sao paulo's subway at 3am and why i hate it (maybe)

i should’ve taken a nap before this.

the metro is this wild thing. you climb in at 3:17am with a half-empty coffee that’s probably been tepid since noon and instantly it’s like riding a spider through a noodle factory. the air smells like plastic and existential dread. i’m sitting here now, temp at 24.27, humidity so thick it’d make a sweaty sock jealous. i just checked and it’s there right now, hope you like that kind of thing.



someone told me that the guy at stop 12 used to sell lottery tickets while dozing off. i didn’t believe them until i saw him mend a thong with a prayer last week. real quality service. i heard that if you miss the train, the local bus to copacabana will pick you up, but it’s like gambling with a drunk. and honestly, is that even a thing here anymore?



neighbours? let’s say they’re loud. not in a fun party way. more like the type of loud where they’ve been banging on pipes for 20 minutes and you’re pretty sure they’re trying to summon a demon. i once saw a kid in a tuxedo juggling frisbees through a stairwell. i don’t know if it’s a thing or if i just lost my mind. if you get bored, the beaches are just a short drive away. like, ‘why not?’ kind of drive.






why are you looking at me like that? asked a woman in a pair of flip-flops yesterday. we were standing near a graffiti wall that had a peacock doing a backflip. i told her i thought it was a mural. she said no, it’s a diary entry. i didn’t argue.



i tried to take a photo of a street artist spray-painting a samba drum on a wall but he just turned around and started doing a breakdance. there’s something about this city that makes people perform. even when they’re just trying to get by. i’m probably too far gone to care.






i also got this weird tip from a local vendor: if you ‘need’ a place to sleep, theoroville parking lot has been rumoured to have a squatter community. don’t know if it’s true. some people swear by it. others say it’s just a bunch of lost dogs. i’m leaning towards the dog theory but i’m not ruling anything out.






if you ‘need’ coffee, the place on ria sacrowitz has this amazing mocha. i heard it’s on yelp with a five-star review from a guy who sounds like he’s either lying or very into it. either way, it’s worth a shot. link: yelp.com/local-cafe. or if you ‘need’ a place to eat, the place next to the metro station on av. bonfim has this weird little spot that serves something called ‘pastel de nata with goiabada’. i don’t trust it. link: tripadvisor-food.






i’m standing here now, temp back to 24.27, waiting for the train. the air feels like it’s holding its breath. i don’t know if that’s the weather or the vibe. maybe both. i’m not sure if i’m ever leaving this. maybe i should. maybe i shouldn’t.

tags: travel sao paulo human vibe messy

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