A little lesson in hedonism

They say that some people work to live, while others live to work. In Guatemala I would say the majority live to work. Many work two jobs just to support their family, put food on the table and maintain a household. I’ve seen Mayans put one bare foot in front of the other, through muddy paths with loads of wood on their backs to bring supplies miles into the forest to build a school in their community. Here you learn the lessons of hard work, perseverance and strength (both physical and mental).
And if you learn to work in Guatemala, you learn to play in Brazil. Everyday is spent in the sun, enjoying the pleasures of life. It’s a lesson in hedonism, at least in my experience. Beautiful people, breathtaking scenery and exotic food, what more could you ask for- besides all types of music, dance, literature, culture, lifestyles and interpersonal relationships- all, also found here, in the extremes.

This is the vacation home just outside of Uberlandia that I was staying at. They call it Chakra. My days here were very tough; there was a pool, a river, a basketball court, picnic tables by a small waterfall and my own private room. I spent at least an hour a day doing laps in the pool, then I´d retire to some sunbathing while reading and journaling. I made some Portugues flashcards and played basketball and rode bikes at sunset. Life here was good.

In Uberlandia, Paulo lives with his mother in a very nice apartment over looking Uberlandia. His family was awfully nice- treated me to sushi, an all you can eat buffet- where the waiters pull out the chair for you, pour your wine and come by with large chunks of meat on a stick and politely cut you off a small piece- and a lunch at their house of a typical brazilian salad, rice and beans, two meat dishes and some delicious white fish in a tomato sauce. That was my first meal in Brazil, and after two months in Guatemala, it was a gift, to say the least.

We left Uberlandia on Monday (after we missed our flight on Sunday) and spent three nights in Rio de Janeiro. It was an incredable city- my new favorite city, I even prefer it to Barcelona, which I thought was pretty perfect, as far as cities go. I even felt inspired and bought a book called Rio Under Fire. I read it in under 12 hours, I just couldn´t put it down. I been having fantasies of coming back and living here... we´ll just have to wait and see what the future brings.

Now I´m in the Brazilian state of Bahia in a place called Itacare. It´s a quite surfing town with unreal beaches and a rasta way of life. Muite tranquilo. The pictures will probably express this better than words.