sao paulo with a side of existential dread and mango smoothies

woke up feeling like i missed a beat somewhere between the last metro stop and this unbearable humidity. 37.77c feels like someone dumped a sauna into my pocket. i checked the app again and it's this weird 37.77c right now. hope you like that kind of thing. neighbors here are the kind who blast reggaeton until 3am or pretend they're not judging your vintage haircut. if you get bored sketching street art in the rain, são paulo is just a short drive away. i heard that the coffee shop on av. paulista serves the best caipirinhas but also has that one weird guy who'll tell you his life story if you ask. some locals whisper that the metro system is secretly a governed by ghosts. i haven't proven or disproven that yet.

there's an old yarn about a hostel where the wifi cut out and everyone started speaking half portuguese. i'm not sure if it's true but i did see a guy last night trying to meme with a parrot. photogs here charge tourists 50 reais for selfies but the photos anyway. the vibe is chaotic and i kinda love it. under the city's skyline there's this murky park where i saw a cat wearing sunglasses. maybe future resident.

tags like being a digital nomad here mean you're either working from a cobblestone cafe or dodging buskers selling questionable t-shirts. one hostel owner told me i should visit paraná because 'it's where the real magic happens.' magical in the most chaotic sense. if you ask me, paraná's just another part of the city that smells like mango and regret.

for more chaos connect with others: check out the trip advisor threads or the yelp coffee spots. the local board olha onde has the best hidden spots if you can read portuguese. and if all else fails, rap idio has a playlist called 'sao paulo rain' that feels authentic.

i took these photos somewhere between confusion and acceptance: a street artist painting a bus, a woman in a blue sleeveless top looking confused by the heat, and a frog on a log that looked suspiciously like a tourist trap. maybe the photos are the real story here.



the weather here is the real struggle. 44% humidity is not a compliment. i tried to run yesterday and my skin started sweating through my vintage shirt. which is fine. vintage clothes are meant for struggle. eventually i gave up and bought a cheap raincoat online. feels like cheating.

neighbors once told me that the city's heartbeat is in the night markets. i went once and got lost in a taco stand that claimed to have the oldest recipe. they also charged extra for the taco. it was good though. regret is a flavor here.

another rumor i heard was that the city's libraries are haunted by a guy who plays accordion at 2am. i can't confirm but the building smells like old books and mild paranoia. at least the humidity is consistent. unlike my emotions.

anyway, if you like this mess follow for more. i might write about my time in paraná next. or maybe not. depends on the weather. the weirdness never stops here.