Brazil

I know it's been over three weeks since I was in Brazil, but I couldn't stand letting my blog go incomplete after I've kept it up for this semester. I of course had plans to write about it on the ship, but that time was filled with exams, packing, and saying goodbyes, and now that I'm back in Lexington my time seems to slip away faster than ever. Sometimes I think that I fill the time to avoid feeling too still here on land, like if I stop moving then I'm back to reality.

We arrived in Brazil and were cleared surprisingly early. It was looking suspicious outside, threatening of rain, but Elle, Rachel, Aleeza and I had places to go so we headed out. After a short walk, we took an elevator to the historic district of Salvador, Pelourinho. I had thought that I'd taken about every mode of transportation possible so far on this trip, but I guess not!

From the heights of the Pelourinho we could look out to the harbor, to the deep blue ocean and the European-looking buildings. We stopped at a picturesque coffee shop to savor the atmosphere then continued to the main square. There were vendors, women dressed in elaborate makeup and costumes, and people trying to tie ribbons onto our wrists. Apparently you are supposed to make a wish when you first get the ribbon and then when it falls off the wish comes true. But if you cut it off, well, you're in for some bad luck.

The main square had tourist shops, restaurants, art galleries, and more. We visited the church of Sao Francisco, which was built by the Portuguese. The church was much more elaborate than the one I visited in South Africa, but it seemed more distant and almost scary. There was a room filled with statues of bloodied religious figures looking down on us lined all along the wall which I felt uncomfortable staying in for more than a few minutes. Also, we went down some stairs into what appeared to be a tomb for a few dozen Portuguese families - there were rows of drawers on top of one another with people's names written on them. The final thing I remember about the church is the tile. Murals of conquest set in a tropical environment covered many of the church's walls, and they were made of many small tiles put together to form the pictures. My friend Aleeza told us that she learned in one of her classes that the tiles were imported from Europe because no European artists lived in Brazil. It was interesting to contrast this with something I learned from the interport lecturer from Brazil. He said that a Brazilian artist claimed in the mid-1900's that Brazilians could eat European's paintings and vomit them up on a canvas and it would be better art that way.

After the church, we continued wandering down cobblestone streets past colorful buildings. We saw many other SASers, including the Global Studies teacher Don Gogniat. Suddenly, it began pouring. It was the type of rain that if you ran across the street you still got soaked. We took refuge in a restaurant where I ordered some sort of crab dish. Midway through the meal, a man started playing the guitar, which was nice entertainment only slightly tainted when we found out after the fact that we were billed for it.

When the rain temporarily subsided, we made our way to a creperie we had seen earlier in the day. We ordered delicious chocolate and ice cream crepes, and also scored a free coffee because we filled out a survey. The cafe was located in a trendy hostel, and we all agreed that we wouldn't mind staying there.

After our snack, we continued wandering toward some excitement. There was a crowd of people located in one square, and one of the first things we saw was a man signing something for two girls and then taking a picture. Confused, we asked another SASer who told us that they were filming a music video for the world cup. I guess the man was a famous Brazilian singer. Probably thirty or so Brazilians dressed in yellow and green were also milling around the area, and we decided to hang around a little while to see what would happen. A few minutes later, music started blasting and the dancers started performing their routine. The next time they shot the dance, we all decided to join in! Some of my friends waved flags from different countries, and we attempted to follow the dance moves of the professionals. It was really fun, and it confirmed for me that Brazilians love to have a good time and that quality is a big part of their culture. Unfortunately, it started raining again. The dancers performed once in the rain, but then it got to be the ridiculous soaking rain again so everyone scattered for cover. We ended up in a small ice cream shop all packed in like sardines.

After the second downpour of the day, we went back to the ship to get ready for dinner. It was a friend's birthday so we went out to eat at a Mexican restaurant (mmmm guacamole). Afterward we went to a samba club where I learned from a Salvadorian named David how to dance... kind of. I could never quite get the rhythm right.

The next morning Rachel, Aleeza and I walked around the lower section of Salvador, closer to our ship, until we met up with Elle to leave for our adventure. We had decided before Ghana to travel together and seek out some isolated islands south of the city. We took a catamaran to the island of Morro de Sao Paolo, which was the first stretch of our trip to our eventual destination, Boipeda.

Morro de Sao Paolo was bright, beautiful, and beach. There were four beaches, conveniently named One, Two, Three, and Four, stretching along the coast. They were all fairly close together, which was important because there were no cars on the island - only tractors, wheelbarrows, and horses! The island was fairly lively, with a busy main street that led to the beaches where there were lodging and restaurant options. We arrived on the island around the time school let out, so kids ran laughing past us with their backpacks moving. We picked a yellow-painted hostel with hammocks in the front run by an extremely nice man who spoke hardly any English. Luckily, I remembered some of my Spanish so we could vaguely figure out what the other one was talking about.

We had dinner on the beach, where we were approached by a tour operator who arranged transportation for us to Boipeda the next morning. There were several men in brightly colored tank tops that served as tourist agents on the island. After dinner we enjoyed listening to the waves fall on the sand on our backs looking at the stars.

I woke up early the next morning, around 6:30, and decided to view the early morning activities from the hammock. I watched men collect the trash and cart it off in a horse drawn trailer, children playing before school, and people sweeping their steps. Even though we were obviously on a tourist island, it was nice to see these daily routines. Once everyone else woke up, we met at the prearranged spot to get on another catamaran to Boipeda.

There were several other people on the boat, but they were all day trippers. We stopped at a place on the way to get in the water. Some people had snorkels to view the reef below, but we enjoyed the people watching just as much.

Boipeda is enough off the beaten path to make it authentic. It still had many of the elements of Morro de Sao Paolo, such as palm trees, clear blue water, and white sand beaches, but there was no hustle and bustle. The island epitomized relaxation, and the four of us found it a perfect way to end our hectic semesters. We stayed at Pousada 7, which was charming and served fantastic breakfasts. However, our calm was interrupted by a huge spider the first afternoon which Elle found in the shower. After lots of screaming and failed attempts at murder, we finally isolated it under the refrigerator and squashed it. Otherwise, the island was filled with sun, swimming, and serenity.

The first night on the island we found a place off the beach in the jungle that we had read about in a tour book. It was a restaurant and hotel owned and operated by two American brothers. One of the brothers was a chef and he changed the menu every night to reflect the food that was in season. He knew instantly that we were from Semester at Sea because there are not many English tourists in Boipeda and he used to lead trips for SAS on the island. It was interesting to make that connection, especially since we were the only four people from SAS to make it to Boipeda this trip. Anyway, he told us the specials, which all sounded delicious, and I got a lobster dish that was absurdly good. It wasn't served as Americans eat lobster, as a whole entity. Instead, it was part of a concoction with cooked vegetables and a tremendous sauce, almost like a curry (except with a completely different flavor). Then, I got a native Brazilian dish that had prunes and cream, which I was not completely crazy about. We had several questions, and decided to grill the brothers because they were pretty much the only people who spoke English on the island. They arranged for two of my friends to go horseback riding the next day, and answered some questions about other sites on the island.

While the next day was not filled with anything particularly eventful, I did enjoy an epic long walk on the beach with Elle, discussing topics like social responsibility and boys. We walked out until we reached a stream and had to turn back. The way back was slightly more difficult because the tide had risen to the point where it was impossible to walk on the sand, so we had to step carefully in our bare feet. When we returned to Rachel and Aleeza, they were huddled under a bush, and their towels were hanging on branches to avoid the water.

The second night on the island we didn't have enough money for an extravagant dinner but we still all decided to go back and visit and get some of the homemade ice cream. It was funny because a few of the exact same people were in the restaurant from the night before, including a French couple that we became friends with.

The fifth day in Brazil came up too quickly and it was time to leave the island. We arranged a comprehensive way to get back to Salvador, which included a catamaran down the "River of Hell" (I think they called it that so it would stay isolated and wonderful and no one would visit), a car ride, and then a ferry across the bay to Salvador. The trip only took about three hours, so we could walk around Salvador a bit more before boarding the ship and saying goodbye to our final port of call on Semester at Sea, Spring 2010.