Saturday, May 12

After a delay in Newark, we finally had our first day in Brazil. We had an early morning, waking up at 8 AM to eat breakfast, have a short lecture, and then walk the neighborhood. There is street art everywhere in Sao Paulo. We walked a few blocks to Beco do Batman, an alley that is filled with beautiful murals. Street artists come here to display their work, and it was flocked with people coming to admire and craftspeople selling their work.

Street art on the building right across from our hostel

Next, we meandered to an antique market. There vendors selling all sorts of old cameras, houseware, gadgets, and hardware. I got my first taste of Brazilian street food. First, I ordered palmitos com quiejo, which was like a fried pastry with cheese and some veggies. It was pretty good. Then I had some acajare, a North Brazilian dish inspired by African cuisine. It consisted of a fried chickpea biscuit, palm oil paste, diced tomatoes, and shrimp. It was good, but the shrimp weren’t peeled or deveined so they were a bit of an… Interesting texture. 

Traditional Bahian (North Brazilian) cuisine

After the market, we headed to the Museo de Futbol- Brazil’s soccer museum at the city’s public stadium. This stadium was where the first World Cup was played. Here, Pele played 119 games and scored 115 goals. I’m not that big of a soccer fan, but it was cool to be there in a country that is absolutely bonkers for the sport. 

Many great players have stood on this field (for example, Pele and me)

Tonight, we went to a Brazilian steakhouse (churrascaria). I added a few more foods to the list of things I’ve tried. I had frog legs, chicken hearts, and a couple different types of mushrooms. It was delicious and I ate way too much. If I learned anything from my last dialogue, it’s to take advantage of the group dinners when I can- it’s usually the best that I eat the whole trip. I felt bad about the beef consumption, but 10/10 would recommend Brazilian steak. Now, we’re all chilling on the rooftop, listening to some Brazilian tunes before we head out. There’s plenty of bars near our hostel, and it should be a good time. 

Peep the fried frog leg in the middle. Take that, Kermit.