I feel Bahia before I could see it. That electric Carnival energy rattles me. In the historic district, where are hostel is, a cluster of bright colored houses sit in rows. Almost like something out of Key West. Our hostel is Nega Maluca, a quaint hostel right near Pelourinho. Inside, there is a tiny hallway that leads to a community kitchen and back outdoor balcony, overlooking the rest of the historic district. Travel photography lined all the walls, except it wasn’t places being captured – but people. There are pictures of dark, dusty workers from China, a mother and her baby in full face makeup from India, and a Namibian girl with black skin and hair painted bright red. The look on their faces captured perfectly in that you could feel them, like you knew them.
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