Sao Paulo to Boituva

Just a preamble before I launch into this. The place that I was heading for is called Boituva, its about 125 km west of Sao Paulo.
We landed at about 12.30 noon local time, It took me a while to clear customs because of uncertainty about my medication, I eventually got cleared OK. I was to find that very few people, certainly in the parts of Brazil I am visiting speak English - I speak no Portuguese - so trying to explain to people and later on to get directions is not easy and in most cases impossible.
When I was planning this trip one part that I was not looking forward to was having to hire a car and drive to Boituva where the parachute centre is. The journey turned out to be a nightmare. Sao Paulo is a huge city with a population of over 20 million. Some of those who drive particularly the truck drivers and motor cycle riders can only be described as maniacs, the motor cycle riders also seem to have a death wish as they zoom in from all angles at speed !!.
I picked the hire car up at about 2.30 pm (it was to take me another 10 hours to reach my destination).I managed the driving side of it OK even though the controls are the other way round and you drive on the opposite side of the road (saying that I am still indicating with my windscreen wipers) however I got hopelessly lost and ended up being stuck in traffic for hours, I was looking for a particular road number - which I learned later on was a mistake and whenever I found what I thought was the exit from the motorway I was on I had passed it. At this point I did not know how to back track and go back in the opposite direction. So I went off the motorway and tried to find a route back - I can only say - do not try this - I certainly visited places not on the tourist map, and ones that I did not want to hang around in. I had been warned when I picked the hire car up not and stop and ask directions under a bridge - I can add lots more paces than that !. I tried garages, tole booths, eventually it was by sheer luck or divine intervention that I got onto the right road, that was at 10.30 pm, it had taken me 8 hours. I eventually stopped at a service area - I had not eaten all day - quite honestly I had not even thought about food - (at least it stopped me going to the loo) I had some look warm soup and some bread but did not care I was just grateful to know I was going in the right direction.
As I was paying for my food another customer heard me when I was paying and spoke to me in good English. This was the first real conversation for hours, he reassured me I was on the right road and told me how far it was to Boituva. The rest of the journey took me about one and half hours. It was a straight road (about 80 km) and the road signs were clear. I eventually got to Boituva at 12.30 after midnight. I pulled into a garage which was still open and by various means asked the people at the garage if they new of a hotel ?. (I was booked into the hotel at the DZ, but at this point I did not feel like a tour of the countryside and just wanted a bed for the night). It ended up where I think one of the garage staff was going home on his motor bike. There was a discussion between the garage staff and I followed this guy on his bike to a hotel which was just up the road. My luck was in - at last, there were two night staff on and they sorted a room out for me - absolute joy, it did not take me long to fall asleep. So endeth a day I will not forget. John 22/7