On our first night, we walked a block over to Rua Aspicuelta. The street is loaded with bars and restaurants. The Croatian fan base was setting up shop at a bar called Posto 6 (their first game versus Brazil in Sao Paulo was the next day). Spontaneous chants cheering on the squad broke out among hundreds of Croatian supporters. At points, Croatians would stop cars and sway them back and forth.
We left the scene around 11:00, but I could hear the fireworks and noise from 2:00 a.m. on...
Thursday was the opening day of the World Cup. By 11:00 a.m., Aspicuelta was jam packed. Vendors selling Brazil jerseys, flags, noise makers, (and beer) were littered on every corner. I managed to buy a Brazil jersey at a relatively decent price.
The atmosphere in the street was INSANE! Traffic effectively stopped at noon. For a mile (I kid not), you couldn't move. Everyone was snugly packed in, looking up at a massive big screen stationed on the top of a bar. Fortunately, the three of us were relatively close to the screen.
When Brazil scored it's first goal, we were doused with beer. Everyone threw their drinks in the air and screamed. Although I have no emotional tie to the country, I felt so happy.
Side note: Brazilian people are incredibly friendly. They love speaking in English, having conversations and asking about the states. My three favorite phrases in Portuguese thus far: "Obrigado" (thank you), "Voce fala ingles?" (do you speak English?) and "Voce e Bonita/Linda" (you are very pretty/beautiful). A group of Brazilian girls did think I was from Brazil...Thought that was pretty funny! The experience watching Brazil win the first game of the World Cup in Brazil is something I'll never forget. It was truly breathtaking.
We also befriended an American living in Sao Paulo. He led us to this cool local spot for street food. It was essentially an empanada filled with seasoned chicken. To say the least, it was delicious.
We got an early start on Friday. We headed for a place called Beco do Batman (translated as Batman's Cave). It was a two street stretch of incredibly eclectic and ornate street art. Describing them wouldn't do it justice. I'll post some pics below (and eventually on Facebook). Ironically, a guy from Minnesota was there taking pictures as well. He joined up with us and we made the 30 minute walk to a famous soccer museum called Estadio Municipal Paulo Machado De Carvalho. Colloquially, it's known as Estadio Pacaembu.
The museum is literally built into the side of the stadium. It provided us with a detailed look at the history of Brazilian futebol. We got to see the progression of the soccer ball itself, as well as the typical soccer boot.
We bid adieu to our friend from Minnesota (and other Americans we met from Washington D.C.) and went back to Aspicuelta. From there, we watched Holland demolish Spain (amidst a ton of rowdy Mexican fans). We got a quick bite and headed back to watch Chile defeat Australia. As a naive American, it was fascinating to see so many vendors selling cans and bottles of beer on the street. If it wasn't clear enough, drinking in public (and urinating) is acceptable.
The startling thing was seeing young children selling the alcohol. A majority of the vendors were 16. One was as young as 10. I had a conversation with this Brazilian flight attendant, and she said this was normal.
Sao Paulo was wonderful. The people were incredibly nice, the sites were great, and the women were absolutely beautiful. We head off to Porto Alegre in the morning. Known as gaucho country, it's supposedly akin to Argentina and Uruguay as opposed to the rest of Brazil. I absolutely cannot wait to view my first two World Cup games in person!
The atmosphere in the street was INSANE! Traffic effectively stopped at noon. For a mile (I kid not), you couldn't move. Everyone was snugly packed in, looking up at a massive big screen stationed on the top of a bar. Fortunately, the three of us were relatively close to the screen.
When Brazil scored it's first goal, we were doused with beer. Everyone threw their drinks in the air and screamed. Although I have no emotional tie to the country, I felt so happy.
Side note: Brazilian people are incredibly friendly. They love speaking in English, having conversations and asking about the states. My three favorite phrases in Portuguese thus far: "Obrigado" (thank you), "Voce fala ingles?" (do you speak English?) and "Voce e Bonita/Linda" (you are very pretty/beautiful). A group of Brazilian girls did think I was from Brazil...Thought that was pretty funny! The experience watching Brazil win the first game of the World Cup in Brazil is something I'll never forget. It was truly breathtaking.
We also befriended an American living in Sao Paulo. He led us to this cool local spot for street food. It was essentially an empanada filled with seasoned chicken. To say the least, it was delicious.
We got an early start on Friday. We headed for a place called Beco do Batman (translated as Batman's Cave). It was a two street stretch of incredibly eclectic and ornate street art. Describing them wouldn't do it justice. I'll post some pics below (and eventually on Facebook). Ironically, a guy from Minnesota was there taking pictures as well. He joined up with us and we made the 30 minute walk to a famous soccer museum called Estadio Municipal Paulo Machado De Carvalho. Colloquially, it's known as Estadio Pacaembu.
The museum is literally built into the side of the stadium. It provided us with a detailed look at the history of Brazilian futebol. We got to see the progression of the soccer ball itself, as well as the typical soccer boot.
We bid adieu to our friend from Minnesota (and other Americans we met from Washington D.C.) and went back to Aspicuelta. From there, we watched Holland demolish Spain (amidst a ton of rowdy Mexican fans). We got a quick bite and headed back to watch Chile defeat Australia. As a naive American, it was fascinating to see so many vendors selling cans and bottles of beer on the street. If it wasn't clear enough, drinking in public (and urinating) is acceptable.
The startling thing was seeing young children selling the alcohol. A majority of the vendors were 16. One was as young as 10. I had a conversation with this Brazilian flight attendant, and she said this was normal.
Sao Paulo was wonderful. The people were incredibly nice, the sites were great, and the women were absolutely beautiful. We head off to Porto Alegre in the morning. Known as gaucho country, it's supposedly akin to Argentina and Uruguay as opposed to the rest of Brazil. I absolutely cannot wait to view my first two World Cup games in person!
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