Day 5
I think that I may have rolled over twice this night's sleep. Off to the airport. Adaà showed up and scooped us up to the airport for our 10 am flight to Sao Paulo. We made the flight, said our good-byes to Glorina, Izzy, and AdaÃ, and got all the info for the return trip. We landed in Sao Paulo at about 11:30 and had a solid 12 hours till the return flight to Dallas, so off to downtown Sao Paulo.
Sao Paulo is a huge metropolis, and it was the largest, most densely populated city Chris or I had ever been in. We stopped at the Renaissance Hotel, got the info for the return bus trip to the airport and set off to see some of the city.
We ate lunch at a nice caf̩, with some more of the friendliest people in our travels. We had some great flanksteak with eggs and bacon with fries, and got the waiter to demonstrate how to make a proper Caipirinha. We hung out there for a little bit, and decided that we wanted to go find a strip show. After all, in Dallas they open at 11 Рor so I'm told Рfor buffets, etc. So we headed down Augusto Rua, looking for trouble. We found it at the Shau Night Club.
We strolled in and sat down at the bar. The absence of an elevated dance floor and an abundance of young ladies in the establishment meant only one thing. We weren't looking for that sort of entertainment, so we started chatting with the bartender, André. He was a cool guy with loads of info on his talent, and instantly he was on the phone apparently getting some more people down to try and tempt us. It was funny at least; we explained that we were just looking for a strip show, and we were advised that for a certain price anything was a possibility.
After a couple of drinks it was obvious that a barroom strip show was not going to happen, so we strode out looking for one. André gave us directions, and away we went. We stopped in about four clubs, but they were not going to open for another four hours or so, so we went back to the Shau. That turned out to be trouble at first, but we explained we just wanted to hang out, and he was cool with that.
We stayed there till about 9 p.m. and then popped out to the airport to make our flight. The bus was late, so we bartered with a cab and ended up only paying five dollars more than the bus would have been. We picked up our bags at the storage locker and made our way to Customs. There we ran into many people that were in town catching a connecting flight to wherever from Rio. Stories flew around, and all seemed that their trip was absolutely perfect. After picking up some Cachaca for the Caipirinha in the duty-free, we were off to the plane for the flight back home.
Rio, they say, everyone should visit once in their lifetime. After being there, feeling the happiness and the secure blanket of the host country, I must agree. Chris and I agreed that this was the best vacation as of yet we have both experienced. The majesty of mountains circling up to the sea, rolling hills in sight into the countryside, the faces, the smiles of the friends made, the laughs had – there really is no comparison.
Different places have many different things to offer; Rio brings the party; the people bring the fun. All the hard work that went into the festivities, the preparation of the schools to show the world their take on Carnaval, all the voices singing in unison, it's unforgettable. And without mentioning the Samba. So it seems and has been told by all that we met, it is the soul of the city. Many cities have an emptiness, the people serving to bring life to a place. In this strange world, it seemed that the city was alive with whispers of Samba, pushing the people to bring it to the surface, and ride it in to and beyond the dawn.
Now there is a new question coming to mind, though: When to return to Rio?
Esse amor e o meu destino
Salve a Festa do Divino
Na Cavalhada, luta do bem contra o mal
Apaixonado eu brinquei seu Canaval
[translation?]
Read all of the adventures!
