Balneário Camboriú

When I was in high school, I remember how I used to drag myself out of bed in morning just to be ready in time to catch the school bus….15 years later, the same emotion resurfaces as I get ready to catch my “office” bus! After spending some time in Sao Paulo, my work took me further south in Brazil to a state called Santa Catarina. For the past one month my office has been in a small town called Gaspar around an hour away from my home in another small town, Balneário Camboriú.

Balneário Camboriú

Balneário Camboriú, a beach town is a major tourist destination with population of roughly 200,000 which reaches over 1 million during summer (and yes I went there for work!). I walk out of my hotel here and in less than 100 meters reach the central beach, a beach with panoramic view on either ends of green mountains dropping down to the blue ocean. I walk to the north end of the beach and a cable car is waiting to take me over the hills to the adjoining beach. I walk to the south end of the beach and have a boardwalk built besides the mountains and over the ocean to connect me to more beaches. I look out of the office and all I can see in green mountains, a river flowing calmly besides it and endless cattle farms.

Cable car connecting beaches separated by hills

But as they say, all good things must come to an end....I am back in Sao Paulo. Now I walk out of the hotel and see a concrete jungle. I walk north and see major avenues filled with traffic. I walk to the south and see the highly polluted Pinheiros River instead of the blue Atlantic. I look out of the office and I see huge favela (slum). It might almost seem that I have moved back to hell from heaven, but there is something about the city which makes it worth coming back to. Like most major financial centers around the world it has it has its own flair and vigor. In the constant rush of people you see a sense of purpose to achieve something and it fills you with energy and motivation to make a difference!