I am writing this on the bus to São Paulo, riding through green rolling hills and mountains. Seeing the huge landscape and lush tropical forest has helped me relax and think for the past few hours. I receive such a calm when I get into a vehicle and take my seat. At that point there is nothing else I can do, and I am going somewhere. I feel like I am escaping the crowd and craziness of life in Rio as I am headed to a city with 23 or however many millions of people São Paulo has. I envision myself returning refocused and ready to take on my job.

Holy week allowed me to try and focus my time on faith and prayer, which was a great way for me to connect with people from this culture, feel part of a group, and also to ask for patience in my day to day and long term operations down here. I went to the church on the evening of Good Friday hoping to run into a mass or at least get some quiet time with the hundreds of other people that would be flowing in and out to do the same. I ended up sitting there for about an hour amongst the quiet crowd, almost getting up to leave multiple times, but telling myself I had nothing else to do and that it was good for me to sit quietly and think (or unthink).

Well I was lucky that I stayed because now I have some culture to write about on this blog! I heard a noise outside and everybody all of a sudden got up and walked to the back of the church, outside there were hundreds of people lighting candles in the main street that was just closed off. There was a line of young people carry banners representing the stations of the cross, and as an old lady handed me a candle a group came out of the church with Jesus on the ten foot cross that was up at the alter.

Of course you could not have a faith filled Brazilian procession without music coming out of truck carrying huge speakers. A thousand strong walked down the main road with people in every apartment looking down at us on each side. As the voice from the speakers lead the stations of the cross in prayer and song we took a turn towards the beach, and came across another army of Catholics led by a bigger truck meeting us at a platform overlooking the water. I would have to say we, the Ipanema crew, had the advantage with the bishop leading our group under the cover of a golden cloth canopy carried by faithful followers.

They mounted the cross on the platform and the Catholics of Copacabana brought a statue of the Virgin Mary and set her looking up at her son. The leaders of the groups and the bishop led the last station and everyone sang as a robed group lowered Jesus from the cross and placed him in a wooden casket.

With half the candles still lit and a lot of melted plastic cups we walked back to the church where there was a slow motion mob rush to reach the casket holding Jesus, give your donation, and say a prayer.

It was cool.