At first, I was very tired from walking up and down the steep hills in Pato Branco. To get to the bus stop to go to the university, I walk for fifteen minutes. The whole trip is one steep hill. It is almost half a mile long! Some of the sidewalks are cracked and broken, so I need to walk on the street. Some of the streets are paved with asphalt, and others are paved with irregular bricks. It is difficult to walk on these bricks because they are uneven. At first, I really needed to try not to trip!
Later, I started walking from my house to the center of the city. I walk for thirty minutes to reach the public square. On one of these trips, I might buy groceries, get money from the bank, or buy a quick snack. Now, I know how the streets connect and I can navigate more easily. I really enjoy walking around the city here. It makes me feel free, gives me time to think, and helps me get to know my city better.
The city structure and warm climate both help people to walk from place to place. Pato Branco was designed to help people walk from place to place. Shops, businesses and restaurants are located close together. There are many small schools for children to attend, and many can walk to school and home again very easily. There are also more sidewalks here than in an American city. There is even a path to the university, which is about 2.5 miles from the center of the city. Some students use this path to walk to the university from their apartments. The weather also helps people walk from place to place. For most of the year, southern Brazil is warm and sunny.
