Oiiiiiiiii Brasil!! Means ‘Hello’ in Brazilian Portuguese for those who didn’t know.

So here we finally are. Flying across the Colombian border from the stopover of Panama yet again. I was going to be flying directly from Panama into São Paulo but didn’t take into account just how big Panama airport actually was in general. Yes I had been here before but it was a much easier process previously. My boarding gate was a fair way away from where I had just come into from Bogota but I made the flight safely within enough time to board and get on my plane without any problems.

I met a lovely red haired lady on the plane who I was sat next to and we got speaking eventually about where we were both off to. It just so happened her address wasn’t far from where I would be staying which I found rather remarkable and hard to believe. Obviously she knew the area very well and gave me an in depth description of what I needed to prepare myself for upon my arrival into Brazil for the first time. São Paulo is going through an incredibly tough time at the moment and there is a lot of riot protesting activity continuing constantly due to a high number of unemployment and corruption within the government. Particularly revolving around the revenue invested for the stadium ‘La Maracana’ in Rio De Janeiro built for the Olympic Games next year. This stadium is certainly something I intend on witnessing for myself and going to but I know it’s came at a hefty cost to the nation itself. The crime rate is once again something I am going to have to endure all over again but there was no way I am going to let that come between me and another amazing country that I also have a bit of a thing for!

Accommodation I decided back in Bogota that would suit me best here is a return into something I hadn’t done since back in Quebec City. AirBnB. I came across various places that looked pretty tempting to stay in within São Paulo but one of them stood out from the rest. Yes, it was ridiculously cheap and I would be sleeping on a sofa bed for around five days but something just clicked with this place. It was smack bang in the middle of the city, near Palmeiras stadium and easy access into Corinthians stadium as well! If I am watching football then I’ve come to the right city first!

The property was owned by a couple who were looking to rent out their sofa bed fifteen stories high in a fairly new building layout. What I maybe should should of took into context was neither of them spoke any English at all and my Brazilian Português is just as bad! How on earth am I going to make this work I ask myself!? With my translator of course! This is going to be fun!

After arriving in a little later then expected I presumed I would be with yet more delays with security and baggage checks etc but it seemed here in Brasil or Brazil whichever you prefer to call it there was very little that the immigration authorities seemed to be too fussed about. This was by far one of the easiest countries I have been allowed into so far!

I arranged in advance with the host to come in a taxi to collect me from the airport as I had no idea where I was going. I got given the fare price up front so it was time to swap my hundreds and thousands of Colombian Pesos for some Brazilian Real! I had a lot of difficulty withdrawing cash from the ATM in the airport so I tried various others and none seemed to be working! Breathe William breathe! Luckily one of them did and I finally ended up getting my first look of my last South American currency I will probably ever see for a very long time, possibly forever who knows!? Never say never though.

My host tried their hardest to keep the taxi driver at ease who had obviously became increasingly agitated about the delays with my flight arrival as he was not allowed to park up anywhere near the arrivals parking area and this lead to a small bit of unwanted confrontation between them and the driver solely. The cabbie insisted I had to pay extra because of the inconvenience caused and I used this as a chance to use my bartering skills I picked up along the way. I basically made him aware I had just arrived in a country I have been passionate about seeing for a very long time and that the simple fact I had been on a ten hour flight altogether to get here and also suffering from slight jet lag from the time difference that went with it! Eventually persistence paid off and I only had to end up paying a little extra for the fare to take us all back to the apartment I am going to be living at for the next week. What a way to bring an end to a very long day!

Google translator was working wonders between us all and discussions had taken place previously of what we were going to do during my time spent here. I knew what with this being my second from last stop I need to go all out guns blazing and get in as much as I could. The apartment was very nice and had incredible views from the window of the city itself. Apparently on match days you can hear the noise from the Palmeiras stadium! Looking down on to the main roads I can see kids playing tic tac foozball in the streets, cyclists and a lot of people on roller skates/skateboards. This is at 01:30am in the morning I will have you all know! Think it’s time I hit the hay! Here’s a few shots of my view out the window at night and a few from round where I am based the next day.

After a lovely sleep I felt a lot more recharged and needed to get the bear essentials sorted of my phone sim, getting a feel of where I was staying, the area, trains, buses and most importantly where not to go at dark. The host couple thought it be a good idea they got in somebody who could translate a bit better over to them what it was that I was looking for with regards to tickets to watch a footie game here. Their best friend from Argentina could speak Português and English and she played a pivotal part in my stay! There was a game on with local side São Paulo FC vs Atletico Mineiro at the Estadio do Morumbi and I was making it an absolute must that I needed tickets to go see this fixture! They assumed we might be able to get tickets for it from purchasing at a different stadium at the Allianz Parque (Palmeiras stadium) just down the road. Surely not? That sadly ended up proving to be the case. The only way I’d be able to see this game was by going to the Morumbi itself and buying outright.

There was a cab waiting by the stadium and I seized the opportunity to jump in telling the couple to write down their address so I knew where to head back to after. This kinda thing I had done so much so far on this trip I guess I have just got so used to using taxis that I didn’t even think twice anymore in wasting time. They seemed a little nervous at my free spirit attitude but agreed to pass over their direct number and address in case of emergencies. The game kicked off in hour and halfs time and we were a half hour trip from getting to the stadium altogether. Vamos Mr.Taxi driver!!

Finally I’m going to experience my first taste of Brazilian football! We arrived with plenty of time before K.O. and this gave me some time to get some photos of the stadium itself and get to have a little walk around where I was. I hadn’t a foggiest how safe the area was or where I was exactly, all I could see infront of me was the huge Estadio do Morumbi. Probably best I get a ticket first! Would you believe it, 45 Brazilian Real for a ticket practically seating anywhere in the stadium! That works out about £12! Just shows you how over priced things are back home! Once purchased I thought might be a good idea to buy a local jersey also! There are guys everywhere selling fake kits and this is like every football fans paradise if your into kit collecting! It did make me laugh though how sheepish they got when local policia went past ha! I found one guy selling shirts which looked as good as the current kit, long sleeved also. It was a dam good fake as he let me inspect it fully, even looked quite real with fact it had on it what looked like the actual kit designer on it as well. It was a no brainer for me. I bartered, got the price down and bought it there and then. Bring it on Minerio!

I had the stadium to myself it looked like at first and chose to sit in a seat central to the pitch, seat 21 of course obviously! I won’t go into too much detail about the game but what I will say was the stadium was absolutely huge but was only half full by kick off. Where is everybody!? Midweek games don’t attract much revenue or interest for club sides I am gathering! Ten minutes into the game the heavens opened and it starts to hammer it down! There are no roof covers in the top tier so me and everybody else were getting drenched! No where to go and hide for cover without missing some of the action so I held firm hoping it would just be a shower. Thunder and lightning very very frightening indeed! I hid my phone and charger down my pants as it seemed as the only dry place there could be so it wouldn’t get wet ! Once it got to halftime the rain seemed to cool off a little bit. 0-0 and a bit of dire game so far to be honest. Best thing I saw that half was a moth the size of a snooker ball land on some guy infront of my t-shirt! They sold Brazilian beer ‘Brahma’ at the ground itself served by staff who bring it right to your seat from afar. I bought a couple bottles to see me through and get me geared up for the second half.

Second half kicks off and all the skills are coming out now. Before I even see it coming though… GOOOOOLLLLLLL!! Atletico take the lead! The small minority of fans they had brought along sure made enough noise and racket between them for the rest of us to hear. Fair play to them! I didn’t even see it coming! Sort it out São Paulo! Goal scored by Luan. Straight after back come the home side and they break down the left shortly after, ball comes in at a fast pace and bang there’s Alan Kardec with the equaliser! GOOOOOOOOLLLLLLL! The place is rocking! Talk about crowd frenzy. Game on! Ten minutes fly by and once again another goal goes in to…Minerio! Set piece whipped in and simple header for one of their centre backs named Datalo. It’s all going off now! Are São Paulo falling apart infront of me before my very own eyes? Now it’s starting to rain again and this actually plays into the home sides favour. The ball is fizzing about the halo turf and it’s time for an inspired substitution. On comes Rogerio… A name I had heard of before. Off came the rather well known Alexandro Pato who had a shocker to be fair! Rogerio is full of tricks, getting everybody out of their seats and all over the Minerio full back. How did this guy not start? GOOOOOOOOOOOLLLLLLLLLLL!! Rogerio involved with a wonderful ball over the top that found Thiago Mendes who played a through ball for Michel Bastos to thump home! The Morumbi erupts! 2-2 and São Paulo back on top with twenty minutes to go for a winner!

This Rogerio is some player I must say. Obviously a fan favourite with his own song being sung by the excited crowd. Since the moment he came on he has simply changed the game and turned it on its head. Once again he breaks through in on goal and squares it back to earlier goal scorer Alan Kardec and it’s a simple tap in from from five yards. GOL GOL GOL GOL GOOOLLLL! That moment that goal went in I kid you not if their was a roof within that stadium it would of pinged off with the noise that went in and around the ground after that goal hit back of net! 3-2 São Paulo! I’m joining in on all the songs they are singing and bouncing up and down like a fanatical supporter! Is there more to come? You betcha! There are five minutes to go and Rogerio breaks through the defence and is bundled down in the box and the whole stadium cries out what I imagine could only mean… PENALTY!! Clear foul and the ref gives it! I pull out my phone and filmed the whole spot kick so I could share with you all just exactly what went down at that moment. Hit like the thunderbolt of lightning I witnessed in the sky earlier on and straight down the middle by the also rather well known Luis Fabiano! Cue Euphoria!! The game couldn’t of ended in a better way and that is all she wrote! 4-2 final score! What a night and my next objective is to get a taxi outside from somewhere and get myself back to my lovely sofa bed ASAP safely!

What a win and what a great way to see my first ever game in Brazilian club football! It was everything I could of ever wished for! That was something special indeed.

See you all for Part 2!