A Weekend in São Paulo

I've hardly been back from Patagonia for long before it's time for a long weekend trip to São Paulo. For work, but fortunately just for the annual Latin America Summer Party - basically a fun jolly on the beach with loads of free food and catching up with my fellow LatAm journos.

It's the first time I've been back to São Paulo (apart from my brief trip through the airport last month) in two years - since the last summer party I went to in December 2009, after leaving my home in Brazil in December 2008. The first thing that hits me when I step off the plane from Buenos Aires is how cold it is. Like, literally, about 15 degrees C colder than Argentina, just a 3-hour flight away, so I'm already starting to feel a bit skeptical about Saturday's party on the beach!

I am staying at the Hilton Morumbi, the hotel that was once my home for about two months in early 2007, so it feels strange to be back, especially since all my bosses and colleagues are now roaming around the same hotel. I head straight out for dinner with a couple of journo colleagues who work in Brazil and then straight to bed after a late night on Thursday, ready for a day in the office on Friday.

On Saturday it's the Summer Party. We get coaches from the office in São Paulo's Brooklin to Guarujá on the South coast of São Paulo - about an hour's drive. The party is at Forte dos Andradas - a private, military beach where, apparently, President Lula likes to spend his holidays! As such, we arrive to machine-gun-laden top military police-style security.

Photo courtesy of Google Images

The rest of the day is spent lounging around drinking Caipirinhas, Caipiroskas and eating delicious barbecued food and sweet treats. There are tons of activities - fencing, football on the beach, kids' face-painting - but I am, quite frankly, happy just to chill (literally - as it's cold and windy) and get gradually merry while I catch up with friends.

I ate at least six of the delicious condensed-milk-and-chocolate brigadeiros you can see at the bottom of this picture

As the evening draws on, it gets colder and we warm up on the beach with a bonfire and a few more cocktails. I can see why Lula likes this place...

Forte dos Andradas, Guarujá

Saturday night, shattered, we take the coach back to São Paulo and go for some late snacks and drinks at the Hilton's Canvas Bar.

Sunday, I have planned to do a little Christmas shopping at my old favourite Shopping Morumbi before meeting friends for lunch, but on arrival at the shopping centre, I realise nothing opens until 2pm. All I want is some Brazilian coffee to take back to a colleague in London, so I'm gutted not even Café do Ponto opens til 2. How's a girl supposed to get a coffee before noon in this place?!

Instead, I while away the time waiting to meet my friends for lunch by sitting outside the coffee shop in the lobby of the shopping centre, admiring this lovely Christmas tree... Merry Christmas to you too, São Paulo!

Shopping Morumbi, São Paulo