Back in São Paulo for the third time! This time we've actually left the airport. We said goodbye to Rio this morning with a number of us walking down to the beach at 6 am for a swim. It was magical to watch the sun rise over the city while waves rolled in. We left our mark in the form of a maple leaf sculpted in sand on the beach. Those of us who had opted for less sleep in favour of the beach got back to the hostel in time for breakfast, sticky, sandy, and happy. By nine we were all ready to leave. Though we managed to fit in shopping, sightseeing, and swimming, we could have easily spent more time there.
Another flight took us to São Paulo, where we were met by our guide Carlos. As we drove through the city in yet another bus, he entertained us with fascinating stories about Brazil's and São Paulo's history, as well as interesting facts about the city. São Paulo is home to 11 million people, and 11 million more come in to work during the week - as much as the entire population of Canada. The roads, because the city is also home to 7 million cars, are as bad as Edmonton's, which made us feel right at home. We drove down one street that specializes in chandelier shops - this kind of specializes street is apparently pretty common.
We settled into our last hostel, which is very nice - koi fish pond by the entrance, twisting hallways and staircases, rooms with balconies, and an open-air courtyard. Some of us rested while the rest went out in search of grocery stores and did some exploring. There are a lot of hills here! We're spending the evening relaxing around the hostel, anticipating our last day in Brazil tomorrow.
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