Live in the moment: sounds

We are here indeed! Early morning sounds are quite different from those back home--as are many other things that enliven my senses. I've decided that living in the moment for me means focusing on my five senses, so my plan is to give you a sense of what I'm experiencing here through each of my senses, day by day. We'll see how it goes. So, hearing first. Our room in the hotel opens onto a street. There's no screen, only bars for protection. Our casement windows stayed open last night. There were so many party noises and the blur of native Portugese last night that Della jokingly asked if we should invite the crowd in! It's quieter this mornng, but In the collage of sounds I can pick out footsteps, birds, breakfast preparations taking place in the outdoor dining area outside our room. Musquitos buzzing occasionally near my ears. Voices and laughter of early risers including the familiar, comfortable voices of some fellow pilgrims. Dogs barking closeby and in the distance (seems to be a regular thing here). A baby crying out there somewhere and the whirr of the occasional plane flying overhead (we may be on the path from the nearby airport). The overhead fan was our companion over night, but it's off now, it's steady click quiet. Sporatic crackle and explosion of firecrackers and fireworks (some off in distant streets and some exploding much closer to us here) portend today's World Cup competition where Brazilians can already taste national victory. A few sounds of the morning in Rio. A happy Sunday awaits.