Boa Viagem Sunrise

— The last time we traveled to Brazil was in January 2020. We had a large family reunion for my youngest niece’s wedding. It was right before COVID-19 became a world pandemic. Besides seeing my entire family, another moment that stands out in my memory was breakfast on our hotel deck every morning. The view in the photo here repeated itself every single day we were in Recife for an entire week.

Sunrises on the beach can be magical. The air was cool and crisp. Boa Viagem beach was still peaceful and not crowded. We could hear the waves breaking gently on the other side of the street across from our hotel. At the time I made this photo, I did not have my Sony camera with me. This is a Samsung phone shot. I was glad the phone captured the vibrant sun color and deep blue sky reflected on the Atlantic ocean waters.

I grew up on the northeast coast of Brazil (Fortaleza is my hometown). The ocean and nature, in general, have been a very strong force in my life. Besides the many times we spent on the beach, I am often reminded of how beautiful and commanding nature is. Japanese poet Ryunosuke Satoro expressed the relation between humans and nature best in his quote: “Individually, we are one drop. Together, we are an ocean.”