Incongruity

One night not long ago I was sitting in the Rio de Janeiro Yacht Club. There are probably only a couple of more exclusive places in Rio. Then again, maybe there aren't any. An impromptu wine tasting with a group of new friends revealed some great wines and more than a few funny stories. Two days later, I'd find myself walking through two different Favela's (slums) in Rio. One the smallest with 4,500 residents, Vidigal, the other the largest, Rocinha, with over 150,000. It's amazing to see the striking difference between two segments of the population that sometimes live within short distances of each other.

I took almost 500 pix in Brasil. Here is a link to 230 of the best. See the Favela's, the graffiti, the beach and the mountains.

I grew up in the midwest and constantly miss the sunsets there, but after two trips to Buzios, I have to say they have the most beautiful sunsets I've seen anywhere in the world.

For five weeks, I was away from home. I've seen some of the most amazing sights of my life. I'm trying to come to grips with the opportunities I've been provided. The thing I missed most from home? Baguette and cheese imported from Italy and France. I marvel at saying those words. Two weeks ago I was touring the poorest slum in Rio and to be honest, the life there didn't appear as bad as I thought it might. We take so much for granted. Take a minute of two to look around you today and really consider what you have that others don't.