No one should have to drive past this on their way to work…
Life isn’t all fun and games when you live in Rio you know? Some of us have to work for a living! I mentioned recently that we are planning to move because my new job in Barra means that it can take 2 hours to get to/from work. Without wanting to moan about it too much (because in reality I’m very grateful to have a decent job that pays the bills) I will say that the long journey can be pretty exhausting. If we take the example of my journey home after a long day in the office, it goes something like this:
Leave the office around 7.30pm and walk 10 minutes to the bus stop. Wait up to 30 minutes for the bus to arrive. Depending on traffic, the bus to Ipanema will take 45-60 minutes. Arrive in Ipanema, walk down to the Metro and take the train for 8 stops. Come up from the Metro and walk up a very steep hill. Total journey time: 1.5-2 hours. And that’s why we’re moving!
The journey home in the evening can be especially boring as (at this time of year at least) it is totally dark, so I can’t even see the scenery. But then on days like today, being able to see the scenery isn’t always 100% positive:
That’s quite a view isn’t it? Of course I’m not really complaining – I’d far rather look at amazing mountains and coastline then some grey, mediocre cityscape.
But all the same, it can be tough driving past something like this…
…when you know you have to stay on the bus and spend the next 9 hours in an office! Hey ho – I guess the beach would get boring if we could go every day. I’ll just keep my fingers crossed for good weather on the weekend!
I used to live in Honolulu (and Kaneohe and Kailua). Know what you mean, but this scenery is even more spectacular. Wow. These are really, really beautiful pictures.
Worst thing about Hawaii was that I had to work 1.5 jobs to be able to afford to live there. Saturdays were spent crashing from fatigue. Sunday, maybe, maybe an hour or two at the beach. People would come visit me from the mainland and ask where my tan was… Out there on the beach that I see every day but can’t go to.
Ah, I’d love to see Hawaii! Especially those massive waves (though being an equally massive chicken, I’d be very happy to watch them from dry land!). 1.5 jobs must have been exhausting. Although I’m only working the one at the moment, the commute makes it feel like more, so I really sympathise.
Not sure I’ll get much sympathy from my northern hemisphere friends who spend most of the year either impatiently waiting for summer or complaining about how bad summer turned out! At least I get to look at some nice weather! ;)
Steve! I love Kailua! (your talking Oahu, right?) Beautiful little town, and so close to Honolulu, right through the Likki Likii or the Pali Highway….ah, so beautiful..my whole family might even move there soon (minus me, cause I’ll be in Brazil..) So, yeah..I’m jealous, even with the 1.5 jobs. And I have a friend from Kaneohe, and another one from Wahiawa, but I don’t like the valley as much as the side you were on! I’m sure they’ll be leaving the mainland back for HI after they lose their Island Fever.
NICE pictures Tom. You have quite a picturesque, albeit frustratingly long commute. Maybe, just maybe I’ll take a picture of mine, you’d be jealous! A few dead trees and a bunch of warehouses! BEAUTIFUL!
Aiiiiii! Como amo essa cidade!!!
É espectacular né? :)
Eita vida difícil a sua! ;)
É uma vida dura, Luciana, uma vida dura… rs ;)
Since I am not familiar with real estate in Rio please forgive me it the following suggestion is silly: why not rent a Keytcheenetchee in Barra da Tijuca and spend 2-3 days of the week there on your own?
I am thinking that this would drastically cut down exhaustion, allow you to retain the Santa Teresa address that you like, and give your marriage that healthy expectation of re-encounter every week.
Ha ha! I’ll pass that idea by my bank manager and my wife. I think they’d have a few things to say on the matter :)
Tom,
Off topic: check out the translation for this menu used in a Korean restaurant.
http://www.engrish.com/wp-content/uploads//2012/07/korean-menu.jpg
LOL. Honestly, if I were the owner I would keep this gem (or gema as you seem to prefer) on the menu, and indicate that the updated version with the corrections are on the flip side.
This used to happen to me on my way to work in San Diego. I lived in La Jolla and went into the lab at 7am. I used to pass all the surfers surfing the beautiful waves. Total fail. At least I got off around 3pm and could go join the afternoon beach folks
It’s painful isn’t it? And I’m still in the office now, at 8.30pm. Now that’s a fail! :D