January 25th
Today we checked out of Antonio’s Palace in Piracicaba and started our journey to São Paulo. The bus ride to the city was uneventful and the first place that we visited was a gigantic market in the area close to downtown. The market offered samples that we were allowed to enjoy and offered every type of food selection. After spending an hour walking around and trying different foods we went to lunch at an all you can eat kabob restaurant. We ate until our stomachs were ready to burst before visiting the OSU gateway. The OSU gateway showed us the importance that Ohio State plays not only in the United States but within the world. The OSU gateway offers the chance for OSU students to come to Brazil to work in internships, as well as offering Brazil students the opportunity to study at Ohio State. After visiting the gateway we checked into the hotel in São Paulo before visiting a samba rehearsal at night. The samba rehearsal is in preparation for carnival and featured five groups each dancing in a line stretched out for a quarter of a mile. It took each group over an hour from start to finish at the other end of the stadium and each routine offered unique insights into Brazilian culture. After watching the samba practiced we ended the night by visiting the American classic McDonalds, which was packed, even in the middle of the night.
Jonathan Hoorman