My internship took place in Araraquara, a student city with many university campuses (mainly UNESP and UNIARA) and around 200,000 inhabitants. I spent most of my time either in the city center or on campus, and both areas were quite nice, calm, and clean. On campus I saw many animals (different kinds of birds, including hummingbirds and toucans, as well as iguanas and capybaras), which was a great experience. On the other hand, there are also many pubs, bars, restaurants, and clubs, so some areas—especially in the center—can be quite lively and noisy in the evenings and at night, even on weekdays.

As I mentioned above, Araraquara is a student city, so apart from bars, a shopping center, and Parque do Basalto, there weren’t many things to do or see. However, I recommend traveling to nearby cities, which offer more variety.
What surprised me most about Araraquara was how the city looked—I had wrongly expected more of a “jungle” and perhaps even garbage, trash, or homeless people on the streets (something like Bangkok, the Paris subway, or a general favela). Instead, the city was very nice and clean, and it actually reminded me a bit of some towns in southern Italy. Many people also own dogs, which adds to the city’s “suburban” feel.

There are a few nice cities around/close to Araraquara, that can be reach by either car or bus. I personally visited Bueno de Andrada, which is famous for Brazilian traditional dish coxinhas, and Brotas, which is a small city famous for it´s nature and water-tourism so me and other IAESTE interns from Araraquara went there rafting.
There is also cities called Bauru and Sao Carlos (I think they both have zoos), which is close and which some of the other inters visited (and liked) but I personally was not there.
Apart from that, I spend some time in Sao Paulo, which is one of the biggest cities in the whole world. Most of the "important" things to see are on Avenida Paulista or close to it (e.g. MASP, Japan House, SESC, ...), but there´s also a lot of other art galeries and exhibitions in other parts of the cities, including Baco de Batman (district with murals/street arts), Japan Square and even Parque Ibirapuerta.
Another trip I made was to Rio de Janeiro, although I had to fly there. It´s very iconic cities with a lot of tourist atration and beaches.

I worked at UNESP (Universidade Estadual Paulista “Júlio de Mesquita Filho” / São Paulo State University, Júlio de Mesquita Filho), a large public multi-campus university funded by the state government of São Paulo, Brazil.
I was based in the Faculty of Pharmaceutical Sciences, where my supervisor was Dr. Caue Benito Scarim, although I worked more closely with his postgraduate students.
The lab itself was similar to the one at my home university, but I was given the chance to do more hands-on work. I also had the opportunity to try new techniques and gain new experience (e.g., the HET-CAM assay).
The postgraduate students I worked with were very kind, supportive, and helpful.

I was working with postgraduate students on developing new active molecules for drugs against Chagas disease.
I mostly did organic synthesis and all the related tasks (e.g., weighing compounds, filtration, extraction, distillation, etc.), but we also tested our molecules and their toxicity (TLC, HPLC, HET-CAM assay).

My paycheck was 1,400 reais per month. I received a check for that amount at the beginning of each month, which was nice because I got the money in cash beforehand and could plan my spending accordingly. I think it was sufficient for food, transportation, and daily living expenses, but I paid for my accommodation and trips from my personal savings.

IAESTE Brazil sent me a guide before my internship, where I learned that most Brazilians (almost 80%) do not know or speak English. Still, I was surprised that I had such a hard time finding someone in São Paulo who could communicate in English. It was easier in Araraquara (probably because it is a student city) and everyone in the lab could speak English. However, people were always very kind and tried to help, even if we did not speak the same language and in the end, I/we could always use a translator.

I rented my own place through Airbnb (so I lived alone), which cost 14,000 Kč for 7 weeks. It had everything I needed and was located in the city center, which was really convenient because I had everything (market, gym/fitness center, bars) very close by.

Unfortunately, I didn’t get a chance to meet any local IAESTE members because I arrived during the winter break and later, when they organized a meet-up in São Paulo, I was already in Araraquara (where I worked), which is unfortunately about 5 hours away from São Paulo.

I worked with another intern at the lab, whom I first got in contact with through a WhatsApp group chat created by IAESTE Brazil for interns coming to Brazil. We met in Sao Paulo even before our internships begine and we went together to Araraquara (where we worked) and we also went to Rio de Janeiro together. Through the WhatsApp chat, we also got in touch with other interns who were in Araraquara, and we all (5 person in total) met on a few occasions—mainly for food or drinks, but once we went on a rafting trip to Brotas.

Brazilian culture is very rich, but apart from sightseeing and art galleries, I didn’t really get a chance to experience anything significant. On the other hand, I lived next to a football field, and football is a big deal there. There was even a cross-campus competition in which my supervisor participated (and his team won!).

Brazil has a rich cuisine with many different types of food depending on the region.
I honestly tried a lot of new dishes, but what stood out for me were coxinhas, which are teardrop shaped deep-friend dough with different types of filling (traditional one is with shredded chicken and cheese, but they offer up to 20 different kinds). My colleagues from work took me to Bueno de Andrada to try them, because Bueno is famous for coxinhas all across the region.
One of the girls also made brigadeiro, which is a sweet chocolate truffle made from condensed milk, cocoa powder, butter, and covered with chocolate sprinkles.
Another famous Brazilian dessert is açaí, which comes from berries that are usually blended into a frozen pulp or ice cream and served with various toppings.
We (resp. me, another intern from work, and two postgraduate students we worked most closely with) also went for churrasco, which is an all-you-can-eat buffet featuring salads, side dishes, snacks, and desserts, where you can order unlimited amounts of different types of Brazilian meats, sausages, and cheese.

I was able to use almost every app in Brazil, so I could communicate with my family and people in the Czech Republic on a daily basis. What surprised me was that the main communication channel in Brazil is WhatsApp, and they use it for everything, including, for example, ordering food or arranging deliveries.

In Brazil, they have similar power outlets as we do – phone chargers can be plugged in anywhere without a problem, but for a laptop you will need an adapter.

It’s good to have cash on you, as most public transport tickets can only be bought with cash or using a special card designed for this purpose. (However, long-distance tickets can already be purchased by card or online.)

People very often do not speak English, and at the same time Brazil has a very diverse population, so at first glance no one may realize that you are a foreigner, and someone might start speaking to you in Portuguese. It is useful to know at least the phrases “I am a foreigner” or “I don’t speak Portuguese.”

Almost all households in Brazil use gas ovens and stoves, which is definitely good to know in advance if you don’t have experience with them.

You can find almost everything in shops there. I recommend bringing a laptop adapter, sunscreen, and sunglasses. Also, don’t forget that although it is a “tropical” destination, they still have seasons. During the European summer (May–September), it is winter in Brazil, and nights can get cold. It may also be chilly in coastal areas like Rio de Janeiro or São Paulo, so if you travel there, be sure to bring some warmer clothes.

The internship was an amazing experience. By traveling and living alone, I gained confidence in communicating in a foreign language, learned to manage my finances better, and generally take care of myself. From a professional point of view, the internship gave me a lot of new experience (e.g., the HET-CAM assay) and allowed me to deepen my knowledge of organic chemistry and chromatography. In addition, I made many new friends and gained memories for a lifetime.

Although I did not personally meet any members of the local IAESTE, they always responded to my emails and messages very quickly and were always willing to help or give advice.