São Paulo

Advantages: São Paulo
Disadvantages: São Paulo

...The city of São Paulo officially became a city in 1711. In the 19th century, it experienced a lot of economic prosperity, brought about by coffee exports, which were shipped abroad from the port of the neighbouring city of Santos. It is one of the big 5 cities that exist in the world. It is the business centre of Brazil and, has many of the down sides of any big city: São Paulo is located on a plateau that is part of the Serra do Mar. Although there are no beaches in Sao Paulo there are places along the coast of Sao Paulo State. Rainfall is abundant, especially in the warmer months. One of the biggest financial centers of Brazil and the world. São Paulo is the most ethnically diverse city of Brazil....

Nazuku 06.07.2006 (26.07.2006) · Read review
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Review of São Paulo

An alphabetic tour of Sao Miguel.

Advantages: Relaxing, stunning scenery and still unspoiled!
Disadvantages: Cuisine lacking in fancy menus.

...Sâo Miguel also known as the Green Island is 65 kilometres long and 16 kilometres wide. It is the largest of the islands making up the Azores. The island is made up of several volcanic groups, the black lava fields form a dark coastline dotted with a handful of beaches, but the green hills provide some splendid scenery, and every turn (and there are many!) along the windy roads unfolds some wonderful surprises. In the east the highest point is Pico da Vara standing 1,103 metres tall, in the centre is the Sierra de Água do Pau, with a volcanic Lake called Lagoa do Fogo. In the west are the smaller volcanoes, and the highest point is about 900metres, one of the most popular places to visit called the Caldeira das Sete Cidades, where the ground still rumbles and geysers boil and streams flow with the water of hot springs. There are two...

jo145 05.10.2006 (30.01.2007) · Read review
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Review of Sao Miguel Experience

Poverty Vs Effuency

Advantages: Cheap
Disadvantages: Dirty

...Sao Paulo is a strange city. It is home to the multi million pound grand prix circus that visits Brazil once a year. Yet next to the Sao Paulo circuit's glitz and glamour lies the poverty of the shanty towns that make up the majority of the city. Here people are begging and struggling to feed their families in one of the fastest growing civilisations in the world. People often think of the Rio carnival when they talk of Brazil or the lavely beaches. People often forget the other side to Brazil. The side of disease and poverty and poor quality of living. There is a very distinct "them and us" culture developing in Brazil. You either have it or you dont....

andycharger 21.08.2000 · Read review
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Review of São Paulo

São Salvador da Baía de Todos os Santos

Advantages: Nicely restored tourist friendly old town
Disadvantages: The ladies hunt in packs

...Salvador, in the state of Bahia, north east Brazil (or São Salvador da Baía de Todos os Santos as it was named in the past) was the first colonial capital city of Brazil and, although power shifted to Rio de Janeiro in the late eighteenth century, then to Brasilia in 1960, it retains much of it's past grandeur and colonial architecture. One of the main reasons to come here, however, is the wonderful mix of cultural influences that make the cuisine, music and lifestyle here so different even to other parts of Brazil. The population of over three million, consists mainly of people with African origins descended from slaves, although there have been many other strong influences through Salvador's history. Salvador is also famous for it's carnival and street parties. The final stop on my extensive two-week tour of Brazil was to Salvador...

AndrewPo 02.10.2008 · Read review
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Review of Salvador de Bahia

A Paradise in the Atlantic Ocean!

Advantages: Beautiful setting
Disadvantages: Buffet dinner could be better

...Stepping off the plane at 21.00 hours in Ponta Delgada, on Sao Miguel in the Azores the humidity hit me. WOW. It was hot, I was tired and hadn't expected this level of humidity. Thankfully we quickly collected our cases and didn't have any passport control to queue in, as we had flown in from Lisbon. Our tour operator was waiting as we came into the arrival hall and whisked off to our destination. Twenty minutes and many bends and bumps later we turned a corner and saw a large hotel block, lit up and sparkling against the dark sky, standing beside the Atlantic ocean, with a high tree covered backdrop or should I say side drop! The long driveway through the gardens with lovely trees and flowers prepared us for the serene and calm entrance to this otherwise pink concrete block. There was a plaque saying when the hotel was opened...

jo145 13.08.2006 · Read review
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Review of Suite Hotel Bahia Palace, Sao Miguel

The city of the contrasts

Advantages: variety
Disadvantages: pickpockets

...São Paulo is one of the biggest cities of the world. Being like that, with so many people, its natural that there is more violence and robbery than in the small, quiet countryside villages. Thats´s obvious, and its a pity people who only see pollution and robberies and poverties in sao paulo. It is yes, a city of contrasts, i agree, but there are much more things to do. and you dont need to be rich to have fun in São paulo. there are restaurants for all the tastes. if you are a limited budget traveller, I wouldnt go to a mc donalds or pizza hut, there are many reastaurants all over the palce where you pay what your plate weight..you can eat loads, have a couple of drinks for about 2 pounds. the best restaurants are the italkians in bexiga, but ther are japanese, greek, french, all sorts...For the nighttime if you have money to spend, go...

mairagaluzio 02.07.2005 · Read review
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Review of São Paulo

Brazil nutters

Advantages: Another action-packed race with unpredictable results
Disadvantages: Montoyas untimely demise

...Inspired by a comment I got a while ago about me being on a par with Connoiser Haggler I have produced this from last years fun-filled, action-packed Brazilian GP from the Interlagos track in Sau Paulo in - yes you've guessed it - Brazil. What do you think? After the glamorous surroundings of Australia and Malaysia, you hit the ground quite hard in Brazil. The South American country is extremely vast but very crowded and underveloped and this shows in the F1 host Sao Paulo. The track of Interlagos is renowned for it’s bumpy surface and it’s harshness on the unfit. 2000 saw the Brazilian body fined for constant problems including an advertising hording falling down, forcing the session to be stopped 3 times. It seems the track has many problems and hasn’t a good reputation. The only way the track is kept...

Solex 08.01.2002 · Read review
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Review of Formula 1 Circuit, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Wrong way round.

Advantages: Produces great races.
Disadvantages: Rough and ready circuit.

.... Luciano Burti. Tarso Marques. The fans will travel mostly from Sao Paulo, which is about ten miles north of the track, but they may not have the facilities that are provided at most F1 tracks around the world. The track is owned by the Brazilian government and then rented by the race organisers for the duration of the race meeting. This means that often the surrounding area looks more like a building site than the location of a premier sporting event. This can also lead to a lot of dust in the air, and this combined with the movement of the huge crowd often makes the circuit very dusty at the start of the race. As well the reduction in grip for the tyres, the muck on the track can get into the engine sidepods and block the air intakes. As the circuit is at quite a high altitude the air is already thinner and the cars need all the air they...

daseaford 30.05.2001 · Read review
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Review of Formula 1 Circuit, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Its party time at Interlagos

Advantages: Great circuit
Disadvantages: wrong way around for the drivers

...Every year the Circus that is Formula 1 moves from the sunny climbs of an autumnal Australia to the unpredictable weather of Sao Paulo in Brazil for the Brazilian Grand Prix. Built in the 1940's for the newly emerging sport of motor racing, Interlagos has seen many changes over the years to accomodate todays modern circuit. It grew amongst the shanty towns of Brazil and is surrounded on all sides by some of the poorest areas in the country. Still, the crowds flock there year after year. It also give the fans one of the closest views of a Grand Prix track, anywhere in the world. The Start/Finish straight grandstand is almost perched on top of the track. And boy do they make some noise! What makes it so different to other tracks is its reverse navigation. Interlagos is the only anti CLockwise circuit currnetly being used. It means...

andycharger 05.03.2001 · Read review
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Review of Formula 1 Circuit, Sao Paulo, Brazil

Please Can We Have A Real Race This Time

Advantages: A good track with a good overtaking spot and enthusiastic locals.
Disadvantages: Safety concerns after last year's farce.

...The Brazilian Grand Prix has traditionally featured near the start of the Grand Prix season since the late 1970s, and last hosted the opening round of the season in 1995. In 2001 the third race of the year will take place at the Interlagos circuit in Sao Paolo on the 1st of April. For the drivers, this is one of the more challenging circuits and has provided memorable races on many previous occasions. Two crucial factors, however, will dictate whether or not we actually see a race of any interest at all. The excessive use of the safety car ruined the potential for close racing at Australia, when the race should have been stopped instead, and Malaysia, where the safety car was out for far longer than was necessary. At last year's Brazilian Grand Prix McLaren relibility concerns meant that we never saw the outcome of the different...

SkyscraperFanClub 23.03.2001 · Read review
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Review of Formula 1 Circuit, Sao Paulo, Brazil