4. São Paulo
Marked by a warren of concrete structures and an elevated roadway known as the "Big Worm," São Paulo often plays second fiddle to flashy Rio de Janeiro. The Brazilian city's inclement weather has earned it the moniker Cidade da Garoa (City of Drizzle), and São Paulo is blanketed in a form of homegrown graffiti called pichação, which, depending on your perspective, is either high art or glaring urban blight. But as the financial capital of a country on a historical upswing, São Paulo is starting to stand out. The boom years have seen an explosion of art galleries, and there is serious talk of tearing down the Big Worm, a move that may herald an urban-planning revolution in this city of nearly 20 million.
Above, Buddhists monks of the Busshinji temple attend an early morning meditation session at the top of the Copan Building in downtown São Paulo, Brazil, on Nov. 19, 2010. Once a month the monks climb the 37 floors of the building to meditate.
Nelson Antoine/FotoArena/LatinContent/GettyImages
