Monday, September 17, 2012

Change your Thoughts...


 “ Change your thoughts and you change your world”. Normal V. Peale.

During one of my first business trips to Sao Paulo, Brazil, one of the largest cities in the world, I casually asked the taxi driver what he thought of Rio de Janeiro.  The driver looked at me with a concerned look and vowed never to visit Rio because it was a very dangerous city.  He then added anecdotal stories of murder, robberies and police brutality.  

A few weeks later, I was walking near Ipanema Beach, Rio de Janeiro with a grin from ear-to-ear in awe of the sheer beauty of the place they have nicknamed “The Marvelous City”.  The famous beaches, the lush jungle nestled up to the city sitting on the edge of a beautiful crystal blue Atlantic Ocean.  I found myself inside another taxi and this time decided to ask the driver what he thought of Sao Paulo City.  The driver nearly jumped out of his seat to warn me of the dangers lurking all around Sao Paulo, the infamous gang violence of 2006, homicides and daily carjacking’s.  He refused to visit Sao Paulo because he had been warned it was such a dangerous place.  Like most, if not all large cities, Rio de Janeiro and Sao Paulo have their fair share of crime, however these cities also offer a tremendous amount beauty, prosperity and culture.  The truth is that the vast majority of citizens of these two cities are hard working, law abiding, warm people who love living life to it’s fullest and not opportunistic criminals waiting for the first gringo to walk by.

Before we embarked on our road trip we read government produced country reports on the dangers lurking in every single country between Brazil and Canada.  Most reports had recommendations such as “avoid all non-essential travel”, while others suggested that we “avoid all travel” period.  The sad reality is that a good majority of countries throughout the Americas are having a difficult time in keeping the crime rate at an acceptable rate and have poor records for good governance.  It also doesn’t take long to find online news articles depicting senseless and at times random acts of violence and a million and one “reasons” never to leave the comfort of one’s own city.  It didn’t take long before we questioned if this trip was worth the “risk”.  

Just like the taxi drivers who have never ventured outside of their cities, we were slowly falling into the trap of fearing the unknown.  

With support and encouragement from family, friends and other travelers who had embarked on similar trips throughout the Americas, we decided to press on…and we weren’t disappointed!   

We were blessed, privileged and humbled to have traveled over 19,300 km through 12 countries without any major issues.  The border crossings were a pain but not difficult, we just needed some patience and respect for local laws and procedures.  The police and military roadblocks are a necessary reality of many countries but we were always treated in a professional manner, perhaps we were lucky.  The roads were surprisingly in good condition and the drivers as good and/or as bad as in North America...Lima, Peru perhaps being the exception in which controlled chaos and extreme honking is the norm. 

It’s difficult to choose the “best country” or pick a favorite place, but some things do stand out.  Driving over the Andes at one point reaching an altitude of almost 15,000 feet while seeing small children happily playing on the side of the highway in near freezing temperature.  Descending into the highest capital in the world, Quito, Ecuador didn’t disappoint and was well worth the visit. The gorgeous old walled city in Cartagena, Colombia on the shores of the Caribbean Sea.  Enjoying a break from the daily driving while diving in the crystal waters off Taganga, Colombia.  The pristine and untouched San Blas Islands of the Kuna Yala tribe off the coast of Panama.  The colonial city of Antigua, Guatemala, sitting in the shadow of Volcan de Agua and de Fuego.  The peacefulness and freedom of driving with those you love.

We are now back home. The bags have been unpacked, the kids enrolled in school and the work schedule posted on the fridge.  We now sit quietly reflecting on what we’ve accomplished but also back to the wonderful places we visited, lifelong friendships and elated we embarked on this journey of a lifetime.



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