is mostly buildings. And it is… at second glance and at third glance, too. But there are a few parks, especially Ibirapuera Park. It’s almost 400 acres of trails, lakes, and green space that offers a nice escape in the middle of the city. After being mostly indoors all week, walking through it on my last day was truly a breath of fresh air:

And that was our week in São Paulo! It probably won’t go on my list of favorite cities, but Brazil is still one of my favorite countries, and I hope to someday get back to see more of it! Tchau for now!

A Week in Cartagena, Colombia

When our trip to Ecuador fell through, we ended up making a visit to Cartagena. I’m so glad we did (though I still hope to get to Ecuador someday)!

Cartagena is a beautiful city for eating and enjoying life. The walled Old City takes you back in time, with uneven stone streets and historic squares. Colorful buildings and art give it a contemporary vibe.

You probably need three days to get a solid feel for the city and four days to really enjoy. We were fortunate to have nine days total for our trip. We stayed in different parts of the city and took a boat to the Rosario Islands for a couple nights.

Our visit started in the center of the city in the historic district. We enjoyed walking the walls for sunset views over the ocean. We went on a street food tour and got our bearings, learning how to order all the local dishes from street vendors.

The chicken empanada above was my favorite, and arepas de choclo were the most appealing local specialty:

I loved getting to try so many local fruits. The Colombian plums are the best – much smaller and sweeter than in the U.S.

It was easy to get around using a mix of Uber and our feet. The weather was warm, and we were happy to have AC and a pool at our AirBnb. It was a bit too windy and choppy to surf, but we checked out the nearby beaches.

After three nights in the city, it was time for an escape. We took a boat to the Rosario Islands–we chose a tiny island called Coralina and splurged a little to stay at a secluded resort. It was Bryan’s 40th birthday celebration, after all!

We enjoyed a couple of quiet days with that gorgeous view, excellent food, and plenty of time to swim in the turquoise blue waters. It was like living inside a postcard.

When we headed back to the city, we wanted to try a new neighborhood, so we booked an AirBnb in a part of town called Marbella. It’s right on the water, just outside the Old City–too far to walk but only a short Uber ride away.

The view from our window:

We kept ourselves busy, so we didn’t get to spend much time in the apartment. But we had a market tour, a cooking class, and other super-tourist activities to attend to.

Here’s what we made in cooking class. Red snapper with coconut rice and patacones:

For our final nights, we returned close to the city center and stayed in the Getsemaní neighborhood. This part is known for its colorful houses and streets filled with paintings. Bryan found us the perfect artsy Airbnb studio on the most vibrant street:

We were right in the middle of it all, and it was the perfect place to finish off our trip. Bonus that we were one of the only houses on the street with a balcony.

If you’re a traveler and a foodie, I would highly recommend a trip to Cartagena. I can’t wait to return and see more of Colombia.

Cheers!