Brasil - SP&Pantanal Day 14
Brasil - SP&Pantanal
Day 14 - Monday, August 10, 2009 – Morning Shopping in Alphaville and Afternoon in São Paulo
We woke up to sunshine at the Aldeia and had our café da manhã, breakfast, with Tia and Renata. The day was cool with a light breeze.
Renata suggested that we go to São Paulo to the Cemitério da Consolação in the center of the city after we did a little shopping at Alphaville.
Tia drove us to Alphaville, just about 20 minutes from the Aldeia. The first stop was at the hardware store. We always like to see the building supplies and hardware of other countries.
The Carrefour Supermarket was our next discovery. We bought a few things to take home with us tomorrow. Brazil is still famous for its premium coffee so I stocked up with a few pounds.
Tia took us directly to Renata’s flat in São Paulo and then went on to her eye appointment in the city. Our first destination was the Cemetery but because traffic downtown is difficult and parking is impossible, we took the city bus.
This was a great experience. For R$2.30 or about $1.15 we rode all the way to Rua Consolação. The bus was very crowded, but people kept getting on and squeezing in while we traveled for four stops.
The cemetery was huge, so we went straight to the Administration Building to get a map and to ask if there was a record of the location of the tomb of my grandfather, Francisco Garcia.
The gentleman tried to look it up but was not able to find any listing, perhaps because they are in the process of transferring the paper records to the computer.
We walked around the rows and rows of huge and elaborate tombs of politicians, artists, and famous families of São Paulo. As Renata gave us a history of these wealthy and influential people, we were reminded that death is the great equalizer.
After spending an hour we did find one tomb with the Garcia name, but who knows if it is the same family from my father’s ancestors.
We left the cemetery by taxi all the way to the very heart of the city, Avenue Paulista. This very busy business and financial center is bustling with people dwarfed by the huge skyscrapers.
Renata reminded me that at one time my father’s family owned a large section of this neighborhood. Excessive spending and poor management in past generations left nothing for my parents who had to work very hard in their life.
Our goal here on the Avenue Paulista was not chasing ghosts, but the Camelodromo, an indoor market specializing in Big People Toys. There were stalls and stalls of computers, tech accessories, music, videos, cell phones, hard drives; every kind of electronic gadget imaginable.
Renata bought a few things, I purchased some local music CDs, and Gennie found a camera bag. The prices are very competitive to those in the USA and far below prices in regular department stores in the cities in Brazil.
At 4:30 we took the bus back to Renata’s flat and she installed some things on her new computer. When Lia finished work, Gennie and I took a taxi to Lia’s financial planning office and she took us back to Tia’s for supper.
In this tropical climate, produce grows easily. Tia has a giant avocado tree with the avocadoes bigger than softballs. For dinner we had fresh bread, cheese made at their farm, fresh garden salad, and one of the large avocadoes which was enough for seven of us!
After supper Gennie typed the journal and I sorted photos. We were tired but thrilled to see so much on this trip to Brazil and connect with my family once again.
Tomorrow evening is our flight back to the USA; overnight from São Paulo to Atlanta and then on to Denver. When we arrive at home on Wednesday we will complete the account of our trip to São Paulo and the Pantanal.
Comments
Ocelot, Reserva Ecologica Baía Bonita (0:54)
Giant Avocadoes
Bus Ride in São Paulo
Cemitério da Consolação
Avenue Paulista
São Paulo at Night
Featured Journal
Day 13: Azores & Madeira: Portugal's Unspoiled Archipelagos
Day 13 - Saturday, April 22, 2022 - Depart for U.S.
The hotel prepared a box breakfast for us as we had to be in the lobby way before the breakfast room was open.
Last night we found out that our departure flight back to...
