In August 2024, I had the opportunity to go to Brazil for work.
It was my first time in Brazil and it was the furthest south I had ever traveled. As I prepared for the trip and looked at the map, I was reminded of the size of the country, that Brazil is actually pretty damn far away, and that it swings out into the Atlantic Ocean quite far (+1 hour from east coast time – seems like it should be more). I also checked out the weather given that it is their Winter during my Summer. Since I was heading down to Sao Paulo state area, I fully expected to use a jacket or at least need long sleeve shirts. Right? All together, my trip had me flying into Brasilia, spending some time in Curitiba, and flying home from Sao Paulo. I was super pumped to journey down there to do some work and see some sights.
Brasilia
My first stop was Brasilia, the Capital of Brazil.
Brasilia, located in the heart of Brazil, is unique in that it is a meticulously planned city, established in an area where there was once little to no commerce or activity, but the point is that this would be the place where the government of Brazil would do their thing. Development began in the 1950s, and the city’s buildings are arranged like dominoes, designed to resemble an airplane when viewed from above. Designed by Oscar Niemeyer, you could see his touch on many of the structures throughout the city. Of note is the Cathedral which is super cool to look at both inside and out. Further, man-made bodies of water were created to enhance the environment and add some much-needed moisture to the air, as the region is extremely dry—especially in August. Though not immediately apparent in photos, the air had an orange haze, and every breathe felt dusty.
Interestingly, as this is also the seat of the government, one of those most interesting parts of Brasilia is that I could stand facing the legislative branch, turn left to look at the judicial branch, and then look 180 degrees and see the executive branch. It was special to see democracy organized in such ways.
Curitiba
Next stop…Curitiba!
The majority of my trip was spent in Curitiba. Apparently there is quite a bit of manufacturing in and around the city and it was fascinating to see the gradient of lifestyle between the downtown and the suburbs. My hotel was in a great location and allowed me to walk to a bunch of different parts of the city and experience a bunch of different things. For instance CAPYBARA! What an amazing creature. They just hang out in this park and don’t really care that people are coming up to them…not making contact, but just around. Also, Curitiba is where I had my first feijoada. First off, I love rice and beans. Feijoada really took it to the next level and to think the people of Brazil basically do this every Saturday (or Wednesday in Sao Paulo). I could very much get used to rice and beans with added features of the fiejoada.
During the flight into Curitiba, I saw the local soccer stadium and thought that it would be cool if I could find my way over to the stadium to walk around. So I did that, it was a mile or so from the hotel so, getting over to the stadium was a breeze. While I was around the stadium, I found out that they were actually playing a game that evening. I talked with my colleague and we decided it would be amazing to go the game. And yeah, it was freakin amazing. The stadium is called the Cauldron because of the way it is shaped and it was so intensely loud. Plus we were basically 1 row away from the field…incredible seats.
Sao Paulo
My last stop was in Sao Paulo. This was the city that everyone gave me the most advice about when I was talking about my itinerary. Be safe they said. Don’t take your phone out and just hold it about they said. Well, I took it to heart and did my best to pretend I knew where I was going. Of course I looked like a tourist, but as long as I kept some kind of intense look, no one should mess with me right?
Well I guess it worked – I made it through the city unscathed. Well except for my feet. I walked some 13 miles in some not so ideal walking shoes, but it’s OK, it was definitely worth it. Sao Paulo is a beautiful city. Nature is infused throughout the entire city and it just felt good to be in and among the trees and buildings. It was actually surprisingly hot – I tried not to sweat too much.
There was only one time when I started to venture into an area that made me feel a little weird. However, feeling this, I immediately turned around and went back to the more populated areas. All good.
And of course, I had to experience the dreaded Sao Paulo traffic. I took a taxi from the hotel to the airport and what should have taken maybe 20-30 min, took well over an hour. However, the taxi driver was trying to work on his English and I was trying to work on my Spanish…as close as I could get to Portuguese. So it was a win win. What blew my mind about the traffic was just the shear chaos of it all. Motorbikes were just weaving in and out of cars. I was not surprised to hear about the number of incidents that happen with motorbikes. But, honestly, if I lived in Sao Paulo, I would probably have a bike. Seems like the only logical way to get around.
Final Thoughts
Brazil is an incredible country. The people were super friendly. The food was incredibly good. The nature and wildlife is amazing. I would definitely like to go back. I would spend time in Rio and also head up to the North East where I’ve heard there are some incredible beaches. I am not a huge fan of just sitting around on a beach for vacation, but I wouldn’t mind doing that for a couple days and then mixing in some culture.