Sao Paulo week 2, fever pitch

So...9am coach journey, followed by a 1 hr flight from Rio to Sao Paulo, plus half hr in a Cab and we're here. We're told it's one of the nicest neighbourhoods in SP. A place called Butanta, near the University of Sao Paulo.

We're staying with a colleague of mine Renata, her and her lovely family who have very generously put us up for 5 nights. It's a stunning place which they built 10 years ago. The streets are guarded 24 hrs a day with a combination of cameras, patrolling guards and high fences. It's a tranquil place but this didn't stop Renata calling a guard when we came back from dinner last night, purely just to watch us get from out of the car and into the house. Something that both concerns and reassures you at the same time! Dinner was immense btw, first time having proper Sushi in what the locals call Japan town! Just glad I ate it here in Brazil and not in Japan, well unless I wanted a four finned, ten eyed fish!

Whilst we were flying into SP I managed to get a few glimpses put of both sides of the plane. The landscape was just pure city carnage dotted with clusters of high rise buildings, right upto the horizon, on each side. I knew SP was big but this is ridiculous!

Renata is a member of an exclusive sports club surrounded by Million pound flats, luxury shopping centres and generally an upper class feel to place & it's people.

https://m.facebook.com/ecpinheiros

We watched the Brazil vs Mexico game in front of the big screen at the club. The weapon of choice was a bucket of Brahma's on ice, we got through about 5 between a large table of Renata's sports club friends & family. A disappointing result for the locals but at least they didn't lose. So around 7pm we took a cab to Vila Madalena, which is the main strip of bars & restaurants. We started at the bottom and worked our way up, regularly purchasing the odd can of beer from locals on the street selling from large tubs with ice. The area consisted of a maze of streets with every single one crammed full of people, it took us an hr to go 500 yards, but what an atmosphere. I've never seen anything like this in my life, trawling through a vast array of nationalities occasionally stopping and chatting, with us squeezing our way to the edge of any of the streets just to get some breathing space!

The next day we took the subway to grab the quarter final tickets from a Fifa ticketing office, great feeling picking them up and mapping where our seats will be at the Fortaleza stadium. The atmosphere is going to be off the scale, especially if Brazil top their group and qualify in the knockout round. It's who I'm supporting now considering England crashed out to some Suarez brilliance.. That's what you get Hodgson for saying that Suarez isn't world class yet you moronic womble fairy. Now Greg Dyke has mentioned he will still manager. Tool.

We watched them bow out in Vila Madelena again, after meeting up with a few of Bren's mates it was another night of antics, meeting new people and generally chancing it! Such a good crack. My voice took a kicking aswell, struggling a little today.

We hopped on a plane early today and we're now in the hostel at Iguassu falls. Chilling out writing this in the bottom of the bunk bed we've got for a couple of nights.. as soon as Bren got on top it all the wood started to bow, just hope he doesn't come crashing down in the middle of night, it won't be a pretty sight!

Tomorrow should be decent seeing the falls, hoping to snap some class footage!

Over and out for now!

Buzios. A perfect start.

So... here we are on our 4th day in Buzios, about 120 miles East of Rio.

The Journey here on Monday started around 4am from Heathrow. Very hungover after 2 hrs sleep we jumped into a Taxi from Hotel to airport, connecting flight to Madrid, flight to Rio, 2 Coaches and a cab later we arrived 11.30pm at our accomodation, local time. That scene from snatch when Avi goes to London just popped in my head.. But we weren't greeted by a dodgy jewellery shop owner!

We arrived to our grinning Brazilian host who immediately made us feel at home. A huge relief after the longest journey of my life.

Every day breakfast has been a pleasure here, from the fresh fruit to the delicious Brazilian coffee and cake :) followed by us learning a small amount of Portuguese which has come in very handy.
A link to Burita, for us, 10/10.
http://www.birutaguesthouse.blogspot.com.br

A very relaxed mood around this small fishing village that apparently was helped made famous by Bridget Bardot after visiting in the 60's. I've now just learned that the statue of a women sitting on a bench we saw on the waterfront is a memorial of her..

http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Arma%C3%A7%C3%A3o_dos_B%C3%BAzios

The first day we ventured out exploring the main town. A maze of narrow streets crossing eachother containing a wide variety of clothes shops and many restaurants, all of which had yellow and green bunting hanging. We settled in for lunch in a what I can only describe as a large hut turned restaurant. We had a large BBQ'd fish which we chose from the tray of fish the waiter presented to us. Extremely good and well priced.
Whilst sipping on a couple of Brahma's after lunch Bren noticed several heads popping out of the water 10m in front us.. turned out to be Turtles. This was confirmed by the waiter who didn't seem that interested :) , well it was a special sight for us and a great start to the adventure!

The next 2 days we spent the majority of our time at two beaches, the first of which we enjoyed some delicacies such as BBQ'd chicken scewers, corn on the cob and fresh Oysters, all offered from what I can only describe as pygmy-kitchen-carts, with wheels. It was all very pleasant and under the Brazilian sun we felt like we had officially landed, celebrated by a couple of beer-can chinks!

Onto Thursday 12th, World cup opening ceremony & Brazil vs Croatia. The plan - Walk, beach, town, buy a Brazil shirt, lunch, buy a footie and go to the Square in Buzios to get a decent seat in front of the massive screen. The plan was executed to perfection, after stocking up with 12 cans of Brahma, Samba'in it up with some eager locals with the footie we grabbed one of the plastic chairs from the many stacks available. It was like a piranha feed, after the first couple starting taking little bites, they all came and devoured. In 5 minutes they all went and hundreds of fans flocked in front of the screen in anticipation.
The first goal was a shock from a Marcelo own goal, followed by some Neymar brilliance and a sea of Yellow behind us celebrating a goal from one of their heroes. A few dodgy decisions later Oscar put the game to bed.

An awesome evening all round. Being part of the first Brazilian win this tournament surround by hundreds of smiling fans all together as one.
Feeling happy drunk we walked back through the streets that had been painted in Brazil colours by a wide variety of locals, kids to grandmas!
Something you wouldn't find anywhere in England, unless you wanted to be fined from the local council!

It's Friday evening now and we've just witnessed what I think will be the shock of the tournament. Spain 1 - Holland 5 !! Think that record is safe against Spain.. so glad I didn't have any of the Spanish defence in my dream team but gutted I took Robben out ! Ah well, still up there with the Neymar points from last night ;)

Out for some dinner shortly.. planning on some Sushi.. lets hope its upto Bren's Private chef standards ;)

So much to look forward to, until the next time friends :)

Alex

Turning an Idea into plan-of-action!

It started 3 years ago at Ascot Races, myself and 6 other close mates try and go to ascot every year since 2011. The world cup in Brazil was the topic of conversation half way through the day when we were all well oxygenated from the bubbles in the many champagne glasses we glugged down.. at that moment in time it was a no brainer – brazil, world cup, best mates, it’s what dreams are made of right ?!

To cut a long story short it seemed the hassle of getting the time off from work, money & organising were too much to deal with for many of us, so it whittled down over the next couple of years to just myself and Bren that were left in the Samba frame.

We committed to the cause in August 2013 by booking our flights to Rio on the 9^th June 2014.

After many discussions on how long we wanted to be part of the Spectacle we came to the same conclusion – go big or go home!

So the return flight will be 17^th July. Totalling 6 weeks.

Today is the 2^nd June, the last Monday at work for 6 weeks.

For once, Monday is a good day and not just because we’ve just strengthened our attack by signing Lambert! Oh, did I mention we’re both LFC fans -  in the same breath, that’s the only thing that didn’t make this summer perfect, winning the league. Ah well, I just hope Gerrard has tightened those studs up for the summer ahead.

So, with a week left until we fly I’m feeling the buzz. The buzz of meeting up with Bren in London on the weekend with a mates hug that will be the start of an adventure we will never forget.. the buzz of boarding the plane knowing for the next 6 weeks we will lead a completely different lifestyle and all that goes along with it.. the buzz of knowing we have World Cup Quarter Final tickets.. the buzz of knowing if Brazil win their group and get past the last 16 round we will see them in the quarters, possibly against England if they come second in their group.. the buzz of knowing we have 6 internal flights booked taking us right around Brazil, full circle… The buzz of knowing we’ll be killing 2 insanely magnificent birds in one stone, Travelling Brazil and the World Cup. I’m struggling to find a better trip to be part of.

It’s been 3 years in the pipeline, nearly a year since we committed, now it’s just a week away.

The trip of a lifetime. Brazil 2014. The Spectacle.

To be continued...