The day we visited the complex it was damp, overcast, and generally undesirable for outdoor activity. Regardless of the conditions, the display of modern architecture was very impressive. The Ibirapuera Auditorium and Oca, both designed by Oscar Niemeyer, present gargantuan facades faced with white painted concrete. Then there was the Biennal Pavilion, a long arcade that encircles the architectural setting.

The Museum of Modern Art contained the most thought provoking set of exhibits of artists from across the world. There are two rooms, one arranged in a traditional wall display around the circumference and the other as an open floor plan with pieces scattered throughout. My particular favorite was Danish team Superflex's Flooded McDonald's, a video featuring the restaurant being flooded as civilization comes to an end.

Expoe exemplares do mobiliario dos seculos XVII ao XXI, enquanto, paralelamente, abre espaco para mostras temporarias do que se produz na atualidade em objetos e design pelos quatro cantos do Brasil e do mundo.

Displaying examples of furniture from the 17th to 21st century, while, in parallel, opens space for temporary shows that are produced in actuality in objects and design by the four quarters of Brazil and the world.

When we visited, half of the museum was under renovation. So although we were able to view the armarios, duvets, bed frames, and chairs, there was few objects of modern design. The one exhibit that did was entitled "100 years of Brazilian design" and was accompanied a coffee table sized book documenting the history of Brazilian designers from the last century. My one qualm with the space was both the size dedicated to it, far too small for any larger group...like a school group, and its lack of cohesion, chairs 100 years of age were next to those not a few years old.

Yet again the reason I enjoyed this museum was not for its contents but because of the experience in the building. There is a small cafe in the complex which serves a wonderful cafe completo and modern ambiance with a touch of the antique.

Designed by Tommaso Guadenzio Bezzi in 1884, the edifice and its gardens were modeled after the Renaissance palaces such as of Versailles.

O Museu Paulista foi inaugurado em 7 de setembro de 1895 como museu de Historia Natural e marco representativo da Independencia, da Historia do Brasil e Paulista.

The Paulista Museum was inaugurated on the 7th of September, 1895 as the museum of Natural History and representative mark of Independence, of the History of Brazil and Sao Paulo.

The core of the collection comes from Colonial Joaquim Sertorio, the donator who begin the acquisition of now 125 million objects. You would not be able to tell this entering the museum, as many of the rooms contain displays void of real content. For example, there was a display case dedicated to home entertainment which contained a child's ceramic tea set and cardboard cutouts of a family and another with shards of teaware. Seeing this we jokingly remarked that families who had been in Brazil for more than two generations had a better display of colonial home decor.

We concluded that the content of the museum was not as engaging as the complex itself. With its Portuguese aesthetic for vibrantly colored facades and multistoried solid geometric architecture the display provided plenty to view. The most intriguing aspect was the shields of arms and the pediment on the facade, both of which contained no design. The shield resembled the Portuguese coat of arms except the initials of the reigning king were missing, no coincidence for a country with a history of imperial government (Dom Pedro I declared independence but gained the formal title Emperor of Brazil).

A missao do MASP e "Incentivar, divulgar e amparar, por todos os meios ao seu alcance, as artes de um modo geral e, em especial, as artes visuais, visando o desenvolvimento e o aprimoramento cultural do povo brasileiro.

The content of the museum are truly as diverse as its website states, containing Western photography, painting, drawing, sculpture and decorative arts across a broad spectrum of time. This also seems to be the main issue with the space, as there is no unity in the exhibitions, marble Greek statues are placed in direct proximity to Flemish lithographs without an apparent reason. It seems that the approach is to give the viewer a breath of knowledge about Western art without depth of knowledge.

What distinguishes this scenario from American museums is that the institution is a socialist not capitalist notion. Intended as a point of access for the public, museums are seen as a means to appreciate art and creativity. This is very similar to the status of universities in Brazil, as the educated are traditionally seen as pundits of society, points of contact to be confided in and give advice.

It is from my experience visiting American museums that the institution attracts the masses for an entirely different reason, one that plays upon the relation of money and culture. One invests in their degree at the university in the same manner as one purchases admission. The intent may be educate oneself on the surface but the unconscious desire is in the perceived social value of the experience, one that is equivalent being educated. This speaks nothing of the ideals of the institution itself, however socialist its values may be.

A Brazilian visiting the museums described in the following entries do not utilize the facility as a means to become 'cultured', as the public has an identity all their own, one with a cultural heritage of the pineapple pitcher and white embroidered tablecloths.

Golden Tulip Belas Artes

Standard - R$250/night

Features

• Wi-Fi Internet (R$7/2 hours or R$14/day)
• Restaurant
• Indoor Pool
• Room Service
• Minibar

Sao Paulo was a pleasure to visit because we had such a centrally located hotel just two blocks off of Avenida Paulista. With the smell of lemon air fresheners in the main lobby, the Golden Tulip felt like a Hampton or Marriott with a few exceptions. The physical integrity of the furniture was questionable, as I was able to pull the sideboards off the wall (although accidental), the bathtub had been retrofitted with a plastic cover and there was still a bidet next to the toilet. It is something like a businessman's hotel with a few quirks. Nevertheless our stay was so enjoyable that in the two occasions we frequented Sao Paulo we stayed in the Golden Tulip.

Recanto Almeida

Apartamento Conjugado - R$440/night

Features

• Sala de Internet
• Restaurant
• Lounge
• 24h Bar
• Room Service
• Minibar

Definitely the most expensive hotel of our trip, this alpine lodge in the mountains of Campos dos Jordao was a luxury stay Sao Paulo-style. The fresh air at an altitude of 1600 combined with the smell of stained wood characteristic of the Swiss architecture on both the exterior and interior of the hotel made the Brazilian winter come alive.

Because we reserved a room at the last minute we did not have the option of the Casal, Triplo, or even Quadruplo Apartments but the Conjugado Apartamento (Conjugal Room). As a result we had more space, a full bathroom, and baroque chairs and table which we used for dinner on one occasion. The only disappointment was the view which looked out to the road, not the valley filled pitched wooden roofed pousadas.

Hotel Coxixo

Apartmento Duplo - R$240/night

Features

• Free Internet Access (on hotel's desktop)
• Restaurant/Bar
• Outdoor Pool
• Sauna - R$7/day
• Room Service
• Minibar

By far and away my favorite hotel in our trip, Paraty houses the business of actress Maria Della Costa in the historic center. "Whisper Hotel" as it's names is translated, is a tranquil tropical paradise inside the preserved colonial city. A two floor, quadrangular apartment complex with covered peristyle and pool in center constitutes the ground plan. The hotel highlights the acting career of Sra. della Costa in a memorial found in the lounge area that occupies one side of the complex.

If the exquisitely landscaped flora does not amaze the colonial tiling and curated artwork will surely. There are also antique pieces scattered throughout the premise, with amphoras that had been reconstructed from disparate shards, antique watering pales, and something that resembled Guttenberg's printing press but is probably a grain mill.

With all of these amenities, the comfort and relaxation experienced inside the hotel rooms was the proverbial icing on the cake. We had a queen and single bed, table and chairs, dresser and full shower. The large space was lit by colonial gas lamps retrofitted with incandescent light bulbs, creating a similar aura as lighting powered by gas, although there was no flickering.

With its 1970s-esque decor Piazza Hotel is the supposedly the top echelon of Jacarei hotels. The spherical overhead lights, dark stained wood, and orange detailing of tablecloths, awning, and bed spread are remnicent of disco loving, psychedelic music. There certainly is a charm about the restaurant, courtyard with pool and fenced basketball court, and apartments in its adjacent building. Located across Rio Paraiba the hotel is removed from the urban center, a blessing if one wants a quiet sleep away from the dogs of the city.

I actually had difficulty identifying the hotel by the images on their official website. The angles were expertly chosen, making the R$85 single room seem like a great deal.

Staying here but a fortnight, this hotel sufficed as the errant traveler's nightly quarters. With 4 floors of 70 apartments, restaurant, and main lounge the hotel is minimally decorated with a geometric floors, a few paintings, and And unlike American hotels on the lower end of the scale it was impeccably clean. Beyond the springs in the bed digging into my back causing a less than comfortable rest and slotted window that could not be completely closed to the outside sounds of the city the standard room (100 sq ft) was perfect for the price.

Spoiled perhaps by the availability of leg waxing for 20 reais (roughly 10 dollars) and a Brazilian for 28 reais, I refused to pay quintuple the price to have just one leg waxed. So I went to the interwebs in search of an alternative, mainly in home waxing kits.

Let me tell you how poorly designed some of the products are, with little attempt to promote the brand. It's almost as if they know by lack of options in that market they do not need bother designing a brand logo. It was actually during my peruse of Amazon reviews of the products that I stumbled upon Sally Hansen. The site contains what I found probably to be the two major brands, Gigi and Jilbere. As a general rule if the company invest in the product design than they must have invested in the product itself. At least that was my mentality when I bought the Gigi Honee kit, containing wax warmer, 14oz all-purpose honee wax, 100 small muslin strips, and 100 small applicators. And of course there were other necessary items that did not come in the package. The costs look something like this:

• Gigi Honee Wax kit - $39.99
• Gigi Natural Muslin Roll - $17.99
• Johnson's Baby Powder - $3.49

Other items you will need are large wood applicators and azulene oil, both of which I had from previous kits but you can also purchase. To wax both legs took 3/4 of the 14 oz of wax. So beyond the start-up cost of $61.49, every wax thereon will be around $13-14, the price associated with the wax.

General conclusion...it's expensive to wax in a country that does not have a culture for epilation and extremely exhausting to perform on yourself. But in the end my smooth legs are worth it!