For the first time it has finally sunk in. I am no longer employed. No need to report in to anybody. Able to get up as and when - and where! - i feel like! What a feeling. Surreal. In fact, I have still not been able to stumble on the right words that manage to describe this...
And all this in a city as surreal as Rio. What an amazing city! How many cities can claim to call beaches such as Ipanema, Copacobana, Leblo - so many more, a part of their grid?! Definitely not many that I know of!
My day consisted of walking, lots of walking. Sundays in Rio see the roads along the beach closed to traffic to allow cyclists, runners, rollerbladers and skateboarders to freely exercise along the vast stretches of beaches. Dogs are paraded, partytricks and acrobatics are performed, dimply derriers are shown off in all their glory in skimpy brazillian bikinis... it is an easy way to idle away the time - life here seems to have no rush, no major need to 'be' anywhere...
And if you ever feel like temptation is getting the better of you, or that you are being led astray, just turn your eyes upwards... the giant statue of Jesus stands calmly above - arms stretched out protectively over us, his eyes seeing all. Quite a very reassuring and calming presence....
Did you know that the city Rio has the largest population of Japanese relative to any other city (outside of Japan) in the world? No wonder there are so many sushi restaurants! (note, this fact was sourced from a slightly outdated travel guide book!)
