Post: #126

Gave this thread a second read. Went through it a few months ago when planning my trip. Amazing how much more relative and comprehensible the info is after a week on the ground.

My conclusion on Itaim Bibi/Vila Olimpia is the same. I don't speak any Portuguese and detest paying high entry fees to get cockblocked/cold shoulder. Also rolling solo as a Gringo seems a huge negative as there is a lot of social circle/connections going on. Several locals who speak Portuguese and are used to high end venues left them empty handed. I'm not going to do well for nightlife there so might as well skip it. Just flushing money, time, effort down the toilet.

Seems like my experience walking the streets and not seeing any hot girls is similar to most others. However someone said the opposite:

I am staying in Jardims closer to Paulista. Someone said there is a yuppie seen around here? Especially Oscar Friere? Sorry. I don't see this at all. I've walked around there every weekend and it's pretty much deserted. Maybe the economy sucks now or it's too cold??

I guess the stratification in Brazil and San Paolo means you won't see much above a 7 walking around nor in pubs of VM. Seems like some of the edgy hip clubs are still a good bet bc theyre cool enough to draw some of the model types?

D-Edge being the main example? I stayed away from that one since it was mentioned to not go if you hate being around second hand smoke plus it's not close. Maybe it's not that bad? And Paulistano girls are OK with sex motels for a ONS? (In Tokyo walking girls towards the love motels could cause some major ASD.)

Edit:
Local recommendations from CS
Sailor bar
Louis bar
Charles Edward bar
Any good?

Post: #127

I'm not sure how you expected to do well in night game if you don't speak Portuguese.

I suggest just gaming and arranging dates online (so you can use a translator) and enjoying the city without thinking about chasing women.

Post: #128

I was in SP about two years ago so this information may be slightly outdated.

But when I was there, I heard from multiple people that the best nightlife venues for getting laid were sertanejo clubs. The main one mentioned was Villa Mix.

I went to D-edge twice. It's an EDM club that stays open till about 12pm the next day (at least on the weekends). Cool venue, good electronic music, lots of drug usage. There are good looking girls there but probably not be the best venue for hook-ups.

Make sure to sign up for guest-list online beforehand as this will decrease the entrance costs by quite a lot. Often times, you are also required to arrive to the club before a certain time to get the discount.

Post: #129

Charles Edward is a cougar bar. You will struggle to find women under 40 there.

Sailor is a pub in Itaim. Average quality, nothing special really. But pubs are probably your best bet of getting an easy lay in SP, apart from Tinder. The girls in pubs are usually into gringos. Dont expect top models though.

Motel ONSs are rare. They happen, but way more likely if you have your own place. For first dates, it shouldn't matter. First date bangs have become common place in Brazil.

Post: #130

I didn't think I'd kill it here. But being the biggest city in Southern Hemisphere I thought there'd be some decently attractive women walking around the streets, online, bars, clubs.

I expected the lack of Portuguese to cause some problems hooking random sets. It's proved to be a major problem since almost no girl I cold approach speaks more than a tiny bit of English.

Post: #131

Good post above by shotgun.

- - -

TM,

You're going to the wrong places.

For weekdays day gaming, go to Ibirapuera Park, Paulista or Itaim.

(08-02-2016 04:28 PM)Ringo Wrote:  DAY GAME
Itaim/Cidade Jardim
The whole neighbourhood is an amusement park. Either start on Kinoplex or Shopping Iguatemi and make your way to the other side.


Iguatemi (A on the map) is an upscale shopping mall, with a large number of restaurants and a food court. It is surrounded by MANY office buildings. During lunch hour, it gets unbearably crowded, and while there may be some bland office types, many hot chicks frequent this spot.

Clube Pinheiros (B) is a reference point on the map because it is one of the most distinct places among the paulistano elite. Most if its members (who pay tens of thousands of reais for a membership) have traditional and rich families and live nearby, so you are sure to see their gorgeous 20 year old offsprings walking around.

The larger purple area on the map is where you are most likely to find a wide array of girls: milfs and wealthy cougars, nouveau riches, hot dumb young interns, working class girls and A TON of models. Everyday during my lunch break I used to roam these streets and be constantly amazed by the talent around. Even if you tried to avoid beautiful girls during a short walk, you'd fail. The small mall where Kinoplex Cinema is located © is a good spot to head to - the mall is open and has the movie theater and nice cafés, so it tends to attract people.

CONS: 1. most people in this area have a busy schedule and won't have much time to spend chatting away. Be quick. 2. most people on their lunch break are accompanied by their colleagues, find a way around it (game the ones who are alone, check out the small street stores where they go in by themselves, etc.).

You are right, colleges are all on vacation until late july - forget the USP campus. The area around Higienópolis should be decent because a ton of students from Mackenzie live there, but it's riskier and there's more crackheads around killing the vibe.

Night game: I've been getting more and more into this because my flatmate is extremely well connected to dozens of promoters and hosts.

If you want the reliable, absolute best looking girls, you have to cough up your money and go to the Sertanejo spots - Villa Mix, Vila Country. Many of these girls are uneducated chickenheads, I can't assess for sure how many speak english.

If you are willing to risk going out and having bad ratios/ugly chicks, you can pick a bunch of spots I've mentioned upthread, like Nos Trilhos, Lions, Air Rooftop, Bar Secreto. These are all electronic or funk nights. Upsides: cheaper and girls are more likely to speak english.

For bars, don't go to sit down places or it will be hard to approach. Noname, Sacha's and Mercearia are good choices around Vila/Pinheiros.

For me, the game changer has been going to one-off events like this or this (Facebook links). They are the perfect balance between value and incredible talent. I took a fellow RVFer to one of these and he loved it. The only downside is you need to be connected to get notice of events like these.

Post: #132

(07-02-2017 10:32 PM)world_nomad Wrote:  I was in SP about two years ago so this information may be slightly outdated.

But when I was there, I heard from multiple people that the best nightlife venues for getting laid were sertanejo clubs. The main one mentioned was Villa Mix.

I went to D-edge twice. It's an EDM club that stays open till about 12pm the next day (at least on the weekends). Cool venue, good electronic music, lots of drug usage. There are good looking girls there but probably not be the best venue for hook-ups.

Make sure to sign up for guest-list online beforehand as this will decrease the entrance costs by quite a lot. Often times, you are also required to arrive to the club before a certain time to get the discount.

Glad to see your post here - hope your travels are good and we can meet again soon.

WN's is on point.

D-Edge is much like another club called Clash. Not cheap, but good music and ambiance. The hottest girls are on the VIP area, not on the dancefloor, so you can't access them. The rest - people go there to be seen, to take some drugs and enjoy their own cliques.

Despite having been to both a bunch of times, I've never pulled from either and neither have my few wingmen.

If you're rolling on MDMA or something else I reckon it's possible if you can hold out until 6 or 7am, but that's not for me.

Post: #133

Tour guide was incorrect. Martinelli building is now closed to public. Seems like a lot of viewpoints have closed in last few years. What's up with that? It's not like there is a fantastic skyline but still.

Walked through higienopolis and paceambu yesterday (sunday). Might as well be a ghost town. FAAP totally dead. Buenos Aires park all old people.

Went to a junina party of sao Judas to meet a CS girl (nice but older and not pretty). No targets. Just one or two kinda cute both holding a baby.

Post: #134

I did get on happn and it is better than tinder plus girls are closer. Not much English spoken though.

FAAP does have a small museum that's free. Paceambu has the Futebol Museum.

Just took a walk through liberdade neighborhood. There's not much besides some Japanese shops and restaurants. An Okinawa organization museum and an immigration museum. Will have to come back on their open days.

Post: #135

Where have you been eating? Lunch and dinner? Did you see any opportunities for approach

Post: #136

I pack my lunch everyday or get something quick from a stand. I'm not a foodie. I meant to stop by the food trucks near butanta but I got distracted by the protest.

I ran after a girl this morning off paulista. She smiled coyly and wagged her finger no-no to my "fala ingles". Nice body. Face soso.

MASP is free Tuesday. Saved a few bucks but glad I got here early. The Toulouse-Lautrec exhibit is swamped now. It's no longer free on the late night like the guidebook says (which is thu NOT wed).

Post: #137

(07-02-2017 10:50 PM)shotgun Wrote:  Charles Edward is a cougar bar. You will struggle to find women under 40 there.

Me when someone says "cougar bar":



In Brazil, no less. Will keep Google Flights on standby.

Post: #138

Why you posting on this thread TM. You could post your stuff on your other(own) thread. This thread is more for like discussion I think

Post: #139

(07-03-2017 09:51 AM)Ringo Wrote:  For bars, don't go to sit down places or it will be hard to approach. Noname, Sacha's and Mercearia are good choices around Vila/Pinheiros.

Here's another great option:

R. Guaicuí, near Largo da Batata/Faria Lima metro station.

I had forgotten all about this place but was there last night and was impressed with the talent.

There's a bunch of bars with tables by the sidewalk, like Capivara on the corner of Guaicuí and Fernão Dias.

Although people sit with their groups of friends, there's a lot of walking around, people passing by for some "can I borrow a light?" or al-fresco game.

This is what the street looks like:



The absolute gem of this place is a bar called Pitico.

It's modelled after European-style garden bars, with large wooden tables for multiple parties, beach chairs, etc. Not particularly cheap (beers go for R$7+, cocktails for 20+). But the vibe of the place really allows for socializing and approaching.

Best hours are 7-11pm weekdays; weekends from late afternoon until closing time.

Crowd is 20-30, either hipster/alternative or patricinhas/mauricinhos (think high class, Ivy League, finance workers).

This is the level of talent you can expect:

Post: #140

The women here are horrible. Ringo are you googling these pics?

Post: #141

(07-07-2017 06:22 PM)Gpx90210 Wrote:  The women here are horrible. Ringo are you googling these pics?

All pics in the thread are from social media.

All places recommended with pics are venues I've personally visited and vouched for at the time the posts were written. Obviously if you go back to the first pages on the thread some recommendations were made years ago so I can't guarantee what they're like now.

I can vouch for all pics on Page 4 onward as being up to date, but it should be said that even in one year things have changed (i.e. Kubik and Matrix, both recommended on page 4, have closed during this period).

The pics above from Pitico are all hashtagged or location tagged from Instagram and reflect what I see when I go there:
https://www.instagram.com/explore/tags/pitico/
https://www.instagram.com/explore/locati...33/pitico/

Are you in SP right now?

Post: #142

Yes. Having a horrible experience. Flying to rio asap. Went to a private party last night. Women were horrible. Unbelievably rude. Even got called a "puta" for not speaking Portuguese. Almost got into multiple fights with boys who felt threatened by gringos presence. Brazil ranks below Paris at this point.

Post: #143

Met a forum member last week. Connected with some cool locals who got us on the list for a nightlife event near USP. Definitely a better crowd than the places I'd been hitting on my own.

The hotties there were flirtatious but very young. Approached a few sets and got into a makeout. Both of us had local guys get in our face trying to start fights. We weren't being overly aggressive, just approaching mixed groups. They didn't even want us saying hello to their girls.

We tried some clubs in Barra Funda on a Sat night. Clash was somewhat empty. D-Edge was 95% dudes. The lights are cool but I was like where's the main dance floor? Oh this is it??

Brazil's biggest Japan Festival was last weekend at the expo center. Met a girl there and brought her back. Woke up fellow RVFer answers door wrapped in the bed sheet, heh. A bit of grab-ass, but couldn't get her down for a double team.

The Zoo is also near the expo center. Worth checking out for a few hours. It's the biggest in South America. Was disappointed they don't have a section devoted to South American animals.

There's also a science park nearby that has a cool model of the Paulista Litoral (coastline). I'm planning to make my way to Rio by stopping at beach towns between santos and paraty.

There is a cool free food tour that goes to four places on Paulista ave. Unfortunately when I did it on Friday the guide said they couldn't find anyone to take over and it would be the last day for the tour. We tried coxinha, acai, pastel, feijoada, and caipirinha. The last two are the national dish and drink.

I'd also recommend downloading 99 taxi as it's slightly cheaper than uber. I couldn't hookup my credit card but it works with PayPal. Also Clickbus for intercity travel.

The Hostel Paulista holds an English and foreign language meetup every Wednesday in their bar. I stayed there a few days and stumbled into it. Otherwise the bar is dead. The hostel is otherwise boring and strict. I had a girl from the party downstairs in one of the secluded lounges. Lights off. Not making any noise. Hidden on a mattress. Land whale comes in flicks lights on like you can't drink here! Beers were pretty much empty. Give her the beers and she's still standing there. Awkward as Fuck. Literally had more fun hostels in communist countries...

Ran out of tourist stuff to do in São Paulo rather quick. Been hitting suburbs for minor shit. I have a reverse commute but still see what a pain in the ass it must be for the girls commuting in.

Took the bus down to Santos for an afternoon. The old downtown has a trolley tour that's pretty cool. Also did pele museum, coffee museum, and funicular up to Monte Serrat for the nighview. As the port city its not the prettiest harbor but still a great view. Definitely recommend. Maybe even spending a night.

Also discovered a way to check out clubs free. São Paulo law allows you to enter for 15 min. If you don't buy a drink and get your card scanned before 15 min is up you don't have to pay. This can save you a lot of entry fees if you want to check 4-5 clubs and see how each is before you commit. The only problem could be sometimes the lines going out are long and move slowly.

Also getting a bilheto unico card for metro saves you on transfers between buses and metro. Recharging by cash is often difficult. The machines are often broken or for checking balance/cellphone recharging. Look for the little blue and yellow free standing booths inside metro. The actual ticket window only sells single ride tickets. Don't bother queing up.

Post: #144

Have done some day trips out of SP. I wouldn't recommend the ABC areas to the south. Not much to see besides a few historical museums. There are other good options for a date or just to get out of the city.

Embu des Artes is a small art colony about an hour west of SP. Only go on the weekend when the historic core has its market. You can walk around the core, pop into the art center, church museum, and eat cheaply down past the dog market. To get there I took bus 33 from Benedito Calixto Plaza which has its own market on Saturday with antiques and music. Coming back catch a SP bound bus from the small bridge near the river.

Two hikes I would recommend are Pico Jaragua and Pedra Grande. Jaragua is easily accessible by bus and open 7 days a week. You can also uber from the Jaragua stop off line 7. I also took line 7 to the last stop Jundiai to see a railroad musuem and take a look at the high plains. Not worth it. You can drive to the top of Jaragua viewpoint but the hike is nice and easy. Took me an hour. The view over SP was fantastic.

Pedra Grange was more annoying to get to. There is some awesome urban art to check out underneath line 1 at Carandiru Station. Like an open air museum. Then take bus 1775 or grab an uber. It's a short walk into the park gate. Unfortunately they won't let you up past 1pm! The hike is supposed to be 6km each way and only open on weekends. However open everyday in July. So I'll try again tomorrow. A great Boteca to stop at on the way back is Bar do Luiz Fernandes. My date was disappointed we couldn't hike but after beer and bolinhos here she forgot about it and spent the night.

Liberdade has a weekend Japanese-Brazilian festival around the square. I went this past weekend. Insanely crowded for Star Tanabata Festival. I saw a much better version of this festival last July in Osaka. They dumped glowing blue balls into the river. This festival had some dancing and singing on a small stage. Typical food vendors etc. maybe better if less crowded other weekends.

The Serra Mantiquera Mountains are popular in July. It's peak season at Campos do Jordao. I booked a hotel for around $60 weekday and a hostel dorm for $30 weekend. Otherwise you're looking at hundreds of dollars per night. Met a few rich girls who have weekend houses or stay with friends up there so not too concerned about logistics.

The bus from Tiete station is supposed to take 3 hours. I was told the swankier/tourist area is actually Capivari a few miles up the road at the end of the valley. The bus drops off there.

I haven't checked out Paranapiacaba. It's an old English railroad tourist trap. But supposed to be good hiking. A girl invited me to Inverno Festival there this weekend but I'll be in Jordao. Anyone been there? Worthwhile? Supposed to have a nice hike?

Also had another woman invite me to her beach house in Mongagua (south of Santos). Turned her down. From the pics she sent it looks like a nice piece of coastline. Anyone been?

Post: #145

Tiete Station is supposed to be the biggest bus terminal in South America. There are booths for dozens of companies selling tickets all over Brazil and neighboring countries.

99 Taxi from VM area was R31. If you walk in from the metro line 1 walk straight back to reach the ticketing area. Tickets to Campos do Jordao are just off to the right.

Passaro Marron looked like the only company. Clickbus didn't even show departures and their website was only Portuguese. I'd suggest booking ahead. Today is Wednesday but my bus still only had a few empty seats. Buses leave 6,9,12,3,6. Supposed to take about 3 hours.

A local girl spent the night, helped me pack, and came all the way to the station to make sure I got my ticket. Brazilian are sweet and caring. Also more affectionate than I'm used to in Asia. Once she's yours she won't hesitate to initiate PDA and even slip you tongue. Don't recall many Asian women doing that. Refreshing in more ways than one.

I'd appreciate any suggestions on a hike or two I can do without a car. I'll stay in Capiviri a few days then Jordao proper. Looks like the bus drops off in between the two.

Have a few ladies up there offering to show me around on the weekend. One said I could stay in her house. But it wasn't clear whether her parents would be around or not.

I usually prefer doing my own thing but lacking a vehicle probably will take them up on showing me around. I've hitchiked a little in SP. I imagine Jordao is a bit safer for this?

People usually asked where I'm going as they are on their way somewhere specific. Should I just say "mirante" or "ponto de vista"? Any specific viewpoints I could ask to stop/drop at? The guidebook says "Horta Florestal" is 14km east of town but I can't find it on google maps.

The main hike suggested is Pedra do Bau. I'm guessing once I'm on the main road there thumbing a ride up shouldn't be too hard on the weekend?

I was warned the nightlife is expensive and not so great. Lots of social clicks and families. Not expecting much. Just to relax after a month in SP.

Is this 3rd biggest urban area in the world? I read some rankings that have it below Tokyo and New York. But at the city and metro level other rankings have it falling way down the list. The way I understand the qualifiers you have city > metro area > urban area. Citywise SP is around 11.3m. Metro is about 20m. The urban area lacks a definite boundary and ranges from 24-34 which I'm guessing is where 3rd place comes from.

If you're wondering how long to spend here. My method is to see 3-5 things/day. I was running out of stuff after a few weeks. In under a month I did just about every touristy/cultural thing.

The winter weather in June-Aug was sunny with mid to upper 70s and down to low 40s at night. It was a little uncomfortaby hot doing a lot of walking and a little uncomfortably cold doing nightgame. Earlier in my visit the night weather was much better.

Only 2-3 cold/rainy days that I recall. Polution isn't horrible but it's there. The city is inland past Serra Mar mountains with Serra Mantiqueiras behind it. The Pariaba? Valley stretches way out to the east along the latter range. Although it's pretty much sitting in a bowl the population could be a lot worse.

Occasionally it hovers around freezing at night in winter. In 1975 a hard freeze killed a lot of the coffee which is why northern Parana is about as far south as you'll see it grown. São Paulo is third biggest producer after Minas Gereas and Espírito Santo.

There are some opportunities to explore caves and Atlantic Rain Forest in the southern areas of the state. I'd consider coming back sometime for that. Maybe get one of the hippy vans I see all over and drive around awhile.

Pedra Grande was a decent view yesterday despite being overcast. Jaragua is better. If you can only do one hike in SP pick Pico do Jaragua. You can uber right to the top. It's free (at least it was to walk in).

PG is in Cantareira State Park. Admission was R13pp. The walk up is on a paved road. I had it all to myself on. Tuesday. I saw a car being let in the get when I came out but not see if they are allowed to drive to the summit. It was so cold my hands hurt. It's not that high around 1010m.

Rewatched City of God last night wth Portuguese subtitles. I guess it was a resettlement area outside Rio that became a slum in the 60s-70s? I'll have to google it.

I think it paints a scary picture of Rio and creates a negative archetype of Brazil in a lot of people's minds. I really couldn't find another famous movie about life in Brazil to watch on Netflix. I guess it's good if it keeps your guard up on a first visit to Rio, but bad if it prevents you from going at all.

Post: #146

Long weekend in Campos do Jordao. Definitely recommend adding this mountain town to your trip if in SP or Rio. More Paulistas were there but I also met many folks up from Rio (4 hour drive).

The bus drops off in between campos and capivari. First few nights I stayed in Capivari. This where the restaurants and nightlife are. It's essentially a mock euro village with Swiss and Tudor style buildings that are restaurants shops and bars. Oh and chocolate shops. Never in my life have I seen so many.

The coldest I saw it get was 4 Celsius at 2:30am Friday night. There are digital thermometers around to take pictures under. Everyone sits outside eating fondue and craft beer dressed up in fine winter clothes. Supposedly the week before it hit -1.

I made use of my contacts and had a dinner every night. I cold approached a bit without much luck. Mostly couples and families on vacation. I did open one set with a smokeshow that hungout later. Just got a kiss but it was a fun night. Still in touch.

It's not THAT expensive thanks to exchange rate. I was able to take the bus and hitchhike. Admissions are mostly nominal. I switched to a hostel for weekend to save bc rates zoom. Met some cool people there. All Brazilians except one girl from Columbia on business. Also there's no heat in the rooms. I was told this is a problem even at expensive hotels so be sure to check!

I took the bus out to horto florestal which is a state park. There are 3-4 trails. The main one goes to a small waterfall. Skip the tram and do the campos and river "trilhas". These give you great views of their famous auricaria pine trees. You can buy the hard or roasted seeds in town. I tried them. Kinda like a chestnut. Tasteless unless you sprinkle salt.

There's small tourist trams with Disney characters that do a narration and take you to a small waterfall/shopping area south of town in the hills. Narration is live but Portuguese. I'd recommend to skip this since I ended up walking here on my own while trying to hitchhike up to Pico do itapeva.

I caught a ride to the three hotels overlook and walked a bit further to a bird garden. Just a hawk and owls. A family from Rio drove me rest of way to the lookout and back down. It's a good view of the pariaba valley. Was able to see the towns where I am now.

I tried the "pub" in the commercial area of campos do Jordao on a Friday night. It's the local hangout. The music was Brazilian country. Cover was $R15. People were dancing but nothing above 7. One 8 with her bf. Met an English speaker who invited me to her table. Bounced for Capivari.

There are some good museums. The engraving museum is run by a retired SP prof and his wife who speak English. We had a nice chat about ukiyo-e. I was able to walk there from town.

A bus ride away is an outdoor sculpture museum for Felicia Leirner. Great at sunset for view of Pedra do Bau. There's also an auditorium there were the classic music for the Winter Festival is performed.

The concha acoustica in Capivari also looked like it had some free concerts. The events are all through July which is the high month to go there (when it's coldest). The cold is the novelty to Brazilians.

The next several weekends there is a cherry blossom festival in a small park in vila Alberta neighborhood. It had Japanese taiko drumming and dancing. I got to do a tea ceremony too. The buds are still opening but decent amount of blossoms.

Hitching from the festival I got picked up by a car load of young girls and their mom. Very nice people who took me to a mirante then for lunch in their home.

Afterwards they really went out of their way to drive me all the way to the entrance of Pedra do Bau! Then got another couple to take me the 4.6km to the trailhead!! I thought oh two hot girls great. But they weren't into men again super classy people. We hiked together and watched sunset. They drove me all the way back to my hostel!

There are two lookouts for Pedra do Bau that you can walk to easily. I wanted to go to the top but didn't have time. I hitchhiked back the next morning and made it up the via ferrata.

Amazing view over the São bento do sapucai valley. Several school groups were wearing helmets, harnesses, and roped in. I don't think this is necessary. The only problem is if you're scared of heights and lose your shit emotionally. Otherwise easy. Ignore people saying the climb goes negative. Maybe one small hump.

Decided to push it. Continued up Ana Chata for sunset. Amazing view of Serra Mantiqueiras looking north into Minas Gerias. Back at the trailhead all cars gone, cold, and dark. Walked all the way past the entrance until finally a dirtbike rolled by and gave me a lift back to town. Probably the coldest ride of my life. Worth it.

If you want an easy view there is a telerifico up to elephant hill in Capivari. Some people even get scared on that! At the top is a viewing platform with some shops and a dumb elephant exhibit.

A narrow gauge train goes from Capivari past Abernessia and back. No narration and nothing you don't see from street. I had to buy tickets two days in advance bc it was sold out.

Winter Lounge is a club that was suggested by locals. I didn't go. Danced my ass off in a bar on the restaurant strip though. Things seemed more poppin on weekend for sure. I was told outside July it's pretty quiet up there.

There are a couple other viewpoints you can walk or hitch to. Everyday I'd walk a mile thinking damn why isn't anyone stopping. Then Id get rolling.

Usually took a combo of 2-3 cars, walking, bus to get to where I was going. Uber isnt up here. Cabs were relatively expensive. Each night coming back from Capivari area to the commercial zone was around $R30. I was told car rental is about $R170 per day.

Post: #147

The Paraiba valley stretches NE from São Paulo for hundreds of km. To the north are the Serra Montequiera Mts. To the south are the foothills of the Serra Mar (coastal range).

There's not much going on here but several decent sized towns dot the SP-Rio highway. I stoped in Taubate for a couple nights.

The main things to see there are the history musuem nesr bus terminal and south of town the Mazzaropi Museum. A sort of Brazilians Charlie Chaplin. Famous comedic actor that started his own studio and made a string of comedies. More or less always played the country bumpkin. One of the ladies there spoke English and gave me a tour.

There's a few other interesting things. Wish I got a bit more perspective out of the Italian Immigration Museum. You can get around by bus if you can figure it out. Everything is spread out. I just used Uber which was cheaper than 99 Taxi. Opposite of São Paulo. There's a small musuem and park in Pinda I checked out too.

Had good luck with a 22yo Tinder girl. She was super shy; never had a BF. I was able to baby step her back to my place without resistance. Not the hottest girl but skinny with ridiculous lips. She was really into making out. Had to be taught how to please a man, heh.

Second stop was São Jose dos Campos. I was annoyed a few of their museums were closed. The small music/food festival in the park made up for that. It wasn't anything special just a local thing oddly on a Thur.

Plenty of girls just standing around waiting to be chatted up. Got annoyed having to use translator so found a dude that spoke English. Unfortunately he didn't know how to entertain a two set or eject.

The aerospace memorial was really the only (mildly) interesting thing in São Jose. Big Air Force base and industry here. A little English signage at the museum.

Haven't taken a day off in over a month. Pushed too hard. Caught the flu. A cold approach from SP works in a hospital. Invited me to stay the weekend with her. Go to her clinic. Recuperate. Well if it's doctors orders I won't argue...

Dozens of Tinder matches here. I think a guy could clean up in the small towns between here and rio. Only problem is there's nothing to keep you around in any one town more than for a day of sightseeing. And all the girls wanted to meet on the weekend. So unless she's a student on winter break you're looking at 2/weekend.

Texted her from bus how sick I feel. Got these responses. Thank god women exist.
To fazendo almoço
Aqui você come, te foi remédio e chá.
Se não melhorar vamos ao médico mais tarde.
Beijo

Post: #148

You should go to Rio!
Rio is beautiful!
But dangerous. Be careful!

Pretty much every Brazilian I meet says something like this. Apparently it's gotten so bad they've mobilized the military guard. Just in time for next leg of my trip

https://sherbrooktimes.com/brazil-mobili...rity/21485

Post: #149

Paranapiacaba is a turn of the century railroad town in the Serra do Mar mountains. It's technically part of Santo Andre (one of the "ABC" towns in SP southern suburbs. Makes a decent day trip.

You can visit anytime but most people go on the weekend. It's actually kind of a ghost town kept alive by tourism. Most Sunday's a tourist train runs up here from Luz. I took Line 11 to the last stop, then a short bus ride (424?).

The town is light on things to do. An afternoon is plenty. There is a railway museum with some old rolling stock and funicular wheelhouse.

The chief engineers house (museu castelinho) is up on a small hill and open for tours. The guide was all in Portuguese but sounded interesting. I think both are only open weekends. Show up before 4pm.

It seems people do live here. There are some shops and restaurants in the old barracks/houses. Service is poor to mediocre. Pack a lunch.

Hard to tell baseline bc I was there for the winter festival yesterday and today. Very crowded. Tons of pop up music stages and food. Nothing worth the trip or crowds though.

The fog rolls in by late afternoon. It covers the mountains and blankets the streets. The town is a bit of a dump. So it's much needed atmosphere. But if you want to hike come early otherwise you'll reach a viewpoint just in time for white out.

We paid $R25 each to have a "guided" walk for an hour. It was on a small loop that followed the old water distribution. Most of it was on dirt road and not particularly worthwhile. Since it was just us I actually would have preferred to been alone and enjoy the tranquility. The "guide" didn't speak English and mostly yacked about his family.

On weekends the town is completely overrun with Paulistanos. You'll have to wait for everything. Including a ridiculous line for the bus back. Definitely a place to bring a girl. Otherwise it's extremely boring. I'd recommend skipping this unless you're intrepid.

It's probably peacefully secluded on weekdays. One weekends it's impossible to get a capture without tourists in the foreground. Unfortunately it's not very picturesque to warrant an independent photo trip. Seems there are some trails if you have a car to go up the dirt access roads 5-10km to trailheads.

Another option might be staying overnight. I'm guessing the mornings are significantly less crowded. I never made it there before 3PM. Bring a jacket in winter bc it's fairly cold at night.

Post: #150

^

No offense, I'm not sure you understand the purpose of this thread.

This is not the Lonely Planet forum. It's the RVF.

It would be much more interesting (and relevant) if you could post your insights about the city of SP and gaming girls.

Otherwise, you're polluting the thread with your daily schedule.