Uberlândia: Humidity, Street Art, and a Whole Lot of 'What Was That?'
okay, so i just landed in Uberlândia, Brazil. honestly? didn't even know this place existed until, like, a week ago. a friend of a friend needed someone to cover a small gig with a local band - drums, obviously - and i figured, why not? it’s a change of scenery from endless tour vans and sticky club floors.
first impressions? it’s…warm. like, really warm. i just checked and it’s hovering around twenty-one degrees, but it feels like it’s trying to melt your face off. the humidity is a solid seventy-three percent, which means my hair has officially declared independence. the air pressure is kinda normal, i guess, which is a relief. i was bracing for atmospheric weirdness.
spent the afternoon wandering around, trying to get my bearings. the *streets are surprisingly full of street art - not the polished, gallery kind, but raw, vibrant stuff. lots of political commentary, some really cool abstract pieces, and a surprising amount of cartoon cats. i’m digging it. found a little cafe near the praça (i’m trying to learn some Portuguese, it’s going…slowly) and grabbed a pão de queijo. seriously, these cheese breads are life-changing.
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i overheard someone at the cafe saying that the best feijoada in town is at a place called ‘Casa da Vovó’ - Grandma’s House. apparently, it’s a bit of a trek, but worth it. they also warned me to watch out for the mosquitos after dark. “They’ll carry you away,” the guy said, completely deadpan.
my hotel is…functional. let’s just say it’s seen better days. but the owner is super friendly, and he gave me a list of “must-see” things, which mostly involved different types of pastel (fried pastries). i’m not complaining.
apparently, if you get bored, Belo Horizonte and São Paulo are just a short bus ride away. which is good to know, but honestly, i’m kinda fascinated by Uberlândia itself. it’s got this…unpolished energy. it feels real, you know? not like a place that’s trying too hard to impress tourists.
someone told me that the nightlife around Avenida Rondon Pacheco is pretty lively, but also kinda sketchy. “Just keep your wits about you,” they said, with a knowing wink. i also saw a review on Yelp about a bar called ‘Boteco do Zé’ that apparently has live samba music every Friday. that’s definitely on my list.
i’m playing with the band tomorrow night at a place called ‘Garage Rock Bar’ - i found it on TripAdvisor. it’s supposed to be a pretty small venue, but the band says it gets packed. i’m hoping they have earplugs.
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a local musician warned me about the Uberlândia traffic. “It’s…aggressive,” he said. “People don’t believe in lane markings.”
i’m still trying to figure out the whole tipping situation here. i read something on a Brazilian expat forum that said 10% is standard, but it’s not always expected. it’s all very confusing.
honestly, i have no idea what to expect from this trip. but that’s kinda the point, right? sometimes the best adventures are the ones you don’t plan. i’ll keep you posted. and if anyone has any recommendations for good pastel* places, please let me know. my stomach will thank you. check out this local tourism site for more info.
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