For me, this is Brazil.

For me, this song/video epitomises Brazil.

Salvador continued...

January 20th, 2010.
Wednesday.

We woke up to a humid, but very sunny day! By the time we arrived at breakfast, the ship had docked at Port Salvador, and we could see from our little balcony the gorgeous ancient buildings that stood before us. After my usual breakfast of granola and yoghurt, Alberto and I went to the decks to take some photos and bask in the sun for awhile. As soon as I stepped off the ship around 30minutes later, I knew that the city of Salvador would take my heart captive – never to be returned. The city was unbelievably gorgeous, five hundred years young overlooking crystal clear blue waters. Our whole group, all ten of us, paid the inexpensive price of R$23 for a tour guide to take us around the city for the day. First we stopped at a lighthouse where I bought three necklaces off a local who was very persuasive! We then went to a beach that appeared to never end, the sand stretching on forever. We frolicked in the warm water for hours, sunbaked and ate fresh fish and prawns. Next stop was Abaeté Lake. I have no words for this place. Paradise? No, that doesn’t even come close. Wild horses roamed across the pure, soft white sand dunes, alongside happy children splashing in the warm turquoise lake. Perfection. From there, we moved onto the Igreja do Bomfin (translated that means the Church of the Good End). Luckily for us, a church service was in session, and the passion of these locals astounded me. Many came up to me, never minding that I couldn’t speak Portuguese, and tied little ribbons with the words ‘Lembranca do Senhor’ (‘Remember the Lord’) around my wrists. The front fence of the church was laden with these ribbons, to the point where it looked like a sea of rainbow dancing with the wind. Many parks and markets were visited after that, and then
we returned to the ship for a beautiful evening of dancing and eating.

{photos by morgan}

This is Salavdor.

Thats right. I loved Brasil so much the first time, I needed to go again. So I did. And this time, more places were explored. One spectacular placein particular was Salvador, Bahia. I cannot begin to explain how magnificant this city is. I've written it all down in my journal, one day soon, to be excavated onto this blog. Stay tuned.

que saudades!

this phrase literally has no translation into english. which is why i love it, although hard to explain. it pretty much means 'so much longing' or 'what longings', except stronger. brazilians cannot understand how we only use one word - 'miss' - when we miss something. anyway, i have been 'longing for' or 'missing' brazil terribly. and i'm already planning to return later on in the year when uni finishes, although it is incredibly expensive! one place in particular that im missing is Trancoso, Bahia. there is so much culture, so many colours, amazing delectible foods and the people are so warm and friendly. everything about this place was amazing. this is what lonely planet has to say about it:

"Smaller in scale than Arraial, youthful Trancoso is also quite captivating. Sitting atop a grassy bluff overlooking fantastic beaches, this tiny rustic village has a relaxed air with a pretty assortment of guesthouses. It’s known for its wide, grassy and, most importantly, car-free quadrado (square). This central plaza has a grazing horse or two and football-playing lads and a small church at one end. Surrounding it are tropical foliage and colorful buildings, which house expensive boutiques and open-air bars and restaurants. The sight of the quadrado at night is magical. Rave culture still thrives in ‘Transe-coso, ’ and it’s famous for full-moon beach parties. The village fills nicely in summer, but in the low season you’ll find it in hibernation."

a little trip to brazil

Last year (November 19th), me and my boyfriend jet setted to Sao Paulo Brazil for a grand total of 40 days. The experience, the places, the people, the colours, the food was unforgettable. And over the next few weeks, maybe months, I'll be penning my travels down on this blog as a permanent memory. It was, to say the least, one of the most amazing experiences of my life.











(1) Myself, Alberto, Dandara and Leo (Alberto's little brother and sister)
(2)Alberto & myself atop Atibaia's highest and biggest rock, Pedra Grande (which literally translates to: Big Rock)