GA Days 39 & 40 (January 13 & 14, 2024) - I have to say that adjusting to my new environment has been exhausting this first five days. Between the hectic flow of activity, the constant intensity of translation and communicating, the incredible heat and humidity, and just the whole transition has forced me into afternoon naps (rare for me) and sound sleep at night. It is not a bad exhaustion; in fact, it is kind of an exhilarating form of tiredness - somewhat like what I would feel at the end of a half-marathon run back in the day. Of course the two beach mornings I have had so far with walks of 6+ km and swims as the sun starts working to its peak heat do tend to sap my energy.
Saturday morning started with an early dose of work clearing emails and other work-related administration, then it was off to the farmer's market. This was an incredible experience as there was one large marquee tent and rows of fresh produce in large bins. Most anything you could think of was there - the staples like lettuce, carrots, potatoes, radishes. And then all kinds of fruits, roots, and gourds - turmeric, papaya, avocados, mangoes, zucchini, eggplant, and dragon fruit. The place was kind of like Granville Island in Vancouver or Jean Talon market in Montreal although much smaller. Smaller with great variety but also cheaper and much more efficient. Cheaper as, with the exception of specialty items, everything was 7 reias ($2 Cdn) per kilogram across the board. Efficient because you pile all the non-specialty items into large bags or bins and weigh it all together - no line-up at the till with each item being individually tallied. And the produce was of excellent quality that far exceeded what I would normally find in Safeway back in Osborne Village. The fish vendor was a really neat guy with fresh shrimp, oysters, and a variety of fish. I brought home 1 kg of salmon (I think it was bigger than that) for about $30...and it was fresh and delicious. That night I would end up cooking the salmon for 5 guests (new friends!) and us, preparing it with a maple syrup, smoked paprika, and pecan glaze that turned out excellent and impressed everyone. Guess I will be doing some more cooking in the near future.
After carting the goods from the market back to the condo, Angela wanted to take me to Lagoa da Conceição, a saltwater lagoon, that is just over the ridge behind the condo. But, of course, it is not a straight path there as one must navigate a bit of hilly terrain and what seems to be a vale in the ridge. The traffic was quite heavy as it was a weekend of the summer vacation period and everyone seemed headed to the beach. There is a pull-out and viewpoint overlooking the lagoon out towards the Atlantic Ocean with a bit of a resort-like town along the lagoon. The view was spectacular in spite of the grey skies and we took some time to just take in the scenery and lush vegetation.
Angela also had a mission - besides a bit of sightseeing to a new part of the island, she was whisking me off in search of sandals and lunch. Not just any sandals, but Havaianas that are a signature footwear in Brazil. While many places do sell this particular brand of sandals, the ultimate experience is going to one of their retail stores. Cinderella would have a field day here, although I did not see any Havaianas in glass, there were some very sparkly and bejeweled ones. The pair that Angela had brought to Canada for me were already one of my favourite footwear...I simply needed another pair for variety. And it was so hard to chose, so I ended up with three (the young man assisting me suggested three more pairs and I would have a set for each day of the week - clever!).
Sunday was a beach morning and, as Angela had a nephew and his family staying at Praia de Canasvieras, it was back to that beach (same one as on my second day here) to go for a 6+ km walk, swims, and to take in the fresh air. There were five of us on this adventure that included three friends from the previous evening. It was another spectacular hot day but so relaxing to just kick back and people watch. Unlike the previous visit, the beach was completely packed - thousands of umbrellas stretched the length of the coastline to the point it was hard to get through to the water. And there were vendors hawking everything from food, to beachwear, to colourful fabrics (wraps and coverings), to electronic boomboxes and speakers - a mobile Walmart.
Once well-cooked we headed over to Praia de Santo Antonio and Praia do Sambaqui, quaint little villages with huge beaches and some older colonial buildings. The view across the bay towards Floripa was idyllic with the sunlight sparkling off the still waters and relatively quiet given all the people on the beaches. We had lunch outside in the shade with this brilliant vista spread before us - so calm and peaceful. It has been a very long time since I have experienced such a feeling of total serenity and complete comfort in a new environment. In fact, the last time I felt something similar was January 1994 sitting on a log one evening at English Bay in Vancouver, sipping a latte while watching the ships and their reflecting lights on the water and feeling like I had finally found home. Not the house home but the geographical place home. Five days into my visit here and I feel like this could be home.
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