Orlando Gets Closer to Brazil

by Josh Lew on

In the past, most people flying from Orlando to Brazil, or most other country in South America for that matter, had to first catch a connecting flight to Miami. Therefore, the recent announcement by Brazil’s top airline, TAM, was a welcome one. The airline will provide a direct flight from Orlando to Sao Paulo. Given major airlines’ current aversion to adding new flights, this is big news, especially for Orlando.

As I wrote above, many area residents have to go to Miami, a hub for American Airlines, before continuing to their international destination. Though the TAM Orlando-Sao Paulo route seems trivial when compared to the numerous flights heading abroad from Miami, it’s always nice to see a mid-sized city sticking it to a big city hub that is controlled by a major airline. Perhaps more foreign airlines will begin looking to mid-sized cities to boost their business.

TAM was drawn to Orlando after it found the city to have ample demand, a willing airport and a complete lack of competition. So next time you are in Orlando, sweating away your holiday in a theme park, just remember, Sao Paulo is only a flight away.

Headed to Sao Paulo? Try The Pizza

by Martha Edwards on

Want a taste of traditional Brazilian food, something that you’ll have trouble finding at home? You might be out of luck in Sao Paulo — their signature dish is pizza, according to this article. In fact, July 10th is widely known as ‘Pizza Day’ in Sao Paulo — a day when the citizens of South America’s largest city pay homage to their favourite food by overdosing on cheese and dough and every topping under the sun. But even if you’re not around for the July 10th, Sunday nights are unofficially pizza-night for Paulistanos — local pizza joints are crammed full of pizza lovers young and old.

Pizza came to Sao Paulo along with the influx in Italian immigrants in the early 20th century. But although in the rest of Brazil, ketchup is a common additive to the traditional pizza, ordering a bottle of Heinz with your pie in Sao Paulo is a no-no.

Pizza’s one of those things that seems to be everywhere these days. In fact, the best pizza I ever had (and I’ve had lots) was in Koh Samui, Thailand. As a lover of all things with cheese, I’m kind of excited to try Sao Paulo pizza — sans ketchup though (ick!)