November 4, 2011: I didn’t
think money could buy happiness…but today, it bought 20 minutes of short-term
happiness. I went hang gliding for my
first time and it was an amazing bird-like experience. Running off a wooden platform from a
mountain, the air captured us and held us suspended in the sky overlooking the
beauty of Rio, from the favelas to the beaches.
It was a surreal moment with my smile stuck onto my face like a detachable
smile from the plastic toy, Mr. Potato Head…not moving.
I needed to fill out a waver before sprinting off the cliff
and I was asked about my blood type. I
am A+, or is it an A-? Maybe I am B
something? If I need blood one day, I
guess I could run into a problem giving them the wrong number. It is sort of like the different types of motor
oil I suppose.
After the hang gliding I felt like I could do anything – I did
just run off a cliff and fly like a bird.
Still on my high, I thought I would explore the largest favela in South
America on my own. Not extremely smart
from a potential insurance claim standpoint if I happened to get my camera or
kindle stolen.
I did take some precautions, transferring my memory stick in
my camera into a scrap piece of paper placing it into a pocket, them my credit
card into a different pocket and finally I dispersed my cash into other pockets
– yes, I have a lot of pockets on these pants.
I thought maybe, just maybe, I would look like a rare white local
and blend in. Sitting off to the side eating
a pastel as I watch people go about their daily lives. A little thugster not even 18 seconds later
passes by staring at me with a big smile and gives me a big thumbs up. Okay, either my clothes make me stand completely
out or maybe there is just no such thing as a white local living in these
favelas.
