It´s raining friends (Bertioga – Sao Paulo)
Posted on | May 24, 2009 | 5 Comments
From today on I will write in English!
My English skills are not perfect, so please excuse me if you find horrible mistakes or expression 
I reached bertioga the next day an decided to walk a bit further. I was full of energy at that day so I wanted to make use of it. I arrived at a little village at night and finished this day like I use to finish it mostly: I entered a bar and asked for my leisure-time-beer. The smiling bartender-girl (I guess between 20 and 30 years old) gave me the beer. She seamed to be talkactive so I asked her if she knows about a near fire-station or any other place to sleep for me. She negated and asked me why I don´t have a place to sleep. I started to explain an after a short time a conversation started. I was the only customer so the conversation became deeper. I observed myself while talking and noticed that this country or my walkings, or both, start changing my personality. I watch myself being more talkactive and extroverted than before. I feel a kind of happiness, talking to people I don´t know, which is very new for me. Anyway…
We chat about half an hour and I was about to leave when she said: “Wait, maybe I have a place to sleep for you”. She made a call. “You can stay at my place today!”. I was glad like crazy. I kept on talking with Patricia. One hour later her son Carlinhos arrived at the bar. Back from school on his way home. He´s 13 years old, but his behavior, his social competence, his intellect,… was amazing. He brought me to the place of his family. He, Patricia, as well as her parents, were living together in one house, surrounded by nature… They received me like brasilian people always receive me: warm, hospitable, friendly. They gave me food, some new clothes and even new bootlaces. And a warm bed to sleep as well. Carlinhos showed me around in the forests, we talked a lot and he understood my spanish very well. At the end of the evening we had fantastic chess-matches. I went to bed and slept like a stone… a content stone.
After a good breakfest Patricia asked me to come to the Bar one more time. “My chef would like to meet you”. We went back to the bar and I got to know Ricardo. Calm, warm, friendly and peaceful. And a fantastic handcraft-artist!
Andrej and Ricardo. In-between: One of Ricardos artworks
“I saw you walking on the street yesterday and for some reason I knew you would hit this bar.” He told me about another pilgrim who passed by a short time ago. Also walking thousands of kilometers. He ate and rested in this bar, just like me.
We talked and talked… until the sunset.
The number of Km I did that day: 0
The value of the time I spent at that place: Infinite
That evening I got to know Carlinhos, Ricardo and Patricia better, and I really can say that I met very special people who became friends.
Nair, Andrej, Paty
Carlinhos, Andrej, Fabiane
When I woke up in the morning of the next day, it was raining cascades. The street became a river and I dind´t want to “swim” to the next city so I waited. It stopped raining at 2 pm which meant that I would arrive late at night again. But anyway… I needed to walk. The road was calling. So I went.
I walked extremely fast. I didn´t make breakes, I didn´t feel hungry or thursty, I didn´t feel any kind of pain… I walked along the highway and sometimes, if there was no other way, on the highway, and arrived at the beginning of Guaruja at night. “Don´t go through the favelas”, people told me. “Don´t! It´s too dangerouse”. I beleave that it might be dangerouse to walk through favelas at night with a bagpack. But because of any reason I had the feeling, that nothing is going to happen. I decided to find it out and walked about 5 or 6 favela-kilometers. As I thought: Nothing happened. Nothing but friendly people, greeting me. When I reached the center I felt sleepy. I drank a cofé at a gas-station and went on walking, asking about 10 (or more) fire- and police-stations if it´s possible to sleep there for a night. The answer is always the same: ”Here? No, sorry. Try another station”. I searched until 1 `o clock in the night and didn´t even find a place for my tent. So I decided to stay in a cheap hostel and went to Santos the next day.
I arrived earlier than I thought so I didn´t know what to do with the rest of the day. I decided not to go on walking to Sao Paulo. I liked Santos and wanted to have a look at the city. For at least one day. I hoped to find a couch, but I didn´t (at first). I stayed 2 days, enjoing the beach, the sun. And of course searching for a couch and a job. The answer I got mostly, when I asked in Hotels: “Sorry, wrong season”. I was about to leave at the third day. But then something happened. Something I didn´t expect anymore: I got a message from Ju who said that she could host me. Happy like a child I jumped to the next telephone box and caled her. We met in the evening and she brought me to her place. I entered the living room and saw 5 faces, looking at me. 5 students, flat-sharing. I felt like “back in Hamburg” because this is how I was living, before starting this trip. Even the flat looked similar. I spent two days at Ju´s place. Two days which were very similar to my times in Hamburg. And I realy missed that: We went to a soccer game, we went to a bar with a bunch of friends and students, talked, drank beer, talked more, laughed, drank more beer, had great conversations. For the first time of my life I saw Capoerah-Dancings. If I wasn´t walking, I would dance Capoerah. I also met new people and more new people. Everyone sympathic. The only thing I regret is, that my portuguese is still not good enough. When I continued my journey I took a peece of home with me. Thanks to Ju&friends.
Now I will write something, most of you surely don´t want to read. But unfortunatly it´s the truth:
At that day I took a bus from Santos to Sao Paulo and “cheated” about 80 km. And maybe I will do it again. Every time when I am in a city with more than 10 million habitants. Walking through citys like that is something I realy don´t enjoy. But I am sure, I won´t pass many of them so you can be sure that exceptions like that will be very, very rare
And here I am. Sao Paulo. At the couch of Steven and Patricia. And once more I can say: I am surrounded by loveley people. As you can see below, I am in Folha Online. I had great conversations with english-clases in the language-school ”Seven”. I had nice talkings at the table, eating awesome food. I went partying to a rock-concert with fantastic people. I had much time to rest. And to think. Thanks to Steven, thanks to Patricia, thanks to Valeria, thanks to Bomfa. Thanks to Brazil. Indeed… here
it´s raining great people.
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5 Responses to “It´s raining friends (Bertioga – Sao Paulo)”
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May 24th, 2009 @ %H:%M
Hi, Andej
We are happy to now that you are getting along well with our fellow brother Brazilians, and it was an excelent decision to translate your blog to english, in that way Carmo Catarina and I can keep up to date with your fantastic journey.
Wish you the Best of Luck and Take care.
Carmo Catarina and Mónica.
May 28th, 2009 @ %H:%M
Hello! I discovered you at Folha Online website. I’m brazilian and I’m also a journalism student. I work at a television and I think that you would be an interesting report. Could you pass your contact or call me at xxx or xxx? I’m from Guaratinguetá/SP and work at Cachoeira Paulista/SP. Who knows you’ll be interestes in knowing my place better? Call me please!
Thanks!
Hope see you soon!
May 30th, 2009 @ %H:%M
OLÁ QUERIDO COMO VOCÊ ESTA?FICO FELIZ POR VOCÊ ESTAR BEM,NOSSAAA SÃO PAULO VOCÊ TÁ LONGE,MAS PRESENTE EM NOSSOS CORAÇÕES,LI O QUE ESCREVEU SOBRE MIM,E MINHA FAMILIA,CLARO O GOOGLE NÃO TRADUZ MUITO BEM MAS DÁ PRA LER,MIL BEIJOS DEUS TE ABENÇÕE HOJÉ E SEMPRE
June 5th, 2009 @ %H:%M
Ich hab immer wieder Gaensehaut wenn ich dein video sehe und dich erfuehle…und dann die letzten Zeilen deines mystischen Weges…
…es ist schon verrueckt, dass auch bei dir in deinem Traum des Reisens der Tod lag.
Ich wuerde auch meinen Weg gerne soweit umprogramieren, dass die Leichtigkeit sich wirklich spuerbar mit dem erdigen, meinem menschlichen Dasein verbinden laesst und so ein Wandern mit Zukunft in diesem Koerper moeglich erscheinen laesst!
Gib mir bitte bescheid, sobald ich dich telefonisch erreichen kann, ja?
Im herzlicher Verbundenheit wuensch ich dir weitere Wunder und Engel auf deinem Weg!
July 7th, 2009 @ %H:%M
Hello. I think the article is really interesting. I am even interested in reading more. How soon will you update your blog?