Tuesday, March 15, 2011

Parting thoughts of Rio and on to Saquarema 03.11.11

The Monday after my Carnaval parade experience is a bit of a blur. After several consecutive days of staying up into the early hours of the morning and not much solid sleep, I could feel my brain start to hiccup and my short-term memory limp along like a marathon runner with a twisted ankle. But here’s what happened my last day-and-a-half in Rio…

Monday, I made my trip up to Corcovado to see if I could catch a glimpse of Christo Redentor, the massive statue of Jesus with his arms outstretched that is the definitive image in the media of Rio, with not much luck. The clouds obscured the massive statue so my pictures are of a shadowy outline. That’s the way it goes, sometimes. Monday night, sweet sleep. Tuesday, I had a fantastic day of visiting Sugarloaf Mountain, which was utterly spectacular. The views from the mountains revealed the incredible beauty of the city and the oceans surrounding it – the white city set against the deep blue sea was striking and I just tried to drink it all in to my heart, which felt like it was overflowing already with so much beauty.

And now, I’m in Saquerema. A chilled out surfer town northeast of Rio and a complete 180 from the energy of Rio. I’m grateful for the relaxed vibe and the constant rhythm of the ocean, just letting it seep into my body and mind, quieting everything down so I have some moments of stillness.

The weather is hot and sultry, some rains here and there. White sand beaches like sugar sticking to my feet. Reading and catching up on my writing.

Wolf and Cladia own my hostel – Hostel Itauna. Wolf is a hardcore, old-school surfer, and looks it. An intense tan. Shoulder-length, curly hair with streaks of blonde from the sun and saltwater. Tribal tattoos on his shoulders, chest, back, and biceps. He owns a surfboard manufacturing shop in the next town over. Claudia pretty much runs the hostel herself, which is immaculate and well designed. Really fit and also deeply tanned, she runs on the beach, rides her bike, and talks to her daughter on the phone, who is spending five months working in Lake Tahoe and who has just announced to her mother, as of yesterday, that she plans to continue her university studies in California. Claudia seems a little concerned but only shrugs her shoulders and says her girl is growing up. Both Claudia and Wolf seem, from the lines around their eyes, to be about 45, but their bodies are 27-year old bodies. Exercise will do that for you. They lead lives that they both seem really happy with, doing the things that they love in an environment that suits the relaxed lifestyle they want to lead. It’s pretty inspirational and gives me pause to consider if the life I’m leading is one that suits me and is in aliment with who I am and who I want to evolve to be.

I leave Saquarema tomorrow morning – catching the bus to Rio at 5:25am, then making a connection to Ilha Grande (pronounced Il-ha Gran-djeh), where I’ll have any number of 150 gorgeous beaches to choose from.

I’ve booked my remaining travel for Brazil and am amazed that my trip is slipping through my fingers so quickly. After Ilha Grande, I head southwest to Paraty and surrounding areas with more gorgeous beaches and ocean. Then up North to Manaus and my trip on the Amazon and in the jungle. After, Iguassu Falls on the Brazil side, and then I start my journeys in Argentina.

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