Salvador with Bev
Trip Start
Apr 10, 2006
1
63
65
Trip End
Ongoing
Salvador de Bahia, Brazil
Thursday, February 1, 2007
Bev wrote pretty much just as I'd settled in to let me know that she had survived her second (and definitely last ever) GAP tour... and was thinking of coming up to see Salvador. One cheap flight and hot and sweaty walk later... she arrived - on her birthday! We had a great week together - and since I was no longer staying in a hostel it was really cool to have someone to explore with. We tried Moqueca, the local fish stew, bought beads and dolls from the never-ending train of street vendors, took corny pics dressed up in a dubious bits of costumes, supported each other as we stood gasping for breath while watching the HOT capoeira boys do flickflacks (and I can't remember what all else because I was so stunned at their ummmm .... well defined muscles.... ) on the plazas, watched the sunset while sipping caiprinhas on the beach (where of all the men available, I was lucky enough to attract the eye of the local pimp / dealer - do I have a sign on my forehead or something!!) and became addicted to Cubana ice-cream and agua de coco.
We also bumped into my friend Megan, who I'd met in Cali, Colombia, one day in the street - yay for that bump! She was staying at a hostel with some friends - Eva and Katie - who I have subsequently become such good friends with - and we hooked up during the rest of the time that they were in Bahia and had a ball.
We went to the Festival de Verao - huge summer music festival - which was packed and seemed like the music was almost an afterthought to an advertising campaign for the various products that were jammed in your face in every second! The music was fabulous - although bev and I were not yet truly appreciating Brazilian music... I discovered later that the singer I had slagged off as being super-corny and crappy...is actually Ivete Sangalo, possibly the most famous / popular singer in Brazil....I love her music now - but I think just because I experienced her and I can appreciate it for that (since she is really just like the Britney Spears of Brazil!) Ben Harper also played - such a sexy man that - and Carlinhos Brown, a Brazilian musical genius.
We stumbled onto an Olodum concert one Sunday evening in the Largo de Pelourinho - they are phenomenal - one of the best drumming groups in the world (started by Carlinhos Brown) and ridiculously popular... and the concert was free so things were mental. We practically got picked up off our feet with all the people and pushing around us - and it was scary - so we fought our way to the police "headquarters" and stayed there for the rest of the concert - we actually had a great view of both the concert and all the pick-pockets / muggers / fighters being brought in by the cops - who take no crap from anyone. They walk around in full-on riot gear and don't hesitate to use their metre-long batons when people get out of hand.
We took a boat out to Ilha de Mare (Sea Island??) and had a very chill day there... handstands on the beach, grilled cheese sticks (these are sold everywhere and are kind of like a mix between mozzarella and haloumi cheese, stuck on a wooden skewer and grilled over coals in a portable brazier - I am officially addicted!), and of course the ubiquitous Skol cerveza.
Bev's trip ended on a bit of a bad note when her bag was snatched out from under her head as she lay on the beach - crappy - and I nearly got arrested the same day for losing my temper and giving a teenage boy a pretty hard slap when he swore at us (there had been a long lead-up trust me!!) - such excitement! All good though - and as soon as I had said bye to Bev it was almost time to start getting ready for the next lot of friends.... Carnival was approaching!!
