Farewell Sao Paulo, Hello Rio! Karen in transit on Sept. 11, 2008

Today's Magic Number is EIGHT!

8 Hours - number of hours I am waiting (still) in Sao Paulo airport to fly to Rio.

8 Nights - number of nights I spent at Green Place Flat in Sao Paulo, Brazil, before leaving today.

8 p.m. - Time my flight departs for Rio. It is only an hour, 15 min. flight.
It's strange to be in an airport all day on September 11. I have paid silent tribute to the many victims who died that day. Many were just travelers boarding another airplane to go to their destination...


Karen tries to make her luggage look smaller by crouching down next to it before she left her hotel room in Sao Paulo, Thursday morning.

Call it procrastination or spontaneity, but I thought it would be fun and exciting to show up at the airport at noon today and fly stand-by to Rio. From online research, I knew the flight should cost about $100 reales. At the airport, I went to three airline desks and was quoted $300-$600 for a ticket. I was told it would be cheaper to book on the Internet. So I did. The one flight that was a reasonable price departed at 8 p.m.

Good news: With 8 hours to kill, I have been hanging out all day at a lovely rooftop cafe here at the airport. It has a cityscape view, fresh breeze, decent food and kind waiters. Due to one language mishap, I am now on my fourth bottle of water con gas. Best of all, there are no booming airline announcements broadcast up here.


Flavia Frangetto and I struck up a conversation today at the airport cafe after she and her companion borrowed my flash drive. Here, she displays her doctoral thesis! Flavia is a lawyer and getting her doctorate in environmental law. She is especially interested in global warming issues.

I have been thinking about how much time I have spent on the computer so far this trip. A little weird to be so wired and connected. Today, my technology helped me make an old-fashioned face-to-face connection here at the airport cafe. A gentleman approached me seeing that I was using my Apple laptop, and asked if he could borrow my zip drive. He was sitting at a table next to me and I said sure. When he returned it soon after, I gave him my business card (tireless networker that I am). Turns out he is a professor of environmental studies. After he left, the woman who shared his table came over and introduced herself. And that led to a wonderful conversation with a brilliant and beautiful woman from Sao Paulo, Flavia Frangetto.

Going to go check in now! I have too much luggage! The plan is to stay at a hostel in Rio; I have arranged my reservation online and plan to meet a driver at the airport in Rio. Wish me luck!

QUESTION: What is adventure travel? ANSWER: Leaving your hotel room!

Today, I plunged into the dangerous streets of Sao Paulo. I have been repeatedly warned by locals and visitors alike that downtown S.P. is swarming with criminals* ready to rip off my jewelry, money, camera and other valuables. But for me, adventure travel is all about risk, even if that just means leaving my hotel room.

The biggest danger I faced so far was going nuts from working long, solitary hours at in my hotel room at Green Place Flat. Sunday and Monday, I have been holed up tackling projects related to the wonderful Adventure Travel Trade Association South American Summit (which was Wed.-Sunday). It's been a wild ride:
* Sorting through piles of business cards and tour company materials from the conference.
* Uploading photos, catching up on email, posting updates and entering data.

A visit to Ibirapuera Park was the perfect break from the city bustle. More on the park, below.

I've spent seven nights at this hotel and am now buddies with desk clerks Renato, Ishmael and Arturo. I will leave Sao Paulo this Thursday. Where to? I am thinking Rio and the Amazon, not sure yet. My mountain bike tour in Peru with Sacred Rides starts Sept. 27 in Lima ...

Today's Highlights:
1. Marilyn Diggs - I found Marilyn online, by accident, through one of my favorite writer's websites, Travelwriters.com. I noticed that she lived in Sao Paulo and was an American, an accomplished writer and painter. We exchanged emails and she generously offered travel advice on Sao Paulo and Brazil in general. She has been here 20 years. I accepted her kind invitation to meet her today and will write more about that fun encounter.
Marilyn Diggs, an American writer and artist, has been a resident of Brazil for 20 years, She invited me to her home today in the neighborhood she called "the Manhattan of Sao Paulo."

2. Ibirapuera Park - This oasis of calm in the traffic-choked city of Sao Paulo was just the boost I needed. Like San Francisco's Golden Gate Park, Ibirapuera Park houses several prominent city museums. Thanks to Marilyn's recommendation, I visited the Afro-Brazilian museum, which was Smithsonian- quality (top notch!). I watched the runners and cyclists do their afternoon workouts and sat by the lake watching the black geese. I also had a delicious buffet lunch at a restaurant in the park and was thrilled to find leafy greens there!

3. Money - At last, a cash infusion! Big thanks to the one Citibank ATM in Brazil that was in the mood to accept my ATM card. Til now, I survived on cash loans from conference friends.

4. Shipped stuff to California - The only crime I encountered was the outrageous cost of shipping a backpack of my surplus stuff (mostly clothes) to the U.S. I also sent my cell phone since it is useless here and would be expensive to replace if stolen. Part of the reason for the $$$ was DHL had to send it 4 days express mail - they did not have any other options. Given my investment in time and money to get to this shop, I decided it was worthwhile to send the stuff so I don't have to schlep business clothes with me through the rainforest and the Andes.

* CRIME REPORT: Despite dire warnings, during my first day as a solo female visitor in Sao Paulo, I did not feel unsafe in the business district or at the park. I was home before dark. I kept a close eye on my purse, walked with purpose, did not pull out a map and was pleased when I was addressed in Portuguese. I took care not to wear my camera around my neck, a backpack or beltpouch which might indicate "tourist."

Free trip to Brazil! Timo Shaw of Country Walkers wins drawing at ATTA South American Summit in Sao Paulo

Timo wins big! His upcoming free trip to Brazil does NOT include a visit with these two beautiful women, who were working at the Adventure Sports Fair. The fair took place in the same venue as our summit.

Timo Shaw, president of Country Walkers, landed the grand prize Saturday night at the Adventure Travel Trade Association South American Summit - a free trip to Brazil. I am jealous! This transplanted New Zealander who recently moved to Waterbury, Vermont, from Seattle, Washington, has a wonderful sense of humor and kept many of us laughing all weekend. Congratulations, Timo!

In Sao Paulo, the helicopter is a preferred means of travel for those who can afford it

My friend Andrew Hecht, pictured above, forwarded me an interesting article about Sao Paulo, Brazil, the site of my upcoming Adventure Travel Trade Association World Summit, Sept 3-7.

Published by The Guardian, Tom Phillips' story provides an interesting glimpse into increasing Brazilian affluence and the city's growing pains.

Excerpts:

* According to Brazil's National Aviation Agency the number of helicopters in Sao Paulo state jumped from 374 to 469 between 1999 and 2008, making it the helicopter capital of the world ahead of both New York and Tokyo.

* The helicopter boom has transformed Sao Paulo into a real-life, South American episode of The Jetsons, with a constant flow of helicopters jittering through the city's skies, tiny spots ducking and diving as they make their way from helipad to helipad.

* Traffic jams often stretch to more than 130 miles in greater Sao Paulo, a sprawling megalopolis accommodating around 20 million people and 6 million cars. Last year more cars were sold here than ever before with nearly 1,000 new vehicles hitting the roads each day.

AT A GLANCE
6 million -Cars in Sao Paulo

70,000 - Minimum number of helicopter flights within central Sao Paulo each year

11,000 - Annual flights and landings at London's main heliport, in Battersea

820 - Helicopter pilots work in Sao Paulo; each can earn $100,000 a year

420 - Helipads in Sao Paulo - 75% of Brazil's total and 50% more than the whole UK

·SOURCE: ESRC