Anyone know much about it?

Safe?
Good hotels or locations to look for hotels?
Dining suggestions?
Stuff to do if stuck there over a weekend?

Paperclip market is going through the roof in Brazil right now. 🙂

To quote my Brazilian friends aunt, driving is a pain and it isn’t anywhere near as safe as the UK.

Interpret how you will.

Last employer sent a customer rep there, he got a taxi from the airport, was found on the central reservation in only his undercrackers.

Enjoy.

You’ll be wanting an espadrille or an open toed sandal.

Socks optional.

I’ve worked there a few of times, on one occasion one of the people working on our stand and a carpet fitter working on another had mopeds pull alongside their cabs and guns pointed at their heads as they were relieved of their money.
My client was the victim of an attack outside a club after been taken outside by an obliging lady he’d met in there. He’s an ex bouncer and boxer and the assailant he reckons must have lost a tooth or two judging by the cuts on his hand. Stupid to fight back but he’d had rather too much to drink to make sensible decisions.
When i needed to leave the exhibition hall late at night the guards wouldn’t let me even go outside until a cab was waiting at the door. A colleague who had to work till the early hours had to just sleep on the floor.
We had a great night out with our local staff one of whom high on drink and coke drove us back to the hotel at 3 in the morning explaining that we wouldn’t actually be stopping at any red lights as that was very inadvisable at such a time of day. We got back to the Grand Hyatt and had his totally wrecked and rusty little red Fiat valet parked which was amusing. He came in with us knocked back another beer then took one for the drive to the airport as he was picking a friend up. He was a studying law which is an interesting concept in Brazil.
A friend who works for Amex told me they actually have accommodation at their building for those visiting staff who don’t want to risk travelling between the office and an hotel. You’ll also notice a lot of helicopters favoured by those who want to avoid the traffic and don’t fancy being kidnapped. Many of the hotels have their own helipads.

Would I go back? Certainly, in many ways I preferred it to Rio. Cape Town is the only place I’ve been to equal it for great food everywhere you go and as A vegetarian I had some of the best food I’ve eaten when with my colleagues eating at the barbeque places. All the people we worked with were great and I wandered around the streets near the hotel without any hassle or worries.

Lived there for 3 years.

It’s awesome.

On Sundays they close a lot of the roads to traffic and turn the city into a big cycling/running track. It’s amazing to see.

Stay in Jardins rather than downtown.

I’ll see if I can dig out The List

I enjoyed spending time in SP for work.

I felt as safe as I’d feel in any big city, but as always, you need to pay attention. I happily went out running each morning around Ibirapuera Park from staying at the Blue Tree Faria Lima hotel.

BBQ restaurants are awesome, as is the pizza, and caipirinhas.

The Municipal Market is worth a visit, and have a mortadella sandwich.