Busses or Planes

A couple of days before I left for South America, I was told about a tourist airpass program which sounded great, but I couldn't qualify for it because I didn't then have a Brazilian Visa and I wasn't going to being flying into Brazil from the U.S. I figured I'd take busses. While the super-cama bus from Buenos Aires to Iguazu was fun, dreamy and relaxing, the semi-cama ride from Iguazu to Sao Paolo was cold and made way too many stops. I was intent upon going to Salvador, Bahia which as I gathered would be a 35 hour bus ride from Sao Paolo. Ouch! Perhaps I should change my plans and just head down to Rio and blow off the region I most wanted to see.

I poked around some U.S. based search engines and was told things like flights from Sao Paulo to Salvador are unusual destinations -- suggesting that I would have to route myself into and out of Miami. Obviously I needed some local help! Rosaly, my couchsurfing host, got on a Brazilian website and found some one-way direct flights that would take about two hours and would cost about $150. We tried countless times to book a ticket, but having a non-Brazilian credit card, the system kept rejecting my request. Finally we went out for some beer at a local cafe and figured it could be addressed manana.

In that Rosaly had students coming over (she teaches English to Brazilian professionals), she suggested I go over to Avenida Paulista -- a main street and that I'd easily find a travel agency to do the booking. It was not easy. All I could find were hair and nail salons, fashion boutiques and the ubiquitous drug stores (they are everywhere--in subway stations, shopping centers, little kiosks, etc.) At one point I saw a flag that looked like an airplane -- I got excited until I realized it was just a sign for another clothing shop. Then out of nowhere I found Tam Airways. They only book for Tam and if I wanted to fly Azul (with the cheap flight), I'd have to go across the street to a shopping complex. At the complex I found a student travel agency which only books for out of the country travel. Then down the way I found just a regular travel agency. Yes, they'd book the flight (and another one from Salvador to Rio), but due to my U.S. credit card, I'd have to pay cash. No problem I thought. I headed for the nearest cajero electronico and it would not give me the large quantity of cash I requested ($350). I headed across the street thinking "here's the business center of Sao Paolo and I can't manage to get a very reasonable amount of cash...what is going on??" Fortunately the Banco de Brasil cajero electronico complied and I was in business, too. With air tickets in hand, I felt this wave of relief - no more semi-camas - and the rest of my connections all lined up! Yeah!