where modernism meets aliens

Vila Madalena has been keeping me up at night with an amazing array of restaurants and night life. In such an eclectic neighborhood of artisans and fashion, the food is no different.  From organic cafes to middle eastern treats and good old traditional brazilian dishes its hard to find something mainstream, much less reason to stay in and cook.  Since I don't really have the gear to cook at the moment anyways, its a great excuse for trying out all the new local digs.

During the day I've been exploring Cemetery Araca which opened its doors for tombs in 1887!  It may seem morbid to spend so much time with the departed but this place has as incredible amount of character and is nothing like the hill of plastic flowers I grew up around and more like something you might find in New Orleans. The dead tell their stories through elaborate, rarely modest stone work where fresh flowers lay and a few bums take cover. Meanwhile outside along the walls and streets near by, colorful alleys of graffiti tell stories of the living. Galleries of public art wind their way down steep dominion and creep their way into my imagination. Everything is a part of the drawing, the windows, trashcans and even the trees. This is no home for vandalism but instead the visions of locals cast like dreams on a storyboard.

The architecture is a fusion of contemporary monotones and concrete designs sometimes called 'brutalism' with a touch of traditional and gothic style worship dwellings wiggled in between. Writers, painters, musicians and designers coalesce among the uniqueness that surprises and captivates on every corner of this bohemian village. This place, all on a bed of san francisco-like topography served appropriately with bakeries a plenty to make up for your walking work out is full of contrast and resolve. We couldn't have picked a better new home.

I am struck with love.

Vila Madalena in Sao Paulo