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Published: February 21st 2007
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Queijo!!
Meli and Delene on the beach getting some grilled cheese on a stick. 02/16/07 4:15pm
By Meli
*Note: Most of the pictures we will be uploading are from my digital camera, which generally doesn’t leave the apartment for safety reasons. No one wants to get jacked. All the rest are on disposable cameras.
Brandee’s Arrival The morning began slowly. I was the first one out of the house because I had a 10am appointment for a French manicure and pedicure. It took forever, and she cut my cuticles so short that I thought I was going to cry from the pain. I usually don’t like that done, but for whatever reason, I just let her do her thing. It took 2.5 hours, and when I got back, the boys were up and about. Lou had already gone to the gym, but Leroy slept in (very rare for him). Lou had checked e-mail at the café and still no word from Brandee other than that she was on the flight - we didn’t know when to get her from the airport. We decided to renew our search for a SIM card for my mom’s international phone, but as we were about to exit the apartment, the doorbell rang, and there stood Brandee! She
So good, when it hits your lips.
Meli can't contain her excitement. had the look of having been through a lot so we instantly gave her a group hug. Now that’s an independent international traveler. She did everything on her own - make calls, get cash, get into the building, etc. We were ecstatic to see her, and after she freshened up, we headed to lunch.
Walking the Beach and Carnaval Preparations We decided to head to one of the restaurants near the beach that serves traditional Bahian food - a lot of seafood, dende oil (a kind of palm oil), and coconut. As we turned onto the main avenue along the beach, we were overtaken by heat and people. The trio eletricos (electric trios - big buses with speakers taking up each side of the bus; this is where the band plays music, which is blasted from the speakers onto the partygoers) were parked already and workers were getting them ready. Every detail was important - down to putting Armorall on the tires! The support truck behind each trio eletrico was loaded with water, juice, and a LOT of beer. The beach was packed with people in their tangas (bikinis) and xungas (a bigger version of the Speedo). Lou bought
Strip Risk?
No, it's just really hot! sunglasses from a street vendor, after some aid with bargaining from me (translation) and Brandee (who refused to let him pay more than 10 reais). I ordered acarajé (a special Bahian dish with a fried garbanzo bean cake filled with okra paste, shrimp sauce, tomatoes, and hot sauce) from a Bahian woman on the street. It was heaven!!! We then found a restaurant and had another amazing meal. I stuck with a crab appetizer, Leroy had a salad, and Brandee and Lou shared fish Brazilian style (in a big stew with carrots, onions, and a lot of red sauce). Caipiroskas were frequent, as were the street vendors who stopped by selling necklaces, cashews, and CDs. One tried to get Lou to buy Brandee a necklace, and when Lou said he was “cheap with no money,” the boy told Brandee to tell him to “go away.” He said Brazilian men have money and buy things for their ladies. It was funny, but he didn’t make a sale. We left the restaurant too full for such a hot day and walked about the beach again. We wanted to see the famous Farol da Barra (lighthouse of Barra), but couldn’t get close to it with all the crowds and Carnaval preparation.
One thing we noted was just how many youngsters were walking around in posses. They rolled deep! In groups of 20, they walked up and down the street. Vendors selling Skol beer, water, sweets, bbq on skewers, and anything else you can imagine were posted up on all the streets near the parade route. We kept walking around, taking in how crazy this party was going to be. It may just be the largest street party in the world. With all the walking (or wading through crowds), we were exhausted and returned home. I took a nap while Leroy and Lou taught (indoctrinated) Brandee how to play Risk. We spent the early evening playing games and drinking cocktails, knowing dinner and a night with pipoca (literally popcorn, but I’ll explain later) was just around the corner
Dinner at Portal do Mar When dinnertime rolled around (this was about 9pm), we headed down the same street where we dined the night before. We picked a restaurant farther down the street, closer to the beach, and saw the same owner standing outside. “You own this restaurant too?” “I own the block!” And he does - he owns the hostel that manages our apartment! The place was packed, and we ended up sharing a table where there was a man already sitting - I guess he couldn’t fit into his friends’ table! He was from Guyana, so Lou did a little chatting. Dinner was yummy - shrimp dish for Leroy, heart of palm salad for me, pizza for Brandee, and xxx (can’t remember) for Lou. Everything was delish, and the atmosphere was extremely festive, what with the streets being packed with people. I called our landlord at one point to find out where Jak’s apartment was, as we had not heard from him or run into him all day. It turns out his place is near where we walked the first night that we tried to find Ponto de Encontro restaurant. We figured we’d try to find him, but not tonight. We went home to store our leftovers and get dressed before it was pipoca time!
Carnaval with Pipoca First, a lesson in Carnaval terminology, just the basics. You can be in one of three places in carnaval - pipoca, blocos, or camarotes. Blocos are basically organized groups with a the trio eletrico in front, a support truck in back, and a big rope (
cordão) around all the trucks and members of the bloco. There are what seem to be 500, or maybe even 1000, people manning the rope. Their job is to maintain the size of the rope, not letting it get too narrow or to wide. There are also other workers whose job it is to kick people out of the bloco who aren’t “members.” To be a member, you buy the entrance to the bloco, which is a t-shirt with loud colors. Everyone in the bloco is wearing the same shirt, so the outsiders are easy to find, and they are speedily escorted outside the rope. What’s outside the rope? The other million and half people in Salvador for Carnaval. It’s basically the people of Salvador who can’t afford to pay for blocos and who are happy to party in the streets for free and watch the trios with their favorite bands pass by. Pipoca can be dangerous for tourists, but mostly just in terms of pick pocketing, and not actual violence. For women, the danger is having your hair touched and getting felt up. Camarotes are sponsored by hotels and are basically big balconies overlooking the parade route. You pay entrance (also a shirt) and gain access to an all-inclusive party, replete with free buffets and drinks and lots of amenities.
All this to say that on the first night, we four decided to join the free party because we did not buy abadás for Thursday night. We left the apartment and headed into the masses. My first mistake was wearing flip flops. With the rain, trash, and urine (men are so gross!), it was just nasty. We walked along, jumping and dancing, and even crashing a bloco for a bit before we were summarily escorted out! It was a frenzy! There is no way to avoid jumping up and down with both hands in the air. I only wish I knew the songs - everyone else knows every word, and their excitement is palpable. We somehow make our way back and shower before hitting bed.
Hoje é Carnaval! (Today is Carnaval!)
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bett
non-member comment
i just read all your blogs!
backwards! tell delene to keep showing that hand...kisses from ickies! sounds like non stop action and fun!!! hugs and hello's to everyone!