departing in 5 mins 🕝

Philadelphia

Life’s stresses can be overwhelming. Sometimes, even a five-minute break is necessary, like this chef’s break in one of Philadelphia’s many alleyways.

Fortunately, we have summer, a time to escape the routine. You are unbound from your work hours and responsibilities. From a day trip to a road trip to a great escape to a far away place, you have the thrill of a new experience.

NYC

We drove across NYC’s 42nd Street on our way back home from Philadelphia, passing the busiest Target in the country.

Two blocks further, tourists had their phones out, fascinated by how we live, like seeing. an ambulance with its sirens blasting, stuck in the 42nd Street traffic. These tourists were in a new world, far from their everyday routines. Love it or hate it, these tourists will always remember it.

This week’s Lens-Artists Photo Challenge is to capture moments that break the boundaries of your routine.

Rio de Janeiro

A trip to Rio means time on the beautiful beaches, usually picturesque Ipanema (this photo) and the more lively Copacabana.

It also means a trip up to Corcovado where a giant Christ statue overlooks the beautiful beach city.

But just like the tourists on NYC’s 42nd Street, we wanted to see the things that were so out of the ordinary for us.

Rocinha, The Largest Slum of Rio de Janeiro

Favelas are the overcrowded slums that surround the city. Houses are stacked along the slope of the mountains. In Rio, there’s no avoiding the sight of them.

The most famous slum is called Rocinha. Oberto offers a walking tour. He grew up in Rocinha, and he still lives there.

Everyone in our group was mesmerized every step of the way on this two-hour tour.

We saw inside people’s homes, and into the little stores and restaurants along the passageways in the narrow passageways..

And for all the extreme poverty, we felt safe. Most people were as interested in seeing us as we were in seeing them. We greeted them with boa tarde, and people smiled and returned our greetings..

We’ve traveled extensively through Latin America, and always on our own. 30 years ago, Behind the headlines, people are very friendly and welcoming in all the places we’ve visited.

Sometimes I look back in wonder at how my world opened up because I took a step out of my everyday world.

Now it’s your turn to share an experience when you felt unbound from your everyday life. However you interpret the challenge, I look forward to seeing how your unique experience opened your world.

Extra

I should have included photos of the Christ the Redeemer statue in the original version of this post. We begin on the streets of Rio de Janeiro.

It’s inspiring to be up there, in the sky..

And the view of Rio de Janeiro is breathtaking.

I hope you enjoyed the update to the post.