São Paulo. Brazil. Sunday August 6th 2006

My waiter has decided I am French. It is really quite funny that I am here in São Paulo conversing in a language that I thought I would not use this trip...we seem to be muddling through!

I begin my day in the Jardin Europa. An area, not unlike the exclusive neighbourhoods of Johannesburg...guard boxes at the end of the street and top line security cameras and gates on the homes.
However, what is striking is the informality of the place. The guard boxes are empty (because it is Sunday?) and there are people walking and jogging happily in the streets.

This great fear of crime in São Paulo has strong historic routes.

Until the 1950's, São Paulo was very much a European City (and this can be seen from the wonderful, although too often neglected, architectural examples across the city). The reason for the strong European influence was the immigration period of the 19th century which was led principally by the Italians and Germans.

São Paulo's growth, coming as it did in the 19th century, also meant that the city was developing after the slave period.

Slaves had been located in the North East of Brazil where the colonial capital of Salvador was located in the Bahia region. This was where they were abandoned by the Portuguese when the colonial power departed. On the resulting abolition of slavery the slaves 'ran to Rio' enmasse and it was really not until the 1960´s when São Paulo was expanding massively and needed labour, that North Eastern immigration to São Paulo began.

The favelas are quite simply illegal settlements were the immigrants located on either government or abandoned land. They grew up with the economic migration from the North and hence they remain almost exclusively coloured due to the history of the North East.

Toady there are actually more people from North East Brazil living in São Paulo than actually living back in North Eastern Brazil.

North Eastern Brazil today also has a high level of sex tourism, particularly with the young girls from the favela. It remains a contrast of traditional colonial mansions (the preserve of the political elite) and the favela of slave decent. You cannot blame a group of people for migrating in search of a better life for their children...we would all do the same!

'Traditional' residents of São Paulo fear 'colour' and if a North Eastern appearing person approaches you at a cross light you tend to drive through.

My journey around the city today is wonderful. It is a beautiful day and everywhere I look people are walking...in all districts of the city. We are not locked-in and we drive around the city with the windows open rather than pollute the environment with our air-conditioning.

I even conduct my own social experiment and leave the car parked with the windows down whilst I go and take some photographs. My ruck-sac is in the back seat and it is perfectly safe...there was nothing in it of course, but I just felt that I wanted to see if I could run a quick errand in São Paulo as I would in New York.

Of course, I choose a safe part of the city, just in the same way that I would never even park my car in certain areas of NYC.

I am actually taking photographs around the Monumento as Bandeiras which is dedicated to the groups (the Bandeiras) involved in colonisation. The monument was inaugurated in 1953 and as it represents the colonisation of Brazil it points West in the direction of the exploration.

My next stop is a typical street market selling the most wonderful fresh produce. Such markets are all over the city on different days (except Monday's). Unlike in Britain, prices actually go down here as the day goes on...after all the produce is no longer fresh...can you imagine such a concept at Tesco's?

I am with my own private guide and trust me I am to discover that this man is a master amongst tour guides. He has the city and his timings down to a fine art.

Over to Sé Square which is undergoing renovations in the attempt to rejuvinate downtown São Paulo. The marvellous cathedral here was actually only inaugurated in the 1950´s (at the very time the face of São Paulo was changing). As a church it was built for the wealthy of the city with materials imported from Italy. However, due to immigration and the fact that this area is considered today to be 'unsafe'...the wealthy have never come, prefering instead the 'churches of the beautiful' in areas like Jardin Europa.

The buildings around the area of the square are stunning and give it twenty years and you will not be able to buy real estate here for the astronomical price hike that is bound to occur on gentrification.

São Paulo is also awash with Art Deco architecture. When I think what we make in Europe and North America of one or two buildings and we call it an Art Deco trail...São Paulo has an tourist boom waiting to happen if it cleaned these buildings up.

The city is actually awash with Modernist, Post-Modernist, Colonial, Art Deco and buildings of the school of functionality...It is a treasure trove of architecture just driving down the Avenida Paulista.

We move on to Pateo do Colégio, the Jesuit or Foundation Square of São Paulo where you can actually still see the remaining part of the original monastery wall. After ringing the Mark of Peace bell which hopes for peace, fraternity and solidarity amongst peoples of the world we walk down to hear the gregorian chants at the São Bento monastery, where today two new monks are being officially welcomed into the Benedictine order. This monastery is an art lovers dream and no photograph can do the frescos justice...so I did not take any...you will need to come and see for yourself!

In the plaza outside I see an icon of Brazilian design, the 1960´s Aero Willys and it is in mint condition.

My walk downtown then takes me past the Martinelli Building from the 1920´s (the first skyscraper not only in São Paulo but in South America). Other highlights include the Banespa Tower (akin in style to the Empire State Building) and the former Banco do Brasil which is now a beautiful cultural centre where you need to see the beautiful clear skylight.

I get to see a really cool outdoor Samba performance just going on in the downtown streets.

This city has a stunning City Hall, an Opera House to rival any European counterpart for opulence and a downtown that is a mix of colonial remains and modern architectural experimentation...I really want to see the stunning Art Deco (that is everywhere) preserved!!!

In many ways I can draw parallels with downtown St Louis and the 'death of the downtown' caused by the move to the Suburbs.

We then head off to visit 'crack land'. I am not suggesting that this should be a tourist sight...you should never patronise people in their misery and so I take no photos as I know that my only reason to be here is to gain a fair picture of this big city...and trust me every big city has a crack land...you should see Detroit's.

The desolution of poverty, prostitution and homelessness is neither to be made a spectacle of or pitied...rather the root causes need to be challenged.

The British came to São Paulo principally to build railroads in the 1860's and 1870's. The railroad was a necessity to bring coffee into the City from the plantations and out again to the port of Santos. Next to the station built by the authorities stands the much grander Julio Prestes Station...now an outstanding concert hall as well as a station. This station was a demonstration of wealth by the coffee planters to show their greater power than that of the government.

We are now at the Station at Luz for a classic car show. This station was assembled by the British and then re-assembled here in São Paulo being inaugurated in 1901. It is one of two built to the same design, the other being sent to Sydney in Australia...so if you keep reading I will let you know if this is true when I get to Sydney.

The car show is great because I feel like a local. My guide, Alex, now my friend, is bartering for parts for his classic car with a dealer and I just pretend that I know what is going on. I may not know the language, but the body language is the same the world over...I think at this moment I am cool...the car show happens the first sunday of every month.

The Parça da Luz was the first man made park in the city of São Paulo and we dine in the Café da Pinacoteca. The sculptures around the park are wonderful and we are also hear to listen to a band of local musicians playing traditional music.

I dine on a Beirutes. This is a speciality of São Paulo and the sandwich finds its origins in the Lebanese immigration to the city...a topical name for a sandwich in the present situation.

The mix of rich and poor is brought home to me here in this park. A one time pleasure ground of the wealthy classes, today you find the 'great and the good' at the museum and even dining on the terrace but never venturing over the open threshold where prostitutes ply their trade in the middle of the day.

The contrast between rich and poor is probably clearer in Brazil than in anywhere else I have been in the world. The communities live together, indeed almost on top of one another (with the location of some favela) and yet both communities efficiently pretend the other does not exist.

The prostitutes working the park (because of necessity) do so yards from the dining middle and upper classes in the museum.

In this city the latest craze if you have wealth is the helipad. Then you can get from home to office without even having to view the poor.

It is interesting that some of the cars I have driven in have been 'basic'. This is common now among some wealthy members of society in an attempt not to draw attention to yourself.

Off again on my architecture search to arguably the most unique hotel in the world. The work of Ruy Ohtake (a Japanese São Paulo man...São Paulo has the largest Japanese community outside of Japan), from the rooftop Skye bar of the Hotel Unique you can see the city laid out before you. Here I enjoy an early afternoon Caipirinha before heading off to see the spectacle that is the 'early' queues for the football match. It is a sea of people around the São Paulo Futebo Stadium.

I am now on my way through the upscale district of Morumbi. Home to exclusive properties and the largest of the cities favela...Paraisópolis (meaning Paradise Land). This is the favela home of my friends from the Meninos do Morumbi project and I have come to visit. I have a truly lovely time. The children are climbing all over me, the families are welcoming me in to their homes. Everyone seems to want their photographs taken and I make the huge mistake of offering money. The kids at first are puzzled (possibly even offended) until they realise this is my only way to say thank-you...then we are all mates again. The funny thing about the youngsters who have limited English is that they can ask me perfectly clearly if I support Celtic...a real touch of home.

I had such fun in the favela and the people were so welcoming. I know these are dangerous places and I feel strongly that tourists should not go. As Alex tells me, and I agree, the favela should not be made into a tourist attraction (as in Rio) these are peoples homes and you need to be invited in.

My visit serves to remind me of one thing about racism and stereotyping...we were all immigrants once wherever we are 'from'...we forget this at our peril.

Back on the road we go to view the former home of the now incarcerated Chairman of Banco Santos. It is another stunning piece of architecture and another Ruy Ohtake project in this city.

Through the Parça Ibirapuera to view the buildings of Oscar Niemeyer from the auditorium with the back door that opens to offer a stage for outside performance to the Bienal building which hosts the 2nd largest art show in the world on a two year rotation with Italy.

The energy of this city does not stop and tonight I share yet another Brazilian experience in the company of friends.

You know when you are at school and there is the cool gang...this is the group and they are letting me play with them...mega!

The difference from school is that we are adults and these folks are genuinely chilled with no childish desire to prove anything.

I head off for a Reggae Brazilian evening at Mercearia do Conde with Susan. We are being joined by Reinaldo and Ewerton and as the wine and caipirinha flow I am getting to see yet another side of Brazilian life.

I will dine tonight on Risoto de Carne de Sol...simply sundried meat. It is delicious and I have a great evening to round off yet another great day.

And by the way...If you intend on coming to São Paulo then my private tour guide (and now my friend) was called Alex Brazales. Hire this guy. Whatever it costs he is worth it and then some. I am not putting his details on the net but you contact me if you need him and I´ll forward things on.

Oh and Marlene...he is as good a guide as I am on my turf and that's saying something!!

Thanks folks.

Will

In interpreting what I have written you need to remember some points...

Slaves were brought from Africa to all main ports along the coast of Brazil, including the Southeastern region.

Brazil was a colony from 1500 to 1808 and Salvador was its capital until 1763; Rio became capital then and when the Portuguese court moved to Rio in 1808 following Napoleon's invasion, Brazil was elevated to Kingdom, and then became independent in 1822 but not a republic; there was a transition period, the Empire - from 1822 till 1889. Slavery being abolished in 1888.

There remained a large contingent of slaves in the southeast; Rio was the capital and the gold mines were in Minas Gerais.

Northeastern does not necessarily mean ex-slaves or blacks.

The population of São Paulo state is 37 million whilst the population in the North-East of Brazil is 51 million.

It is important to remember that the view of history one is given in any location will to an extent be ´coloured´ by local views!