"I wonder whose idea was it to a celebrate a beauty pageant like Miss Universe in a city as large and complex as this one"
Well, my trip to Brazil began with my first stop in Trinidad and Tobago this past Sunday to get my visa on the following day. My visa is good for 5 years and I can stay in Brazil for 180 days within a year, thus I can return to Brazil whenever I want in the next 5 years, perhaps to attend the World Cup finals and the Olympics. From TNT, I flew to Miami where I took a connecting flight to So Paulo. It seems that unexpected problems always arise when you travel to So Paulo. First of all, when I arrived at the airport in TNT last Sunday, the airport did not have electricity; in other words, it was chaotic. My plane ticket was issued manually and the best of all was that the passengers only had to show their boarding pass to get on the plane. But it doesnt stop there; my flight was scheduled for 2:45 PM arriving in Miami at 6:35 PM before taking my connecting flight to So Paulo at 8:35 PM. But what happened? I was just about to board when something else happened passengers sharing the same seat number and some without reserved seats! Finally, we left TNT at 4 PM, but when I arrived in Miami I missed my connecting flight to So Paulo and I was forced to take the next flight at 11:30 PM. I arrived in So Paulo at 9:00 AM.
When I was about to board my plane to So Paulo, someone from the American Airlines counter called for me and I thought of the worst. Either they were going to tell me that I couldnt board because the plane was already full or that they had make a mistake and that I would spend one more night in Miami. But fortunately, none of this was the case. An attentive gentleman tells me: Mr. Coln, we would like to inform you that your seat 36C has been assigned to another person because we want to keep families as together as possible. Wed like to move you to first-class if you dont have any problem with it. How could I refuse? Of course, I didnt have any problem traveling first-class, and the only thing that I needed was to give him a kiss to show my appreciation for his kind assistance! When he asked me why I was going to So Paulo, I told him that I was going to attend Miss Universe. Then he quickly remarked, Miss Venezuela has got to win! It was obvious that he was Venezuelan and I said,Why not? Venezuela sent a very sophisticated candidate this year. So I took my first-class seat which I really deserved! Thank God that the flight was divine and spectacular between delicious meals, glasses of white wine and listening to all these people speaking Portuguese and to samba on the radio at the same time. What more could I ask? I was in paradise!
I arrived in So Paulo and when I saw all these buildings from the plane window I asked myself, "Where the hell am I?" Is this a city or a megacity? It's amazing to see all those buildings and structures from the plane. At the airport everything went smoothly. It took me an hour to pick up my luggage, then changed my dollars to reales and then take a taxi to my hotel. way to the hotel and you realize that So Paulo is not Rio de Janiero, much less New York. This is a metropolis with too much traffic, too many people and far from the tourist paradise that many want to sell. So Paulo is a business city where concrete buildings and automobiles dominate. If you know nothing of So Paulo have a figure here that will make you understand what I'm saying: The city of So Paulo (officially called Municpio de So Paulo), is the capital of the State of So Paulo and the main town of Metropolitan Region of So Paulo. According to the 2010 census, the city has a population of 11,244,369 inhabitants, the most populous in Brazil and America, taking into account the concept of city proper. Its metropolitan area is home to nearly 20 million people, the largest metropolis in Brazil, South America, second in America and one of the most populated cities in the world. It is the largest city in Brazil with the largest population and the country's financial center and one of the largest in the world. It is considered the third best city for doing business in Latin America. It is also called by the Brazilians as the city that can not stop.
Even though the journey from the airport to the hotel was very stressful, I continued to think positively to make this the best experience of my life. Upon arrival, the first thing that struck me was that none of the staff spoke English. When I arrived at 11 AM and the lady told me in Portuguese that I had to wait until 2 PM to check in - and from the little Portuguese that I could understand - she was saying that the only person who speaks English at the hotel comes in the afternoon shift. Instead of waiting for the English-speaking clerk, I decided to take a taxi to the Credicard Hall to get my press credentials. When I got on the cab I gave the direction to the driver who told me that it was too far and that that it would take at least 45 minutes to reach the Hall because of traffic congestion. I said in Spanish that if it wouldnt be too much a problem - that I could get off the cab and fly to the Credicard Hall or call Paula Shugart to send me her driver! When I finally we arrived at the Credicard Hall, there was no indication of a press center for Miss Universe. I walked, I asked around, I walked again and I asked around again and finally a little person who spoke English with a thick Portuguese accent in Portuguese told me that I had to turn around until I saw the white trailers (which I was looking for). I continued walking until I saw Lais Bartoli, a handsome Brazilian man in charge of the press center. When Lais asked me where I come from, I said Puerto Rico but that I currently alternate between Puerto Rico and Curacao. He said amusingly that he would like to practice his "Portoespaol" with me. Well, I entered the press center, had my picture taken and I got my credential. From there I had to go to the Hilton So Paulo Morumbi because I had to do some errands, but before going, I had thought of the best way to get there because the hotel was virtually an hour away from the Credicard Hall by taxi. I was advised that it would be better to take the train an idea that pleased me since I love new adventures and meeting new people. From the Credicard Hall I walked to the Pinheiros station from where I took the train to Berrini, which is the closest station to the Hilton So Paulo Morumbi.
There is no doubt that So Paulo is a city for businesses and I wonder whose idea was it to a celebrate a beauty pageant like Miss Universe in a city as large and complex as this one. And I'm not saying I do not like So Paulo; on the contrary, the more time I spend here, the more I like it, but everything is just too far away from one point to another. When I say far, I mean really far away. In the vicinity of the hotel and nowhere have I seen any image of Miss UniverseXimena Navarrete promoting the event. When you ask people on the train about Miss Universe, theyll tell you that they do not know absolutely nothing. So what's the real reason to hold the pageant in So Paulo? If anyone knows the truth, Id love to hear it. It is understandable that people speak Portuguese because it is the official language but how is it possible that in a metropolis no one knows or understands English? Hello! They cant even understand me in Spanish. But despite all this, thank God that everything is going well so far. The weather is divine, although it was 90 degrees hot during my first day. Yesterday, it rained with thunder and lightning and it was very cold. Today, its beautiful, sunny and chilly.
Well, I know that as days go by Ill get used to this great city and when its time for me to leave, Im sure Ill never want to leave!
Tonight, I will share my first impressions of the candidates at this event, so stay tuned!
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