Ep 101 - São Paulo: Don’t Sleep

Ernest returns to São Paulo—a place he once called home for several years—to revisit his old stomping grounds in Brazil’s biggest city. The day starts with Ernest’s short but spunky tour guide and personal friend Flavia Liz di Paolo. Together they roam the streets admiring the city’s mixed architectural styles, including the Altino Arantes Building, which took much of its inspiration from the Empire State Building. Along the way, both Flavia Liz and Ernest tell the history of how Brazil has become such a melting pot of different cultures. 

They also explore Beco do Batman—Batman’s Alley—with some of São Paulo’s highest concentration of impressive street art and even meet a mini Batman live and in person. Then they’re off to Amma Chocolate, Flavia Liz’s favorite shop, where she happily force feeds Ernest some rich Brazilian chocolate before superstar DJ Paulo Pacheco joins them for the fun. The tremendous trio then grab lunch with Fabbio Guia at his restaurant, Laundry Deluxe, which doubles as a laundromat and art gallery. 

As night falls, it’s time to work off all those calories, so Pacheco takes Ernest to a samba school rehearsal to do a bit of dancing. At the rehearsal, we see twirling dancers, the drum line, coordinated movements and, of course, the rapid footwork that samba is known for. This moment is the crowning jewel of what makes São Paulo—and Brazil in general—so vibrant.