More São Paulo

So on Wednesday evening I headed down to the monastery where the Pope turned up and made a speach to everyone. Seemed to be thousands of people travelling here to see him from all over Sth America.
Thursday I checked out town again.
Friday I headed out to the Butanto Institute where they make all the snake anti-venom and vaccines for Brazil. They had huge snake pits with all the snakes they breed, and a museum with scorpians, spiders and plenty of snakes. The enormous boa constrictors where cool, as well as the rattle snakes. USP (University of São Paulo) was right next door, so checked that out, including MAC, the Museum of Contemporary Arts.
Caught the bus back into Centro and got off at Sé just as the Pope cruised in to cannonise Brazil´s first saint, so got stuck in the crowd, and a packed train trip home.
On Saturday I went with Virgilio to Liberdade which is the Japanese district in town, and then to the flea markets where they were serving up some nice brazillian food and the best sweets, while listening to some old guys play some awesome traditional music. We headed to a a little bar that had its walls plastered with futbal memorilia and met up with one of his mates. She was crazy about Australia and wanted to know everything about the place. Final stop for the day was Gini nightclub where there was a live band playing sambahawk which was going off.
Sunday morning I got up early to catch the bus down to Paraty, but only just got around the corner from Virgilio´s apartment, when the local priest had a big breakfast setup and insisted I get stuck into it. Not one to refuse a free feed, I got to work. They were surprised to find an Aussie out in the suburbs of São Paulo, and so decided they would prey for my safe travels, and for mum, since it´s mothers day. So they preyed for 15 minutes, and then I had to race off to Tiête to catch my ride.