Living the Life

Brazilians live the life. ACTUALLY.

Picture this. It is a sunday afternoon, mid winter. The sun is beating down (though it is not too hot), and thousands of people have walked over to the beach to enjoy the day. The sand is soft and warm, and the turqouise water extends out in front of you as the sunlight dances upon the ripples in the water. Large white waves crash on the shore which is dotted with bright colored sarongs and umbrellas. All around you are dark men with perfectly toned abs and strong bodies walking around in their euro-short speedos. They dive into the water with their surf boards. They stand in large circles juggling a soccer ball. They pass around a joint and drink some beer. Or they gracefully play capoiera, doing flips and one-handed stands as they circle eachother in an artistic fight. There are fresh coconut vendors who, with a few quick flicks from a machete slice off the top and hand you a straw to sip the sweet water from inside. No one keeps track of time, because there are no obligations.

Yes, my friends, that was my afternoon yesterday. It was exquisite. I played some frisbee, and sported my new, too small, bikini with pride. The water stays shallow for quite a long way, but the waves are very turbulent and with every crash take off your clothes. The Brazilians laugh because they think those waves are small, though every one of us Americans disagreed. We left just before sunset to get home before dark and since some clouds had blown our way and were threatening rain. It was wonderful