Save me, Salvador

Audra:

Back when I first started planning this Brazil trip, the general consensus was that Salvador de Bahia was the place to go. I'm currently in Salvador, and while it's kind of cool to see (old and colorful buildings, cobblestone streets, lots of samba blasting from various radios), what stands out most to me about the city is that it's apparently really dangerous. I say apparently because nothing dangerous has actually happened, but every time we want to go somewhere, it seems like some native is standing there telling us it's not safe. Don't go up that street, it's dangerous! Go that way. Don't go that way, it's dangerous! Go back the way you came. It's a short walk to the park, but take a cab the roundabout way for 20 reais! Because it's not safe to walk! (granted, the cab ride took us through a very shady looking area that I would not have wanted to be walking in).

So basically, besides the fact that we ate a really tasty lunch and that we're going to see Candomble tonight (an African-based religious ceremony), which I'm interested in, I can take or leave Salvador. Preferably leave. I was happy with the music being played at much safer places in smaller towns, and I hate feeling like I have to stay in or take cabs if I want to go anywhere. Also, because there are more tourists here, there is also more tourist infrastructure (expensive things, people trying to get stuff from you because you look foreign, English speakers) Fortunately, though I thought it was unfortunate at the time, our crazy travel schedule got us here two days late so we only have another day and two nights before we go to Rio!

Some of my favorite parts in the week since my family left:

-taking the bus from the airport in Belem, because people were SO helpful and it was the first really backpacky-feeling event of the whole trip (before that we were either living longer-term in Buenos Aires, or traveling along swankier lines with my parents).

-the first night in Belem, chatting in Portuguese with some natives and one guy from Houston who is just really good at languages, and then going to the plaza to eat "coisas duvidosas da rua", aka sketchy street food. That's when I had my first coconut of the trip! The first of many... ice cold coconut water is hard to beat on a hot day.

-in Sao Luis on day 3, realizing that the fancy restaurant we were aiming for wasn't open yet and eating instead at a hole-in-the-wall, pay-by-the-kilo restaurant that felt really authentic.

-The entire trip to Lencois Maranhenses: riding in the back of a pickup over really rugged terrain, splashing through deep puddles, and then seeing incredible dunes and sparkling green lagunas. And SWIMMING in them! And rolling down sand dunes into the water!

-The all-day trip to Jericoacoara, and the night out when we got there. We had a series of delicious fruity caipirinhas on the beach (pineapple, then lime, then passion fruit), then danced the forro in the rain until the wee hours, when I crawled into a hammock to sleep. I woke up snuggled in my hammock with rain pouring down past the porch that sheltered me.

-The beach in Recife, and eating more dubious street food! And good fish and a tangirosca! (alcoholic drink made with tangerine)

-Breakfast at our Salvador hostel: pancakes and watermelon out on a porch where the weather was just perfect and there were lots of fun people to talk to.