São Paulo Tourist Traps

Beware of the strip clubs. I walked into a place called the Americano Bar on Augusta street in San Paulo and after having a few drinks they approached me with a bill for over 400 reas and the bouncers didn't want to let me leave until I paid it. I didn't have my credit card with me for safety reasons so I gave them almost that amount and ran out the door. I was a bit sacared, the bouncer wanted to take me in the back room. What makes it worse is I don't speak a bit of Portuguese. And all this happened while sitting at the bar flirting with a pretty girl. There was not even any stripping going on in the seedy place.

São Paulo is not a tourist destination even though there are loads of people coming here from all over the planet..... but these are either business travellers , people visiting parents , country folks trying to make a living in the big city..... I'm not saying that Paulistanos are all saints, but you , the foreigner , will have a hard time finding someone to con you.... In fact , people here tend to be friendly , helpfull and do not take advantage of you ( unless of course , you're being mugged... but this wouldn't be a tourist trap , would it...?).
So don't expect the shop , the taxi driver , the restaurant etc . to charge you more than local people or to come whining and begging for more....
Relax , this is São Paulo , on one hand very , very stressy , on the other one very , very relaxing....

Unique Suggestions: Find out what or where it is... and let me know because after 19 years of living here ( and of course I'm still considered a foreigner , mainly because of my obvious accent ) I still haven't found out where to find a nice , updated and genuine tourist trap in my city....

Fun Alternatives: Sorry , can't help here anymore , just reassure you that you most probably will NOT have a tourist trap experience in São Paulo , as opposed to Rio de Janeiro where your chances to find or step into one are definitely higher.....

There are lots of street vendors selling CD copies. I was stupid enough to buy 2 albums.
One of which was totally blank and the other only played the first 2 songs and then stopped.

Unique Suggestions: Try before you buy.

Fun Alternatives: Go to a record shop and buy the original.

Keep a lookout for umbrella sellers they seem to know when it is going to rain and appear suddenly like mushrooms,in tropical countries it comes suddenly the rain but soon stops again,if you already have 6 or 7 umbrellas at home dont get another one..

Unique Suggestions: not a tourist trap really just a friendly warning.

This is a major destination for so many motor sport enthusiasts, but I think people should just leave him rest in peace. Anyway, I really doubt those people even visit their deceased family members on cemeteries.

2 years ago we visited his grave only because my husband, who's French, wanted to. The cemetery is very far from the city centre and if you don't know the area, you'll certainly get lost (we did!).

It was on All Saints’ Day (or a day after) and there were many flowers around, including a bouquet from Diego Maradona.

Unique Suggestions: Place a nice bouquet. You can buy flowers at the entrance of the cemetery.

Cemitério do Morumbi
Rua Deputado Laercio Corte, 468
Morumbi/Sao Paulo/SP
Phone::(11)3758-0391 / (11)3062-2277
Fax:(11)3758-0397

If you wanna see a photo of his grave:
http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=pis&GRid=1246&PIgrid=1246&PIcrid=639588&PIpi=76728&pt=Ayrton+Senna&

"Nada Pode Me Separar Do Amor De Deus" = Nothing will separate me from the love of God

Fun Alternatives: Go shopping or go to the movies instead! There is a shopping mall not too far from there.

To visit the caves as the ones in Petar,the majority in their original state,you have to be careful with some things,mainly to maintain the caves conservation,such as :
Never enter alone in the caves,always wait for the guided tour hours or for an experienced person,who knows how to move in it.
Do not step in the stone formations inside ,pay attention not to break anything with your headlamp.
In case you got lost,don't panic!Stand and wait for help,but,help will only be possible if you informed your route to the guides at the checkpoints by filling the cave visit form.For caves outside the park,always inform someone who joined you or a local that you're taking such track.

OK, here it comes - the Museum of Art in Sao Paulo (MASP). I know, I know - it has great names, that's true, but the paintings aren't. Also, if I recall it correctly, everything was indicated in Portuguese - how can you learn something about brazilian painters if you can't read it?

Well, not a real tourist trap, but not very exciting nevertheless - the 'Butantan'-Institute (located within the area of the university of Sao Paulo). Best day to visit should be Monday, when people are feeding the snakes there.