The city that never stops...













So I just sent my friend off to the airport after a short visit. We spent his last day here wandering around, visiting places such as Santa Lucia, a gorgeous piece of architecture set atop a green oasis in the middle of the city. The stairs are made of stone, winding through fountains and terraces from look out to look out. And at the top of each lookout, the view is the same...a massive expanse of buildings; a sea of concrete.



This city is such a blend of old and new, green and grey, crowds and deserted spaces. And you don't realize how big the place is until you get a view from the top... and what a view. A mix of styles, shapes, sizes, and colors. It's almost unreal to see such a large city in a country that some people think doesn't even have running water (which is about as far from the truth as you can get --unless you're in the desert that is).

I was riding the subway home from the bus station and I had a movie moment...or maybe it was a book moment. Either way, I was sitting on the subway, looking out the window, watching the people go by from station to station and I felt as though the world was flying by as I sat there in complete stillness, just watching. At one point, I looked to my right and watched the other trains fly by. Both stopped, then mine started, leaving the other behind. We arrived at the next stop to meet another train. Its doors closed, and a man waved to me as his train started, this time leaving mine behind. I spent half an hour just watching the trains and people pass, colors flying by in streams and stripes of colors.

I stepped out of the subway in a bit of a trance and proceeded home to my apartment. When I got to my door, I found myself putting my keys back in my bag and continuing down the street. I managed to wander to an area of the city I had not yet been, and found myself feeling like the tourist I thought I had left behind months ago. I walked with my head in the sky, staring at the buildings made of thousands of glass windows and balconies, covered in ivy and bright flowers. I was in awe once again. As I have said before, this city never ceases to amaze me. Actually...it never ceases at all...