Spactastic Architecture and Sao Paulo

So we arrived to Sao Paulo, Brazil on the 8th.  Our first night there we went to Liberdade, Japantown, for dinner.  We knew we were there because of the lantern like street lights, but other thanthat it was hard to tell as the streets were quiet and most the stores and restaurants were closed.  Still we had a very global experience eating Japanese food in Brazil, with everyone around us speaking Portuguese and Japanese we were still speaking our blend of Spanglish.

The next morning we set out walking to Ibirapuera, a large masterplanned park by Oscar nieymeyer, a famous Brazilian architect.  The park has a number of structures designed by him including an obelisk, auditorium, 3 museums and a large covered space that multifunctions as pavilion, connective walkway, and exhibit space.  Jon could hang out all day around the buildings, especially the covered area which frames the landscape and interior space in such interesting ways. The auditorium is a large white concrete triangle with a huge cantilevered red canopy extending over the entrance as if the building were sticking out it's tongue. All fun and playful, but serious in the minimalism and construction.  We picnicked-on our leftover yakiudon from the night before near a lake.

After ibirapuera we went on a quest to try and get views of the river.  We walked for a couple hours round and round in the ritzy business sector peppered with fancy retail, restaurants and clubs.  We didn't make it to the river though.  We changed course after some pastil, stuffed pastry, and headed into the jardims neighborhood.  This is where many if the wealthy paulistanos live in their multimillion dollar homes.  We walked past countless foreign auto dealerships set up like stores on rodeo drive. We found the sculpture museum with it's underground plaza and aboveground cantilever.  There was a really amazing exhibition of grafitti art and culture. It is insuring to see such out of the ordinary architecture amongst Tudor mansions.

The rest of the afternoon was spent walking and wandering the neighborhood.  We tried to go the hotel unique for drinks on the roof and a view of the skyline bur it was closed for some reason.