São Paulo and Rio 2024 – Goals
My goals for this trip were:
- celebrate 40 years of friendship with my former high school colleagues;
- meet other friends in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro;
- sightseeing;
- solve some problems;
- try to keep my study and exercise routine.
São Paulo 2024 December
Airport transfer
There are many ways to go from Guarulhos Airport to São Paulo downtown.
This time I chose to go by subway.
It’s cheap, about 40 minutes if you take the express train.
I am not sure if this is an adequate option on weekdays, it was on Sunday.
Best friends and nice places
This year, the group of my former high school friends were celebrating 40 years of friendship.
I came from Fortaleza (Northeast) and another friend from Porto Alegre (South).
After some few doubts, we decided to celebrate in one of our friends’ country town house.
Unfortunately, many people, for several reasons, couldn’t come, but even this way, it was a nice celebration.
There were other friends apart this group that I also could meet going to nice bars, like:
Sightseeing
This is Avenida Paulista from Sesc Avenida Paulista (rooftop).
We can see the Ibis Budget Jardins (higher) from Jardim Pamplona Shopping (rooftop).
This is Avenida 9 de Julho from Ibis Budget Jardins.
Solve some problems
As I am a member of Sesc (Serviço Social do Comércio), a Brazilian public institution that is like a club, I made a local document to use the facilities in São Paulo (there are several places with swimming pool in the city).
I also opened a bank account in São Paulo, as I was in need to do it.
I visited some flats for a long stay, in my project to spend a few months a year in São Paulo in the future.
Rio de Janeiro 2024 December
Best friends and nice places
Unfortunately, just a 3-day visit this time.
Santos Dumont airport is located close to tourist places in Rio.
One of our friends of the same group (high school colleagues) is a musician in Rio, and I decided to visit him.
My friend showed me one more place I didn’t know, this rooftop at Botafogo Praia Shopping.
Solve some problems
A friend of mine needed my expertise in a technical project, and I reserved one entire day to help him.
Study and exercise routine
As always, my Smart Fit black plan allows me to use any unit in Latin America, then I could make my gym in São Paulo.
Using Sesc units, I added one more option to gym, which is swimming instead.
In Rio, the hotel (Sesc Copacabana) has 2 available positions in each physical activities class for hotel guests, and I made one Pilates class.
São Paulo and Rio 2024 – Conclusion
Goals conclusion:
- celebrate 40 years of friendship with my former high school colleagues – successful, despite the absences;
- sightseeing – OK, I knew some new places;
- meet other friends in São Paulo and Rio de Janeiro – OK;
- solve some problems – OK;
- try to keep my study and exercise routine OK – gym, swim, and Pilates.
References
São Paulo
- Metro-SP (subway)
- What is cool on Avenida Paulista
- São Paulo rooftops
- Ibis Congonhas
- Ibis Budget Jardins
- Smart Fit
- All travels to São Paulo
Rio de Janeiro
- Riocard (public transport card)
- MetrôRio (subway)
- Giro (MetrôRio app)
- All travels to Rio de Janeiro