First Day in São Paulo: A Survival Guide

🧥 Weather & Outfits | Dress Like an Onion Late July = Brazilian winter. Chilly mornings (hoodie + windbreaker needed) turn into scorching noon sun—sweat alert! 🌞❄️ Pro tip: Layer up + sunscreen. 🍖 Dining | Baptism by "Por Quilo" Tried my first kilo buffet (self-serve, pay by weight). Highlights: Juicy roast beef 🥩 (flame-kissed perfection). Most dishes saltier than the Dead Sea 💦. Cost: R$40-60 (~$8-12 USD)—not exactly cheap. 🛒 Grocery Shock | Sticker Price ≠ Home Basic haul (milk, water, apples, bread): R$75 (💸). Surprises: Milk: Cheesy aftertaste (odd but addictive). Bread: Dry as the Sahara. Apples: "Where’s the sugar?" 🍏 💳 Cashless Bliss | Plastic FTW Zero cash needed—even street vendors take Visa/Mastercard. São Paulo runs on tap-to-pay magic. 🗣 Language Barrier | "Só Português, Amigo" With my black hair + sunglasses, locals assumed I was Paulistano—until I responded with deer-in-headlights stares 🦌. Google Translate = lifeline. 🔐 Safety | Paranoid? Maybe. Unharmed? Yes. Stayed in a decent area: Saw locals casually using phones. No backpack = just a crossbody bag + pockets. Verdict: Less sketchy than Reddit warned. 🧍‍♀️ Mindset | Strangely Liberating That "outsider" feeling? It’s not fear—just hyper-awareness of being new. By sunset, I was ordering coffee like a semi-local (with 200% hand gestures). #Pullman São Paulo #São Paulo#travel guide#trip diary#brazil#Brazil guide