Lagoa in Rio de Janeiro

Lagoa in Rio de Janeiro
Originally uploaded by randubnick.

Today I scanned in and edited this image from a photo taken during our 1994 trip to Brazil. It's a view of Rio's Lagoa and Corcovado from a vantage point half-way up Pao de Acucar. I remember how lucky I felt to be there. My Brazilian connections have lasted for years, but began with coincidence and random events. As a result, over the years I have tasted mango and guarana, learned the meaning of churrasqueria and feijoida, made brigadeiros and olhas da sogra, danced samba, listened to tropicalismo, and even learned Portuguese. More important, I learned to respect the potential in coincidence, because fantastic things can happen if you keep your mind and heart open.