Blogs from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, South America - page 18

I hadn't had a good night sleep or shower in many days but can I think about that now, No. I had to get to the bus station. I wasn't sure what time the bus was and I wanted to beat the hundreds of boat passengers who would be showing up behind me. Dong Hwan went with me despite his having a plane the next day. If the bus wasn't till later, we were going to grab a much deserved bite together. I was very fortunate to have him with me because it was a nightmare. There was only one bus to Salvador with one company at 3:30. We waited in line to book my ticket only to find it was booked for that day and the next day and apparently for quite some time. I ... read more

We arrive in Salvador as the sun is setting, 6pm, a bit different to the 10pm we were used to in Patagonia. Our driver explains that as Salvador is near the equator, there is no summer time as always 12 hours of sunlight - 6am to 6pm. He explains that Salvador is very safe, just be careful where you walk, don’t wear any jewellery or look like you have money and only carry small bills in your pocket - sounds completely safe to me! We see a fatal motorcycle accident on the way to the hotel and our driver explains that driving is very hazardous in Salvador and drink driving is a big problem - so our initial impressions aren't fantastic. Our driver is an Italian immigrant, Alfredo, and he drops us to our hotel at ... read more

On our last full day in Prai do Forte, we decided to visit the historic city of Salvador. As with most places in Brazil, you cannot just drive yourself around unfamiliar places due to the dangerous areas for tourists. Our friend Eduardo helped us with a guide from the area and he took us around on a private tour for half the cost. Patricia's Mom and Dad were a bit concerned about us going to Salvador /Praia do Forte since we aren't from the area. We haven't had one problem, but this was a good week to visit just to be sure. There is a Latin American Presidential Conference going on in Salvador all week. The Equadorian Ambassador is actually staying in our Pousada, and three Latin American Presidents are staying within 10km of us. There ... read more

This morning we went to the beach again. Lucas is in love with the sand!! After we swam and gave Lucas anap we ventured into the downtown area to take some pics. Patricia struck up a conversation with some fisherman who just came back from a 5 day trip. They unloaded a bunch of peixes, but it was a small catch to them. Apparently the recent full moon affected how many fish were out because of the light. Who knew? Lucas was into running around as much as he could get away with, but he didn't care too much about the fisherman. We visted Projto Tamar this afternoon. It is Brazil's one big environmental success story. Starting out as a poor and unloved environment agency in the early '80s, Tamar has since come into the mainstream, ... read more

Well, we made it to our hotel in one piece! Lucas survived the long journey, and Michael and I didnt' kill each other in the process :)! Everything went pretty smoothly leaving Atlanta, and even though we don't normally fly to Brazil on layovers, this time b/c of the price difference, we headed to NYC, to then hop on a plane to Brazil....I know, geographically it makes NO SENSE! Take it up w/ Delta... The layover went pretty smoothly though. When we first arrived in NYC around 3pm I was starving, so b/c the JFK aiport is so huge, you have to walk a LOT to find what they consider a 'food court'...so for the ones who are not in the physical condition to walk they have these little golf carts that you can hop on ... read more