Journalled on Saturday, 24th of June 2023 | Flamengo, Rio de Janeiro: 25 degrees, hot, sunny and with a bright sky.
My intention for this Saturday was to do a heavy exercise routine, even though I am still recovering from a cold and need to relax.
On Monday, I have an appointment with the Federal Police and must take some documents. Yesterday, I sorted them, including which needed to be photocopied and which needed to be printed. It took me about 2 hours to find all the required documents and send them to the bureau for printing.
Everything in Brazil is extremely labour-intensive and bureaucratic. The last time I had gone to the Federal Police was about five years ago. I was dating Jacqueline; we had two trips booked for Peru and Uruguay. I did not have a copy of my Brazilian ID at the time, which was lost or, more precisely, stolen.
To leave the country, I need my Brazilian ID to prove I am legally in Brazil. At that time, the Federal Police station/offices were located inside the main international airport in Rio, the Tom Jobim Airport, which is quite far from the city centre.
So, to go there to resolve a problem was a journey in itself; now, a little before the pandemic, the offices were relocated to Santos Dumont Airport, Rio’s city centre, just a five-minute car ride from Flamengo.
I got up at about 6 a.m., early for a Saturday morning. I left home at about half past six, walked to the park, and immediately started a hard workout until about 8 a.m. I passed by the local Portuguese baker’s for two large coffees and was at home by 9 a.m.I washed and changed and was out in the street, walking toward Copacabana by half past ten.
I am a strong believer in the power of walking; I enjoy walking everywhere and anywhere. It’s not uncommon for me to walk over 60 km during the weekend, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday.
When I am walking, besides feeling good, I am also taking photos, thinking about life, and resolving problems, which is very good. Whatever problem I have, walking helps me to fix it.
I will always be able to find a solution for something through a walk. Once, a pupil sent me a short video on WhatsApp justifying the power and benefits of walking, both physical and psychological.
It also showed that some of the greatest thinkers in history were avid walkers and used walking as a tool to either be inspired by their creative process or to find solutions to problems they could not solve without walking.
So, I walked from Flamengo to Copacabana, did what I needed to do in Copacabana, and made my way back to Flamengo on foot, a round trip of about 20km.
It is gratifying to do something like that without any sequelae or injuries while also knowing its benefits. Why don’t people know, understand, or want to do something so helpful for them in many ways? It beats me!!!
I got home around 2 p.m., feeling a bit tired. Despite it being winter in Rio, the daytime temperature is still high. It has not rained for at least three weeks to a month.
The rest of Saturday was spent resting, working on the computer, finalising a logo design for one of my brands, and eating. Nalva loves to cook and eat. She cooked delicious pasta, and we watched a film on cable TV.
Nowadays, I do not really like TV or cable; it no longer interests me. Old films repeated hundreds of times, an old and out-of-date technology, but everybody was together, so it was okay!!
In bed by 11 p.m.
Thank you.
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Richard
