Sunday, November 23, 2025

Beco do Batman (Batman's Alley), Sao Paulo- Brazil. Explosion of mural and graffiti art.

 



I am back at this blog site after 5 long years.  A lot has happened in these 60 months.  Some mundate, some momentous.  The world has changed, communication methods and media have changed, people's preferences have changed.  I may have changed too.  But in the middle of all these, there has to be effort of continuity.  Hence I am back, trying to pickup the threads.  Will try to be more diligent and post both travelogues and my thoughts more regularly.  

This video is made on iMovies (hence horizontal format), on a place in Sao Paulo, Brazil, during my visit there in September 2025.  The place is called Beco do Batman (meaning Batman's Alley).  It is in the Vila Madalena.  Brazil in general and Sao Paulo specifically is a city of grafitti and murals.  Sao Paulo has produced some of the best street art artists in the world, such as Eduardo Cobra.  This stretch of high-walled residences in Vila Madalena, nicknamed Batman's Alley, showcases some of the most impressive spray paint murals around.  The place draws it's name from one Batman mural, but it could be called anything else, based on the wide variety of themes.  The creativity is wild, the space is vibrant.  Locals do brisk business, selling crafts/mementos/tatoo art/food and drinks. I read that in the weekendssd, there is an open air market in the alley.  I enjoyed strolling around in the area, taking photos and videos.  The local people are friendly.  To talk, Google translator is needed if you can't understand or speak Portugese.  I drank beer at a small friendly shop at the end of the alley.  The owner knows English and was super helpful. 







  











Sunday, October 4, 2020

Covid Lockdown Diary- Visuals

After the text heavy previous blog of Covid-related observations and relfections, this is a lazy photoblog. of how the Covid lockdown phase appeared in my eyes, mostly in my neighborhood.  I have ventured out during lockdown- for morning walk, to buy essentials and occasionally in car- with valid papers and for valid reasons.  But the mood was sombre and photography was not in my mind when I was driving through the eerie silence of the otherwise bustling city.  Some posters and news clips are from the pearls of wisdom that wafted in during lockdown through WhatsApp window to the world :-) 

Category: City 


Horses roaming around in Middleton Street.  Not a small coincidence that the address of Royal Calcutta Turf Club is a few buildings away- 11 Russell Street.  









Category: Salt Lake views
Salt Lake Broadway views from March to May- super charming with empty vista, luscious green and riotous blooms




















Category: Life goes on. Just a few.  Photography was not in mind on most occasions when ventured out.

 






Category: From rooftop.  66 steps for one circle around; 16 circles for 1000 steps. Never thought I will measure this, until this year:-(




Category: Life inside house during lockdown

















Category: The ever evolving Covid news (stopped archiving after two months)





















Category: WhatsApp fun and wisdom posters