WHEN football fan Charlie Savage, from Ripon, North Yorkshire, discovered his uncle was working in Brazil during the World Cup he jumped at the chance to join him for two weeks. He reports from Sao Paulo.

TO a football obsessed 20-year-old fresh from finishing university, an opportunity to go to Brazil while the world’s biggest sporting spectacle is taking place was irresistible.

Ever since I remember, I’ve daydreamed about what it would be like to go to a World Cup, but 2014 was always destined to be extra special.

While England created football, Brazil has mastered it.

Sao Paulo, Brazil’s largest city, was to be my home for the next two weeks as the eyes of the world would be fixed on the football stadiums of this vibrant South American country.

I felt nothing but excitement leading up to the trip - despite the best efforts of my parents.

“You need to always be wary of pickpockets. You’ll stick out as a tourist and they’ll want to take advantage of that, especially during the World Cup,” they warned me.

I was fed horror stories about naïve visitors being kidnapped and held at gunpoint, but nothing would deter me from going to Brazil with anything other than high hopes.

The first thing that struck me when I arrived after an 11-hour flight was the city’s size.

Sao Paulo is a city of 20 million people and it seemed as though at any given time there were 40 million cars on the road.

The locals we met told us that the traffic dictates almost every decision they make. On Friday evenings cars stretch for up to 112 miles and there is even a radio station dedicated to 24-hour coverage of the city’s gridlock.

I found this out to my peril as I made my way to a local bar with my Uncle Mark to watch Brazil play Mexico in their group game.

What should have taken ten minutes eventually took nearly an hour – luckily our taxi driver was on hand with a portable television to ensure we didn’t miss a kick.

I later discovered that Pele, Brazil´s greatest ever player, missed the opening stages of the game having been stuck in the same jam – proof that the traffic bows down to no one.

Perhaps my experience may have been different in Rio de Janeiro, where favelas - Brazilian slums - are situated in the heart of the city, but all the people I met were helpful and friendly.

Bound by the love of football, Sao Paulo seemed to be embracing the travelling support.

On the day of England’s crucial fixture against Uruguay, myself, my uncle and one of his English work colleagues made the 12-mile journey from the city centre to Arena Corinthians in the hope of buying a ticket. Not a chance.

Fans were circling the stadium wearing posters around their necks pleading for tickets in four or five languages. We were under-prepared and didn’t have enough cash on us to buy one ticket, let alone three.

After 90 minutes of shouting, screaming and eventually crying in a Brazilian bar, at least I hadn’t maxed out my overdraft in order to see Luis Suarez deliver Roy’s boys a football lesson.

After the game I encountered several England fans who had sacrificed a lot for a chance to go to Brazil.

Dan Cordwell, 22, had to give up his job in Luton after saving up for a year.

Despite the nation’s poor showing, he wasn't angry. “It’s been an incredible journey so far," he said. "The performances on the field haven’t lived up to what we expected, but off the field it’s been the holiday of a lifetime. At least now we can actually enjoy the World Cup without having the heartbreak of a penalty shoot-out!”

It was the same for me. Although England's campaign ended prematurely, I will always have great memories of my time in Sao Paulo.

England may be out, but as a lifelong football fan I feel far from down.

In decades to come, I hope Brazil 2014 will be remembered for the right reasons; the passion of the fans, the natural beauty of the country and the quality of the football. If my experience is anything to go by, it certainly will.