I write this so late because Richard (one of the B&B owners) and I were sitting out by the pool talking about Rio culture, life, politics, crime, economy, language, and about some of the guests that have passed through these gates. For three hours we chatted as time flew by and we swapped stories.
Brazil is really coming into its own. One can clearly see around the city the improvements they are making to plan for the near- and long-term. The power had gone out for an hour this evening but it was still dusk so we had some light. I picked up some fruit for dinner and sat outside eating when Richard walked by to turn the lights back on after the power came back. He explained that the city is upgraded its electrical infrastructure ahead of all the major events it will be hosting in coming years. So every so often a neighborhood will go through a a blackout while the city is making repairs and upgrading. Growing pains. This is also why I travel with a flashlight. The newly-arrived Canadian bird-watching couple seemed perturbed and asked me what was going on. I said to give it time, as the lights also flickered off the other night, too. Richard said he could tell this couple might be a handful because they demanded to switch rooms to the only room that had a safe. This is their home, their housekeepers have all been here at least 10 years. If you can't trust one another, you shouldn't be staying at B&Bs. Richard went on to tell stories about other difficult guests. And how you can always spot an American tourist. And other helpful hints he's provided to other guests to keep them safe from harm or incident.
We also went on to talk about crime. Listen, if you can live smart in Chicago or New York, you have the street sense to visit here. I mean, extra street smarts. I know people back home who are very diligent and play safe in Chicago, and I know some people that aren't quite as aware of their surroundings, but have fared well. Blending in and making it difficult to be a target has kept me safe here. But really, it isn't any different than how I live in Chicago. This city is 4x bigger than Chicago, but operates by some of the same rules. Actually, maybe a bit friendlier.
I learned a few lessons this week and from our conversation. The Brazilian Way is to take along only what you need, and pick up the rest later. Pack lightly, if going on vacation or just to the beach. The world will provide.
I also learned about the far corners of this country and how diverse it is. As I sit in this city of 12 million people, I can hardly believe that elsewhere north of here, in the same country, are tribes that have never had contact with modern civilization. Brazil is striving to preserve that culture and respect the native way of life and their surroundings. From recycling, to conservation, to preserving and appreciating the most precious real estate in the world, the Amazon, this country has both surprised me and amazed me.
I visited the botanic gardens this morning. This is a fantastic climate for some amazing greenery to thrive, including a section devoted to preserving rare species of plants. There was giant bamboo, palm trees, lily ponds, Japanese gardens, tropical flowers, stunning Amazonian trees with rock-hard and smooth trunks, willows, vines, and a plethora of other greenery that I can't possibly remember. It was a gorgeous few hours in the quite tranquil of a park situated at the base of a mountain, in the only neighborhood that doesn't have a favela sneaking up the sides of the cliffs.
I took another bus there this morning, and I knew that somewhere at the end of the line was a connection to another bus that looped back through Ipanema. But since I wasn't familiar with the bus terminal and these buses didn't all announce their stops, I wasn't about to press my luck in an unfamiliar neighborhood. So I headed back to Botafogo and picked up a street snack. I didn't have much of an appetite and was exhausted from the day at the gardens, so later I stopped in a grocery story to pick up some mangos and grapefruit for dinner. Also at 1am last night my delicious fried dinner didn't agree with me and made an uncomfortable exit. I've been eating so much fruit and juice and healthy food for days that I think I shocked my g/i system. I also didn't feel like the hassle of a restaurant again, nor climbing those 174 steps... Twice. To waste a little time I stopped in a shopping mall that I heard had an 8th floor veranda with a great view of Praia Botafogo, and it didn't disappoint. On the way back down I spotted exercise equipment in a nearby park. I was color-coded according to age and ability. I saw some older people on some equipment doing some gentle exercise. I've seen this in quite a few places, gyms in parks and along the beaches. I asked Richard about this, and he said that yes, this is a health-conscious city, and the government helps promote it by making workout equipment available and free. Insert your own comparisons here with American culture. Would we work out more if we had chance encounters and opportunities to do so, for free?
What I do appreciate about the public transit system here is that it is also undergoing some renovations to improve it for the World Cup and the Olympics. Where there is construction and re-routing, transit employees with bright yellow shirts and with words "I can help" written on the front hand out flyers, give directions, and have megaphones telling people where to go. When the Blue Line shuts down in Chicago (it always seems to be the blue line) and there are shuttle buses instead, could you imagine the CTA doing this? Their employees hardly know their own names.
This city and economy is growing, and there's also a conscious social effort to make sure that everyone feels it. They don't want to leave the poor behind. They want to bring millions more out of poverty, and have successfully done so with 28 million in this country in the past 10 years. They want progress to happen together. You can also see this happening in the favelas as the cops take the neighborhoods back from the gang leaders.
This city certainly has its growing pains, but it's also thinking ahead. Mandarin may be the latest hot language to learn, but Portuguese may be next.
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