Travel with no cent

by Marcos Magalhães da Costa (Brazil)

I didn't expect to find Brazil

My dream was to get to know the biggest city of my country, Sao Paulo, in Brazil, nearly 3000 km away from my hometown. I had only 1300 reals that I had saved from my last job. Obviously I went there by bus cause I have right to a social program that allows me to travel for free by bus to another state of my country. When I got there, I didnt know what to expect... how to enjoy a trip without much money? I don't know, but I did it! Despite being kinda scammed when I got at the travelling bus station, (long story, but I lost only 10 reais. So, It is okay!). My trip lasted 20 days. The day I arrived at the hostel, I was a little suspicious about everything, cause it was my first time in a great city that size... but it didn't take a long time for people to start talking to me and I to them. Each week I was meeting someone new and I don't know why almost every day somebody would buy me food and take me somewhere. I was impressed! Why was everyone being so nice? I even got to work for four days there and earn a little extra money in a vegetarian restaurant. I also learned how to use the train station, my first time inside a train. It's not a big deal, anyway. I fell in love, got to meet new friends, some of them who still speak to me today. I didn't know a trip could provide with such great things, never thought I would see there the kind of people I saw. I will never forget it. On my last two days I decided to go Rio De Janeiro. I had Never been to a beach before. I met two girls at the hostel in the morning, they invited me to the beach, we went. My god! It was so large! The bad part is that I forgot to wear sunscreen on my face, then I became a shrimp peeling off the next week. The lesson that I learned is that I am more than I think and I can do more than I know, sometimes you just need to get out of the same place to see something new.