The Land of Helicopters

In Sao Paulo, a city of some 12 million people, traffic has been an
ongoing issue. To avoid long commutes, and also to avoid being mugged,
the very rich have (since the 90´s) been opting to commute by
helicopter. It became somewhat of a symbol of wealth, and the
rich-but-not-rich-enough, who couldnt afford to buy and maintain a
helicopter, have begun chopper cooperatives with other
rich-but-not-rich-enough individuals. $40,000 is the yearly cost of
becoming a member of such a cooperative and allows you access to a
pilot and helicopter to commute to work.

While hanging out in Ibirapuera park with Sonia, we heard several
helicopters fly by. I managed to grab this picture, if you look
carefully you can see three choppers.

From helicopters to favelas all in one city, there is no doubt that
Brazil has some of the greatest economic inequalities in the world...

Bicicletada Sao Paulo!

Critical Mass in Sao Paulo. For those who have never heard of Critical
Mass. It is an event that started in San Fransisco and spread to
cities around the world. Last Friday of every month, cyclists get
together and take over the streets without any route in particular.
The idea is the promote cycling and remind motorized vehicle drivers
that the roads are for bikes too. Look it up on wikipedia for more
info!