In the evening, the air is different. A breeze moves in and the sailboats head upriver. In the approaching sunset, a faint glow emanates from behind the clouds. The light shifts subtly, and a chill descends on the riverside.

It is calm by the river. People laugh and talk. Lovers hold hands as they watch the water lap onto the shore. It is joyful by the river. Musicians play to an accepting audience and vendors hawk their “sexy pineapples” to tourists and locals seeking to escape the everyday.

The river at sunset sings a timeless song of waves and ripples. Dolphins jump unexpectedly from the deep water where cruise ships usually dock. The river is full of surprise and promise.

Walking along the river is an evening ritual. People gather on the shoreline. Children run along the steps leading into the water. Beggars make statues of sand and rocks, hoping for a few coins for their efforts. Tarps are thrown under the bridge as makeshift shelters to prepare as night descends. It seems that everyone is drawn to the river.

The ferry boats make circles, dropping passengers along the riverside. Headed somewhere, they rush up the gangways and out of sight. They are in a hurry. It those of us lingering here by the river are immune to the frantic pace. We revel in the sunset and the sound of the water. We are bewitched in the magic hour between light and darkness. To stroll, to sit, to dream in the evening breeze along the river, it is timeless.