So I unexpectedly went to a friend's place on Friday after my 'accidental' invitation. There I made my first Caipirinha - a cocktail made of lime, cachaça (Brazilian sugarcane alcohol) and about half a cup of sugar. It was good! After that, Juliana, the girl I dialed by accident last night serve some carrot cake, with two separate layers of chocolate icing. LOTS of sugar. It was good!
It didn't take long before I crashed out on the sofa, suffering from a massive low which follows any sugar high. I woke up around 1.30am and headed back to Lapa, where I'm staying. Passing through the buzzing energy that swallows Lapa on a Friday I couldn't bring myself to go straight home so I got out of the mini-bus and decided to walk around. I decided to do a few of Lapa laps.
One vendor was selling a plate of beef fillet, onions and mashed potatoes. It smelled so great. I wasn't hungry but my salivary glands disagreed. As I walked past I told my them that I would surrender to their wishes if they were still excited the next time I passed. They were. I did.
Sitting down on a low plastic stool with knock-knees trying to balance my polystyrene square of buttery food while consoling my disappointed taste buds, I saw Gonzalo pass - my dear Chilean friend. I became close with him over the last few days and I'd thought we'd said our final goodbye. I threw up my hands in a giant V knowing that he would look over and see me through the thick traffic of bodies. He did. Our hearts shake hands in a warm embrace.
The power of the universe never ceases to amaze me. Had I been looking for Gonzalo I never would have found him. Gonzalo is staying in Niteroi - a 45 minute drive away. The chances of actually bumping into him were extremely minimal. We individually made thousands of choices and micro-choices that night - e.g. take this way, stop here, walk this fast, etc - with innumerable variables and possible outcomes, hence the chance of occupying the exact same place at the exact same moment in time was infinitely more unlikely. But the universe worked it's magic and united our like-energies, our shared frequencies once again.
Last week I was at a massive street parade in Copacabana. Sam had told me he would be there - among the tens of thousands of people - so at first I foolishly looked for him. I then thought, "This is ridiculous. If it is meant to be the universe will make it happen." So of course I wasn't surprised when we actually crossed paths.
It's possible that it was Gonzalo willing this non-coincidence, this non-accident - of me dialing the wrong number last night. Though... it could have also been the psycho woman we met a couple of hours later. To be continued...
It didn't take long before I crashed out on the sofa, suffering from a massive low which follows any sugar high. I woke up around 1.30am and headed back to Lapa, where I'm staying. Passing through the buzzing energy that swallows Lapa on a Friday I couldn't bring myself to go straight home so I got out of the mini-bus and decided to walk around. I decided to do a few of Lapa laps.
One vendor was selling a plate of beef fillet, onions and mashed potatoes. It smelled so great. I wasn't hungry but my salivary glands disagreed. As I walked past I told my them that I would surrender to their wishes if they were still excited the next time I passed. They were. I did.
Sitting down on a low plastic stool with knock-knees trying to balance my polystyrene square of buttery food while consoling my disappointed taste buds, I saw Gonzalo pass - my dear Chilean friend. I became close with him over the last few days and I'd thought we'd said our final goodbye. I threw up my hands in a giant V knowing that he would look over and see me through the thick traffic of bodies. He did. Our hearts shake hands in a warm embrace.
The power of the universe never ceases to amaze me. Had I been looking for Gonzalo I never would have found him. Gonzalo is staying in Niteroi - a 45 minute drive away. The chances of actually bumping into him were extremely minimal. We individually made thousands of choices and micro-choices that night - e.g. take this way, stop here, walk this fast, etc - with innumerable variables and possible outcomes, hence the chance of occupying the exact same place at the exact same moment in time was infinitely more unlikely. But the universe worked it's magic and united our like-energies, our shared frequencies once again.
Last week I was at a massive street parade in Copacabana. Sam had told me he would be there - among the tens of thousands of people - so at first I foolishly looked for him. I then thought, "This is ridiculous. If it is meant to be the universe will make it happen." So of course I wasn't surprised when we actually crossed paths.
It's possible that it was Gonzalo willing this non-coincidence, this non-accident - of me dialing the wrong number last night. Though... it could have also been the psycho woman we met a couple of hours later. To be continued...
