"I want to go back to Bahia.."

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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; the lower city and the upper city (old city.) You can take a taxi from one to the other, but the easiest way to get up is to take the elevator or cable car which costs less than 5 cents. On the first day I went on a walking tour of the upper city, which is very historical. Immediately we were greeted (accosted might be the better word) by vendors on the street trying to sell us stuff. I think by the end of the tour we were all sporting our bargained-down necklaces. Salvador is absolutely beautiful. With cobblestone streets and old bright colored houses it reminds me so much of New Orleans. Except for the fact that the cobblestone streets are quite steep and uneven and the fact that about one in one million people can understand English. Portuguese is the common language here. Sometimes you can get by with Spanish, but for the most part when making purchases you need to use your hands and a calculator.

Before coming to Brazil my friend Lauren and I went to a mini lecture during Community College (little programs on the ship every night) given by my film professor and another professor about how to barter and buy great stuff. We were so excited to start shopping in Brazil and let me tell you there is so much to buy! Buying extra luggage in Vietnam may be a very real possibility!

So what else have I done? If you read any of my previous posts you may have seen the description for my overnight trip to Praia do Forte. The trip was led by a guide, Carlos and was made up of 18 students, 1 adult passenger and 1 professor. It was s nice sized group. Praia do Forte is a small village about an hour from Salvador. It was PARADISE! My friend Rachel (who I actually met at the airport in Newark) decided it is the perfect honeymoon spot. There is only one road in and out of town and the main street is open only to pedestrian traffic. It is lined with stores upon stores selling all sorts of wonderful things. When we first arrived we left our stuff at the Posada (like an Inn) where we had cute little rooms each with their own balcony and hammock! Then we went to Project Tamar, a turtle rescue mission. Brazil has nearly 6,000 miles of coastline and is home to 5 of the 7 species of marine turtles in the world. This project is dedicated to saving the endangered sea turtle population by educating locals about turtle care and caution (we learned turtle CPR) and by tagging and researching the current turtle population. In the spring here (it’s winter now) you can actually help with releasing baby turtles back into the sea! After a visit at the project we had lunch at a local restaurant and then had the day to ourselves. The town is so relaxed and safe. I would highly recommend a visit to anyone who wants to recharge their batteries.

Later on we met up for dinner and a really nice restaurant where I had some really good fish and what loosely resembled chicken-fried steak. After part of the group went horseback riding while the rest of us went to a local bar with our guide to listen to live music. At the bar we were approached by Daniel, an 18 year old artist. He wanted to draw a portrait for me, but I didn’t really want a picture of myself, but I did want him to draw something, so he drew me a butterfly. It took him nearly an hour to finish it. He had taught himself to speak English and was very fluent, so we spent a good portion of the time just talking to him. He has been living in the local hostel for 4 months and has been making money drawing when he can. We had a wonderful time with him and he stayed for at least 3 hours, talking and drawing. This is what traveling is all about, relaxing in a little town and getting to know the locals.

The next morning we woke up and had a wonderful breakfast at the hotel and then boarded big jeep/bus-like vehicles and proceeded to a little river where we went for a canoe ride. Having had some canoe/kayak experience I was made a captain and tried very hard to keep my canoe straight and not running into the reeds. After about 40 minutes we came up to a beach. On the other side was the ocean. It was a private beach and we were the only ones there for as far as the eye could see. It was picturesque, like a postcard. After swimming we boarded our canoes again and continued to the end of the little river. Then we went back to the village for lunch, a bit more time to shop and then we got back on the bus to make our way back to Salvador. We made one last stop at the Castle of Garcia D’Avilia. He was some rich dude who came from Portugal and set up a sugar cane plantation. The castle is in ruins, but was pretty cool. We also saw an 8 foot python in the bushes, which was pretty cool too.

By the time we got back to the ship I was pretty tired, but I had to keep going. An hour later I was all ready to go to Bahia by Night, another SAS trip. We went to the basement of this big house and saw a traditional dance show which included Capoeria, a form of dance/gymnastics that the men do. It was really awesome. Then we went to this unreal restaurant with a huge buffet and red-light/ green light service. Basically you put the card on your table on green and they keep coming with all sorts of meat cuts for you. When you are full or just need a minute to breathe you put it on red. It was amazing. There were so many kinds of meat and food. We were all finding it so hard to believe that we were college kids eating so richly and not paying too much for it!

This morning I went to the Beu Macado Kindergarten. Here in Brazil crime is a huge problem (as it was in Venezuela) and it is very easy for children to get caught up in it. They try very hard to keep their kids out, but they still end up on the streets. This kindergarten was set up by a journalist and his wife as a day care for children whose mothers were working during the day. The mothers do not have to pay for the care, but are asked to volunteer some of their time and are required to have a job for their kids to attend. The kids were so cute and welcomed us with songs and open arms. I colored with the 5 year olds for a bit and then pulled out the stickers I brought…chaos ensued! They loved them and we had a great time. Our guide explained that visits by groups like us are really good because the kids need more one on one attention. We also made a donation to the kindergarten.
Brazil is amazing. I love it so much. My visa is good for 5 years and I would really like to come back soon.

On the last day I went out with some friends to see a movie and to do some shopping in Salvador. It was a really great last day. The movie was good, even though it was in Portuguese, it was better than the one I had seen in Venezuela. We then went into the old city or “pello” and got some pizza at this little second floor restaurant. While we were eating a huge group of kids (100+) were in the street below in some type of drum corp. It was like a Brazilian marching band. They kept playing and playing for a VERY long time. Their stamina was amazing! The brightly colored t-shirts below as well as the beautiful surrounding buildings made for a picture-perfect scene through the wrought iron fenced window.

Soon enough it was time to leave. It was sad to see the city lights of Salvador fade into the horizon as we drifted away, but at the same time it was exciting. In eight days we would be on a whole new continent.

My first radio clip was aired on Carroll corner a few weeks ago and I will be sending another in as I cross the Atlantic on my way to South Africa. I will post a message about when it will be airing when I know. Until then keep tuned to 88.7 WJCU!

Leave me messages; I love to hear from you!

Oh, the title, “I want to go back to Bahia..” was a lyric from a song they were singing at the bar in Praia do Forte, my friend Rachel and I sang it for the rest of the trip!

Tata for now,
The Butterfly Traveler

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Comments

[Cindie Norris]

Amazing!
Hey Ashley Your mom gave me your blog address. Sounds like you're having an awesome time. I'll keep following you and pass it on to Alex also. See ya!