This image is from a trip I took to San Paulo, Brazil to visit a friend.  For whatever reason I like this photo, probably in some respect to the fact that it is chaotic, which is what San Paulo feels like.  It is like New York city on steroids and is the most populous city in the Americas.  I happen to fly in the day the airline workers went on strike and ended up standing in the customs line for over 5 hours. With no way to communicate with my friend on the other side, I finally emerged through customs with no one to greet me.

Weighing my options, and not able to speak any Portuguese, I exchanged some currency and finally decided to show a cab driver the address I had written down on a piece of paper.  It was then that I experienced the most thrilling and nerve racking cab ride of my life, complete with motorcycle messengers racing in between traffic and kicking the cab if it dared impede their progress.   They are commonly referred to as “cachorros locos,” Portuguese for “mad dogs” and rightfully so.   One or two die every day doing their job.  Surprisingly, I made it to my friends place in one piece.  As interesting and cultural as San Paulo is, the ability to escape the chaos in a couple hours to some of the most beautiful beaches and small coastal towns in the world is what I found most appealing about the city.