Corre la voz = Run your voice

        As I was walking through the old city in Santiago de Compostela, I hear a big commotion coming from the plaza do Obradoiro = Laborers square, in front of the Cathedral.

        I figure it was a big group of pilgrims reaching the Cathedral after the camino = the way, and they were celebrating, as it happens many times when big groups arrive.

        However, it was a group of people that run from Madrid to Santiago to raise awareness about cancer.

        There are 613 km. = 381 miles, and this group ran it in two weeks.

        They were divided into teams, and they run 6 hours a day. Each member ran for 20 kms. about 2 hours a day every morning. In the afternoon they would stop at different centers to give talk about cancer and it's complications. to bring awareness to the people and to show them how people can help.

        They arrived happy to have met their goal, they were happy to bring awareness about this terrible disease, they were happy to be able to do something about it.

        They were laughters, they were tears amid the embraces, and there was dance.

        Spouses, children, parents, accompanied the runners, cheering them. A group of bikers (yellow vests) joined them along the way.

        After running for two weeks, all of them did a dance full of energy and fun.

Fishing for dorados.

My son in law wanted to go fishing for dorados, so we went to Salto, Uruguay to fish for these big golden fishes.

We rented a fishing boat with a very nice local guide named Horacio Fontes. One of his sons picked us at the hotel at 8am and took us to the river where his father was waiting for us.

It was a beautiful sunny day so I prepared myself to spend a nice day on the boat enjoying the scenery and taking pictures while my son in law fished. After all I am not into fishing, but I love the water so it was fine.

The river was 5 meters = 16 feet high so we could not fly fish we had to do it with those wooden fishes with hooks that they use for bait.

Needless to say that as long as I was there I figure I try to see if I can catch some of those fishes, and I did, I caught a little one, only 4 lbs.  but I was happy with it. After the pictures the fish went back to the water.

getting ready to touch it

almost touching it

I did it!!!

 

Of course, my son in law has to be a show off, so he caught first a 23 lb.’s and then a 42 lb.’s. Of course both of them went back into the water too.

After a great day on the Uruguay River (even if I only caught a little one) we went back to the hotel to enjoy the hot springs and then a nice steak dinner to end the nice day on a high note.

Santos, Brazil, not the way I planned it.

On the way to Santos

Last Tuesday I decided to go to Santos for a few days to enjoy the beach there. And what a beautiful place it was.

I was supposed to arrive at 5pm, however, the truck drivers were having a demonstration and they blocked all the highways and bridges going into the port and the city. So, after seating in the bus for an extra 3 hours, I arrived in Santos at 8pm.

After checking in at the hostel I walked the three blocks to the beach and walked along the promenade, I had dinner at one of the many stands along the beach and then some more walking.

Promenade

The beach is 7 kilometers = 4.5 miles long, very wide and calm (a little brown) waters. It is enclosed by a large promenade, with gardens, monuments, fountains, bike and walking paths. There were many people jogging, bicycling, walking or just seating at one of the many benches along the gardens.

After walking for 3 hours I went back to the hostel. The next day I visited the town, walked some more on the promenade and due to rain I ended up at a mall.

Promenade at night

Beach at night

Finally the next day I went to the beach, first thing a nice swim and then to lay on the sand to get dry. And there I was, laying peacefully, enjoying the quiet of the place, relaxing, almost in a deep state of meditation, when, I felt a hand on my neck. As I open my eyes, I saw a man’s face over mine and at that moment he yanked my chain and run of on his bicycle.

I jumped to my feet and started screaming: thief, thief, on the bicycle, thief!!!

I picked my clothes and I started running behind him still screaming at the top of my lungs. He was on a bike and I was running on the sand, so of course I did not catch him.

A few minutes later I saw two policemen riding on their 4 wheelers and I flag them down and I filed a report. And that is that. 

                Until you are not in a situation you don’t know how you are going to react, I never thought that I would scream and run behind a robber like I did, but I did. I was not afraid or scare, I was mad that I have been robbed.

View from across the Aquarium

I have used that chain for over 20 years on four continents and I never had a problem, and now…. Oh well…it is just a chain, it can be replace.

I was not going to let this incident ruin my vacation, so the next day, I went for another walk on the promenade, and I was going to take a ferry trip around the island and the bahia, however, there were a group of school children taking the trip and I did not want to spend two hours in a boat full of elementary school children. So I went to the aquarium instead, after that a nice dinner of shrimp, and I walked back to the hostel.

Now I have to buy a new chain.

50 Shades of Grey

I don’t really understand the fascination with 50 shades of Grey. I read the novels because I heard so much about it being such a good book that I have to read it.

Well into the first chapter I was disappointed because the book was poorly written; besides the story line was unbelievable and repetitive. I kept on reading because I was hoping I will see what people were so fascinated about it, and that fact still eludes me.

I don’t like romance novels, they are too mushy, and this book reminds me of a romance novel with some S&M throw in.

What I really did not like was the fact that it portrayed Grey as a sick individual that Anastacia was able to cure due to her love toward him.

The book romanticizes the notion that trough love and patience a woman can change a man. The way I see it, it opens the door for more women to continue in an abusive relationship because at the end they might be able to change their man. And we all know that no men or women changes unless they want to change.

The narrative in the book is repetitive and in my opinion it was not erotic, it was just lame.

So, as I said before, I don’t understand the fascination with the book and now the film which I will not see because I prefer spend my money in something worthwhile.