Brazil > Via São Paulo to Paraty

“Ola, bom dia. Como estas?” I greet the lady at the breakfast buffet kindly with “Good morning.” She replies with a smile and says she’s doing well. I’m starting to remember more and more Portuguese words. I can distinguish the meat, chicken, and fish dishes on the menu, and I’ve even practiced the days of the week. Secundo-freita is Monday, the second day. Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday are respectively the third, fourth, fifth, and sixth days of the week. I just have to remember that they start counting on Domingo (Sunday). Campo Grande looks much friendlier in daylight. In twenty minutes, I travel from the hotel to the airport. I won’t see much more of Campo Grande. In the arrivals hall, I check my baggage in for a domestic flight to São Paulo. The flight is scheduled for 10:50, but the plane arrives late. Boarding starts at the original departure time. Next to the priority lane, there are two queues: one for people with baggage and one without. What does that mean? People who paid for checked baggage? The picture next to the sign shows that wheeled suitcases count as baggage, backpacks do not. I go through the gate for people without baggage. And that’s a good thing because it’s not easy to get all the carry-ons into the trays. It’s unbelievable how much carry-on luggage people are allowed to take on board. Probably security checks for domestic flights are less strict.

Brazil - The flight to Sao Paulo

With a delay of over half an hour, flight 1498 of GOL Airlines takes off, leaving Campo Grande behind. After an hour and a half, the buildings of the megacity São Paulo appear. I see a sea of skyscrapers. It seems to me that the tall buildings block sunlight from reaching the ground. My Brazilian neighbor translates with her phone that 12.8 million people live in the city. The hustle and bustle of the big city is also noticeable on the ground. By bus, we have to go through the city center to reach the highway to Rio on the northern side. Traffic is at a standstill. The bus crawls slowly from intersection to intersection. Above the road are bus lanes and train tracks on poles about ten meters high. I notice that at many places on viaducts, fly-overs, and tracks, work is underway, but nowhere is anyone really working. Could all construction projects be at a standstill? While I look outside, I see the tall skyscrapers. Many apartment buildings have more than twenty floors. I imagine people can easily look into their neighbors’ apartments. What a huge difference compared to the vast grasslands where I was yesterday. Why does everyone want to live here? Around the skyscrapers and along the main roads stand simple, dilapidated houses. Often, additional floors seem to have been added later. The building style is different or sometimes made only of corrugated metal sheets. Between the houses are also wooden shacks. The contrast between rich and poor is even more striking along the roadside. Families live under plastic tarps. They search through the garbage for food. Literally living in the gutter by the roadside. Everyone drives by in their cars without paying them any attention. Around four o’clock, we arrive at the highway. A wide fourteen-lane road (seven lanes in each direction) leads out of the city. Now we’re moving faster. Still, the distance to Paraty is considerable. Outside, it’s getting dark. At a roadside restaurant, we stop for a meal. Upon entry, everyone receives a plastic card with a number. Everything you order is noted on the card. All dishes here are served according to Brazilian custom: by the kilo. I mainly choose the fish buffet. It tastes great.

Brazil - The swimming pool of Pousada do Principe in Paraty

Afterwards, I pay at the cash register. Due to the flight delay and the traffic, we only arrive in Paraty at half past nine. The hotel is located on the edge of the historic center. Philippe rushes over. He is the guide for the next two days during the trek. He quickly explains what I need to bring and what time I should be ready tomorrow. He says it’s a very beautiful trek but also warns that it will be a tough one. After the briefing, I walk into the historic center of Paraty. Old houses from colonial times line the streets. The Portuguese founded Paraty in the 17th century. From the fort, they could guard the trade from the gold mines in the hinterland. Slaves from Africa were also put to work in the gold mines via Paraty. Today, the town is mainly a tourist attraction. Colonial houses house restaurants or souvenir shops. The square by the church is lively and busy. We just manage to find a free table. With a beer in hand, I let the day of travel sink in.