Wednesday, May 02, 2007

Vinte Cinco de Março

In Sao Paulo, there is a famous street market where you can buy just about anything really cheaply. It's called "VEEN-chee SEEN-cou de MAR-soo" and it simply means "March 25." Technically, you can drive your car down this street, but good luck. The place is literally swarming with people (personal space can take a hike!) Shannon has gone there several times with other PACA ladies to get some bargains.

Since this is where the people are, it tends to attract those who seek a crowd. This "fellow" stands perfectly still for minutes until someone puts a coin in his little box. Then he starts to move as if he were a mechanical man. These guys are so good that you really have to double check to make sure it truly is a human being.

Although the street is Vinte Cinco, there are a few other side streets that have become as busy as the main avenue. This hill is one that we had to walk up and to do so was like being in Times Square at 11:00 PM on New Year's Eve. The place is so packed with people that you almost have to move as a herd. It was an experience in itself.


Of course, what really made me want to go to Vinte Cinco was the fact that the police patrol these streets and often make sweeps of the illegal vendors. Shannon has seen some pretty vicious stuff. I decided to see if I could catch some of the action, and behold I did (although there was no violence to be seen that day.)