Jardim Botanico

On an afternoon of 43 degrees in Rio de Janeiro I thought that a reprieve from the heat was by far too much to ask. For the last 5 hours I had been sweating like I only thought possible in the hottest set of yards, on the most remote cattle station, in the Tanami dessert, in Australia. It was not a pleasant sensation to revisit. Rio de Janeiro, is likely the only place in the world where going to the beach actually makes you hotter and more uncomfortable than you were in the middle of the city’s centre walking along the very busy roadside sidewalks, so I knew that heading to the water was out of the question. (Because of the sheer amount of people that flock to Rio’s beaches on a day like that, there is no space for a towel on the beach, let alone 1m squared swimming space. And if, by chance, you happen to find enough space to leave your towel you wont make it to the waters edge without being harassed by someone selling something. But the Brazilian beaches are another story, and I don’t complain because amidst all the chaotic stress, they’re a lot of fun.)

So there I was at a blistering 2pm traipsing through the streets of the city. With intense sweat stinging my eyes, my feet black and blistered from walking along the dirty avenues in a pair of Havi’s and my mouth as arid and dry as the dust from the territory, with the lingering aftertaste of sunblock contributing to my desperate thirst, I was beginning to want to be anywhere but Rio.

I’m sure it was because the ancient spirits of Rio didn’t want me to think such a thought that all of a sudden I found myself at the entrance of the botanic gardens.

The moment I stepped foot through the gates and onto the white velvety path the leaves of the giant fig trees shaded me from the sun rays and the tree trunks and roots encircled me in an embrace I felt was from Mother Nature herself.

I remembered the stories my mother used to tell me as a child to help me sleep or relax “you are walking through a beautiful garden…” and I had a version of my nirvana waiting to be explored below my tired and weary feet, which had seemed to have soaked up the energy from the ground and were now feeling light and sprightly.

A beautiful afternoon awaited me.