Arrived Safe in Salvador

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Hey All,
So I Have Landed in Brazil! Flying into Sao Paulo Was Amazing!!! The Color is so truly beautiful!! The buildings are oranges reds greens blues yellows nestled in lush green rain forest, with fields of Red Red earth breaking up the intense green. Sao Paulo is Mountainous, very much like vancouver's rolling mountains. I was to take a plane to Salvador from there. I went to the gate I was supposed to go to, they scanned my ticket and the announcement came over the intercom to board the plane. i jumped up and got to the front of the line, we waited for a long time for the plane. they scanned my ticket and on the plane I went. it was a blessing that I asked the staff what seat I was in, he then informed me, I was on the wrong plane, Not going to Salvador, but heading to Brasilia, the capitol of brazil, inland Brazil. Turns out they changed the gate for the Salvador flight. I missed my plane, I was grateful that I flew out on the next flight. With about 4 other canadian couples that missed the flight as well!! I flew to Salvador with the Brazilian Football team(soccer) wow... did I mention that Brazilians Are Amazingly Beautiful.. Both Male and Female!! the men are mostly quite tall, and the women are all over just gorgeous. there Skin is so beautiful, there is such a peace and happiness in their face. Even though Life is hard for some, There is a definite attitude that ^Life is good^ Everyone here, even with different bodies have amazing bodies.. Wow.
So I arrived at the Airport. The Flight from Sao Paulo to Salvador was the Longest most gruelling flight I have ever taken. I have never wanted off a plane more in my life!! not that it was a bad flight. it was excellent. But the Butterflies were relentless. I got off the plane Shaking with excitement!! I have NEVER experienced such excitement and emotion. I honestly can't put into words what seeing Rafi again was like. the closest word I can find is Amazing, and Wonderful, but these word fail miserable to describe my feelings.

So Rafi and his cousin met me. we drove through Salvador! Traffic is crazy. the lines on the road is simply art, and they use none of them for guides. at times the two lanes turned into four. people make right hand turns from the farthest left hand lane of a three lane street, pedestrians make a dodge for it, across busy 5 lane highways. standing on lines in-between hoping not to be hit!! the bikes and scooters weave through the traffic with a death wish, driving up the center lines. missing cars and cars missing them by millimetres.
Salvador Is Beautiful!! Rafael got us a hotel right on the ocean. it is called MARAZUL translation Blue Sea. I wake up hearing the birds sing. a bird named Bemtevi calls *Bem te Vi* Bem Te Vi* which means *Look at me* and he translates to english as well I can hear him calling *look at me, look at me* . The ocean is still audible from the 8th floor, I can hear it Crash against the rocks and I can see the wave crash against the light house to the left.
On friday night we found truly Brazilian food, We ate *Acaraje and Abara* one is fried and the other cooked. which is a bean cake, with two sauces in it. One which I could not tell you what it is, but it is tasty, the other is made of Okra and cucumbers. very different. I don't know that I would go looking for it, like rafael does, but I will eat it when its put in front of me. which I feel might be more often than I would like to eat a deep fried bean cake!! We also Had this AMAZING Drink It is made with the Skin of the Coco Bean, sugar and water. It is Pure White and has a hint of the taste of lychee. so yummy. We are in old salvador, we walked for Hours in old salvador yesterday. The Shopping is amazing. most of the things are cheaper or the same cost as things in canada, but then it is translated from Canadian Dollars to Reals, and I becomes half price. We walked along the old cobble stone streets and beautiful old towne Squares. Old Salvador was built by the slaves. we went to the elevator, *Lacerda Elevator* built by the slaves to connect upper and lower Salvador, we went into the lower salvador prison, now turned into a market. but you can go down to the *basement* where the Slaves, Poor people, and Blacks where put in prison. it is close to the ocean, so it is always about 2 feet deep in water. they have built cement pads for us to walk on. but it is quite atrocious to think that hundreds of people where kept in this place, always knee high in water, defecating in the water, and probably having to drink it as well! it is hot and humid almost suffocating. It was closed down and last used as a prision in..¨1946, 1946, some 63 years ago. the churches are beautiful, there is one that has 70kg of Gold in it. Olde Salvador, reminds me much of Parts of Italy! It is a beautiful country. The people are wonderful. I do not feel unsafe. I am of course conscience of my possessions. I can see that traveling with Rafael, A Native brazilian is a benefit. I see people look at with me with dollars signs. when we go to vendors I am quite. the price climbs when they hear english. We walk the streets lined with hibiscus (my Favourite flower) and many native flowers. it is much cleaner then I thought it would be. I am with the man I love, Happy beyond Belief, and in a euphoric state, in a beautiful city surrounded by a Beautiful Culture! It is sunday morning, we will start off today after I finish writing you! The sun is high for 930am, today we will walk the other way toward the light house. I look forward to the adventure. seeing and trying new things! Tomorrow night we will leave to Ubiataba to Rafaels Parents home, and then after a few days to our beach house in Saquaira. add me on Skype. Larissa_ Brown or Rafael & Larissa ( Rafaelcanoa) All my Love, Hope you are all well.

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