Blogs from Salvador, Bahia, Brazil, South America - page 35

Now that we are back on the boat from Puerto Rico, classes have come into full effect! I won’t lie it has been pretty hard getting into the school mode. I do like all of my classes though; I am taking Global Studies, which is a requirement for all students. We have the class everyday and we can either sit in the actual area where the class takes place called the union or we can go to satellite rooms around the ship and watch the class from a TV screen. The union usually fills up with students and it is way rockier than the rest of the ship because it is up near the bow. The class briefs us on the countries that we are going to and teaches about them. I am also talking ... read more

We are pleased to announce that we have made it safely to Brazil! After a more than interesting flight to Sao Paulo from Buenos Aires,where we pretty much feared for our lives after our plane was delayed due to engine failure we have made it to Salvador De Bahia... So, the flight. Our first flight was delayed by 3 hours, and after about 45mins we started to feel more and more concerned after the pilot announced that one of the engines was failing (before take-off!) , not helped by the fact that we had a clear view of the cockpit (not quite a 747), and we could clearly see a couple of guys fiddling with numerous wires. Nevermind, all is well and we have vowed never to fly TAM again! Our first impressions of Salvador... a ... read more

Brazil. Get me off this ship! The seas have been quite rocky and we are all ready to be on land! (I have yet to get seasick though. .knock on wood!) Thank goodness too the land we found was BRAZIL! The second stop on this voyage around the world and I have already experienced so much. On Monday morning when we arrived in Salvador we put down our anchor and waited to be allowed to dock. We had to have a health inspection because we had just come from Venezuela and then we all had to go through immigration (passport stamped!) and we had to have our diplomatic briefing (which was everything but BRIEF!) and then we were finally able to pull up to this amazing city on the ocean. Salvador is separated into two levels; ... read more

where is the light switch....oh its INSIDE that glass box....beside the bare wires attached to a heating element...ahhh, thats the shower....its quite easy...you put your hand through the wires to turn on the water, flick the switch with heats the element, and magically you have warmish sparkie water....oh and mak sure you angle the water from the light switch :)..I bid thee good morning from the head f@#k that is Salvador in the exceptionally sunny northwest of Brazil....daves says hi...at least thats what I,m hoping the noise from the toilet is.... ...after one day we are sufficiently sick of little boys who have aids/want money/want friendship.... its really annoying you can,t actually get into the town with all the hassle, had to turn back....found some really sweet bars with very approachable women....oh, and since Salvador is ... read more

- FOOD: More lovely Bahian dishes (moqueca, cashew jugo, faijoado (smoked meat, black beans and orange), local cake base snack with shrimps - the whole shrimp including shell and tail to be eaten, Brazilian only 'pina' fruit and gorgeous lunch cooked by Regina (my local Salvador contact) - AREA: Big city. Pelourinho area has small, cobbled streets and a nice feel. The rest of Salvador has miles of quite unspoilt beaches, favelas next to wealthy areas, local market in Bonfim that certainly doesn't pass health and safety regs, very interesting candomblè religious ceremony where people go into trances, beautiful chuches covered in gold, capoeira (a cross between a dance and a martial art), - PEOPLE: Women wearing traditional huge dresses, tons of very persistant street sellers that insist they are your friend, lovely hospitable families willing ... read more