são paulo: a digital nomad's messy love letter to chaos
just landed in this concrete jungle and my brain's already buzzing. first thing i checked? the weather-24.56°C but feels like 25.03°C, which basically means it's sticky enough to make your laptop keys stick to your fingers. humidity’s at 75% so if you’ve got frizzy hair, just own it. that pressure reading (1014) is weirdly comforting though, like the city’s giving you a gentle hug.
been wandering around *vila madalena for hours, dodging street art and aggressive motorcycle deliveries. the vibe here? imagine if new york had a fever dream in a tropical rainforest. stumbled into a co-working space called ‘the grind’-their wifi’s decent but the coffee tastes like burnt regret. locals swear by pão de açúcar for breakfast though, so i’m adding that to my survival list.
if you get bored, coastal santos is just a short drive away for some beach time. but honestly? why leave? heard from this tattoo artist in moema that mercado municipal has the best açaí bowls in the southern hemisphere. also, someone told me the pinacoteca gallery’s free on fridays but bring snacks because the lines are absurd.
pro-tip: download 99 app before you arrive. the taxi mafia’s real here. oh and if you’re a remote worker like me, weWork vila olimpia has those ergonomic chairs that save your spine-worth every real.
‘bro, avoid the liberdade district during lunar new year unless you want to be trampled by dragons.’ - some rando at a bar with a beer named after a fish
last night i ended up at this boteco in pinheiros where the bartender looked like he’d seen 12 apocalypses. he warned me that food delivery apps spike prices during rainstorms. also, i heard that broa de milho from the street vendors is way better than the fancy restaurants. gotta say, the paulistanos know how to hustle.
‘if your coworking space doesn’t have free maté*, you’re in a tourist trap.’ - a digital nomad who smelled like patchouli
check out são paulo’s hidden street art tours if you’re into that. also, this joint does killer avocado toast for 20 reais. anyway, back to the grind. literally.
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