Rare to travel somewhere where you have no general knowledge. 6 months ago São Paulo wasn’t even on my radar. While researching South American marathon flights [to Argentina or Chile] noticed most connected in São Paulo – & from there my journey began. Economics really. Less days from work, less $$ from my pocket. Check done, decision made.
2 days before leaving Denver, online-booked today’s private City tour. Met Fernando in the hotel lobby. English-speaking guide, not crazy expensive. ‘Private’ in Brazil meant I was his only passenger, literally. Sweet ride 🙂
Asked no time be spent on Ibirapuera Park. My tour. Been there, done that. Downtown today.
Started with Pátio do Colégio, the site where São Paulo’s original Jesuit mission was erected in 1554. Learned ’bout Father José de Anchieta, the Spanish priest who established the mission “called São Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga, founded on a plateau between two rivers, the Tamanduateí and the Anhangabaú & linked to the coastal village of São Vicente by a path in the rainforest.”
Quick one-hour history lesson: Portuguese enslaved the indigenous peoples & brought the African slave trade to South America. Portuguese mined GOLD. Once that resource was exhausted, Brazil gained its independence. Later, mid-1800’s immigrants/Italians financed Brazil’s new national commodity – COFFEE. [Slavery existed ’til 1888, last country in Western Hemisphere to abolish.]
Catholicism & coffee, the history of São Paulo.
Digged São Paulo’s downtown architecture, most constructed during Brazil’s turn-of-the-century boom.
Next up: modern São Paulo. Financial District or Beco do Batman (popular tourist destination because of its dense concentration of graffiti that line the streets). Finance is my 9-to-5 gig, absolutely no interest. Bring on da street art! HIGHLY recommended ❤
Early dinner, early to bed. Marathoning in the a.m. – but not before, late night firecrackers & protests rocked my hotel.
Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva’s Workers’ Party pulled out all the stops to rally public opinion to get the former president out of jail and into contention for October’s elections.
‘Free Lula’ demonstration. No drama/completely safe but a bit unnerving. Yikes!
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- São Paulo’s old City walls
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- evolution of architectural styles dating back to the 18th century
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- Tribunal de Justiça
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- Pátio do Colégio
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- Father José de Anchieta
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- established São Paulo’s original Jesuit mission in 1554
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- Monument Immortal Gloria
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- Martinelli Building, São Paulo’s first skyscraper
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- Centro Cultural Banco do Brasil
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- coffee empire inlay
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- Beco do Batman
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- a.k.a. Batman’s Alley
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- Batman & Pelé
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- local papaya
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- Night 2 cityscape
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- when your Twitter feed thinks you’ve permanently relocated
unnerving ‘Lula’ demonstration
Brazilian Telenovela
Never once to Hawaii, now twice in 2 years. Sis’ celebrating her big 5-0 Birthday this week AND running a 50K all-UPHILL ultra-marathon in our 50th state.
[Can’t believe you have a sister turning 50? Just smile & say: Nope I can’t believe it either. No need to share she’s my younger sister ❤]
Boarded a direct flight to Kona (United). 7 hour ride, 5 of it over the vast Pacific. Kept my shade shut & movie-binged. Caught up on the latest Planet of the Apes prequel – don’t be a hater. NOW we know why Nova couldn’t speak in the Charlton Heston version. LOL>
Open-air airport, no walls – just like Maui. Rental car pickup. B&B overnight in Kona. Palm trees, flowers – and chickens, crazy amount of chickens free-ranging in Hawaii. Tropical, temperate Hawaii. Sis might be planning ALL future family getaways.
Woke super early (time difference). Morning hill trek before Saturday’s 50K. Road climbed high above Kona, beautiful view of the ocean. Easy 2-mile run that got away from me. Garmin read 5.12 [miles] when I returned for fresh fruit & papaya pancakes. Paradise.
Late road start to Hilo for tomorrow’s 50K registration. Sis beat me there (retrieving lost luggage) & managed bib pick-up. Afternoon FREE, too early to check-in my bougie condo in Waikoloa – beach DAY. Detoured north: Laupāhoehoe Point Beach Park.
80° & sunshine. HUGE turquoise waves lashed the Park’s volcanic-rock shore. Laid back in lush green grass & closed my eyes. Ocean breeze, surrounded by Palms, secret quiet paradise. Big Island drive home (digged on the Hawaiian names).
Laupāhoehoe ⇨ ʻŌʻōkala ⇨ Pa’Auilo ⇨ Honoka’a ⇨ Waimea ⇨ Waikoloa
Lunch in Waimea, dinner in Waikoloa, both with a pig theme. 500,000 wild hogs on the Big Island – I went with fish 🙂
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- Sis’ 5-0 destination BIRTHDAY
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- tropical CEMETERY run
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- secret quiet paradise
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- HUGE turquoise waves
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- ocean breeze, surrounded by Palm
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- Laupāhoehoe ⇨ ʻŌʻōkala ⇨ Pa’Auilo ⇨ Honoka’a ⇨ Waimea ⇨ Waikoloa
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- 500,000 wild hogs on the Big Island
Laupāhoehoe Point
Hawaii’s feral pigs have history in their genes
“It has always been believed that the pigs were likely brought by famed explorer James Cook when he discovered the islands around 1778,” says Anna Linderholm, assistant professor of anthropology at Texas A&M University.
“He almost certainly brought pigs, chickens, and other animals with him. But our findings show that the wild hogs there today were introduced much earlier than his arrival, by hundreds of years at least. They likely came from European or Asian descent.”
Texans love their cattle, and Hawaiians love their pigs. Millions of visitors to the islands have attended luaus where a roasted pig in the ground is considered a must-see event, and Hawaiian lore has it that pigs were associated with various Polynesian gods and they were treated with great reverence and respect.
“The ancestry of feral hogs in Hawaii today can be traced back to Polynesians, and their colorful island history and legends are embedded in the state’s culture and many traditions,” Linderholm says.
After a FULL day (& a half) of Hop-On Hop-Off, met up Sis & husband Paul – just in time for a whirlwind trip to the US Embassy. Poor Stephen…unfortunately, this wasn’t a tourist stop. Good news: following day his wallet was recovered, just the passport lost. Whatta sport, personally would’ve freaked out. Foreign country, no cash, no credit cards, no identification – yikes!
[side NOTE: they don’t actually allow Americans inside our Embassy. We did see trick-or-treaters come-n-go, but the 3 of us with US passports were left outside/looking in, barred outside the gate.]
Lemons into lemonade. Sis noticed folks walking with swag bags. We asked, they pointed. Bib pick-up just a half-block away. Sooooo while Stephen secured an emergency passport, the 3 of us picked up our Sunday marathon bibs. FAAANNNTASTIC!
Another positive? Only 2 blocks away: Dublin’s DART [train station]. Stephen’s extended family (whole lotta Irish cousins) would be greeting us in Bray, 30 minutes away. Dinner alongside the Irish Sea. Drinks & LAUGHs at the Golf Club.
What a welcoming posse of peeps! The Irish O’Sullivans (& Byrnes). Not MY Irish family but I certainly left Bray feeling that way. Chatted it up with 2 family marathoners. Stephen’s cousin Jane – ok, not actually Jane (my fave of the cousins) but her daughter Claire & son-in-law. So many laughs (& tall tales) this nite – glad I packed the pigeon shirt. LOL>
Hug-n-kiss goodbyes, late-night train home, brunch in the a.m. – that’s the correct term when you sleep past 10 🙂
Hearty bowl of Guinness stew, Saturday half-day walked the City. Grafton Street, Ha’penny Bridge, the river Liffey & Temple Bar. Italian feasted for dinner, marathon #100 tomorrow – IN IRELAND. How CRAZY is that? WOW, WOW, WOW!
Marathon #100 Bib Pick-up
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- bib pick-up x 3
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- Sunday we RUN!
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- USA, USA – I’m in the guide!
O’Sullivans & the Byrnes
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- alongside the Irish Sea
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- Gillian
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- Eddie B
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- Sarah & Ian
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- Claire
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- Jane ❤
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- the cool Kids
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- Paddy, Bernie, Emma & Wendy
Saturday city walk
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- Guinness stew: breakfast of Champions
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- HAHAHAHA!
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- the Ha’penny Bridge
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- marathon #100 tomorrow
