Travel Savings Alerts Newsletter - August 2005 Issue
tips2travel
P.O. Box 91033
Columbus OH 43209
http://tsalerts.freespaces.com
travel...@wowmail.com
ISSN: 1542-801X, Copyright 2005, All Rights Reserved
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In This Issue:
Best of Barbados Deals
"Fr-eedom" Rate for America's Heros
Zippo Lighters Permitted in Checked Luggage
Go Chicago Card Unlimited Admission to Attractions
Hotel Rapist Caught
Summer Deals From Extended Stay Hotels
£16 to Paris, Amsterdam
Radisson Aruba Fall Sale
Tips for Reducing Identity Theft
Get Out of Town on Fewer Miles - United
Shorter Flights for Fewer Miles, American
7 Nights for the Price of 3 at Club Med
Fall Savings to France
Kids, Teens Learn to Sail Fr.ee
Picasso Prague Package $399
Surprising Sao Paulo, Brazil by Nicki Chodnoff
50% Off Hotel Hassler Fall Package
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A PROFESSIONAL ASTROLOGER REVEALS YOUR FUTURE...TOTALLY FR.EE
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Jenna is one of the most famous astrologers at the moment. She has done
8000 readings in 10 years with an astounding accuracy. Today she offers
you a FR.EE reading all about your future (love, money, career) for the
coming month. http://www.aboutastro.com/i.php?r=TSA&a=2005-07-01
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Best of Barbados Deals -- "The Best of Barbados," program returns this
fall, providing savings and tangible added value. The program offers
U.S. travelers savings on flights, accommodations, dining, and car
rental.
With 26 hotels participating across the island, the program
offers a wide range of accommodations to suit any traveler's budget and
special interests. The program is available for travel from the U.S.
only. Passports are required for travel to Barbados.
Details for 2005 include: The first night fr.ee when
staying seven nights or longer at
participating properties; fr.ee daily breakfast for one or two guests;
a $250 airfare credit per person (maximum two persons per room), a
savings of $500 per couple; one fr.ee day's car rental ( Drive-A-Matic
Car or Stoutes) with a minimum three-day paid rental.
The combined savings translate into more than $900 per
couple.
Extra savings are available for activities. When you
purchase one activity ticket, you get 50 percent off a second ticket
for the same activity. Activities include a submarine ride, rounds of
golf, and a Mount Gay Rum tour. You will also receive a "Best of
Barbados" shopping card offering 15 percent discounts in participating
shops when making purchases of $25 or more.
Barbados Tourism Authority http://www.visitbarbados.org
or 800/221-9831.
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"Fr-eedom" Rate for America's Heros -- San Francisco's Handlery
Union Square Hotel offers a special room rate to all active duty
military currently serving America. The "Fr-eedom" room rate is
$75. Valid through Dec. 30, 2005, the offer is based on availability,
double occupancy, and does not include tax. Those eligible for the
"Fr-eedom" rate must show active duty military ID or overseas
orders.
The family-owned hotel is located in the heart of Union
Square at 351 Geary Street. Hotel amenities include a restaurant and
bar, an outdoor heated swimming pool, a sauna and wireless internet.
Shopping and entertainment are steps away.
Handlery Union Square Hotel http://www.handlery.com or
800/995-4874.
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Give a Jaguar -- An Amber Jaguar
The remarkable face of a jaguar is hand-carved onto a lovely piece of
cherry amber that's 33mm x 20 mm in size. The dramatic pendent hangs on
an ultra-chic 18" natural-colored leather necklace cord with a sterling
silver clasp. Boy will this turn heads.
High-style boutiques and jewelers charge $500 or more for this glam
piece. It's yours for only $125 plus shipping & insurance. Order at:
http://www.3ajewels.biz, click on the amber category.
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Zippo Lighters Permitted in Checked Luggage -- When packing for your
next flight, you can now pack a filled Zippo pocket lighter in your
checked luggage, provided the lighter is placed in a Zippo Cargo Case
by OtterBox, as specified by the Department of Transportation (DOT).
This development follows the ruling by the Transportation Safety
Administration (TSA) that new, never-filled pocket lighters require no
special packaging and may be stowed in checked luggage. The new ruling
allows passengers to pack up to two Zippo pocket lighters, each placed
in an approved case, in checked luggage aboard all commercial airlines.
The Zippo Cargo Case, by OtterBox, is an airtight
container specifically designed to fit a single Zippo-brand pocket
lighter. As the only storage container with an exemption from the DOT,
the cargo box offers Zippo owners convenience when traveling by air.
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Go Chicago Card Unlimited Admission to Attractions -- Go Chicago Card,
the all-inclusive attraction pass, offers an introductory price of $39
per adult, per day. Go Chicago Card visitors have unlimited admission
to the city's most well-known attractions and hidden gems, including:
Adler Planetarium, The Field Museum, Shedd Aquarium, The Notebaert
Nature Museum, Museum of Science and Industry and the Art Institute of
Chicago.
With the Go Chicago Card, you can travel around Chicago
fr,eely without having to reach for your wallet at each attraction.
It's like a theme park pass to the city," said Cecilia Dahl, president
of Smart Destinations, provider of unlimited admission attraction
passes in major U.S. travel destinations..
Card holders have access to more than 25 destinations
with express entry to many of them. The card also includes savings of
up to 20 percent on shopping and dining.
Purchase the Go Chicago Card at
http://www.GoChicagoCard.com.
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Hotel Rapist Caught -- Hotel workers in the tourist area of Bukit
Bintang, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, are talking about the hotel rape
cases, but do not want their hotel identified fearing booking backlash.
The rapist used the same modus operandi-- he tricks hotel
guests into letting him enter the room by posing as a hotel staff
member.
Based on reports by the victims, the suspect approaches
victims in the hotel lobby or entrance and introduces himself as hotel
staff. Security officials believe the suspect monitors prospective
victims before trailing them to their rooms. Posing as a staff member,
he gains entry into rooms.
In the first incident, a 43-year old Irish woman at a
five-star hotel claims she was tied, raped and sodomized repeatedly by
the suspect for four hours in her room. The hotel's security guard
stationed in the elevator thought the suspect was a hotel guest because
he dressed smartly and looked decent, say hotel sources.
"We note the particulars of any person who behaves
suspiciously. If he or she claims to be a hotel guest we will ask for
the room number and key, but this procedure was not applied to the
suspect as he looked like a hotel guest," added the spokesman. "It
has been the hotel's practice to station a security guard in the lift
at night as a security measure."
The hotel confirmed it is tightening security to avoid
such incidents. Close circuit cameras will be installed at several
strategic areas and the elevator entrance on every floor.
The second incident involved a 24-year old South Korean
tourist at a budget hotel. The suspect gained entry by bringing a flask
of hot water to the room and insisted she had asked for the water
earlier. In her police report, the victim, on her first visit to Kuala
Lumpur, claimed she was assaulted and raped by the man. Based on the
description given by the victims, police believe the same suspect
committed both crimes.
A 10-year-old Kuwaiti boy, on a tour with his
classmates, is the rapist's latest victim. Reports claim the alleged
rapist waylaid and sodomized the boy in the bathroom of a hotel. Closed
circuit camera footage from the reception counter of the budget hotel
where the boy was staying led police to the suspect and police have him
in custody.
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Fun, Fr-ee Things, San Diego -- This savings-packed FR.EE brochure
features Almost 40 Fun, Fr-ee Things to do in San Diego. When heading
to Southern California, attend summer concerts or visit a State
Historic Park and keep that cash in your pocket. $1 handling fee.
To order Fr-ee Fun San Diego, send an email to
in...@onthegopublishing.com with Order Free Fun San Diego in the subject
line.
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Summer Deals From Extended Stay Hotels -- Don't let the high cost of
gas get in the way of your vacation. Extended Stay Hotels make it easy
and affordable to take the whole family, including Fido and Fluffy with
their summer rates.
Extended Stay Hotels operate hotels in 43 states under
the following brands: Extended Stay America, Homestead Studio Suites
Hotels, StudioPLUS Deluxe Studios, Crossland Economy Studios properties
and the new Extended Stay Deluxe.
Extended Stay's 74,500 studios and suites feature a fully
equipped kitchen, wireless Internet access, on-site housekeeping and
guest-laundry facilities. And, there's no need to leave the family pet
at home. All Extended Stay Hotels are pet-friendly.
Samples of summer rates from Extended Stay Hotels
include: Boston or Tampa from $58.99; New York from $84.99; Washington
D.C. from $88.99; Atlanta from $34.99; Orlando from $54.99; Chicago
from $44.99; Las Vegas or Seattle from $38.99; Anaheim from $68.99; Los
Angeles from $53.99 and San Francisco from $78.99.
You can get the inside scoop on last-minute deals and
save an additional 20 percent when you join Extended Stay Hotels'
"Suite Offers" program.
Extended Stay Hotels http://www.ExtendedStayHotels.com
or 800/EXT-STAY.
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£16 to Paris, Amsterdam -- Eurolines, the low-cost scheduled
international coachline operator is giving thousands of seats away at
bargain prices this summer. Its Best Value Fares to some of the top
destinations on the continent are available online until Sep. 6, 2005,
putting Paris, Brussels, Bruges and Amsterdam within reach for£16.
Eurolines Best Value Fares are restricted in numbers
and advertised for up to one month ahead of travel dates. If these
special fares are already booked, Eurolines 30 day and 15 day Promo
Fares can be purchased online.
There are bargain fares to 30 destinations in Europe. The
deals are only available online where they can be booked at any time,
even on the day of travel. Fares are subject to availability.
Unlike most airlines there are no hidden extras, fuel
surcharges or taxes to factor into the actual cost of travel. For the
listed fares, add the booking fee of £3 which is charged per booking,
not for each part of the journey.
Eurolines operates services to more than 500 destinations
across Europe and takes you from the heart of London to the heart of
your destination. If you are traveling from other parts of mainland
Britain, there is a special add-on fare of £15 return using National
Express to connect with Eurolines services in London.
Sample Best Value fares: The fare to Paris, Calais,
Poitiers, Tours, Nantes, Rennes, Strasbourg, Lille, Montpellier,
Perpignan is £16 and £19 to Dijon and Lyon.
£16 to Brussels, Mons and Bruges, Belgium and Amsterdam,
Netherlands.
£17 to Dusseldorf, Dortmund, Munster, Osnabruck, Cologne,
Frankfurt, Stuttgart, Munich, Hanover and Berlin, Germany.
£26 to Barcelona, Spain.
Eurolines Fares http://www.eurolines.co.uk.
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Radisson Aruba Fall Sale -- HURRY BOOK BY AUG. 5 -- The Radisson Aruba
Resort & Casino again offers its fall sale with 30 percent off room
rates for travel Sep. 4 to Dec. 21, 2005, if booked by Aug. 5, 2005.
With the sale, room rates start at $179 per night, based
on double occupancy, for garden view, partial ocean view, and deluxe
categories. Additionally, when you stay five nights or longer you
receive a $100 food and beverage credit, per room, that can be used in
any of Radisson's restaurants or bars. The food and beverage credit is
limited to one credit per stay. Black out dates apply.
The resort also offers a guest enrichment program with
many fr,ee activities, while others require a nominal fee. Activities
include Sunrise in Aruba with a visit to Alto Vista to watch the sun
rise with mimosas and a continental breakfast; wine tasting with the
resort's
sommelier; and massage instruction.
Radisson Aruba Resort & Casino
http://www.radisson.com/aruba or 800/333-3333.
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Face-It Luggage Tags -- Your Face on Your Luggage -- There's no
mistaking your luggage with the Face-It Luggage Tag. The durable,
laminated tag displays your face and the phrase "This Face Belongs With
This Luggage."
A Face-It Luggage tag makes it less likely for a stranger
or thief to walk off with your luggage and helps you recognize your
luggage at a glance in hotels or airports. Face-It tags are also
available for briefcases, portfolio books, backpacks, sporting
equipment, musical instruments, bicycles and more.
Click here to order Face-It Luggage Tags
http://www.onthegopublishing.com/face-it.shtml
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Tips for Reducing Identity Theft -- If you are one of the 328 million
Americans planning to travel, be sure to take steps to ensure your
financial privacy and minimize your chances of becoming a victim of
identity theft. The Federal Trade Commission reported that at least 10
million Americans were victims of identity theft in a recent 12 month
period.
Here are seven safety tips to consider before heading off to
your vacation spot:
Pack the items needed. Only take the identification and credit
cards you will need for your trip. Leave your checkbook and cards
showing your Social Security number at home.
Use prepaid or stored-value travel cards. Using prepaid cards
allows you to plan your travel expenses and put the amount you plan to
use on the card. If stolen, thieves can't access your account and the
issuers replace your money. Keep issuers' phone numbers in a safe yet
accessible place.
Take an extra credit card for emergencies -- in case your
main card gets lost or stolen. Large charges or non-local transactions
can cause your account to close temporarily for fraud detection until
you verify the charges are legitimate. Notify issuers there maybe
heightened card activity in your destination cities before you travel.
Keep track of your receipts. Never leave receipts from ATM
machines, credit card purchases or gas stations.
Remain alert. High traffic areas, such as airports, train
stations and theme parks are busy venues that attract thieves. Keep
cash and credit cards in a travel pouch inside your clothes.
Safeguard rental agreements. Never keep this information in
the car, since it contains personal information that thieves can use.
Lock your laptop. If you are traveling with your laptop, store
it in a safe place. This makes it harder for thieves to steal or hack
into personal financial information you have stored.
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Get Out of Town on Fewer Miles, United -- Taking a weekend jaunt is
easier for United Mileage Plus members through Dec. 31, 2005. During
this time, you will need up to 40 percent fewer miles to get an economy
frequent flyer award ticket on nonstop flights no more than 750 air
miles each way, booked online. No stopovers are permitted.
Only 15,000 redeemable miles gets you a roundtrip Saver
Award ticket in United economy, which normally requires 25,000 miles.
Flying first- or business-class is 30,000 miles which normally requires
40,000 miles. The offer applies to qualifying travel within the 48
contiguous states and between the U.S. and Canada.
Qualifying sample flights to and from United's hub cities
include travel between: Chicago and New York; Washington, D.C., and
Toronto; Denver and Las Vegas; Dallas and Phoenix; Los Angeles, Las
Vegas or Reno, and Phoenix; San Francisco and Los Angeles, Salt Lake
City, or Seattle; and Washington, D.C. to New York, Philadelphia, or
Boston.
United Airlines http://united.com/reducedawards .
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Shorter Flights for Fewer Miles, American -- American Airlines makes it
easier to take to the skies when booking your award trip. With
short-hop MileSAAver(SM) awards, you can fly roundtrip on nonstop
routes under 750 air miles one way within the continental United States
and Canada for a reduced number of AAdvantage miles when booking award
travel online.
Economy Class roundtrip awards are available for 15,000
miles, a 10,000-mile savings.
First- or business-class roundtrip awards are available for 30,000
miles, a savings of 15,000 miles. Short-hop MileSAAver awards are
available for travel through Feb. 28, 2006. Awards are valid for
nonstop short-hop flights operated by American Airlines, American Eagle
or AmericanConnection carriers.
American Airlines http://www.aa.com/shorthops .
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Protect Luggage with Baggage Guard Seals -- The pre-numbered, one-time
use plastic padlocks are the perfect way to protect your luggage since
they cannot be reinstalled once removed. That feature lets you
instantly know if someone tampered with your luggage. Yet when TSAs at
airports need to inspect your luggage, Baggage Guard Seals can be
easily removed. A package of 10 Baggage Guard Seals is still only
$9.95.
Click Here to Order
http://www.onthegopublishing.com/products.shtml#seals
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7 Nights for the Price of 3 at Club Med -- Club Med offers value this
fall. For a limited time, you can head to one of eight Club Med
villages in The Bahamas, the Caribbean, Mexico, United States, or
French Polynesia and stay seven nights for the price of three.
This promotion is available for select travel dates Sep. 3
through Dec. 16, 2005. This offer applies exclusively to seven-night,
Total All-inclusive Vacations. Prices are per person, double occupancy
in a minimum category room, based on three-night peak rates. Adult
prices apply to guests 16 and older. Seven-day weekend rates are
combinable with American Airlines and US Air fall sale promotional
airfares. Reservations must be paid in full at time of booking
confirmation and are completely non-refundable once confirmed. A
seven-night minimum stay is required.
Seven-day per person weekend rates, which do not include
airfare, are as follows: Ixtapa, Mexico $630 (Nov. 5 to Dec. 16, 2005);
Caravelle, Guadeloupe $630; Sandpiper, Florida $690;
Punta Cana, Dominican Republic $690; Cancun, Mexico $720 (must be 18 or
older); Bora Bora, French Polynesia $765; Turkoise, Turks & Caicos $810
(must be 18 or older); and Columbus Isle, Bahamas $840.
This offer is subject to capacity control and may increase at
any time. Holiday blackouts may apply. Club Med Membership fees of $55
per adult and $25 per child are additional.
Club Med http://www.clubmed.com or 800/258-2633.
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Fall Savings to France -- 1800 Fly Europe offers savings to France this
fall. Airfare from New York starts at $320 roundtrip. Once in Paris,
there are many hotel options to choose from. In addition, 1 800 Fly
Europe offers a selection of packages including air and rental cars,
from $384 for air and a three-day car rental. Travelers can enjoy the
French countryside, including the Loire Valley or the beaches of
Normandy. A seven-day rental is only $30 more per person.
Travel is valid for departures Sep. 1 to Oct. 31, 2005.
Prices are based on midweek departures and two people traveling
together. Weekend surcharges apply. Car rental is based on an economy
car with manual transmission.. These offers are available from more
than 50 cities in the U.S.
1800 Fly Europe 1800FlyEurope.com or 800/359-3876.
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Kids, Teens Learn to Sail Fr,ee -- Offshore Sailing School's Florida
summer getaway attracts families looking for a learning vacation. Kids
ages 11 to 17 get fr,ee tuition through Sep. 30, 2005, when accompanied
by a paying adult at any Florida location. "Essentially, this is a
two-for-one deal," explains Doris Colgate, CEO and president of
Offshore Sailing School.
Cruising courses are also applicable. Family members who
wish to be certified gain U.S. SAILING certification at the Basic
Keelboat level during the Learn to Sail course, and at the Basic
Cruising and Bareboat Cruising levels during the cruising courses. All
Offshore instructors are U.S. SAILING certified.
Packages which include tuition, accommodations and
applicable taxes are available for all three Florida locations.
Accommodations include: the Pink Shell Beach Resort & Spa on Ft. Myers
Beach; Hawk's Cay Resort on Duck Key, midway between Key Largo and Key
West; and the Mansion House B&B in the heart of St. Petersburg. There
is no charge for kids under 16 sharing a room with parents.
Offshore Sailing School http://www.offshore-sailing.com
or 800/221-4326.
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Cheap Tix Chart -- Buy Tickets at a Discount -- Special ticket outlets
sell discounted day-of-performance tickets to theater productions,
films, and sporting events. Discounts can be 50 percent or more. On The
Go Publishing's Cheap Tix Chart, still only $14, lists outlets in the
U.S. and eight foreign cities that sell discounted, day-of-performance
tickets.
Click here to order
http://www.onthegopublishing.com/products.shtml#tix
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Picasso Prague Package $399 -- Picasso Tours offers a value package to
Prague, the Czech Republic capital, from $399 per person double
occupancy. This package, priced$100 less than comparable offerings, is
for travel Nov. 1, 2005 through Mar. 31, 2006, except Dec. 15, 2005
through Jan. 2, 2006, when rates are higher.
This non-refundable package includes roundtrip airfare to
Prague from New York or Newark, four nights' accommodations with
additional night stays and upgrades available, daily breakfast and all
local taxes and service charges. Airport transfers at $20 per person
and sightseeing tours at $30 per person are optional.
Prices from other U.S. gateways includes: $449 from Boston
and Philadelphia; $499 from Baltimore, Pittsburgh and Washington, DC;
$599 from Atlanta, Chicago, Fort Lauderdale, Indianapolis, Miami, New
Orleans, Orlando, Raleigh/Durham and Tampa; $649 from Dallas/Ft. Worth,
Denver, Detroit, Houston, Los Angeles, Minneapolis/St. Paul and San
Francisco and $749 from Phoenix, Portland and Seattle.
Picasso Tours http://www.picassotours.com or 800/995-7997.
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Surprising Sao Paulo -- photos and article by Nicki Chodnoff
Marlene Dietrich, the famous actress of the 1930s and 1940s
said it succinctly, "Rio is a beauty. But Sao Paulo, Sao Paulo is a
city."
Dietrich was right. Sao Paulo is indeed a city and can be
intimidating for first time visitors. Home to nearly 20 million people,
Sao Paulo is the planet's fourth largest megalopolis, its sprawling
east/west axis spanning a full 50 miles.
There's no way to pretty it up. As any big city, Sao Paulo
is an incubator for pollution, crime, and poverty. Traffic easily
becomes grid-locked and four million cars spew pollution into the air.
There is only about 13 feet of vegetation per inhabitant, three times
less than recommended by the United Nations. More than half the
families in Sao Paulo survive on less than $150 per month, crammed in
favelas, shantytowns on the outskirts of the urban sprawl.
But that's not to say Sao Paulo, Brazil's center of
commerce and the largest city in South America, can't be enjoyed. In
this age of packaged, plastic tours, unlikely destinations can be the
most interesting. Part of Sao Paulo's appeal is that so few people
consider it a destination so it's an ideal place to escape the
tourist trail. It's also a place to see how real Brazilians live.
Sao Paulo doesn't focus on tourism. Many points of interest
are not listed in guide books or promoted by tourism agencies. This
information can quickly be had by turning to Paulistanos, as the locals
are called. I turned to Michael Gonsalves, manager of the newly opened
Sonesta Sao Paulo Ibirapuera where I stayed. Located in the Moema
District, a fashionable business and residential area with shops,
boutiques, cafés and entertainment, the hotel proved well located:
close to points of interest so you don't spend all of your time
commuting. Michael and his staff were experts in unearthing the best
their city offers. They gladly share this information with any guest
interested in the city they call "Sampa".
Peel away Sao Paulo's cement and asphalt, and a rich plateau
of fertile earth would be exposed. This topography attracted the
Portuguese in the early 16th century, who started a small permanent
camp. Jesuit priests followed, journeying inland from Portugal's first
coastal settlement near the modern port city of Santos. These
missionaries founded a school on January 25, 1554, Saint Paul's Day.
It is this date that residents commemorate as the Aniversário de São
Paulo and how the city got its name.
For the next 300 years, Sao Paulo dos Campos de Piratininga,
as the settlement was known, remained an outpost leading into Brazil's
uncharted interior. With 1,500 inhabitants and no access to the sea,
the Portuguese Crown considered the fledgling village unimportant. When
Brazil gained its independence in 1822, Sao Paulo's population had
grown to 25,000. The shift from rural to industrial began in the late
1860s, when the railway linked Sao Paulo to the coastal port of Santos.
With transportation in place, and large coffee plantations nearby, the
region's economy began to boom. Coffee required labor and foreign
workers poured in from Spain, Portugal, Italy and Japan. By 1920, Sao
Paulo was Brazil's second largest city.
The coffee boom subsided in the 1920's, but Sao Paulo's
momentum didn't. Many immigrants became industrialists and investors.
During the 1950s, heavy industry was promoted with car factories, steel
plants, hydro power plants and roads. Rising foreign debt stagnated the
economy. Yet workers still poured in from the northeastern coast,
increasing overpopulation and economic hard times to generate the
poverty, crime and pollution that plague Sao Paulo today.
"Sao Paulo works so that the rest of Brazil can play," said
Gonsalves, quoting the popular Paulistano saying. But when the day's
work is over, the residents of this city of trade and industry like to
play as hard as they work.
Sao Paulo has its attractions. The city has long surpassed
Rio as Brazil's cultural center and is home to a lively music and arts
world. The city's food is excellent and varied, thanks to immigrants
from so many parts of the world.
My first taste of Sao Paulo, literally and figuratively, was
Casa da Fazenda, a restaurant in a former coffee plantation in the
ritzy Morumbi district. The restaurant, in a restored house surrounded
by gardens, the plantation's slaves' quarter and chapel, gives you
a feel how the elite lived. It's good advice to eat where the locals
do. Casa da Fazenda's Sunday buffet attracts families to dine on
national and regional dishes on the coveted veranda or inside the
dinning room. After your meal, there are crafts for sale in a small
artisans' shop and paintings displayed in the foyer. Casa da Fazenda
revealed some of Brazil's delights. That's where I first tried
guarana, a local soft drink that tastes like an apple juice-ginger ale
blend and caipirinhas, a cane rum with sugar and lime drink that's
thought of as the national beverage.
To see what the city looked like in its colonial glory,
start at Praca da Se square with its recently restored gothic
Metropolitan Cathedral and the Patio de Colegio, where the original
Jesuit mission landed in 1554. The cathedral took 40 years and 800 tons
of Italian marble to build its stained glass, statues and majestic
pillars. Palm trees enclose a flagstone-covered courtyard at the heart
of Praca da Se with a sundial at its center. This is the nucleus from
which Sao Paulo grew. In this gathering spot, people stroll, sit or
stop and listen to the ever-present street preachers.
The nearby Pátio de Colegio complex sits on the original
Jesuit mission site. An accurate reproduction of the original, simple
Anchieta Chapel was built in 1896. Next to the chapel, the Museu Padre
Anchieta holds a substantial collection of ancient maps and important
documents. Limited displays include clothing from the founding Jesuit
priests.
Around the corner from the Pátio do Colégio is the
Solar de Marquesa de Santos, the 18th-century manor house of an
important Paulistana noblewoman rumored to be the king's lover. The
Solar is also home to the small City Museum with fascinating
photographs of Sao Paulo before and after it spread nearly everywhere.
Life in Sao Paulo is vertical. The best view is atop the
Banespa Tower. Started in 1939 and completed in 1947, it was the
highest building in South America for many years. An elevator brings
you to the 32nd floor. Your own foot power gets you to the 35th-floor
observation deck. Here's your incredible view, a 360 degree concrete
jungle of high-rise apartment and office buildings, filling every inch
of land for as far as the eye can see. Weekdays, you'll likely have the
observation deck to yourself. The only other people there were from
Iowa visiting their son, who recently was transferred to Sao Paulo.
"Sao Paulo is the business engine that runs South America,"
Gonsalves kept saying. So it seemed natural to go to the Centro
downtown district, the financial and cultural center that's still home
to the stock exchange and many banks. Urban renewal around Praça da
Sé is breathing more life into the historic financial district. Like
the New York Stock Exchange, the Brazilian stock exchange or Bolsa
Abera, the largest in Latin America, allows visitors to watch the
action. Don't expect yelling, gesturing or frenzied people in the
pit. Odon do Valc, a private investor, satisfied my curiosity on why it
was so quiet here. "It's all computerized," do Valc said. From a
glassed-in second level gallery, traders and visitors observe as shares
are bought and sold watching transactions on the electronic ticker. In
a mini economics lesson, Do Valc expressed confidence and growth in the
Brazilian economy. In the past year his favorite stocks of Petrobras,
the Brazilian oil company, and Vale do Rio Doce, a mining stock, have
increased 860% and 600% respectively.
Ibirapuera Park is to Sao Paulo what Central Park is to
New York. Inaugurated in 1954 to celebrate the city's 400th birthday,
it was designed by architect Oscar Niemeyer and landscape designer
Burle Marx. "Ibira puera means rotten wood in the local Indian
dialect," said Rosana Ribeiro, our guide. "This was all swamp land
and eucalyptus trees from Australia were planted to drain the water."
This was quite a feat as the park covers an area of almost two million
square yards. Its facilities are open to the public and include the
Modern Art and Contemporary Art museums along with the planetarium and
the Japanese Pavilion. It is also home to many of the city's best known
monuments, such as the 234-foot-high obelisk honoring the heroes of
Brazil's 1932 Civil War. There are sports grounds, a jogging track, a
children's playground, a restaurant and a snack bar. There's even
free internet access, housed in empty buses. Every two years a huge
exhibition hall on the edge of Ibirapuera Park is transformed into the
largest visual arts exhibition in Latin America. Most countries sponsor
work by one or more of their best artists; curators choose selected
others. Called the Sao Paulo Bienal, the event takes place in September
and October of even-numbered years.
Museu de Arte de Sao Paulo or MASP, is considered one of
the most important art museums in Latin America. Opened in 1958, it
contains works mainly by European artists from the 13th century up to
the present. Among the most significant works are paintings by
Rembrandt, Goya, Matisse, Van Gogh, Modigliani, Renoir, Tintoretto,
Botticelli, Manet, Monet, Dali and Picasso. Among the sculptures are a
rare Renoir and works by Degas and Rodin. The museum also has an
auditorium, movie theater and restaurant. Sundays, the courtyard space
beneath the MASP building, on Avenida Paulista, is the scene of an
antiques fair. Dealers are registered, and the quality of the wares is
often good.
North of Praça da Sé, the Mercado Municipal is an
imposing neo-Gothic hall built in 1933. This elegant building houses
300-plus stalls that sell an enormous variety of Brazilian and imported
fruits, vegetables, cheeses, spices and other foods to the 20,000 or so
daily customers. I sampled achai charu, a fruit from Recife that tastes
like litchi and mangostin from the Amazon, a fruit that looks like
cloves of garlic but is sweet and juicy. The hall is noted for its huge
stained-glass windows depicting scenes of coffee growing and cattle
ranching. On the second level, you'll find a food court with small
luncheonettes. One of the most popular dishes is Pastel de Bacalhau,
dried salted cod fish with potatoes, along with feijoada or black bean
stew that's considered the national dish and Mortadella sandwiches.
Imagine walking down the streets of Japan without leaving
São Paulo. You only need go to Liberdade district, Sao Paulo's
Japanese town in the heart of the city. In the early 20th century
thousands of Japanese arrived to work in the coffee plantations and
soon established Liberdade, meaning liberty in Portuguese. It is now
home to some 600,000 Japanese descendants, considered the world's
largest Japanese community outside of Japan. Some claim Liberdade is
more Japanese than excessively Westernized Tokyo. The district's main
street, Rua Galvão Bueno, is adorned with red Oriental arches. Store
fronts advertise herbal cures and classes in meditation. Even the
McDonald's sign is spelled out in Japanese characters.
Liberdade is also famous for its annual festivals. On the
evening of Dec. 31, the streets fill to commemorate the New Year in
true Oriental fashion. In April, traditionally dressed children carry
statues of the Buddha, in honor of his birth. The largest celebration
is in July, when more than 100,000 people gather for Tanabata Matsuri,
a folklore event known as the Festival of the Stars. Travelers visiting
São Paulo outside of these times have an alternative. Every Sunday, an
Oriental street fair is held in the Liberdade Square.
A little further afield, you can briefly escape frenetic
Sao Paulo and wander the cobblestoned streets of the village of Embu,
16 miles away. Portuguese Jesuits founded this colonial town of Baroque
churches and whitewashed houses in 1554. Today, Embu, also called Embú
das Artes, is a retreat for urban artists. Paulistanos in search of
handmade objets d'art and antiques make the hour-plus trip for the
weekend market. Consisting of a square and three parallel cobblestone
streets, you can browse the stones, wood carvings, paintings and woven
crafts created by the artisans. On the square, artists actively carve
or paint and there is plenty of food.
Given Sao Paulo's size, it's not surprising to learn
there are roughly 30,000 restaurants and you're sure to find one open
at 3 a.m. With so many Italian immigrants, it's no wonder Paulinistas
developed a passion for pizza. There are an amazing 5,000 plus pizza
parlors in the city. Sunday is go out for pizza night. Families flocked
to Pizza Braz, in the Moema district. One of the oldest pizza parlors
in Sao Paulo, dating from the 1920s, the restaurant reminded me of the
mom-and-pop Italian restaurants I knew so well as a child in South
Philadelphia: White tile walls, waiters with white flowing aprons and
brick ovens. All that was missing was Mario Lanza singing.
Elbow-to-elbow diners devour Pizza Braz's delicious pizzas in this
distinct and homey atmosphere. Before the evening was over, there were
long waiting lines.
A good friend of mine always said, "Rich or poor, it's
nice to have money." That's especially true in Sao Paulo, where a
privileged few reap the rewards of Sao Paulo's enormous financial and
industrial wealth. So it is no surprise that Sao Paulo is home to a
spectacular restaurant: Figueira Rubaiyat. Near swank Paulista Avenue,
it appears as if you dine al fresco beneath the limbs of a huge fig
tree (figueira). The reality is you dine under a Plexiglas roof,
sheltered from the heat, cold and rain. A place to see and be seen,
it's no wonder that an open kitchen is part of this theatrical
setting. Service is attentive, swarms of waiters anticipate your dining
needs. Fortunately, for visitors spending dollars, you can indulge in
posh food and superlative service for little more than the tab at Olive
Garden. Here's a chance to see how the other half lives.
To feel more like a Paulistano, discover the famous
Brazilian soft drink, guaraná. A berry from the rainforest in northern
Brazil, the guaraná plant (pronounced gwa-ra-naa) is a woody vine that
can reach 30 feet and snakes up trees. The soft drink has a distinctive
taste and even comes in a lite, low-cal version. Many describe it as
fruity, but not too sweet. To me, it tastes like a blend of apple juice
and ginger ale.
Chances are shortly after you arrive in Brazil, you'll
encounter a caipirinha, the Brazilian national drink. Caipirinhas
(pronounced ky-pee-reen-ya) are everywhere, on the beach, in exclusive
hotels or at a local bar. The bartender at Tabu, the notable restaurant
in the Sonesta Sao Paulo Ibirapuera made a wonderful caipirinhas. Be
warned these drinks pack a punch. They go down easy. Caipirinhas are
made with a sugar cane rum called Cachaça, sugar, lime and ice.
To replicate caipirinhas back home, you can pick up a
bottle of cachaça at any supermarket from R$4 and up, which translates
to about $1. Outside of Brazil that same bottle of cachaca may set you
back $20 or more.
For more information, contact Sonesta Sao Paulo Ibirapuera
http://www.sonesta.com/saopaulo/ or the government of the State of Sao
Paulo http://www.saopaulo.sp.gov.br/ingles/
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